Who ate all the pies ?

Mountains & Molehills

By the Ali Noor approved Bug

Who ate all the Pies

It was certainly not I.

It was certainly not that the thin hot one.

I guess all fingers point to the guitar-armed rotund one. I would be miffed but then again, the duo of Haniya & Zeb make such nice music. Puts me to sleep really. When I go out driving in my car.

For ages I have dreamed for chicks with guitars singing here in Pakistan. Who hasn’t? Man, I thought, that would be so hot. Consider D’Arcy of Smashing Pumpkins. Consider even Alanis or the similarly unfortunate horse-faced Joni Mitchell. Even they made me weak at the knees. Now that we in Pakistan have a chick-a-duo with guitar, I ask you could they have been more asininely ineffectual. I mean the music has been utterly stripped of any edge or for that matter, charm. Consider the racy vid they initially put out. Now consider the pic they put onto the album sleeve from the said video. Looks like an ad for deodarant now, dudn’t it? In still life, the femme dancer is seen to have buried her face into the guy’s armpit while the guy looks up ecstatically thanking the deodarant bestowing gods. Mayhaps I am over-reacting. Mostly likely not.

Really, the music HanZee play is what my khala would play in her CD player. Music for people who go to Peeru’s Cafe. People who listen to MHB. Who used to groove to Enigma. People who use the HZ CD now to show off their stereos in their Prados and whatnots. People who are basically not me.

Sure enough when I first heard their demos ages ago, I was chuffed at the song Chup. And then my buddy Mekaal and others of the musicianly ilk got hold of em. Turned ’em properly musicianly, squeezed the fun out. A note perfect product.

Why, I now hear you ask, then am I writing about ’em if I don’t like. Well basically ‘cuz I support ’em (and all new artists). And yes even their right to be edgeless, if they so choose. I just wish Haniya and Zeb had not. Sorta like the last next-great-thing Arooj Aftab, who reportedly, at last hearing was collaborating with – wait for it – Kami Jee. ’Who ?’ I hear you ask. My point exactly.

(This and many other rants published in these pages may be found at http://themightybug.wordpress.com)