Shining Light

This afternoon I read an interesting article about the declining popularity of MySpace. It appears that MySpace is loosing out to Facebook. From my own perspective, the two networks serve a very different purpose. I've always seen MySpace as a music network, even if it has always been used for other types of social networking too. At the same time, Facebook has now gone beyond critical mass in terms of its utility as a social network based mostly on "friendship". I've rediscovered Twitter as a more rewarding environment for my personal social networking.

After reading the article about MySpace I wonder if the many Maltese singers and musicians who use MySpace to disseminate their music feel that this popular network has lost the allure it had just a couple of years ago. If you use MySpace please contact me and let me know. I ask this mostly because MySpace remains a prominent source discovery of new materials for my weekly Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast.

I need feedback on MySpace use also because only one track on this week's podcast comes directly from MySpace. The first track is from NV's CD album Envy, which was released on 28 February at the Poxx Bar in Paceville. The album features the seven singles NV released over the last three years along with a couple of new songs. Fountain of Life is one of these previously unheard tracks and it opens the 154th MMI podcast.

Sylvan Borg returns with a new song called Mouse by Day (Hero by Night). I'm always more than happy to include material from this underrated singer-songwriter. He is not a mainstream musician and this is probably why most Maltese radio stations don't include his stuff on their playlists the way they do with many other pop rock local acts. I would argue that Sylvan Borg's music is an acquired taste, which no connoisseur of the alternative Maltese music scene can ignore.

Earlier I mentioned that only one track on this week's podcast comes from MySpace. I was referring to Joe Mizzi's The Zero Chain 2009, which is possibly a remix or a new arrangement of the title track from his 2007 album by the same name. I'm not sure about this since I've never laid my hands on the said album. Note to self: get in touch with Joe Mizzi and make sure his entire discography is a matter of common knowledge for future MMI podcasts.

Although not particularly music-friendly, Facebook has become another excellent source for new music to include on my weekly podcast. It was through Facebook that I heard of the band ReBorn. I was then directed to their MySpace page, where I heard three songs they've uploaded there. Chew Me Plasticine is the one I like best out of these tracks, so I've picked it as the closing selection for this week's podcast.

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