• Alison Galea (Musician/Radio DJ)
2012 was a year of change and settling into new personal spaces, of reunions and loss. 2013 promises to be better and dedicated to more music in my life.
With Beangrowers we’re planning to work on new songs, perhaps even a release. With The Shh, Ian and I will be touring in mainland Italy and Sicily in March and hopefully release a full album following the Burning Love EP’s small success.
We have Japan in our sights too, but this needs to be organised well in advance.
I hope to dedicate more time to The Shh and play more live shows because it’s a really fun project.
On the radio side, I’m looking forward to continue hosting The Indie Disco Show on the All Rock digital station. It’s fun to host my own show and be able to play whatever I like and that I think suits the show, and I hope to build a bigger audience.
Bring on the Year of the Snake. I’m ready for it!
1. Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas
A deep and brilliant album from the Canadian master of songwriting with one of the nicest voices around, even in his old age.
2. The XX – Coexist
Angel is one of the most romantic songs I have ever heard.
3. M. Ward – A Wasteland Companion
A sweet and heart-warming album from the one-half of She & Him, one of my favourite recent bands. Great guitars.
4. Best Coast – Only Place
Simple, raw and brilliant combination. Only Place makes me feel good to be living in Malta again.
5. Stalko – Grandiloquence
Not only are there some wonderful moments and arrangements on this album, it also pairs up well with the nicest gig I’ve been to in 2012.
• Toni Sant (Podcaster/Academic)
I’m currently preparing to visit Australia to research ways the Malta Music Memory Project (M3P) can be more representative of Maltese music Down Under.
Meanwhile, I’ll obviously go on producing my weekly Mużika Mod Ieħor podcasts at ToniSant.com, which are currently in their seventh year, and working on the M3P project in general.
1. Muse – The 2nd Law
One of my students introduced me to this band when I first moved to the UK from New York in 2004. She was not a very good student (and will obviously remain nameless) but I’d certainly give her top marks for bringing this now mega-famous group of musicians to my attention when they were simply a cult favourite.
Their latest album doesn’t disappoint and I’m sure it’ll be in the top five albums of 2012 for many other people in Malta.
2. Brikkuni – Trabokk
Rather different from their debut Kuntrabanda and slightly less impactful, but still the most outstanding Maltese-language album for 2012 to my mind. It’s also a bonus that I like whatever music Danjeli and Delli produce.
While many are able to appreciate this great Maltese band now, I believe their true worth will be felt in a decade or so, when all the young local musicians they’re influencing start producing their own Made in Malta sounds and concepts.
3. King Charles – Loveblood
Spotify has changed my life. It’s where I discovered this album. King Charles is simply one of the most impressive singer-songwriters I’ve heard in a generation.
I am particularly fond of this track because it has acquired a very special personal association. His collaboration with Mumford & Sons, The Brightest Lights, will possibly be a way for others to discover this artist for the first time.
4. Claire Tonna – The Port
I don’t think it’s a secret that I love Claire Tonna, so you can imagine how thrilled I was when she released her first solo album.
The fact that her main musical collaborator on this collection (Cygna, aka Mario Sammut) is another local favourite of mine doesn’t hurt, of course. If only she had included a couple of her Maltese-language songs, this album would have been perfect, but as it is, it’s wonderful anyway.
5. Athelstone – The Quiet Before The Storm
To my musical tastes, this is a superb offering by a group of relatively unknown Maltese musicians. If you like old, mellow prog rock (such as early King Crimson) or spaced-out jazz à la late-1960s Miles Davis without the trumpet, then this one is surely for you.
It’s a free download too, so there’s really no excuse not to get your hands on it and wrap your ears around it till you’re ready for the storm.
• Dimi Dallas (Musician)
It’s been a good year for KOI; a new line-up, a debut single and the privilege to record the Stones track Bitch for a US tribute album.
We’re also working on demos that are being passed from Malta to Finland to France and back, out of which we’ll pick two songs to record for our next release, and of course, we’re planning to release our first album in 2013.
I’ve also been working on a solo project involving Matt Borg (Red Electrick) and Chris Curmi (Airport Impressions), the result of which you should be hearing soon. It’s been a busy year… definitely one to remember.
1. Slash – Apocalyptic Love
Slash has been the biggest motivator for me to pick up a guitar and start making music. Listening to his albums was like discovering rock ’n’ roll all over again... the riffs, the vibe, the whole band is amazing to the point that it has become one of the best rock bands to me after original Guns ’n’ Roses.
2. Michael Monroe – Sensory Overdrive
This was released in 2011 but I have to include it here as he’s one of the greatest musicians and rock pioneers in the world. It’s great that he’s still rocking.
3. Bon Jouni – Beautiful Never-Ending Nothing
It’s great to see musicians who stay true to the ‘old’ way of recording; actually playing their tracks from start to finish and not just using a cut-and-paste quick-fix.
This album’s lyrics and beautiful music really touched me, especially the song Game Over, which brings tears to my eyes.
4. Red Electrick – The Unplugged Sessions
In my first year in Malta, these guys impressed me big time as musicians and people.
They work very hard and their recent Best Band triumph at the Bay Music Awards was definitely well-earned.
These guys can really work the ‘old school’ three-chord song wonderfully.
5. Lana Del Rey – Born To Die
An artist and an album that confused me in a good way; her music rocks big time.
All her songs make you want to listen to them again and again, and discover something new every time. She’s hard to describe really, but she is truly amazing.
• Lito Micallef (Radio/Club Rock DJ)
While the digital takeover has robbed us of that sweet feeling one gets when going through the albums in a music shop, and buying individual tracks online has destroyed the album concept, the internet has facilitated the accessibility to so much music, and that can never be a bad thing.
2012 was another good year for rock, especially prog rock.
Locally, there was a marked growth in Maltese-language songs, and here I must especially commend the hip hop acts for their amazing work.
I’m sure 2013 will be just as interesting. I have some radio-related projects in mind, but in general, I’ll be looking forward to more music from the local scene, particularly songs sung in Maltese, as well as some interesting band reunions, and in particular, Colourblind’s 15th anniversary.
Here are five of the many great albums I heard this year – sorry I had to leave all the others out!
1. Van Halen – A Different Kind Of Truth
The return of original vocalist David Lee Roth after 28 years helped Van Halen deliver a very good album. I wouldn’t say its their best work ever, but it’s a strong return.
2. Rush – Clockwork Angels
I’ve been looking forward to this album ever since I heard the track Caravans, which the band released online two years prior to the album’s release. It was a very good indication of what was to come – a great album from Rush.
3. Last Autumn’s Dream – Nine Lives
I love melodic rock, and these guys have good roots in music; they are associated with bands like Talisman and Europe.
One of this album’s guests is Jeff Scott Soto, one of my favourite singers, so I could not leave it out.
4. Weeping Silence – For The Unsung
The moment I got the track Love Lies Bleeding, I promised myself I would listen to this album, and I must say I really enjoyed it.
It’s a full-bodied record, rich in texture and production, boasting soaring melodies and an impeccable balance between the lead female voice and the growling.
5. Big Band Brothers – Ftakar
To begin with, the renditions of Walter Micallef’s Sieħbi Fil-Cupboard Tal-Kċina and The Tramps’ timeless Xemx are truly amazing. Keeping in mind this is a brass band and not your conventional rock line-up, the band really rocks these songs.
The rest of the album is an exemplary tribute to the Maltese songbook; a job well done by the Big Band Brothers in reinstating these classic songs in the hearts and minds of the Maltese.
• Chris Cini (Musician)
Having just released our debut album Grandiloquence a few weeks ago we’re now focusing on planning a new string of intimate acoustic gigs in preparation for the first cold months of the New Year. See you there!
1. Alt-J – An Awesome Wave
The name of the band had me thinking I’d be listening to an electro album but I was so wrong. The music is a splendid piece of work; an album that grows on you very quickly. It’s very original in the way it combines an excellent mix of folk, indie and beautiful harmonies.
2. The Lumineers – The Lumineers
This is the kind of album which many would label as ‘Mumfordian’. Granted, the style is rather similar but such labelling does not do justice to this harmonious trio.
Their songs are fresh, original and creative with the minimum of effort. I simply love their tunes, in particular Slow it Down.
3. Brikkuni – Trabokk
I don’t recall many instances where I actually took time to read lyrics but had to make an exception for this album.
A big well done to Brikkuni for a truly remarkable social commentary that will never age. Tiddi x-Xemx Fuq Din l-Għodwa Moħlija is a personal favourite.
4. Grizzly Bear – Shields
I listened to Veckatimest (their previous album) a few years back but despite my trying I just couldn’t get into it.
This album, on the other hand, is just brilliant; full of great sounds that will get you carried away. It’s definitely more accessible than their previous album.
5. Beach House – Bloom
It took me a while to fully appreciate Beach House’s second album but it was absolutely worth it. It’s a perfect combination of washed-out sounds, guitars and other instruments which balance out the smooth vocals.
The opening track Myth is simply beautiful, to say the least. The rising assurance in the work of this dream pop duo is surely recognisable. I highly recommend this.