Clocks
Show notes for the 331st Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:
Sensitive Skin – Sweet Sister
Don’t really know much about this duo because their Facebook page and Reverbnation profile have very little information on them other than some photos of the band and details about some gigs and this debut release. The video for it looks rather good so they don’t seem to be a flash in the pan. Let’s hope they release a follow-up soon, along with some details about the band.
Mojo – Shut Within
Another new band I’ve been wanting to feature on my podcast for a while. They’ve released this song for the 2013 Hard Rock Rising contest, hoping to be the entry from Malta for the Global Battle of the Bands this summer. I think they stand a good fighting chance, and even if they don’t this song is well worth listening to, as will be anything else they’ll release in the coming months and years.
Emanuel Anthony – Change
Emanuel Anthony Camilleri released this song several weeks ago. I actually think it was late in 2012 when this release came to my attention. By any rate, it’s been a while that I’ve wanted to include it on one of my podcasts and finally here it is. It’s quite a good song, and is especially delicious for any one who like this style of soft rock.
The Counterbalance Project – Inception
This is another new band that contacted me to tell me about their debut release. I really appreciate performers who do this, as it give me access to things I may otherwise not notice on YouTube, Facebook or some other online channel among all the clutter and junk that’s out there. This is a self-proclaimed experimental project from Aaron Dimech & Conrad Dimech, who are not related, even though they share a family name. As you can see from the video, they’ve enlisted Danielle Ciantar as a singer on this track and Jean-Luc Camilleri from the band Sugar Rush plays drums. I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from them this year.
Ascendor – In the Hand of the Enemy
I’ve pick one more band from the 2013 Hard Rock Rising Contest to close this week’s podcast. This is a new metal band from Gozo who contacted me about this debut release before I knew they were taking part in the local contest for the Global Battle of the Bands. For a first outing they have some really interesting things going on in this song. The recording could do with better production values but I’m sure that this will come around sooner or later, if they stay together long enough.
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 follow each new episode through the MMI Podcast: Facebook Fan Page or on MySpace. If you have no idea what any of this means, just enjoy listening to the podcast on the player right below this text.
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Daylight
Show notes for the 330th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:
Sophie Debattista – Up the Wall
Sophie Debattista has grown up. Seriously. This is not a song by a juvenile performer. The Junior Eurovision Song Contest jars in the context of this song. She still looks like a cute child but her voice her shows its grown up potential fully. It’s a pity that her promoter/s are still pushing saccharine-covered cover of such great classics as Sunny. Seriously, only Boney M could top the original. Instead I sincerely hope that this song, which was actually released without much fanfare about a year ago, is the shape (or should that be sound) of things to come for Sophie.
Funk Initiative – Architects
Now that singer Gianluca Bezzina is a household name across the Maltese islands, his band have done what they were planning to do anyway, or what any savvy act would do: they’ve released a new single with an accompanying video. This one, written by keyboardist Paul Torpiano, has clearly been a long time in the making. The video features the annual Architecture vs Law Student waterfight that takes place at the University of Malta. The song was officially release last Tuesday.
Caravana Sun – The Bottle
Luke Caruana was one the musicians I didn’t manage to meet during my recent visit to Australia. This song was released just before Christmas and now there’s also a video for it so I thought I’d include it. Truth be told I still need to process all the encounters and interesting experiences I had during my visit down under, and this is a good way to get me in a moos for that. If none of this means anything to you, I have a feeling you’ll still like the video.
Bletchley Park – Planets Move Faster
Released as a second single from last year’s album My Body Fighting, this is another typical song from Bletchley Park. I’d have thought there would be a video for it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if one appeared on YouTube in the coming weeks. If it does you can be sure that I’ll add it here. Meanwhile you can expect that this new release, so to speak, will secure some much coveted radio airplay for the band. If you like English-language contemporary rock by Maltese bands, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Gozo Drum Tribe – Sansales
So called World Music has been gaining popularity in the Maltese islands over the past decade or so. It’s therefore not surprising that yet another band sporting a didgeridoo has hit the local music scene; they’ve actually been active for a couple of years. This is a genuine, bone fide percussion ensemble as you can see from this video. It is lead by Eugene Bajada, who is also known as the percussionist from the Divine Sinners, who’s Bipolar Overdrive was voted Top Online Release in last year’s MMI Listeners’ Picks Poll. You can catch the Gozo Drum Tribe live tonight (as I write this!) at the Captain’s Table in Xlendi.
Roderz – Peppered Spray
As promised, I’m rounding up this week’s podcast with yet another track competing in the Global Battle of the Bands: Hard Rock Rising 2013. Roderick Micallef records as Roderz and he has released a number of tracks through Reverbnation. Here’s the one he has entered for this contest and it’s quite a good piece of electronica. Sounds great with good bass enabled headphones. Try it!
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 follow each new episode through the MMI Podcast: Facebook Fan Page or on MySpace. If you have no idea what any of this means, just enjoy listening to the podcast on the player right below this text.
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Fire It Up
Show notes for the 329th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:
No Bling Show – Il-Kotra
The very welcome second album from No Bling Show fills a huge void in the local music scene by offering a palatable engagement with everything that essentially makes us Maltese. Sporting a new line up and a remarkably more mature sounding batch of rhymes, this is bound to be one of 2013′s favourite albums for many looking for top quality new Maltese music. It’s also available as a free download through the Complex Sound Sagacity label, thanks to support from the Malta Arts Fund. I will certainly be playing further tracks from this collection in the coming months.
Purple Haze – No More
Maltese rock guitarist Stephen Borg passed away after a tough battle with cancer last Sunday 3 February 2013. He was 43 and will undoubtedly be missed not only by his family and close friends but also by the many other rock lover on the local scene who have come to know his gentle nature over the last three decades. He had been playing guitar with Purple Haze since he was just 16 years old, so its rather appropriate to say our official goodbye to him from this podcast by playing one of two known recordings released on CD in the 1990s. This one is from a Storm Records compilation called Illusion, which had them at the peak of their popularity, around the time they oped for Deep Purple at Ta’ Qali. Rest in peace, Steve! Condolences to the family.
The Lone Lab Rat – The Summers
Scream Daisy guitarist has ventured out with a solo project. His debut release is a duet with Alison Galea, best known from the many years she spent fronting alternative darlings Beangrowers. This is a slight departure from style for both of them, but shows two mature rock musicians collaborating in a way that only people with their experience really can. Hopefully this isn’t just a one-off and that more of this sort of thing is in the pipeline.
Pete Molinari – Hang My Head in Shame
The Maltese blood he inherited from his mother’s side makes this British singer-songwriter appear on the MMI podcast from time to time. He is a remarkable artist who has also appeared on the local scene. I believe that he is greatly underrated and I’m hoping that his new single and the accompanying video will contribute towards the necessary remedy for this. The song is officially being released on the 24th of February so hopefully you’ll start hearing it on the radio around that time too.
Donimo Effect – Ticking Away
The Global Battle of the Bands known as Hard Rock Rising returns for a 2013 edition. I’m planning to play a couple more tracks from this year’s entries, particularly since a number of the participants have already been featured in recent editions of the MMI podcast. I know absolutely nothing about the oddly named band I picked for this week. They don’t have a Facebook page (at the time I’m writing this) and their Reverbnation page simply contains a copy of the song you can hear at the end of this edition of the MMI podcast.
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 follow each new episode through the MMI Podcast: Facebook Fan Page or on MySpace. If you have no idea what any of this means, just enjoy listening to the podcast on the player right below this text.
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So Far Away
Show notes for the 328th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:
This is a special edition focusing on entries from the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2013. While not particularly concerned with picking or commenting on this year’s song selection, this podcast features Toni Sant’s picks based on comments made on this week’s show and elsewhere. As such, this podcast was released ahead of the final selection show where Malta picked this year’s entry to the Eurovision Song Contest.
Songs featured on this podcast:
Chris Grech – Never Walk Away
Gianluca Bezzina – Tomorrow
Amber – In Control
Claudia Faniello – When It’s Time
Janice Debattista – Perfect Day
Kevin Borg – Needing You
If you’re after my commentary on the contest itself, rather than the songs I most enjoyed from this year listen to this podcast from SBS Radio, produced by Marlene Galea during my recent visit to Australia:
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 follow each new episode through the MMI Podcast: Facebook Fan Page or on MySpace. If you have no idea what any of this means, just enjoy listening to the podcast on the player right below this text.
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Wide Awake
Show notes for the 327th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:
Mind’s Eye Dub – Inherit Dub
David Magro always delights with his dubs. A whole new album entitled Uhuru has just been released as the 12th title on the Dubkey netlable, featuring 12 tracks wrapped up in a free download. Just head on to the Dubkey website and enjoy the bounty of delights you’ll find there.
Jane Doe – Goldrush
The EP Keeps Me Waiting is another new release available as a free download; through Bandcamp. There are four excellent songs in this collection, and I like this one best of all, which is why I picked it specifically for this week’s podcast. I expect there will be a music video for at least one of these tracks in the coming weeks.
Particle Blue – M’Għandix X’Nambik
I’m very pleased to say that Malta’s foremost defunct electro-pop duo have recorded a bunch of new tracks in Maltese, following their surprise reunion at the Lissen Festival a few months ago. I finally received these as an “official” release entitled Mill-Qalb but they were actually sneaked out on Soundcloud a couple of months ago. Anyway, I’ve been listening to the whole Mill-Qalb connection on a constant loop for a couple of days. I hope some of my listeners like this stuff as much as I do.
G-Force feat. Sempliciment tat-Triq – L-Arti tat-Triq
More Maltese-language delights come in the shape of a whole album from rapper G-Force, who teams up with a veritable who’s who of the local undergroup hip-hop scene for his album G-Forza 2012. This is the same collection where you’ll find last year’s video release Wasal Il-Ġimgħa, and from it I’ve picked the one featuring STT’s unique vocal stylings and crafty rhymes.
Rumbull – Da Journey
Keeping it hip-hop, I close this week’s podcast with a new track from British-born Maltese rapper Kevin Hayward. I particularly like the video for this one, which Rambull co-produced with Nick Morales. It shows that although this rapper doesn’t speak (much) Maltese on his releases, he is very much Maltese in the spirit of the the works that he produces. Being Maltese is certainly more than just use of the mother tongue. Bravo!
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 follow each new episode through the MMI Podcast: Facebook Fan Page or on MySpace. If you have no idea what any of this means, just enjoy listening to the podcast on the player right below this text.
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Where Are We Now?
Show notes for the 326th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:
Lyndsay – Daphne
Lyndsay Pace has just released this new single, along with a promotional music video. She continues to operate above the Eurovision circuit, which to many minds make her a more credible pop artist than some of her peers who seem to think that they should save their best material for that contest. I believe that, in time, will be respected as one of the more prolific Maltese pop singers of her generation.
Krokus – Dirty Dynamite
The 17th album from the next best Swiss export after clocks and watches is due out on 22 February 2013. Marc Storace fans will undoubtedly be flocking to get their hands on that album as soon as it’s out. Meanwhile, the title track from this forthcoming release has been made available to fans and all others as a free download.
Martyrium – Anpu Xent Neter Het
This black metal band has been around for over 10 years now and its quite refreshing to see this video release for a track from their album Awakening the Ancient. They are one of the more impressive local female-fronted metal bands and I believe that this video will attract an even larger fan following than they already have. In any case, glimpses of the lovely Undine LaVerve certainly make the video even more worth watching.
Loathe – Bucketlove
It really doesn’t get much more hardcore than this as far as metal goes. At the top of their game, this band continues to delight its many followers and other fans of this genre of music with their tongue in cheek material. While the style may sound anything but funny to those not used to this type of material, the video is a clear giveaway: these boys are in it for the fun of it…and clearly enjoy every second.
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 follow each new episode through the MMI Podcast: Facebook Fan Page or on MySpace. If you have no idea what any of this means, just enjoy listening to the podcast on the player right below this text.
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Memory Of The Future
Show notes for the 325th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:
This podcast includes the results from the 2012 MMI Listeners’ Picks Poll:
Top Album:
Red Electrick – Unplugged Sessions
Top Overseas-based Release:
Joseph Calleja – Be My Love
Top Video:
Adie – Cry for You
Top Online Release:
Divine Sinners – Bipolar Overdrive
Top Single:
Angelcrypt – Eternal Conquest
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 follow each new episode through the MMI Podcast: Facebook Fan Page or on MySpace. If you have no idea what any of this means, just enjoy listening to the podcast on the player right below this text.
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Shake the Tree
* Vote for the Top 2012 Music Releases in Malta – poll open until 31 December 2012.
Show notes for the 324th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:
Andrew Zammit – Twieled is-Sultan
Following last year’s Paċi fl-Art, Andrew Zammit returns with this one for 2012. It’s a pleasant song that devoid of the saccharine sweetness that normally accompanies most mainstream Christmas songs. Over the past twenty years of so, Andrew has worked with many musicians who have broadened his muscial horizons and this is very clearly reflected in songs like this, which can only really come from mature pop rock musicians. It’s really a good way to open this year’s special Christmas edition of the MMI podcast.
DiCa – Milied Iswed
Diane Camenzuli has just joined Maltese metal band Weeping Silence as lead singer. This song is her collaboration with Marco Larski Ellul and shows her in formidable form as a solo artist. I’m sure that 2013 holds great stuff for her and the band she has just joined. I’m really looking forward to whatever they are about to produce together, and I’m sure I’ll be featuring it on a future edition of the MMI podcast.
Mistura – Diska tal-Milied
This duo has surprised many by appearing in the top 5 of the Online Releases category in the MMI 2012 Listeners’ Picks poll, which is open for voting via Facebook until the end of 2012. As you would expect, the lyrics are a social commentary about this time of the year, but I’m sure that their ever-growing fan base will really appreciate this song as an antidote to the empty cheer that permeates most of the festive season.
Mutt Ley & Gia with the Angel Pop Choir – Christmas Time
In 2008 the original version of this song was unleashed on the Maltese music scene as a collaboration with Gianni Zammit and Moira & Chris. Matt Ley and Gia have now reworked this song with a children’s choir and dedicated it to raise funds for the UK-based charity You Touch Africa. The song is available as a single download on iTunes.
L-Istrina – Stay
Another charity song comes from Malta’s now established annual campaign L-Istrina. With music by Toby and lyrics by Steve Compagno, this one features the voices of Kurt Calleja, Raquela, Marilyn Mifsud and Richard Edwards. It’s the kind of song that will either turn into an instant classic or will simply join the fray of countless other songs that have surfaced at this time of the year as part of the soundtrack of some heart jerking scheme or other, pushed by local television marathons…or should that be telethons.
MCA – Ninni La Tibkix Iżjed
Released last year on the day (or so) after I had recorded my 2011 Christmas edition of the MMI podcast, this song has not only found its way into this year’s show but has also landed a nomination in the Top Video category on the MMI 2012 Listeners’ Picks poll. This is certainly an alternative way of look at (or listening to) Christmas, but this one is surprisingly respectful of the Indri Schembri original, which as become a classic (and certainly traditional) Maltese Christmas carol.
Sempliċiment tat-Triq – Ħrug (Riħa ta’ Milied)
If you’re looking for a sincere contemporary expression of Christmas angst, look no further than this fresh offering from Malta’s foremost underground hip hip act. Not quite appropriate for family listening, particularly where escapism is the order of the day. Gritty is probably how many people would describe this sort of thing, but then again it’s a reality that has been swept under the carpet for far too long, especially in the Maltese way of life. I think it’s a very fitting way to end this year’s MMI podcasts.
The next MMI podcast will appear on Saturday 5th January 2013 and it will feature the top picks by my listeners and others voting on Facebook for the favourite 2012 Maltese music releases.
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 follow each new episode through the MMI Podcast: Facebook Fan Page or on MySpace. If you have no idea what any of this means, just enjoy listening to the podcast on the player right below this text.
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