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Indian Express
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
5 songs you did not know were inspired by novels
Art often echoes, borrows, or builds on what came before it, transcending the boundaries of time, space, and medium. Paintings have inspired poems, and novels have inspired films, and artists and writers often use music as as inspiration. Musicians, too, often draw inspiration from other art forms, depicting them sonically through lyrics, beats, and melodies. Here are a few songs by rock bands that are directly influenced inspired by characters, stories, and themes of renowned literary works: White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane adds a sinister tone to the classic children's tale, a stark contrast to the childlike wonder that is associated with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Maple press, pages 120, Rs 125) authored by Lewis Carroll. Released in 1967, the song portrays the experience of taking psychedelics which was characteristic to the counterculture movement in the 1960s. Beginning with the lines, 'One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small', the song uses Alice's eccentric and whimsical experiences in Wonderland to describe the experience of taking psychedelics. The eerie instrumental accompanied with the powerful and haunting vocals, creates a surreal atmosphere that reflects the effect of psychedelics on the mind. With a title that directly refers to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (Penguin Select Classics, pages 304, Rs 199), 2+2=5 by Radiohead tells the story of the narrator who is trapped in an Orwellian regime. The statement, 'Two and two makes five' in the novel illustrates how the Party maintains absolute control over logic and thinking of its subjects; it symbolises total submission to the authoritarian regime and the complete disintegration of individual thought. The narrator in the song is a subject of such an authoritative regime. The sudden shift in the pace and tone of the song is indicative of the narrator's inner dilemma between choosing to be a subject of this regime or revolting against it. Also by Anosha Rishi | How Bookstagram is changing the way we discover and discuss books One of The Police's most popular songs, Don't Stand So Close To Me, a groovy pop rock song about a sensual relationship between a teacher and his student, is inspired by Vladimir Nabokov's most renowned novel, Lolita (Penguin, pages 368, Rs 550). The desire of the teacher mirrors that of Humbert, the protagonist of the novel who was infatuated with a young girl, Lolita. Lolita is infamous for the age-gap between the two characters and the immoral acts executed by Humbert to be closer to her. The song directly refers to Humbert: 'It's no use, he sees her he starts to shake and cough, Just like the old man in the book by Nabakov'. The Rolling Stones' Sympathy For The Devil is inspired by Mikhail Bulgakov's novel, The Master and Margarita (Penguin, pages 432, Rs 399). The lyrics are written from the perspective of a devil reminiscent of Woland, the devil from The Master and Margarita, who arrives in Moscow and incites chaos while helping The Master, a novelist who is the protagonist of the novel. The devil in the song also recalls some of the same historical events as the novel, such as the crucifixion of Jesus which holds great significance in the novel. The song explores moral ambiguity which is one of the major themes of the novel embodied in the character of Woland. The playful instrumental, with elements of samba music, adds a flair of devilishness to the song. Weaving fantasy into rock, Ramble On by Led Zeppelin directly references locations and characters from The Lord of The Rings in the lines, 'Twas in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair, but Gollum and the Evil One, crept up and slipped away with her'. Ramble On is a song about love and heartbreak from the perspective of someone who left their past lover behind and is now on the search for a greater love. Incorporating elements of fantasy adds a surprising twist to a classic narrative. Led Zeppelin has referenced The Lord of The Rings in their other songs as well, such as Misty Mountain Hop and The Battle of Evermore. Written by an intern with
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
7 songs you did not know were inspired by novels
Art often echoes, borrows, or builds on what came before it, transcending the boundaries of time, space, and medium. Paintings have inspired poems, and novels have inspired films, and artists and writers often use music as as inspiration. Musicians, too, often draw inspiration from other art forms, depicting them sonically through lyrics, beats, and melodies. Here are a few songs by rock bands that are directly influenced inspired by characters, stories, and themes of renowned literary works: White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane adds a sinister tone to the classic children's tale, a stark contrast to the childlike wonder that is associated with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Maple press, pages 120, Rs 125) authored by Lewis Carroll. Released in 1967, the song portrays the experience of taking psychedelics which was characteristic to the counterculture movement in the 1960s. Beginning with the lines, 'One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small', the song uses Alice's eccentric and whimsical experiences in Wonderland to describe the experience of taking psychedelics. The eerie instrumental accompanied with the powerful and haunting vocals, creates a surreal atmosphere that reflects the effect of psychedelics on the mind. With a title that directly refers to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (Penguin Select Classics, pages 304, Rs 199), 2+2=5 by Radiohead tells the story of the narrator who is trapped in an Orwellian regime. The statement, 'Two and two makes five' in the novel illustrates how the Party maintains absolute control over logic and thinking of its subjects; it symbolises total submission to the authoritarian regime and the complete disintegration of individual thought. The narrator in the song is a subject of such an authoritative regime. The sudden shift in the pace and tone of the song is indicative of the narrator's inner dilemma between choosing to be a subject of this regime or revolting against it. Also by Anosha Rishi | How Bookstagram is changing the way we discover and discuss books One of The Police's most popular songs, Don't Stand So Close To Me, a groovy pop rock song about a sensual relationship between a teacher and his student, is inspired by Vladimir Nabokov's most renowned novel, Lolita (Penguin, pages 368, Rs 550). The desire of the teacher mirrors that of Humbert, the protagonist of the novel who was infatuated with a young girl, Lolita. Lolita is infamous for the age-gap between the two characters and the immoral acts executed by Humbert to be closer to her. The song directly refers to Humbert: 'It's no use, he sees her he starts to shake and cough, Just like the old man in the book by Nabakov'. The Rolling Stones' Sympathy For The Devil is inspired by Mikhail Bulgakov's novel, The Master and Margarita (Penguin, pages 432, Rs 399). The lyrics are written from the perspective of a devil reminiscent of Woland, the devil from The Master and Margarita, who arrives in Moscow and incites chaos while helping The Master, a novelist who is the protagonist of the novel. The devil in the song also recalls some of the same historical events as the novel, such as the crucifixion of Jesus which holds great significance in the novel. The song explores moral ambiguity which is one of the major themes of the novel embodied in the character of Woland. The playful instrumental, with elements of samba music, adds a flair of devilishness to the song. Weaving fantasy into rock, Ramble On by Led Zeppelin directly references locations and characters from The Lord of The Rings in the lines, 'Twas in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair, but Gollum and the Evil One, crept up and slipped away with her'. Ramble On is a song about love and heartbreak from the perspective of someone who left their past lover behind and is now on the search for a greater love. Incorporating elements of fantasy adds a surprising twist to a classic narrative. Led Zeppelin has referenced The Lord of The Rings in their other songs as well, such as Misty Mountain Hop and The Battle of Evermore.
Calgary Herald
14-07-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Where Ottawa locals go for the best ice cream
Article content 'It's all about the mouth feel,' Haley has told the Citizen. 'It's creamier and denser. There's just something different about it.' Article content The classic flavour for frozen custard is vanilla and while some serve it from a dispenser, like soft ice cream, purists insist that it must be scooped. It's served at a much higher temperature than regular ice cream and must be made fresh just hours before serving, not frozen solid and stored like ice cream. Article content You can take home pints of Haley's ice cream — up to 20 flavours from chocolate to hibiscus passionfruit to pina colada to hibiscus passionfruit might be available — for $10 each. But many of the people lining up on a warm summer night will enjoy their scoops ASAP, lingering outside the store. Article content Launched in 2015, Liz Mok's much-admired ice cream business quickly won a broad following for its unique, small-batch, Asian-themed frozen treats. But Moo Shu is a recent arrival in Hintonburg, having moved there in the fall of 2024 after outgrowing its original Centretown location. Intriguing varieties such as Hong Kong milk tea, White Rabbit (inspired by the Chinese candy of the same name), black sesame and dalgona (Korean sponge toffee) and coffee must be tasted to be believed. Ever the innovator, Mok has also created flavours such as Blueberry, Ricotta & Basil, Chèvre & Cherry Fig Chutney and Salted Honey & Crostini. Her strawberry ice cream is marvelous, overcoming the high water content of those tasty berries to create a confection from local fruit that's absolutely fresh and natural. A two-scoop serving is $7.50, a three-scoop serving is $9.75, while a one-pint tub goes for $15. Article content Article content Mok's justly revered ice cream bars, which are $8.50 each and come in flavours such as Vietnamese coffee and brownie or durian and brown sugar blondie, are as architecturally sound as they are tasty, avoiding the common failing of ice cream bars, namely structural integrity failures that see melty ice cream squished out of the embrace of the biscuits after a forceful chew. Article content Article content Joe Calabro's venerable Preston Street bakery has been selling gelato since year one — 1979 — making Pasticceria Gelateria Italiana the pioneer of Italy's great gift to frozen dessert lovers in Ottawa. At first, the shop sold just 12 flavours, and health inspectors told Calabro that he couldn't use a traditional spatula to serve his gelato and had to use a scoop instead. Now, the store serves 24 types of gelato, with pistachio as its top-seller, along with six kinds of sorbet. Single scoops are $7.95, doubles are $9.95 and triples are $11.95. You can enjoy your gelato in the cafe or on its shaded terrace overlooking Preston Street. Article content Article content Made fresh daily and served year-round, Calabro's gelato is half-way between ice milk and ice cream, with a consistency that's smoother and softer than regular North American ice cream. His gelato is light (about four to six per cent butter fat content compared to the 10 per cent or more in most ice cream) and it bursts with natural flavour. Article content Article content After most ByWard Market dessert counters have wiped their trays, Piccolo Grande stays open and busy right up until 10 p.m. On warm nights, benches out front fill with couples sharing scoops and kids dripping sorbet down their wrists under the dragon lamp posts that frame the pedestrian strip. Article content The gelateria, which has operated out of the historic, stone-walled location since 1987, makes Italian-style ice cream on site in small rotating batches, behind a doorway with a sign reading 'gelato factory.' The flavour list rotates through standards like bacio and stracciatella, and surprises like honeyed saffron French vanilla streaked with threads of the spice, chocolate orange or creamy pomegranate, more soft than tart. Dairy-free fruit flavours stay close to their ingredients without artificial sweetness. Popular options like grapefruit and pumpkin cycle depending on what's in season.
Ottawa Citizen
14-07-2025
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
Where Ottawa locals go for the best ice cream
Article content 'It's all about the mouth feel,' Haley has told the Citizen. 'It's creamier and denser. There's just something different about it.' Article content The classic flavour for frozen custard is vanilla and while some serve it from a dispenser, like soft ice cream, purists insist that it must be scooped. It's served at a much higher temperature than regular ice cream and must be made fresh just hours before serving, not frozen solid and stored like ice cream. Article content You can take home pints of Haley's ice cream — up to 20 flavours from chocolate to hibiscus passionfruit to pina colada to hibiscus passionfruit might be available — for $10 each. But many of the people lining up on a warm summer night will enjoy their scoops ASAP, lingering outside the store. Launched in 2015, Liz Mok's much-admired ice cream business quickly won a broad following for its unique, small-batch, Asian-themed frozen treats. But Moo Shu is a recent arrival in Hintonburg, having moved there in the fall of 2024 after outgrowing its original Centretown location. Intriguing varieties such as Hong Kong milk tea, White Rabbit (inspired by the Chinese candy of the same name), black sesame and dalgona (Korean sponge toffee) and coffee must be tasted to be believed. Ever the innovator, Mok has also created flavours such as Blueberry, Ricotta & Basil, Chèvre & Cherry Fig Chutney and Salted Honey & Crostini. Her strawberry ice cream is marvelous, overcoming the high water content of those tasty berries to create a confection from local fruit that's absolutely fresh and natural. A two-scoop serving is $7.50, a three-scoop serving is $9.75, while a one-pint tub goes for $15. Article content Article content Article content Joe Calabro's venerable Preston Street bakery has been selling gelato since year one — 1979 — making Pasticceria Gelateria Italiana the pioneer of Italy's great gift to frozen dessert lovers in Ottawa. At first, the shop sold just 12 flavours, and health inspectors told Calabro that he couldn't use a traditional spatula to serve his gelato and had to use a scoop instead. Now, the store serves 24 types of gelato, with pistachio as its top-seller, along with six kinds of sorbet. Single scoops are $7.95, doubles are $9.95 and triples are $11.95. You can enjoy your gelato in the cafe or on its shaded terrace overlooking Preston Street. Article content Article content Made fresh daily and served year-round, Calabro's gelato is half-way between ice milk and ice cream, with a consistency that's smoother and softer than regular North American ice cream. His gelato is light (about four to six per cent butter fat content compared to the 10 per cent or more in most ice cream) and it bursts with natural flavour. Article content Article content After most ByWard Market dessert counters have wiped their trays, Piccolo Grande stays open and busy right up until 10 p.m. On warm nights, benches out front fill with couples sharing scoops and kids dripping sorbet down their wrists under the dragon lamp posts that frame the pedestrian strip. Article content The gelateria, which has operated out of the historic, stone-walled location since 1987, makes Italian-style ice cream on site in small rotating batches, behind a doorway with a sign reading 'gelato factory.' The flavour list rotates through standards like bacio and stracciatella, and surprises like honeyed saffron French vanilla streaked with threads of the spice, chocolate orange or creamy pomegranate, more soft than tart. Dairy-free fruit flavours stay close to their ingredients without artificial sweetness. Popular options like grapefruit and pumpkin cycle depending on what's in season.
India Today
14-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- India Today
How Titaura, Nepal's tangy treat, found a home in one of India's best bars
On a mundane Monday afternoon, my colleague and I were swapping weekend stories when she suddenly lit up and said, 'You know what, I tried a titaura-infused cocktail at the Sidecar!'Now, this revelation was met with an enthusiastic 'What are you saying?' from my end, followed by a half-hour-long deep dive into how far titaura has come (more on that in a bit).advertisementA little context for the uninitiated: Titaura is a beloved Nepalese snack made primarily from lapsi (Nepali hog plum). Think of it as a thinner, punchier cousin of aam papad, loaded with spices. Sweet, sour, spicy, you name the flavour, and there's a titaura variation for it. It even comes in different textures and forms, depending on how much chew (or kick) you're after. Titaura is displayed at a street-side store in Darjeeling. (Photo: Medha Chawla) So why the excitement, you ask? Because titaura is no longer just a hyperlocal snack coming from Nepal. It's having a global moment, and for someone like me, that feels wild.I was first introduced to titaura in school, growing up in North Bengal, where a sizeable Nepalese community meant it was easy to find and even easier to fall in love when I moved to Delhi, titaura became part of my personal food stash, packed alongside White Rabbit candies, Wai Wai noodles, and Sour Bombs, little bites of nostalgia I'd bring back for curious friends (and my own cravings). Each time, titaura would spark questions and wide-eyed now see it poured, stirred, and served at one of India's most celebrated bars? Feels surreal. And a little in Delhi atA snack travels all the way from Nepal to India's capital, straight into one of the best artisanal cocktail bars not just in the country, but the world. And it's not just an co-founder Yangdup Lama proudly takes credit for introducing Delhi to a titaura-infused drink, because no other bar is experimenting with this punchy Nepalese treat just who spent his school years as a boarder in Darjeeling, first tasted titaura thanks to his classmates. Back in the '80s, this spicy-sour candy was a must-have for anyone returning from Kathmandu. 'It was almost a ritual,' he recalls, 'and Darjeeling had its fair share of Nepali students who brought back titaura after every vacation.' Different kinds of titaura are displayed in a shop. (Photo: Siddhartha Ghimire/Instagram) That nostalgic bite turned into a flash of inspiration during a bar shift in Kathmandu in December 2023. Not long after, 'Kantipur' was born, a cocktail built around a deconstructed, in-house version of classic titaura, made using fresh, top-quality ingredients. Lama adds that while the original candy was part of early experiments, the final drink is a refined take, balancing the flavour with finesse. Kantipur served in Delhi's Sidecar. (Photo: Instagram) Nepal's bars are already leading the wayWhile titaura might still be new to most Indian palates, especially up north, Nepal's bar scene is way ahead of the curve for obvious Nayyar, COO at Tulleeho and jury member for 30 Best Bars India, recalls sipping on a 'Bloody Nepali' at Barq in Kathmandu last year. 'It had titaura as its core ingredient, tangy, punchy and totally unforgettable,' he says. Bloody Nepali at Barc, Kathmandu. (Photo: The World's 50 Best) advertisement'My curiosity piqued, and as I explored more, I discovered how widely titaura is used across Nepal's bar scene. On my second visit, I saw several bartenders at a cocktail competition using it creatively, it's clearly a staple for them.'Nitin Tewari, a mixologist and bar consultant popularly known as 'Mr Bartrender', has been working on a unique cocktail menu for Arak by Banmanche in Kathmandu over the past three months. For him, titaura wasn't just an afterthought; it was part of the plan from day one.'We created two drinks inspired by global classics, Moscow Mule and Picante, but with a titaura twist,' he shares. 'And for the non-drinkers, there's Titaura Coke, a spiced, masala Coke using the beloved Nepali snack. It was a total hit at launch, people loved the unexpected fusion.' Titaura-infused drink at Banmanche, Kathmandu. (Photo: Nitin Tewari) advertisementThe rise of the unexpected in your glassTitaura aside, we're in an era where flavour boundaries are being blurred, our palates are bolder, more travelled, and more curious than ever. Gone are the days of playing it safe with the same classics. Innovation now owns the points to some offbeat ingredients turning up in cocktails today, things you'd never expect in a drink. 'Jasmine rice and jackfruit, for instance, they're subtle but leave a lasting impression,' he says.'Globally, ube, a vibrant purple yam from the Philippines, brings soft sweetness and that stunning violet hue. And miso? It adds this beautiful umami complexity. I had a Miso Boulevardier with bourbon recently, totally unexpected, but brilliant.'Besides, at Sidecar, the team has been experimenting with ingredients like corn and cheese, and the drink is called 'Howdy'! The other drink that has a surprising twist would be Maggi Point. Served at The Brook, a sister concern of Sidecar, this one has Maggi masala is a core ingredient paired with tequila, tomato and pea water, hence its name. Maggi Point has Maggi masala as its core ingredient, hence its name. advertisementThe future is local, loud and low-wasteCall it mindful mixology or clean-drinking culture, but the cocktail game is shedding its excesses. The focus is shifting to clarity, where every element in your glass has a job to do, and no garnish is just for show. Bars are turning to local, regional, and sustainable ingredients, not as gimmicks, but as flavour-forward Nutcase in Kolkata, for instance, where they're using kalojire honey (onion seeds honey) to add some complexity and depth. In Chandigarh, the speakeasy PVT LTD serves up Njansa spice bubbles with bourbon, equal parts theatrical and unapologetically bold.'This is about respecting ingredients, not masking them,' says Nayyar. 'We're moving beyond trends into something more rooted. These crossovers aren't just refreshing, they're necessary. It's what keeps the craft alive, relevant, and real.'- EndsMust Watch
