Top 5 Indie/Alternative Picks of 2018

Ningombam Captain *

Ten years ahead from now, a Manipuri teen who is binge-watching a list of old coming-of-age movies might start digging up the indie soundtracks included. Chances are, he/she or the non-binary teen might look up to the old indie songs released in Manipur, in the past years.

The kid (I'm not assuming the age, nor the gender) will find 2018 as a significant year, as far as alternative/indie music is concerned. He will find that 2018, the year in history in which the Manipur University experienced the most chaotic semester and the South American urban legend of the Chupacabra got inducted to the mentally disturbed masses, was also the year of erecting musical milestones, like the grand release of Manipur's (or unofficially India's) first entirely shoegaze album "AKA Lo! Peninsula".

The arbitrary kid that we're talking about here might not get into much detail in the research on live music in 2018, maybe due to "pop-up" distractions by hypothetical futuristic gadgets. If this is the case then, little will he know that 2018 witnessed a series of successful concerts like Where Have All The Flowers Gone?, River Bank Music Festival, Wildernest and many other cafe gigs in and around Imphal.

If this "kid" gets born and finds this article in happenstance, I know, he will surely agree with the list below as the top 5 releases of 2018:

Cover of 'Ei Amasoong Yum'

1. Ei Amasoong Yum

Artist: Noong-Paan
Genre: Spoken Word
Release date: 2 December
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Cover of 'AKA Lo Peninsula'

2. AKA Lo Peninsula

Artist: Lo! Peninsula
Genre: Shoegaze
Release date: 18 August
Rating: 4 out of 5

Cover of 'Kayada Ningthijaba Lambino

3. Kayada Ningthijaba Lambino

Artist: Chaoba Thiyam
Genre: Folk Ambience
Release date: 25 July
Rating: 4 out of 5

Cover of 'Eigi Waabu Ningshingduna'

4. Eigi Waabu Ningshingduna

Artist: The Koi
Genre: Alternative
Release date: 20 June
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

'Lai Lik Lei'

5. Esei

Artist: Lai Lik Lei
Genre: Indie Folk
Release date: 19 February
Rating: 3.5 out of 5