My Favorite Music: Saba Azad

Saba Azad. Illustration by Ishan Rathod.

One half of Mumbai electro swing duo Madboy/Mink, Azad dusts off her records to for a playlist that goes from the Motown melodies of Stevie Wonder to the synth heavy refrains of The Black Keys.

 “Rhymes Of An Hour” Mazzy Star, 1996

It was my introduction to Hope Sandoval’s haunting vocals and David Roback’s sparse guitar style. It’s melancholic, yes, but so achingly beautiful. I never really can listen to it just once.

“I Got Mine” The Black Keys, 2008

This was on Attack & Release – their 5th studio album – and is a total winner because of the mind numbingly good main riff. I can listen to it on repeat and never tire, what a band and what an amazing track.

“Superstition” Stevie Wonder, 1972

This is from back when Stevie still had the funk and the cheese hadn’t caught up with him. Genius baseline with that crazy horn section thrown in, wow! It’s his best track ever in my opinion.

“Lovestain” Jose Gonzales, 2003

I’m a sucker for melancholia. It’s such a beautifully sad song, so simple in words and sound, yet incredibly poignant. And that guitar… where does he think up those tunes from?

“Play With Fire” Rolling Stones, 1965

There’s been a tie between “Dead Flowers” and this as my favorite Stones song for a while, but for the last few years “Play With Fire” has been winning.

“Kiss” Prince, 1986

Let me leave this one at: it’s Prince. Do you really need another reason?

“Hello Operator” The White Stripes, 2000

Jack White is a genius. I love his dirty over-driven guitar tone in this one. Meg’s less-than-perfect drumming kind of added the extra flavor, which in the hands of a more finessed drummer would be completely lost. What an ace track.

“Voodoo Child” The Jimi Hendrix Experience, 1968

Who hasn’t been obsessed with Hendrix! He saw me through many evenings of being locked up in my room pretending to study, when all I was really doing was playing air guitar and dancing  myself silly.

“Pink” Aerosmith, 1997

I was crazy obsessed with Aerosmith when I was in high school. I have these insane memories of my best friend and I singing their songs from morning till school ended, non-stop. We were real fans if ever there were any.

“Hot Mess” Chromeo, 2001

I spent a good part of the past year obsessing over this song. Those two have a synth collection that you should be seriously jealous of and boy, do they put it to good use.