How to describe Velvet Kirtan? It's a band, for starters. It's also a modern take on centuries-old Indian devotional chanting traditions in which the chant clears the mind in order to more fully connect with the divine within and without. Singer Beth Filla (Trolleyvox) plays the harmonium and leads participants in chanting simple, repeated melodic phrases (in Sanskrit!); guitarist Andrew Chalfen (Trolleyvox, I Think Like Midnight) channels his inner trippy Velvet Underground on electric baritone guitar; and drummer Joseph Traub (Chief Bender) drums his way to better chakra alignment.

Sound files to follow when we get a recording we dig.

Velvet Kirtan posts their upcoming shows on Facebook.