Desecration Smile

Is it just me or is this year really rolling along like road traffic before the invention of speed cameras? I know that part of the reason I perceive time to be passing faster than usual is because I'm very busy. Nothing really new there. The ability to choose what keeps me busy is a daily struggle, which, to me, is as colossal as the eternal battle between good and evil.

One thing I find to be most positive in my weekly routine is the production of my podcasting series Mużika Mod Ieħor. Among the many benefits I derive from this podcast is the sense that it's a weekly touchstone where I take stock of the week gone by and the week ahead. As expected, some weeks are better than others.

This week's podcast is one of those house-keeping editions I spoke about a few weeks ago. I've been meaning to play another track from the new album by Winter Moods for several weeks, so this week I start with what I believe is one of the best songs on Ordinary Men. Hang On to Your Smile shows how the band has matured over the last twenty odd years they've been around, even if the line-up has changed a number of times over the years.

If only some of the bands that were active when Winter Moods started out were still around. William Mangion's attempt to recapture the opportunity to represent Malta at the Eurovision last week reminded me of one of the best bands to ever appear in Malta. Getting Closer released one album before they split up. It was one of the first Maltese CDs and although it first appeared in 1991, to my ears it sounds as fresh now as it did back then. Ever Changing Moods remains one of my favourite albums of all time by a Maltese band. I've selected to play Coming Home from this CD and while listening to it again as I prepared for this week's recording I realized why one of the best things that ever happened to Anna Nicole Smith was that she died before turning 40. I know that this won't make much sense to most of my readers, but rest assured that it makes a lot of sense to me.

It's always a delight to feature new recordings on my podcast. A few days ago I received an advance copy of what is probably the first Maltese CD album for 2007, unless you count last week's Malta Song for Europe compilation. ...Only The Beginning by Different Strings is a one-man-band project by Chris Mallia. It's a contemporary of progressive rock without too much pomp. This debut album will be officially released on Sunday, 18 February at Baystreet in St George's Bay.

Before that, there's another launch. It's carnival weekend next weekend, so once again the Gran Ballo in aid of the YMCA Homeless Shelter is a good place to be on Saturday night if you're up for a carnival ball and have nothing better to do. This year the event will be MC'ed by Casanova, played Carlos Debattista. For this occasion, Glenn Cachia has written a celebratory song called Casanova Vivo, which is performed by Sin Sensation. This song brings this week's podcast to an appropriate close until next week's appointment. I have a special show all planned out...and I promise it'll have nothing to do with carnival.

The RSS feed for the Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast is available here or you can simply click here to subscribe directly with iTunes. You can also add the latest episodes to your My Yahoo! page.