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  • Keep Yourself Alive

    Show notes for the 224th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers in or from Malta:

    Fenech-Soler – Stop & Stare
    My friend and colleague Michael Bugeja brought this English band to my attention. Apparently they’re on the verge of making it big in the UK. They released this single (and video) last April and they have a new one coming up in a matter of weeks. They get their name from bassist Daniel Soler, who is of Maltese descent from the Fenech-Soler family. They sound fresh in a retro kind of way and I have a feeling that I’ll be playing their new single when it comes out too.

    The Attika State – Celebration?
    Another British band with a Maltese connection, which has appeared on previous editions of the Mużika Mod Ieħor series. Warren and Martin Mallia return with the rest of their band and a new single, their first release with Alcopop Records, from Measures their next album, which is due out in October.

    The Rifffs – Arabian Romance
    To mark the first mention of a major research project I’ve just embarked on, I’ve selected something from Alfie Fabri’s personal collection. This rare gem from one of Malta’s most loved bands of all time comes from a cassette recording made some 30 years ago. M3P is the Malta Music Memory Project, which is set to launch officially in Valletta on the 25th of September and I’m pleased that this is how I’ve mentioned all this on my podcast the very first time. I’m sure that this is just an ice cube off the tip of the iceberg that we’re about to start exploring through M3P. More (much more!) to come in the weeks, months and years ahead.

    Freddie Portelli – Life Is What You Make It
    Malta’s king of rock ‘n roll is back with a song clearly made for his legions of loyal fans craving more music in this vein. The lyrics are pretty upbeat and Freddie’s singing and guitar playing remain as vibrant as ever. I expect this to make a fairly large splash in the week before and immediately after the end of this summer. Significant radio airplay will account for a considerable part of that, as will the many live appearances that the venerable singer makes across the Maltese islands week in week out. We’ve come a long way since the days when being an old-age pensioner meant sitting at home contemplating the twilight of one’s life.

    Tony Scott – Illusions of a Plastic Heart
    One of the most invisible names in the Maltese music scene is the man responsible for recording some of the most memorable music in Malta, including the much-loved Aħna Aħna Jew M’Aħnix satirical anthems that have now become classics. In the last decade or two Scott has reinvented himself as an easy listening quasi-new age composer and musician, with a noticeable string of online fans via MySpace, Reverbnation and other such online music dissemination services. This is one of his latest tracks and demonstrates the qualities that endear him to his new-found audience.

    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.

  • One More Time

    I’m on the road this weekend, returning from an international music conference in Germany, where I was invited to give a keynote lecture about how new technology is changing behaviour among young(er) people. During the last few weeks, various conversations I’ve had with people who follow the weekly Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast have prompted me to repeat the release of one of my previous podcasts from the series every now and then. This time, I’ve selected to re-run a podcast that was originally available from Saturday 24 October 2009. Enjoy!

    Show notes for the 185th Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers in or from Malta:

    8 Ugly – Lady Let It Lie
    Cover versions are rare on the MMI podcast. The occasional exception makes it to the show simply because it’s a stand-out case. And so it is for 8 Ugly’s version of Lady Let It Lie by Fish. Apparently, clearing the mechanical rights for this song to appear on 8 Ugly’s long anticipated Sleeper album has delayed the release of that CD. If every other Maltese act was so scrupulous about these things I honestly believe that even fewer covers would be recorded. 8 Ugly give the song their own twist, which actually makes it sound as if it was one of their songs rather than a minor hit by the ex-Marillion singer who has visited Malta more than once.

    Beige – Feels Good
    This is one of those bands that appeared in the last couple of years that I wish we’d hear more of and more often. In he summer of 2009 they released this single, which makes me want even more from this band. Claire Galea (I think I got her name right this time!) has an unusual voice for a Maltese pop rock singer. It’s pleasant without being obvious and compliments the slick guitar work by Eric Santucci quite beautifully. It feels good indeed.

    Twenty-Six Other-Worlds – When Beauty Danced
    The local metal scene has good reason to rejoice on the 24th of October 2009 [the original date this podcast was released]. Twenty-Six Other-Worlds officially launched their CD album Manipulated with a live gig on that day. Metal fans are very loyal to the bands they like. Most fans like more than one band, of course, so I believe that this release will attract many new followers for this band. Not only can you purchase the CD through the band’s website but you can also buy the album from iTunes if you prefer a download rather than a shiny plastic disc.

    Hunters Palace – After The Dream
    Alex Vella Gera contacted me to point out that Hunters Palace released a live album of a show they gave at Chiaroscuro in Valletta on the 30 December 2008. The album was released as a limited online download only under the name 30/12/08. The band were been gigging and recording in London in October 2009 [when this podcast was originally released].

    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.

  • You’re The Radio

    Show notes for the 223rd Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers in or from Malta:

    Re-Ne’ & Lyndsay – Taking Over Me
    This new song from Lyndsay Pace sees her collaborating with Rene’ Brincat to produce something that’s worthy of note from both of them. It’s the sort of thing that should be heard over and over again on the radio and in dance clubs this summer and beyond.

    Luisana Bartolo – Poeżija
    One of the most beautiful Maltese pop songs ever written has been given a new lease of life with the enchanting voice of Luisana Bartolo. This version does justice to the original from Luisana’s father, the late great Sammy Bartolo. It’s actually from a musicial written by Frederick Zammit entitled Imħabba Fuq Il-Għolja (Love On The Hill), which was originally staged in Mellieħa last February. It returns by popular demand next month and I’m pretty sure that this song will be one of the highlights.

    Moulettes – Talisman
    In last week’s podcast I mentioned that this band would be appearing along with Plato’s Dream Machine at Madliena Cottage on August 20. A couple of days ago I saw a YouTube video of this British band busking in Valletta and got the feeling that they could leave a lasting impact on some ripe minds and alternative musical tastes in Malta. Their brand of contemporary folk may sound somewhat quirky to pop and rock saturated ears, but music lovers have lots of layers to enjoy in any of the songs I’ve heard from the Moulettes.

    Abysmal Torment – Omega
    On Thursday 17 August former Abysmal Torment drummer Wayne Vella lost his life in a work-related fatal incident in Mosta. He was well loved by many in the music scene and beyond, as can be witnessed from the many tributes left on his Facebook page. He was a remarkable metal drummer but those who knew him well will miss a good friend and a lover of life. While those who don’t appreciate the type of music he liked and played may think my choice here is not appropriate, I can assure you that this is indeed the best way to remember him.

    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.

  • Crazy Train

    Show notes for the 222nd Mużika Mod Ieħor podcast featuring music by performers in or from Malta:

    Wayne Micallef – Slip Away
    Returning to prove that he is indeed one of the most prolific pop rock singer-songwriters in Malta, Wayne Micallef has managed to produce a song that is not only radio friendly but really worthy of repeat listens; pay special attention to the acoustic guitar solo and the sublime arrangement on the backing vocals. If only more of his peers would take a leaf from his book. At this rate, I expect he’ll be releasing a greatest hits album in the coming years.

    Plato’s Dream Machine – The Aristocrat
    It’s getting better all the time for one of Malta’s most endearing bands on the underground scene. They’re about to appear at Madliena Lodge with the Moulettes from the UK on Friday 20 August 2010. Their new DIY CD will be available from that day, featuring new tracks like this delightful waltz, recorded last month by Steve Lombardo at Hell Next Door Studios in Gudja.

    Brooke – Achilles Heel
    An appearance on the main stage at this year’s Farsons Great Beer Festival has brought young Brooke Borg to the attention of a wider audience in Malta after a couple of relatively high profile gigs abroad. If her debut song is anything to go by, it would appear that the future may indeed be very bright for this singer. She seems to have some of the things certain types in the industry look for. Now, will the market go for it? I guess that’s the million dollar question after all.

    jon lukas woodenman – Can’t Afford to Lose (Club Mix)
    I was saddened to hear that one of Malta’s most venerable musical exports has been taken seriously ill with lung cancer recently. He claims that he brought it on himself from years of heavy smoking, but I’m sure that doesn’t make it any easier for anyone. Jon Lukas has been a fighter throughout his four-decade long career and so it’s charming to see him perceptually reaching out to younger audiences as jon lukas woodenman with a new song that bears the same title as his original hit from 1970, Can’t Afford to Lose. This new club mix was created in collaboration with David A. Nash and Toby.

    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.