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JANE DOE CD LAUNCH AT DJANGO'S

Michael Bugeja

Nov 18, 2014
1 min

JANE DOE CD LAUNCH AT DJANGO'S

Jane Doe's first incursion into the world of Maltese radio happened a couple of years back, when the then-upcoming band released a little gem called Shivery. That debut release reflected several of the influences that one can still find traces of in their music even to this day, but there's no denying the band has come a long way in a relatively short time. Consistently pushing themselves to explore new ground and innovate, Jane Doe's music in the here and now, as is evident

SURFIN' MASSACRE DOWN AT DJANGO'S

Michael Bugeja

Nov 2, 2014
1 min

SURFIN' MASSACRE DOWN AT DJANGO'S

With the winter season slowly creeping in, the gig schedule at Django's Jazz Bar is all set to pick up the pace and welcome live music lovers into its cosy space in Valletta. Further to a good number of memorable summer gigs that have helped attract a growing audience to the place, Django's will be offering up its basement stage on Saturday, November 15 to none other than Massacre House Party. Following a highly successful performance at this year's Notte Bianca, where they t

BATTLE OF THE NORTH TO ROCK THE SOUTH

Michael Bugeja

Oct 21, 2014
1 min

BATTLE OF THE NORTH TO ROCK THE SOUTH

Ahead of the fourth edition of the Rock The South festival, the organizers will be accepting submissions from upcoming bands interested in participating in a ‘battle of the bands’ to select a number of bands for the 2015 edition. “The fantastic response the festival received last year has encouraged us to aim for a bigger, better event”, said festival organizer Nick Morales. “The number of bands on the island just keeps growing and we’ve decided to stage a ‘battle’ in order t

TAKING LONDON BY SONG

Michael Bugeja

Oct 19, 2014
5 min

TAKING LONDON BY SONG

Not for the first time, I’m sitting in a plane on my way to a concert in London. This time however, I’m going to see a concert featuring Maltese bands and artists, not foreign ones. It’s not a new experience either; I did the same thing last year for the first time, attending the first edition of the Malta Takes London event. When I got back from last year’s event, somebody here asked me why I flew all the way to London to watch Maltese acts that one might easily get to see p

EIGHT-ACT LINE-UP FOR MALTA TAKES LONDON 2014 CONCERT

Michael Bugeja

Sep 25, 2014
1 min

EIGHT-ACT LINE-UP FOR MALTA TAKES LONDON 2014 CONCERT

The first edition of Malta Takes London, held late last year at The Water Rats in King’s Cross, was truly an amazing evening; an impressive cross-section of what Malta’s music scene, whether based at home or on foreign turf, has to offer. The response by trhose present was positive enough to spur the organizers on towards staging a second edition, to be held on Saturday, September 27 at the same venue. Now boosted from a six-act billing to an 8-act line-up, the live event wil

SWAG FEATURE: MY ESSENTIAL ALBUMS BY MICHAEL BUGEJA

Michael Bugeja

Jul 7, 2014
2 min

SWAG FEATURE: MY ESSENTIAL ALBUMS BY MICHAEL BUGEJA

My friend Colin Fitz from SWAG asked me to pick 10 essential albums, which is certainly a tasking exercise given the list of my must-have/must-listen albums is far longer than that. With much effort I finally managed to come up with the following list that is certainly indicative but by no means exhaustive or definitive (so expect more lists in the future)... meanwhile look them up and have a listen for yourselves! Here is the feature as reported online: One of Malta’s best-k

MEET THE BANDS FROM ELSEWHERE

Michael Bugeja

Jul 6, 2014
4 min

MEET THE BANDS FROM ELSEWHERE

Never mind the octopus in the background of the Music from Elsewhere festival poster, that's just there to grab your attention. Once that has been achieved, it's the eight bands lined up to perform at that same festival that you should really be thinking about and looking up on your smartphone. Boasting an eclectic mix of musical genres, the line-up for the Maltese edition of the Hard Rock Rising On The Road concert tour is one that effectively reflects the healthy state whic

MUSIC FROM ELSEWHERE: RISING FROM THE UNDERGROUND

Michael Bugeja

Jun 29, 2014
4 min

MUSIC FROM ELSEWHERE: RISING FROM THE UNDERGROUND

Beaches bustling with people by day, clubs and bars buzzing with activity by night; summer in Malta offers up endless opportunities for those who like one or the other, or both. On Wednesday, July 9, one particular event will combine the two thanks to an innovative idea that has, literally, been making its way down to Malta for the past couple of months. A joint project between Fondazzjoni Ċelebrazzjonijiet Nazzjonali (FĊN) and Hard Rock Rising On The Road 2014, the Music fro

TRACKAGE SCHEME: TRACKING LOCAL TALENT

Michael Bugeja

Jun 29, 2014
4 min

TRACKAGE SCHEME: TRACKING LOCAL TALENT

Music has always been a part of 25-year-old Ben Vincenti’s life, the reason behind it most likely being that he comes from a family that totally loves music. While most of his relatives all play either the piano or the guitar, he cites his parents, and their record collection in particular as his biggest influence. Vincenti, the man behind the much-talked about Trackage Scheme online community which was launched just over a year ago, says he could have followed suit, but admi

NOSNOW/NOALPS: READY TO GO GO GO GO

Michael Bugeja

Jun 22, 2014
4 min

NOSNOW/NOALPS: READY TO GO GO GO GO

Theirs is possibly one of the best-coined names a Maltese band has ever come up with, even more so when coupled with the title of their 2007 debut EP, Just Rock. And yet despite the deep-rooted Maltese connotation behind the name, nosnow/noalps is one of the few local bands to have almost always featured a non-Maltese member within its ranks. On some level, this possibly also reflects the band’s pronounced inclination towards the international circuit, which it has toured sev

ROOFTOP SESSIONS AT SERENITY

Michael Bugeja

May 27, 2014
1 min

ROOFTOP SESSIONS AT SERENITY

When one mentions Marsa and music in the same sentence, it is the garage-cum-rehearsal spaces that usually come to mind, but in recent months a little place called Serenity has been busy raising its profile as a potential live venue, and come Saturday, June 21, this bar will be launching the first of what will hopefully be a regular series of Rooftop Sessions. Located in Triq it-Tigrija, the venue, supported by Taste Nirvana Coconut Water Malta, Kombucha Fermented Teas and Ta

DANIEL GENUIS: SOMETHING NEW TO ME

Michael Bugeja

May 18, 2014
2 min

DANIEL GENUIS: SOMETHING NEW TO ME

Something new to me is a rather appropriate name for Daniel Genuis’s latest offering. Not only does the new single’s title underline the fresh timbre that is evident in the song, it also marks the start of a new chapter, a return if you will, to the scene by this talented singer/songwriter. Formerly the frontman of popular alt.rock band Bitterside, Genuis had released a couple of solo songs back in 2011, possibly intended more to maintain some continuity at the time rather th

THE DOMINO EFFECT: CHASING PARADISE

Michael Bugeja

May 14, 2014
1 min

THE DOMINO EFFECT: CHASING PARADISE

Their Facebook page suggests their music is a blend of indie, funk and rock, and it really only takes one listen to Chasing Paradise to understand that upcoming band The Domino Effect does exactly what it says on the tin. With a little extra sprinkling of pop that elevates its hook and appeal, Chasing Paradise is a promising and rather different follow-up to their 2013 debut offering, reflecting the efforts of a band that has taken its time to find its groove. Where 2013’s Or

NOSNOW/NOALPS: READY TO GO GO GO GO

Michael Bugeja

May 7, 2014
1 min

NOSNOW/NOALPS: READY TO GO GO GO GO

Maltese band nosnow/noalps are currently busy working on their next EP. Titled Go Go Go Go, the new release will consist of half a dozen songs and a couple of bonus remixes. To realize the EP, the band is asking their fans to help out by way of a crowdfunding campaign on Pledgemusic.com, with several different offers available depending on the amount being pledged, starting from the simplest - a digital download of the EP + updates for €10 to a private acoustic concert for €4

Michael Bugeja

May 4, 2014
1 min

FASTIDJU’S DOUBLE ALBUM LAUNCH

It’s been a long time coming, but the day is finally here. Having already tickled the public’s fancy with a brief live set opening for Brikkuni last year, Fastidju will be launching its debut album over the weekend with not one, but two live performances, both taking place in the round theatre at St James Cavalier in Valletta; a perfect setting for the kind of intimate the gig the band has opted for. Just over two years in the making, Fastidju’s self-titled debut, whose produ

THE SYLVAN AARON MASSACRE: INDIE ROCK DUO SHARE THE THRILL

Michael Bugeja

Jan 19, 2014
1 min

THE SYLVAN AARON MASSACRE: INDIE ROCK DUO SHARE THE THRILL

Local indie rock duo The Sylvan Aaron Massacre has just released its latest single The Thrill. Their fourth since 2011’s debut single Come On (Come On), the new release is drenched in surf-styled garage rock; a ball of energy accompanied by a fully-charged killer melodic hook. Like all their singles to date, The Thrill was recorded at Magnolia Abode Studios with Gilbert Micallef, who also sang backing vocals on the song. In the space of four singles, the duo have established

JIM HICKEY: PUSHING THROUGH BARRIERS

Michael Bugeja

Dec 22, 2013
6 min

JIM HICKEY: PUSHING THROUGH BARRIERS

“It was love at first sight,” says Jim Hickey of his relationship with music. He attributes his first musical inclination to some old Pink Floyd tapes he found at home, which he listened to over and over. “Music felt far more vivid and exciting than anything else I was aware of,” he says. This early start led to a deeper interest in music, one that involved listening to whatever he could get his hands on, discovering new sounds and ultimately, picking up the guitar – well, a

MALTA TAKES ON LONDON

Michael Bugeja

Dec 1, 2013
5 min

MALTA TAKES ON LONDON

It may be traditional snacks and local specialties and beverages that online seller Maltesefood2UK. com usually gets to ship over to the UK on demand, but a couple of weeks ago, this company’s support helped export a good chunk of live Maltese rock by way of a multiple-band gig that took place at The Water Rats in the English capital. Ambitiously titled Malta Takes London, this wasn’t the first event to feature Maltese bands in England, but certainly the first to present six

NEW SNOW, NO ALPS

Michael Bugeja

May 5, 2013
1 min

NEW SNOW, NO ALPS

A mainstay on the local music scene ever since it stepped onstage to give its first live gig back in 2007, Maltese alternative rock band nosnow/noalps recently took on a new challenge by relocating to Copenhagen. The new chapter in the band’s history comes after a series of line-up changes. The band’s current formation, temporarily based in two countries, now features vocalist and guitarist Nick Morales, bassist Alan Portelli and drummer Benji Cachia, who are based in the Dan

NOSNOW/NOALPS ARE TOURING EUROPE

Michael Bugeja

Sep 11, 2011
1 min

NOSNOW/NOALPS ARE TOURING EUROPE

Not for the first time, the music of local indie rockers No Snow/No Alps is transcending barriers of the geographical kind, except that this time their approach is entire-ly different to previous foreign ventures. Stripping down their songs to their bare essentials and reworking them into an acoustic set, frontman Nick Morales and Sarah Falzon are promoting the Romantikpolitik album, touring several European cities alongside a Danish singer/songwriter who is promoting his own

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