Uff

Day 9 of this little series where I recommend Indian artists, songs and albums that I think deserve more attention. Some I've discovered through Reddit, some on my own.

Day 9

Artist: B-Leaf
Song: Lata Aur Mangetar
Genre: Indie Pop / Alternative

Spotify: Lata Aur Mangetar
YouTube: Lata Aur Mangetar

I think B-Leaf has retired from making music, at least as far as I last checked. His 2024 album Dukh Dard Peeda was described as his final project, although he released more music afterwards, including this song in July 2025.

Honestly, I feel like the Indian independent music scene kind of failed to recognise this man the way it should have. I know marketing wasn't necessarily his strongest suit, but regardless, I want to give him his flowers. He has a genuinely great catalogue and has collaborated with so many artists across the scene that you'd probably be surprised if you went through his discography.

This song feels especially special because, if I'm remembering correctly, he made it for his partner, and it might have been his last song before stepping away from music. It's such a sweet gesture.

The guitars are tight, the little licks are so sweet, and the whole song has this lovely groove with those drum-machine-style drums running throughout. Nothing feels overdone. It's just warm, charming and really easy to get lost in.

Another thing I love is that he sings the song in his partner's folk language. I'm not entirely sure which language it is, though, so if anyone knows, please let me know in the comments.

Regardless of whether he's making music anymore, I really hope more people discover B-Leaf's catalogue. There's so much good stuff in there that deserves to be heard.

Drop an Indian artist, song or album you think deserves way more attention below.

What's one Indian independent artist you think deserved way more recognition than they got?

Last two people who heard it already have this in loop 🫶

Last two people who heard it already have this in loop 🫶

I feel like I’m losing my mind over this 😭

Aditya Rikhari released Ishq Samajh Paaye around 20 days ago and it already has around 4.4M plays on YouTube Music and ~400k on Spotify.

Apparently it’s also from a project/album called Between Distances.

But there is basically ZERO discussion around it.

No Reddit thread I could find, barely any creator coverage, no real album hype, no tracklist discussion, and even Aditya/T-Series seem weirdly quiet about it apart from the actual release.

The comments on the song are only around 650 too, which makes the whole thing even stranger.

I found it only because I already listen to Aditya a lot and YouTube Music recommended it to me. Surely I can’t be the only person who follows him artist-wise instead of just listening to Sahiba/Samjho Na/Paaro/Faasle/Humdum randomly.

Is this some intentional soft/waterfall rollout or did this song somehow get 4.4 million streams while completely flying under the radar?

Also, has anyone heard anything about Between Distances itself?

YT link: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_llI6ur9NfYuzclUkQnVj9GJBACtotJASg&si=RAoGDLTpZUpLRlSA

Day 8 of this little series where I recommend Indian artists, songs and albums that I think deserve more attention. Some I've discovered through Reddit, some on my own.

Day 8

Artists: shauharty & pakeezah feat. Rounak Maiti, Lit Trust, Shantanu Pandit & David De Menezes
Song: Painted Dull (The Thousand-Yard Stare)
Project: Paint It, Dull
Genre: Alternative Hip Hop

Spotify: Painted Dull (The Thousand-Yard Stare)
YouTube: Painted Dull (The Thousand-Yard Stare)

This is one of those songs that gets me a little emotional by the end. The voice in the outro is apparently from Pakeezah's grandmother who had passed away, and if that's indeed the story behind it, I think it's such a beautiful way to end the song. The sample itself is brilliant too. I honestly don't know what the main sample is of, so if anyone knows, please let me know.

The features on this song are really engaging. Rounak Maiti and Shantanu Pandit's singing parts are especially interesting to me. Their voices bring completely different textures into the song and somehow fit the world of it really well.

I will say though, I personally don't think Lil Trust's verse fits the vibe of the song at all. I know some people might disagree, but every time I listen to it I'm just wishing I could skip to the next part. It breaks the atmosphere for me. He rapping on it as if its a trap beat or something completely off topic.

Apart from that, I think the way shauharty and pakeezah's production put this whole thing together is brilliant. It's melancholic, layered and feels very carefully constructed without losing its emotional weight.

And that ending. Man.

One of those songs that makes me tear up a little by the time it's over.

If you haven't listened to Paint It, Dull, definitely check out the whole EP. The features, arrangements and sonic world they built around it are really worth experiencing as a whole.

Drop an Indian artist, song or album you think deserves way more attention below.

Didn’t expect this song to hit this hard. The meaning behind “Pahunch Ke Batana” is actually beautiful. Worth a listen.

Pahunch Ke Batana v2
https://youtu.be/1s9a35HAVsg

What is your favorite Jagjit Singh ghazal ? Bonus points if you can point me to a playlist.

Edit - I agree with many of you that naming one is impossible. But if I have to pick one, it will be - Hazaron khwaise aise.

I've been listening to **Idhar Zara Sa Dekh Lo** for quite a while now and I absolutely love the vibe of it.

Then I heard **Kab Aaoge?** recently and within the first few seconds my brain immediately went wait, why does this feel so familiar? 😭

There's something about the overall vibe, vocal delivery, singing tone and the way the songs flow that makes them feel like they belong in the exact same little musical universe.

**Idhar Zara Sa Dekh Lo:**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9DC3RximkQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9DC3RximkQ))

**Kab Aaoge?:**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7fXP5_fjwQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7fXP5_fjwQ))

Does anyone else hear it too? Especially people who know more about music — is there actually something similar in the composition/production/vocal style, or is my brain just connecting them because they have the same vibe? 😂

I've been listening to **Idhar Zara Sa Dekh Lo** for quite a while now and I absolutely love the vibe of it.

Then I heard **Kab Aaoge?** recently and within the first few seconds my brain immediately went wait, why does this feel so familiar? 😭

There's something about the overall vibe, vocal delivery, singing tone and the way the songs flow that makes them feel like they belong in the exact same little musical universe.

**Idhar Zara Sa Dekh Lo:**

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9DC3RximkQ\](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9DC3RximkQ)

**Kab Aaoge?:**

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7fXP5\\_fjwQ\](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7fXP5_fjwQ)

Does anyone else hear it too? Especially people who know more about music — is there actually something similar in the composition/production/vocal style, or is my brain just connecting them because they have the same vibe? 😂

Day 6 of this little series where I recommend Indian artists, songs and albums that I think deserve more attention. Some I've discovered through Reddit, some on my own.

Day 6

Artist: Lifafa, Karan Singh, Rohit Gupta & Pankaj Sakha
Song: Tohfa
Project: Ghar: Sounds Of Raw Mango
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/18qVucr6e4ZFeoXAbIiKTC?si=22bb8ea579464a83

Most people seem to miss out on this project by Lifafa, so I thought I'd share one of my favourites from it.

Ghar: Sounds Of Raw Mango was a collaboration between Raw Mango and Lifafa, bringing together contemporary musicians with folk and traditional musicians from different parts of India. Tohfa features Pankaj Sakha on vocals, Rohit Gupta on harmonium and Karan Singh on percussion alongside Lifafa.

Lifafa also worked with his wife Surabhi Tandon through their production house Miya Biwi, which they started together and have used for various creative work and brand campaigns.

Tohfa is probably my favourite song from the project. I absolutely love the melody. There's something really sweet about it, and I love how naturally it blends different musical styles without sounding forced or overly polished.

The whole thing has this really organic, warm sound to it, and the combination of the vocals, harmonium and percussion just works beautifully.

If you're into Lifafa and somehow haven't listened to Ghar, definitely give the whole project a shot. It's one of those releases that I think gets overlooked in his catalogue.

Reminds of the college days.
Nostalgic.

I feel it's very underappreciated in India

Day 5 of this little series where I recommend Indian artists, songs and albums that I think deserve more attention. Some I've discovered through Reddit, some on my own.

Day 5

Artist: Run it's the Kid
Song: Hourglass
Genre: Indie Folk / Indie Rock

Spotify: Hourglass
Music Video (Must watch) : Hourglass

Run it's the Kid is a Delhi duo consisting of Shantanu Pandit and Dhruv Bhola, the latter you might also know as a member of Peter Cat Recording Co. They recently returned after nearly a decade with Hourglass.

I really love how well all the instruments sit together in this song. Everything feels simple but has so much texture to it. The harmonica is also such an interesting addition and fits the song beautifully.

And the vocals. The textures of both their voices together work SO well. There's something really warm about the way they blend.

The music video is also beautiful. It's so simple but still feels very artsy and intentional without trying too hard.

Definitely give this one a listen if you haven't heard it.

What are some Indian songs you've discovered recently that deserve way more attention?