Alright Now


Show notes for the 340th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:

Gypsy GenesRed Hot Money
Almost a super-group, this new band features Scar guitarist David Cassar Torreggiani, former Winter Moods drummer James Vella, and Fakawi keyboardist Mark Attard (who has probably played with everyone in the Maltese music scene), along with a newcomer bassist (Lil Funk Xuereb) and singer Rikki Lee. The song is quite striking, with its pulsating electro-rock groove, but it’ll most likely be remembered for the lighthearted promotional video, which you can see here.

The MythBeautiful
One of the longest standing bands on the local scene returns with another new song. To my mind they’re musical chameleons who sound very much like whatever it is they’ve been listening to the most when they put together whatever song they’re working on. I mean this as a compliment because far too many bands pick one style and stick to it ad nauseum, indeed rather nauseously. I’m surprised that this song was not released along with a promotional video on 2 June, particularly because the band has decorated its website with the results of a rather stylish and fairly elaborate photo shot. It really is quite eye catching.

Jean Claude VancellSuperhero
Jean Claude Vancell is one of Malta’s most promising singer-songwriters. I believe that although he has been quite prolific since his teenage years, his best work is still ahead of him. He has not managed to become a household name yet, but I think it’s a matter of time before he becomes rather well known across Malta. Perhaps all he really needs to do is forget songs in English and focus on producing songs in Maltese. Then again, I could be wrong.

KażinSkaAl Pacino
Whenever people like Justin Galea, Danjeli Schembri, and Michael Galea get together we’re in for a musical treat. This time they’ve teamed up with a handful of brass musicians to create this very original band that specializes in backbeat reinterpretations of festive band marches, which waft through the streets of Malta and Gozo throughout the summer months. As you’d expect, they went down really well at this year’s Għanafest. This recording is their take on one of a well-known march by David Aguis. No, not that one!

Dorothy BezzinaWieħed Biss
Dominic Galea returns with another CD album featuring new compositions around the words of a dead Maltese poet. Karba is a celebration of the poet Rużar Briffa, who is considered by many literary scholars as the first significan modern Maltese poet, even if he was well-anchored in fairly traditional forms. A number of singers and musicians appear on the album, but I’ve picked this one featuring the beautiful song of one who has most recently become known as one of Gianluca Bezzina’s sisters. Believe me, she is very well worth knowing as a singer in her own right too.

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