Best Indian Indie Songs of 2009: Midival Punditz, Bhayanak Maut, Blackstratblues

2009 is the year before our year-by-year chain begins, and it left a rich spread of Indian independent songs on Apple Music India: metal from Bhayanak Maut and Inner Sanctum, electronic tracks from Midival Punditz, Bandish Projekt and Jalebee Cartel, guitar music from Blackstratblues, Bengali rock from Fossils and Bhoomi, and blues and fusion from Soulmate, Advaita and Dhruv Ghanekar. This list picks the best Indian indie songs of 2009 you can stream on Apple Music India today.

How we checked. Every date below is the song's own date on Apple Music India (iTunes catalogue, country IN), checked on 28 October 2026. A song is only here if Apple gives it a real 2009 date, not a 1 January placeholder. Film soundtracks are left out, and only released music is covered. For the year after, see the best Indian indie songs of 2010.

Quick answer: the best Indian indie songs of 2009

• Midival Punditz – "Tonic"
• Bhayanak Maut – "Habemus Papam"
• Blackstratblues – "The Happy Billi Song"
• Rupam Islam & Fossils – "Bhoot Aar Tilottoma, Pt. 1"
• Bandish Projekt – "Garba Rave"
• Jalebee Cartel – "Blue Over Red"
• Advaita – "Ghir Ghir"
• Soulmate – "Set Me Free"

The 20 songs

1. Midival Punditz – "Tonic" (31 March 2009). From Hello Hello. A slow-building electronic track with a vocal hook that sticks.

2. Midival Punditz – "Electric Universe" (31 March 2009). The album's opener, bright and pulsing; the album closes with an acoustic take.

3. Midival Punditz – "Naina Laagey" (31 March 2009). Hindustani vocals over a soft electronic bed, one of the gentler songs on Hello Hello.

4. Bhayanak Maut – "Habemus Papam" (7 August 2009). The opener from the band's self-titled album: blast beats, shouted vocals and a huge riff.

5. Bhayanak Maut – "Ranti Nasha" (7 August 2009). A Hindi title and a hard groove; one of the band's best-known songs.

6. Bhayanak Maut – "You're Perfect. Now Change." (7 August 2009). The closer, heavy and sarcastic.

7. Blackstratblues – "The Happy Billi Song" (16 December 2009). A cheerful guitar instrumental from The New Album that shows off Warren Mendonsa's tone. More in Blackstratblues songs.

8. Blackstratblues – "Ode To a Rainy Day" (16 December 2009). Slower and more emotional, with a long, singing guitar line.

9. Rupam Islam & Fossils – "Bhoot Aar Tilottoma, Pt. 1" (25 May 2009). From Fossils 3. Dark, dramatic Bengali rock. More in Fossils songs.

10. Rupam Islam & Fossils – "Swabhabik Khoon" (25 May 2009). The album's opener, fast and angry.

11. Bhoomi – "Purano Sei Diner Kotha" (12 September 2009). From Aamra Nuton Joubaneri Doot. A Bengali folk song given a full-band warmth. See Bengali indie songs.

12. Bhoomi – "Aamra Notun Jouboneri Doot" (12 September 2009). The title song, a rousing sing-along.

13. Bandish Projekt – "Garba Rave" (18 October 2009). From Correkt. Garba rhythm meets club beats.

14. Bandish Projekt – "Folk Tronic" (18 October 2009). Folk melodies cut up over electronic drums, as the title says.

15. Jalebee Cartel – "Blue Over Red" (24 June 2009). From Onepointnothing, with Ash Roy, G. Arjun and Arjun Vagale. Moody and dance-ready. See Indian electronic music producers.

16. Jalebee Cartel – "Mirrors" (24 June 2009). A darker cut from the same album.

17. Advaita – "Ghir Ghir" (6 March 2009 on Apple). From Grounded in Space. Hindustani vocals and rock build-ups. See Indian folk fusion bands.

18. Soulmate – "Set Me Free" (11 June 2009). From Moving On. Big blues vocals from the Shillong band. See Indian blues bands.

19. Dhruv Ghanekar – "Seven/Eleven" (22 January 2009). The opener from Distance, jazzy and light.

20. Inner Sanctum – "Agent of Chaos" (20 September 2009). From the Provenance EP. Tight Bengaluru thrash. See Indian metal bands.

Five more from 2009

• Soulmate – "Remembering Rory" (11 June 2009)
• Advaita – "Durga" (6 March 2009 on Apple)
• Bhayanak Maut – "MNS Messenger" (7 August 2009)
• Jalebee Cartel – "Fade Away" (22 June 2009)
• Parikrama – "But It Rained" (15 November 2009, from One)

Left out, and why

• Junkyard Groove's 11:11 songs carry 2008 dates on Apple, so they do not count as 2009 songs here.
• Swarathma's debut and Mohit Chauhan's Fitoor carry 1 January 2009 placeholder dates on every song, so we leave them off a list that depends on real dates. Hear Swarathma in Swarathma songs.
• Film songs from Raat Gayi Baat Gayi, Aao Wish Karein and other 2009 soundtracks are left out.

Where to go next

The albums list for the year covers the full records these songs come from. For the next year, read the best Indian indie songs of 2010 and the best Indian indie albums of 2010. For more heavy music, see the best Indian metal albums; for Hindi picks across the years, see the best Hindi indie songs.