Show notes for the 224th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers in or from Malta:
Fenech-Soler – Stop & Stare
My friend and colleague Michael Bugeja brought this English band to my attention. Apparently they’re on the verge of making it big in the UK. They released this single (and video) last April and they have a new one coming up in a matter of weeks. They get their name from bassist Daniel Soler, who is of Maltese descent from the Fenech-Soler family. They sound fresh in a retro kind of way and I have a feeling that I’ll be playing their new single when it comes out too.
The Attika State – Celebration?
Another British band with a Maltese connection, which has appeared on previous editions of the Mużika Mod Ieħor series. Warren and Martin Mallia return with the rest of their band and a new single, their first release with Alcopop Records, from Measures their next album, which is due out in October.
The Rifffs – Arabian Romance
To mark the first mention of a major research project I’ve just embarked on, I’ve selected something from Alfie Fabri’s personal collection. This rare gem from one of Malta’s most loved bands of all time comes from a cassette recording made some 30 years ago. M3P is the Malta Music Memory Project, which is set to launch officially in Valletta on the 25th of September and I’m pleased that this is how I’ve mentioned all this on my podcast the very first time. I’m sure that this is just an ice cube off the tip of the iceberg that we’re about to start exploring through M3P. More (much more!) to come in the weeks, months and years ahead.
Freddie Portelli – Life Is What You Make It
Malta’s king of rock ‘n roll is back with a song clearly made for his legions of loyal fans craving more music in this vein. The lyrics are pretty upbeat and Freddie’s singing and guitar playing remain as vibrant as ever. I expect this to make a fairly large splash in the week before and immediately after the end of this summer. Significant radio airplay will account for a considerable part of that, as will the many live appearances that the venerable singer makes across the Maltese islands week in week out. We’ve come a long way since the days when being an old-age pensioner meant sitting at home contemplating the twilight of one’s life.
Tony Scott – Illusions of a Plastic Heart
One of the most invisible names in the Maltese music scene is the man responsible for recording some of the most memorable music in Malta, including the much-loved Aħna Aħna Jew M’Aħnix satirical anthems that have now become classics. In the last decade or two Scott has reinvented himself as an easy listening quasi-new age composer and musician, with a noticeable string of online fans via MySpace, Reverbnation and other such online music dissemination services. This is one of his latest tracks and demonstrates the qualities that endear him to his new-found audience.
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