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  • Time To Move On

    Show notes for the 272nd Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:

    Mystic Diversions – Qawsalla
    Although it’s technically an Italian band, we like to claim Mystic Diversions as one of our own on account of Aidan Zammit (Lupi) being not only Maltese but also an artist who explores his ethic routes from time to time. We’ve had occasion to hear such works on previous edition of the MMI podcast but this track from the band’s 2002 album Beneath Another Sky is possibly one of the best hidden gems in his entire back catalog.

    Melchior Sultana – It’s Raining Outside
    It was a joy playing Melchior Sultana’s music on my podcast several years ago, when I first discovered is recordings online. He has matured considerably since then, even though he is (regrettably) of the radar from most people, even ardent fans of the alternative music scene in Malta. He released an album entitled World Is History just a few weeks ago and apparently he’s also gigging with a band these days. I’m particularly pleased to discover that this track from the new album comes with a promotional music video too. Perhaps he’ll finally get the broader audience attention he so truly deserves.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD2lYcmU150

    Chess – Somebody Else
    Fran Galea is better known as Chess. We’ve heard her voice on the MMI podcast in previous editions but never have I been struck by its rich tonal qualities as I was on even the first listen of this track. As you can see from the video I’ve embedded her, the song is a collaboration between Chess and Yulia Hauer. I hope there’s more of this sort of thing in the pipeline because it certainly would make for a better use of this young singer’s voice, at least for my taste.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qmwash-i2Y

    Relikc – Nothin’ On My Mind
    The fourth single by Relikc was recorded and produced by Niki Gravino, and mastered at the Exchange Mastering Studios in London. This young band fronted by Keith Zammit has come a long way since their debut a couple of years ago, but that’s to be somewhat expected since they’ve always enjoyed a relatively large following. I expect that this song will be among the high-flyers come the end of year MMI Listeners’ Picks poll. I wouldn’t be too surprised if we saw a music video for this song in the coming weeks either.

    Norm Rejection – Belligerent
    To mark the first anniversary since the launch of the M3P during Notte Bianca 2010, I thought it would be most appropriate to play something from one of the acts we presented that night as part of our inaugural celebrations. It’s no secret that Norm Rejection is one of my favourite Maltese hard rock bands of all time. It’s therefore quite serendipitous that they’ve issued the title track from their Belligerent CD as the second single from this 2011 release, following the earlier release of Kemm Hawn Dwejjaq fil-Pajjiż.

    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.

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:50 — 12.9MB) | Embed

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  • Second Last Chance

    Show notes for the 271st Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:

    Manwel T – Power & Might
    Dubkey Records has just made available its ninth free download release available and its Virtual Dub 4 by Manwel T. This release features several more new dubs by Manwel Tabone featuring music by various people he has already collaborated with before and some, like Blaminack whose original track this is, for the first time. There’s even a promotional video to go along with this track, which has been released on YouTube.  Here it is:

    Cygna – Caucasus
    During my most recent visit to Malta I had the great pleasure of attending one of the three Lore of the Sea performances by the Rubberbodies Collective at the Malta Maritime Museum. Cygna produced a full-length live electronica soundtrack for that show, and continued where were he left off with his CD album Opus Ena, which was released at the start of this past summer. The album is quite a spectacular collection of his symphonic ambient works, some of which have featured in his live performances for a number of years now.

    Yasmin Kuymizakis – Yellow
    This newcomer to the Malta music scene came to my attention through a Facebook post by Brikkuni frontman Mario Vella. His praise for this performer is not misplaced. Her sound is indeed a remarkable addition to the local musicscape, and an outstanding debut. I know very little about Yasmin, except that she hails from Dingli, which may explain some of the expansive qualities of her music. The tracks she has released through her SoundCloud page are currently playing regularly on a loop whenever I’m craving something new/different from all the rest.

    Three Stops To China – Enemy Club Scene
    The new veritable champions of alternative pop rock scene in Malta follow up on their Courtney effect from last spring with this catchy ditty. The accompanying video shows that they really mean business and they’re here to leave as indelible a mark as possible. This song is the best thing I’ve heard so far from them, and if it’s a sign of what’s in store in the coming months I can only wait for their album with great anticipation. If you like this style of music, I’m sure you’ll become of fan of this band in no time.

    The Crowns – Out of Nowhere
    This band is one of the most pleasant surprise additions to the local scene for 2011. I say this mainly because Victorio Gauci, their lead singer made me think he was going to face away into the local pop scene without making his own mark on it. How wrong I was…and glad to say it too. The Crowns are quite popular on most radio stations in Malta and if they keep up at this pace, I sincerely believe that they may be one of the memorable Maltese bands to emerge out of the melange of similar acts that have invaded the islands in recent years.

    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.

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:01 — 14.4MB) | Embed

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  • Body & Soul


    Show notes for the 270th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:

    Bridget Bone – Jackie the Stripper
    One of the current contenders for the top pop rock band from Malta returns with a catchy ditty, complete with a music video that will certainly capture the imagination of many a teenager. It looks like they’re set to be the next big thing on the pop rock music scene in Malta and at this rate they may very well stand on the shoulders of the local giants that have come before them in recent years.

    Big Band Brothers – Rain or Shine
    Although they’ve been around for about 5 years this big band led by Daniel Cauchi has only now released their first original single.  It was well worth waiting for. This release coincides with the launch of their new website that provides quite good online corporate branding for them, making them stand out above most other bands that now simply rely on Facebook and Reverbnation for their online presence. Something tells me that a proper music video will soon follow for this punchy song.

    Brendan Jackson & Claire Galea – All Because Of You
    An unusual duet featuring Eve Ransom’s main man singing along with Claire Galea from Glass House. This marks a change in direction for both singers and it seems to have been received well by mainstream radio listeners in Malta.  Perhaps it’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

    Of The Owl – I Mean It…I Want It
    An even more unusual duet sees Nick Morales (most recently from nosnow/noalps) and Daniel Genuis (ex-Bitterside), who have actually known each other for many years and even played together in a short-lived band about 10 years ago. This sound moves away from the styles they been working in separately and shows that perhaps there’s something here that can indeed be developed further. I, for one, look forward to that.

    Plato’s Dream Machine – Fabbrika fuq L-Għolja
    A couple of well know Maltese entertainment personalities have been scheming on a new major project that made me want to close this week’s podcast with this song from one of Malta’s experimental pop folk combos. PDM have come a long way since their first Dylanesque knock offs a couple of years back and they are now undoubtedly a watch-this-space sort of band, featuring some of the freshest sounds on the local live circuit.

    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.

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:38 — 14.9MB) | Embed

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  • Together You and I

    Show notes for the 269th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:

    MonobrowMP – Whitmore
    Monobrow Musical Produce struck me as an acoustic duo above the average acts in the Maltese islands from the very first time I heard them. It’s mostly Jorje Bosios’s voice, of course, but it’s also Lukas Grech’s musicial palette. Listen closely to the way the banjo features on this song. I’m also quite pleased to see that they’ve released the song on Viinyl. If you don’t feel like having a look at that and/or getting the free download, at least you can watch the song’s music video produced by Luke Azzopardi .

    For Strings Inn – Morning Star
    This fierce foursome return with not only a new song but also a music video produced by Nicky Morales. I find the video quite delightfully contemporary in a way that will surely age beautifully in years to come.  Take a close look at it and you’ll (hopefully) see what I mean.

    Heartbeat – ‘Til I Feel
    This Christian rock band will be releasing a CD album entitled Someway Someday on the 11th of September 2011 in Żejtun. As I happen to be in Malta on that day I hope I’m able to make my way to this old southern town to watch them play live at the launch. I find their songs to be among the more refreshing examples of the genre from the handful of Maltese bands dabbling in this vein.

    Freddie Portelli – Let the Sun Shine of Me
    Malta’s veritable rock ‘n roll grandpa has released a new CD single featuring a song called April Marie, just like his new granddaughter. The song I’ve selected to include on my podcast this week is the other track on the CD. It seems him at the top of his game, but to maintain the momentum he’s best known for he may need to refresh his sound soon or else risk becoming overly predictable in his studio sound. That would be quite a shame, as I sincerely believe that Freddie Portelli still has more to give the Maltese music scene than that.

    Particle Blue – American Beach
    I’m really bummed to not be able to attend the reunion show from what is undoubtedly Malta’s best electro pop duo of all times. Claire Tonna and Antoine Vella were meant to play love together again at the Coach & Horses in Valley Road this weekend. Sadly, the venue’s owner, Leli Grech, passed away and therefore the gig has been postponed to the last weekend of the month.

    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.

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:26 — 14.0MB) | Embed

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More