CD Review: TAAQ/This is It

Thermal and a Quarter
This is It
4/5
TAAQ Music

Thermal and a Quarter have, in 11-plus years, built up a formidable reputation of being a fantastic live band. So it’s slightly unnerving when the title track – and the first song – on This is It, hints at goodbyes to live shows (“Look into those front row eyes/Make your little goodbyes”). But that doesn’t stop the entire album from sounding all nice and happy, TAAQ-style. The intricately-layered sound, while not radically different from their past albums - especially 2004’s Plan B – captures the energy of their live shows very well. The troika of Bruce Lee Mani, Rzhude David and Rajeev Rajagopal keeps the proceedings very tight. Highlights of the album are the groovy “Holy Jose” (the bouncy bassline will have you moving in no time); “How Can I Get Your Groove” (with a superb lead constructed of notes rolling off the fretboard) and “This is It”. Don’t let the monstrous roach on the front stop you from reaching out for this great album.

© Bobin James/Rolling Stone India, 2008

TAAQ - "Shut Up and Vote"

Bangalore band Thermal and a Quarter have released a video for their single, "Shut Up and Vote," for the good folks over at Jaago Re. It's what I think is a low-budget video, but kicks ass. (Goes to prove that you don't really need to spend a whole load of moolah to make a good video.)

The band embarks on a 5-city tour starting March 20. The schedule, according to an e-mail release from Jaago Re.
• IIT Madras, Chennai on March 20
• Presidency College, Kolkata on March 23
• Pragati Maidan, Lal Chowk Delhi on March 25
• D.Y. Patil College, Mumbai on March 27
• St. Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bangalore on March 28