Just days short of releasing their much-anticipated second album, Plato's Dream Machine are busy putting the final touches to this weekend's live performances to mark the official launch. A couple of weeks back, I met with the band for a chat about their latest work. Naturally, the album's marked departure from Għera's introspection towards a more upbeat, optimistic outlook took up most of the conversation but, on a lighter note, I also asked them for a few little-known facts

The Crowns' mark on 2016 came by way of their two radio singles, namely Mary Jane and Dreams, both of which had been written the previous year. The band is now back with a brand new single that also heralds some changes in the band's camp. To begin with the song clearly suggests that there has been some delving into new sounds and experimenting with styles. Titled Smoke and Mirrors, the song is a more groove-based number compared to past singles; its soulful melody line and i

Ahead of the launch gig of their debut album Telegram, Michael Bugeja interviewed The Busker during the November 18, 2016 edition of ROCKNA. Click here to read more about the album launch. The album launch will take place at Sagrestia Vault at the Valletta Waterfront on Friday, December 2, 2016. Tickets can be bought from www.ticketline.com.mt.For more information visit the band’s official Facebook page. Telegram will also be available on Spotify, ITunes, while physical copie

Further to the release of their latest single Hitman earlier this year, Blues rock band Dusk will now be launching the official music video for the song. "From the get-go we felt the song needed to have something visual to accompany it; something that would bring the story behind the song to life", the band said in a comment. To do this, Dusk teamed up with the creative and energetic crew from Imitosis, the result now ready to be unveiled for all to see. The process involved

Telegram is the title of the debut album from The Busker. Scheduled for release on Friday, December 2, 2016, the 15-track album features a mixture of folk, pop and Blues. Composed and produced by the band members themselves. the album, which was recorded at Sub Studios, is inspired by the sounds of the 1960s, its content delivering an effective vintage quality in both song-writing and overall vibe. Other than the core band members, Telegram also features long-time collaborato

Noogie's Crew's self-titled debut EP was launched exclusively on the October 21 edition of Radio's weekly ROCKNA radio show. Michael Bugeja's interview with the band is available here. www.facebook.com/NoogieAndCrew #rockna #rock #radio101 #ep #launch

Maltese electrorock act CRUX has collaborated with two local creatives to produce a music video for Smiling Man, the fourth single from the album Ego Vs Ego, which was released in early 2016. Smiling Man is a dark atmospheric composition accompanied with an even darker narration, voiced by Jeff Clement, that reaches a climax in various parts of the plot. The idea to create an obscure music video came when CRUX met Steven Levi Vella, a film director known for his sinister styl

Following the success of their recent Rejects Asylum concert, Rejects are back with another live event. The Darkroom, which will take place on Friday, September 30 at Razzett L-Ahmar in Mosta, will feature four local acts covering different genres. Apart from Lucy's Last, Falcon's Flying Circus (still riding high after releasing their self-titled debut last month) and Jack's Fusion (who also released their debut EP earlier this summer), The Darkroom will also feature Forty Da

Thinking out loud.... not me of course, Thinking Out Loud is the name of the album released back in 2012 by UK-based band Canvas Wall. It was also their debut album, one they chose to officially launch here in Malta with a live performance during the Farsons Beer Festival. The reason behind this is that the band, or most of it at least, consists of Maltese musicians. In the four years that have passed, they've not only been playing countless gigs abroad (including a couple mo

It has indeed been a long time coming; possibly one of the most anticipated local releases in recent years, and the day has finally arrived. Come Saturday, August 27, Falcon’s Flying Circus will be launching it self-titled debut album with a live performance at Zion, Marsaskala, an event that will also feature Fuzzhoneys playing an opening set. The songs on the album have been written over a number of years, with many of them having been performed live during the countless pe

They've been around, in some form or other at least, for a few years, but it was only in 2014 that Jack's Fusion really started to exist. The band's debut single Electric, released some months ago, gave them a good boost, landing a considerable amount of airplay that was complemented by the band's own energetic live gigs. Later this month, precisely on Thursday, August 25, the band will be launching its debut EP Impulse, which event will also feature live performances from Ja

It almost seems like a long time, but it's really only five years ago that I first interviewed Chess for this very same newspaper, just months after she had just moved to the UK, where she'd gone to pursue her studies and a career in music. Five years on, she's still UK-based and, with several recorded tracks, an acclaimed covers album and 2 EPs under her belt, she's about to launch her debut album proper, 1869. The album, an effective balance of pop and soul reflecting an a

1869 is the name of the debut album from UK-based Maltese artist Chess Galea. The album, which was officially released in the UK on April 18, features an eclectic blend of old-school sounds and feel-good pop, essentially reflecting the diverse array of influences that have shaped the young artist's musical journey so far. Written and performed from the soul, the album touches every emotion, from addressing current affairs and social issues to bold affairs of the heart and so

Just under four months on from its international release in Venice via the Youth of Today record label, Bila's debut release is finally being launched in Malta. As colorfully titled as the band's name, the L**a EP will be given an official release here with a live performance from the raucous punk trio. The event, which takes place tonight at Funky Monkey in Gzira, comes just a few days on from the release of the music video for Wiċċek ma wiċċi, one of the stand-out tracks on

Nine times out of ten, the first question asked when the name F-Trio comes up in conversation is ‘what does the F stand for'? Asking the band directly could provide a reply perhaps more colourful than one might expect, so for the time being let's just take a wild guess, assume it stands for FUN and leave it at that. F-Trio is essentially Warren Galea on guitar, Alan Portelli on bass and Manuel Pulis on drums, a formation that originally came together in 2011. "Despite coming

There, in a nutshell, are the Fuzzhoneys, captured for your benefit in just under 10 minutes of footage that brings together a good chunk of what this dynamic duo has been up to since bursting onto the local scene sometime in 2014. Less than two years later, they've become a household name on the local alternative scene and are about to launch their debut EP, aptly titled CD Tal-Ġenn on Saturday, January 9 at Beachaven in Xemxija. With just a few days to go, here's an inter

The answer to that question is....oh, never mind! If you're into the local music scene, chances are you've heard, or at least heard of, The Ranch. It's not easy to describe this project, which is rather eclectic at its core, but perhaps the best way to define it is as being the crossroads where the musical paths of three rather different (and very talented if I may add) musicians met who, after some jamming, a little experimenting and a lot of improvising, morphed into one he

The name suggests that The Counterbalance Project is more than just a band and, with a long list of guest singers and musicians on board it certainly is. Truth be told, it did actually start out as a band back in 2012, but evolved along the way as founding members Conrad and Aaron Dimech sought to explore different ideas and sounds and bring in different people to work with them. Come Friday, the project will be moving into a new phase of its history to date with the release

Further to the release of their latest single Pious last month and the must-watch video to go with it (that we've included further down the page) as well as another new track, Rabbits, which they uploaded just a few days ago on their Soundcloud page, Lucy's Last will be launching their debut EP Syllabus of Errors on Saturday, December 5 with a live performance at Razzett L-Ahmar in Mosta. Apart from the above-mentioned songs, the EP features 3 more brand new songs, namely the

Malta’s only live Prog event, Prog The Islands makes its comeback on Friday, December 11 after a two-year hiatus. The last edition had been held just days before popular Paceville venue V-Gen had closed its doors for good back in December 2012. This year’s edition of Prog the Islands, the fourth to date, will take place at Remedy and, as in previous editions, features three local bands. The line-up this year kicks off with a special acoustic set from Colourblind, which will a