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  • What Makes You Think You’re The One

    Show notes for the 244th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta. This is a special edition to coincide with the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2011.

    I was a judge on the official panel selecting last year’s entry from Malta to the Eurovision Song Contest, so I couldn’t comment publicly about any of the songs nor did I present any of them in my Mużika Mod Ieħor series of podcasts, ahead of the contest. In any case, it was hard to pick enough decent songs for a whole podcast last year. However, I’m glad to say that it’s certainly not the case this year. Mercifully, there are several songs I’d happily include on any edition of the MMI podcast. So here are five I’ve picked for this week’s podcast. I’ve already commented on each of these songs on my blog, so I don’t really have anything to add…at least not just yet.

  • Kurt Calleja – Over and Over
  • Wayne Micallef – Everybody Sing
  • Amber – Catch 22
  • Baklava – Moon Dance
  • Kelly Schembri – Love Me Like You Love Your Money

    • Pressed to pick the other 11 singers/songs I think will make it to next Saturday’s final, my list looks like this (in order of appearance at the semifinal):

    Claudia Faniello – Movie in my Mind
    Klinsmann Coleiro & Ben Darmanin – This Love
    Eleanor Cassar – Hypnotized
    Raquela – If I Could Do It All Again
    Sophie – Love to Love You
    Petra Zammit – Unintentional
    Glen Vella – One Life
    J.Anvil – Topsy Turvy
    Fabrizio Faniello – No Surrender
    Ally – Numb
    Richard Edwards – Finally

    Although the next MMI podcast will be a “normal” edition, featuring some of the new releases coming my way from musicians from or in Malta, and therefore not related to the national Eurovision selection, I’ll most probably post an entry in my blog with some comments ahead of or immediately after the final. The place to look for my Eurovision related blog entries is right here.

    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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  • All You Need Is Now

    Show notes for the 243rd Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:

    Jon Lukas – This Time
    A few days ago I was very pleasantly surprised to see a video recording of a clip from an Iran television show, which originally aired in 1972, featuring Malta’s best 1970s pop music export Jon Lukas. This vintage video clip was uploaded to Facebook by Shahram Doodman, an Iranian man who lives in London. The show was called Cheshmak and it was hosted by Iranian pop superstar Googosh. This clip is now being used to explore with the very first inclusion of video on the M3P.

    Natalie Gauci – Sad Eyes
    The former Australian Idol is still going strong, even though she is now no longer under contract with Sony. Away from the pressure of producing pop hits, she’s still writing delightful songs such as this one, which she has chosen to share in its demo stage through her personal YouTube channel. There’s no denying that Natalie has a beautiful voice, and this song showcases it quite nicely.

    Phyllisienne Brincat – Stop the Traffic: Human Slavery
    Another video that caught my attention a few days ago consists of found footage edited together by Phylisienne Brincat for her new song about human trafficking, which is quite a dreadful crime. The song was co-written with Nick Partis, who is also responsible for the lyrics. Kyle Drakard, the singer’s son, provides some smoking guitar work on this recording. He’s only a young teenager, but at this rate he’s bound to be a major force on the local music scene, if not beyond, in the coming years.

    Vince Fabri – Kull Sekonda
    When Annabelle Vassallo succumb to the cancer that has brought her to public attention in Malta, it was quite evident to anyone interested in contemporary culture within the Maltese islands that a major public figure had died. To mark her passing, I think it’s most appropriate to play Vince Fabri’s song inspired by her exceptional zest for life in the face of the painful adversity that eventually led to her death. This version of the song comes from the concert Fabri gave to mark his 50th birthday at the end of March last year. Annabelle was present for that show, so it’s doubly fitting to feature this recording during today’s podcast.

    Dylan Debono – Nervous Wreck
    From time to time I discover new songs that seem to come out of nowhere. This one appeared on Facebook from a student of neuroscience who simply needed a good break from his studies during this mid-year exam period. It’s quite a good song even though the DIY production quality is very evident on the recording. To my mind this only makes the song more authentic.

    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.

  • Rolling in the Deep

    Show notes for the 242nd Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:

    Joe Mizzi – Angels Fall
    During my last MMI podcast in 2010 I promised to play another track from Joe Mizzi’s new CD album Angels Fall once it came out. Well, it’s now out so I’ve opened this week’s podcast with the title track from it. Not much else to add to what I already said to recommend this album…what matter is that you hear it, or at least listen to some tracks from it.

    Saving Alexis – Ocean Deep
    One of last year’s major newcomers on the Malta music scene returns with a new single. Brandishing an unashamed solid pop rock beat, this band is very radio friendly, at least by current Maltese tastes. Personally I’d like to hear something a little different from them, but they certainly don’t disappoint with this follow-up to last summer’s Lipstick Lies.

    The Freuds – Out of Time
    I’ve been looking forward to a decent recording from this band for quite some time and they’ve finally released their debut track with an accompanying video that makes the wait rather worthwhile. If there’s more to come in this vein in the coming months, sign me up and keep me posted.

    Halycon – Protector
    Hardcore metal is a genre I thoroughly enjoy including on the MMI podcast from time to time. It’s not something I listen to all the time, but the occasional track or two really energize me and fill me with youthful juices, the likes of which not many forty-somethings still have flowing through their bodies. This is the first time I’ve ever heard anything by Halycon but if they keep producing tracks like this one I’m sure I’ll be playing their stuff on future editions 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 click here or listen to the podcast on the player right below this text.

  • Somewhere Only We Know

    Show notes for the 241st Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers from or in Malta:

    Funk Initiative – Forget It
    Fresh sound from a new band I’m looking forward to hearing more from. I have a feeling they would be fun to watch live too. I don’t know why I think that. Perhaps it’s because the word funk exudes a very positive vibe to me…even if the music this band plays cannot exactly be classified as funk.

    Bletchley Park – Run to the Moon
    Staying in the public eye after a very eventful year and what potentially could be their breakthrough year, Bletchly Park draw attention to this song as a way to broaden the listenership to tracks they recorded for their debut album From Bletchley, With Love, which was released last year. They now have a good looking page on the M3P too, even though it’s could do with more details about what they’ve been up to since they came together.

    Brian Vassallo – Memoirs of a Lifetime Part 7
    I’ve had the pleasure of playing the music of Brian Vassallo on previous editions of the MMI podcast. So I was delighted when he sent me a copy of his new CD album. Beautifully produced in a jewel case with a multi-page full-colour booklet, the CD is quite unusual for the Maltese music scene, particularly because all but the introductory track on it bear the name of the album itself split into 8 parts. Fans of Jean Michele Jarre and his ilk will undoubtedly relish every minute of this CD. I highly recommend it.

    Robert Galea – God Doesn’t Make Rubbish
    A few weeks ago Bishop Joe Grech passed away in Australia. Understandably his flock is still mourning this charismatic religious leader, so I thought it would be appropriate to include this song he co-wrote with his protege Fr Rob Galea, who was ordained to the priesthood just a couple of months ago. Galea has a new album out too, so I’ll be playing you another track from him it in the coming weeks since this song is only available via iTunes, where it’s the most downloaded track by this young singing/songwriting priest.

    Winter Moods – Forward to Yesterday
    To keep the flame on the massive celebrations for the 25 years together, Winter Moods have released this track from the CD album Argento, which came out  last year, for radio air play from this coming Monday. It’s not as memorable as many of their other songs, but I’m sure that their many fans will be pleased to hear the band on the radio with a different song than the ones that have filled the airwaves 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 click here or listen to the podcast on the player right below this text.