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Show notes for the 229th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:

Lyndsay Pace – Going Under
Every new song I hear from this singer makes me like her more and more. Her choice of songs to record and present herself with are outstanding for a Maltese pop singer. This one has an impressive music video too and that makes it even more appealing to many who like this type of music. My hope is that more and more people discover Lyndsay in the coming months and years.

Tact – Sense of Purity
Franco Tartaglia’s act was launched a few days ago and first impressions are quite good. Amanda Friggieri’s voice and image work give the necessary edge to Tartaglia’s intricate classical guitar driven compositions. They call this fusion of cool jazz and classical tones lounge and it seems quite appropriate as this is the sort of music you want to listen to closely or enjoy in the context of a delightful environment rather than on just any old live music stage. More please.

Syrup – Static H
One of the first songs to be entered in the M3P database comes from Shaun Grech’s old musical vehicle. His brother Alex is one of the founding directors of the Malta Music Memory Project and he picked this track to use in exploring a template for data about all other songs we’re planning to capture within the M3P. This originally came out in the period I had briefly lost touch with the Maltese music scene, back when I lived in New York City. So I really have M3P to thank for bringing it to my attention and to this week’s MMI podcast.

Jo Micali vs U-Bahn feat. Chess
We’ve had all three acts involved in this new song on recent editions of the MMI podcast. Now they join forces to give us what many (myself included) will consider Chess’ follow-up single from her debut Stilettos with the prolific pop master Muxu. While this song hasn’t struck me as catchy as Beautiful Eyes it is most certainly another great opportunity to hear the potential that Chess will undoubtedly fulfill in the coming years. She has now moved to the UK to study music, so I take this opportunity to wish her all the very best. I have a good feeling about this singer and I believe she is destined for a bright future.

Muxu – Fill My Cup
Most prolific Maltese pop singer is an award that should be created just for Muxu who returns with another song. This time it’s a collaboration with his mother Sandra Mercieca. Once again Muxu manages to deliver a punchy pop tune that stands in the shadow of his almighty Beat My Drum. While it will be hard for him to top himself on his debut release, this new song demonstrates (yet again) that he is certainly not a one-trick pony.

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 click here or listen to the podcast on the player right below this text.

Mużika Mod Ieħor podcasts are brought to you by Vodafone.

Show notes for the 228th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:

Ellie and the Oscars – Pretty Rival
My good friend Winston De Giorgio brought this track to my attention a couple of days ago. Apparently it’s making quite a big splash on some of the radio stations in Malta and after just one listen I can very well undetstand why. Eliza Borg’s voice is outstanding and the experimental combination of pop, ambient and electro rock make for a very rich sonic tapestry that stands out in the predictable sounds that saturate commercial radio in Malta.

Thomas Hedley – Turn Off the Lights
I’m never sure whether this singer knows how good he really is. Every song I’ve ever heard from him can blend in perfectly on any shuffle playlist featuring contemporary pop rock tunes. Apparently he only produces these songs out of frustration of the limitations of the local music scene in Malta. I honestly hope that more people pay attention to Thomas Hedley in the coming months and years. He is a talent to be reckoned with and certainly a cut above the many wannabes of the Maltese pop music scene.

Digital Black – End of History
After releasing sample clips for a couple of their songs on MySpace, Digital Black have now finally uploaded a full version of this track on their ReverbNation page. Simon Deguara is among the few musicians who see the similarities between metal and industrial electronica. The sound of Digital Black is testament of the direct link between the two and it is indeed an excellent exemplar of the tightness that comes from metal musicians producing industrial driven electronic rock.

Adie feat. Hooligan – Tug of War
Maltese pop singer Adrienne shortened her name to Adie last year and started flirting with R&B and raunchier sounds than the sort of tunes she wrote and sang in the many years she’s been active on the local music scene. A collaboration with Maltese rap king Hooligan will certainly give anyone an edge but it will take more than this to give Adie the street credibility she seems to be after with this song. Still, someone as driven as this singer-songwriter will keep exploring new ways to get noticed and that can only raise the possibility for producing something really memorable. This is the first time I’ve featured Adie on the MMI podcast but I’m pretty sure it’s not the last.

Red Electrick – Vine Lady
During my recent visit to Malta for the official launch of the M3P, I was invited to the press launch of the debut CD album from Red Electrick entitled Vine Lady. I’ve followed this band since they first came together under the name Drive and I’d say that they’ve fulfilled the promise they demonstrated in their early days quite nicely. The album is packed with catchy pop rock songs verging on the familiar with a contemporary twist. My feeling is that in good time they may really find their own sound and indeed blow everyone in the local rock scene out of their comfort zone. Meanwhile, they’ll certainly continue to produce some of the most enjoyable melodic rock in the Maltese islands.

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 click here or listen to the podcast on the player right below this text.

Mużika Mod Ieħor podcasts are brought to you by Vodafone.

Show notes for the 227th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:

Aaron Benjamin – I Can
Another single from this singer following up on his Break the Silence from a couple of years ago, which was also written in Sweden by Didrik Thott, Sebastian Thott and Sharon Vaughn. This trio of songwriters have also written for Kevin Borg (Street Lights), Boyzone (To Late For Hallelujah) and Celine Dion (Let Your Heart Decide) among others. This is star quality pop and I’m not sure it gets the attention it actually deserves in Malta and internationally. Still, that’s the pop world, I guess.

Eve Ransom – Bleed
During a visit to Malta last July I met Eve Ransom at the Radio 101 studios, where they were guests on Michael Bugeja’s very first edition of his show Rockna. During that programme they announced that their next single would be called Bleed and I told them that was a great name as it was the same as that by one of the most unknown bands from the Maltese Islands, Tears of Revenge. Understandably, to some degree, they had never heard of that band or any of their songs. Their song bears no resemblance to the ToR cult classic, of course, and its places Brendan Jackson and his band on the forefront of contemporary guitar-driven rock in Malta.

Scarlet Drop – Broken Wings
Back to the Sweden connection on today’s podcast, I’m pleased that the music of this band has come to my attention. Graziella Väcklén and Leah Muscat give Scarlet Drop a strong Malta connection, even if they’re based in Sweden and active in Germany. The track I’ve selected to play is taken from the EP with the same name and most certainly showcases the band’s best qualities. I’m sure many hard rock fans in Malta would love to see them live but to my knowledge they’ve never performed in the Maltese islands nor do they have any plans to do so in the foreseeable future.

Split – Muscle to Muscle
The M3P: Malta Music Memory Project is now underway and I’ll be referring to it at least once during every edition of the MMI podcast from now on. Links for the show notes on this blog now point the the respective M3P pages rather than MySpace or anywhere else as before. Alfie Fabri’s personal collection is one of the most remarkable sources of Malta’s music scene, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s. The song I’ve picked today comes from a demo tape recorded in London by a Maltese band featuring Mike Mercieca and William Mangion among others. Alfie interivew William Mangion his pirate radio station about all this 1982 but I had never heard this material before. I’m sure many podcast listeners will as fascinated by it as I am.

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 click here or listen to the podcast on the player right below this text.

Mużika Mod Ieħor podcasts are brought to you by Vodafone.

Show notes for the 226th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:

The Lesser Gods – Aurora
Among 2010’s newcomers but made up of band members who are quite established in the local rock scene, The Lesser Gods are undoubtedly a band to watch. Fronted by Jody Fiteni, this band will certainly become one of most followed on Malta’s alternative rock scene in the coming years. They are among the six bands playing the M3P launch event Your Rarely Hear This On the Radio! at Hastings Garden in Valletta during Notte Bianca on Saturday 2010. They will be sharing this stage with Forsaken, Norm Rejection, Loathe, Memento Nostri and R.A.S. Many other bands, singers and musicians are appearing at other venues during Notte Bianca; Synergy and The Overouts will also be appearing at Hasting Garden from 6:30pm.

Memento Nostri – Il-Fatt
Hot from the release of their impressive Pro Patria, this band will continue to amaze new audiences with work, which has a clear Maltese dimension to it. This aspect is most pronounced on the track that I’ve selected to include on this podcast, which is an amazing rendition of traditional Maltese song into a contemporary heavy rock idiom. I’m really looking forward to seeing this band live during the M3P launch concert at Hastings Garden next Saturday. I hope you can join us.

Rita Pace – Il-Fatt ta’ L-Għarusa tal-Mosta
The M3P launch starts at 2pm with an Inaugural Symposium featuring many of the key stakeholders on this project, who will be discussing various aspects of their own work in the Maltese music scene. This will take place at St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in Valletta. A full schedule is available here. A live concert of Maltese songs with Rita Pace starts at 6pm. In the first part of this gig, she will be accompanied by guitarists Denise and Kalcidon Vella ta’ Mustaċċa along with ex-Black Sorrows’ Willie Saliba. I had the great fortune of seeing them all perform together in February 2006 at the Manoel Theatre Courtyard during an event organized by Poezijaplus and Narraturi 21, produced by the late Ġorġ Mifsud-Chircop. This recording was originally featured on the 27th edition of the MMI podcast.

Clifford Borg – Emergence
Also appearing in the M3P launch event will be one of Malta’s foremost pianists. He will be performing a number of pieces from his CD releases of solo piano, as well as accompanying Rita Pace as she interprets some of her own Maltese-language songs. The track I’ve picked from his second CD album Origin will be among the ones we’ll hear live during the show.

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 click here or listen to the podcast on the player right below this text.

Mużika Mod Ieħor podcasts are brought to you by Vodafone.