Of course there’s a hiphop scene in Malta, which shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s been in the world in the past few years.  Wherever there are young people, there is youth culture, and this is still one of the driving forces of that culture all around the globe.  But where at one time there may have been a concentration on the music coming from the U.S., now almost every place has its own styles and trends.  The relatively inexpensive means of producing your own music these days, with software that is widely available and pretty easy to use, has made it much more possible for a kid in a small town to make their own records.

The sounds from every place are very distinctive, and hiphop in Malta will necessarily have local flavor that speaks to this particular place.  Malta is a place with a very rich tourist scene, where there are plenty of good restaurants and luxury hotels.  Malta is well- suited, then, to be a hub of world culture, because so many people pass through here.  This means that contemporary trends in the world of music stop by here to do some trading.  On the best days, it is an equal exchange, where Maltese musicians can learn some new styles and rhythms, and the visitors get to take some of the local flavor with them.  In Malta, this flavor has roots in Northern Africa and Southern Italy, among others.

No Bling Show is spectacularly positions to demonstrate all the diverse roots, and brings them together in a package that’s fresh and very real.  There is an attempt to speak to the ongoing conversations in global hiphop culture, but there is also every attempt to maintain a fiercely local identity, and this comes through in the language and the themes.  They use the music to communicate possibilities for change, offering systematic critiques of the system in general, and are working to create a critical mass in the culture here that can speak to alternatives to excess.

Hiphop in Malta is a post from: No Doubt Web

I’ve had a romantic attitude about the entire state of Colorado every since I was a child and I first heard the music of John Denver. And it’s not like he was not like he was exclusively Colorado oriented; but still, Rocky Mountain High is a great song. And as far as I understand it, it is one of two recognized official state songs so I’m not the only one that thinks that. In fact, I used to sing that song a lot in my house growing up and my family began to get tired of it. It was almost like my theme song and they would here it every time I walked into the room.

Naturally, when I had the opportunity to visit a good friend in Denver I accepted immediately. I was nineteen at the time and had been working at a local gas station. With no offense to the station, I was more than willing to quit my job and take off for a month that summer. And honestly I think it was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The mile high city was so beautiful I just had a great sense of peace combined with an excitement, which I know is an interesting combination, the entire time I was there. It really just felt like it was where I was meant to be. My friend suggested I go ahead and just move there since I had already quit my job and everything.

For some reason I decided almost on a fluke to apply to the University of Colorado Denver. The process wasn’t so much of a fluke as I hadn’t given any thought to colleges since I missed the deadline for applying to my state school. When my application was approved I nearly fainted. I had a good track record in high school and scored high on my SATs I just, I don’t know. It’s like casually pursuing a dream and it comes true or something, I can’t quite say what exactly I felt like. But I was accepted into the College of Arts and Media and I would begin school that fall. My parents were so excited when I told them that they immediately made reservations in one of the Colorado hotels to come and help me get settled in. Rocky Mountain High, I’m home.

Rocky Mountain Experience in Denver Colorado is a post from: No Doubt Web

Melbourne is one of the most splendid cities in the world, and certainly one of the most livable. With its proximity to some fantastic natural areas, along with a thriving city that offers an amazing array of attractions and artistic output, there is a great life here for the locals.  It is also a magnificent city to visit, offering something wonderful for guests of all ages.  It’s a great place to find a cool shopping boutique, an excellent bite to eat, and a spectacular hotel.  Melbourne, Australia has always been on the cutting edge of culture, and continues to inspire locals and tourists from all over the world.

It’s had a great history for cities on the cutting edges of music.  Drawing as wide a spectrum of artists as Olivia Newton-John to Nick Cave, there are many styles and sensibilities that play here, although today there are more traces of punk’s roots here than pop.  These styles do come together in a way that is absolutely modern, however, with Architecture in Helsinki.  This band has been enjoying an international reputation for a few years, and their lively performances attract almost as much attention as the recorded music.  There is a precision here that is impeccable, and highly contagious.  The band members all play different kinds of electronic instruments, and can also play the old school instruments with equal flair and gusto.

This is pop music, possibly, but it’s pop music for intellectuals, in a sense, with an exciting liveliness that is undercut by a subtle but persistent sense of irony.  This attitude is absolutely post-punk, and makes sense for a generation left making sense after we all agreed not to make sense any longer.  There is a sensibility that’s for sale here, and it goes along with the pulsing rhythms that are impossible not to dance to, even if it’s with a bit of cynicism.  The band’s name, Architecture in Helsinki also demostrates a kind of sloppy smartness that speaks to post-punk aesthetics.  It was created without any experiences in the Finnish city – although they have played there now that they’ve become stars – but by putting words together cut from a newspaper.  This references Burroughs as well as Tzara and the invention of Dadaism.  But aside from the appeal of the historical references, it’s also just plain charming.  And delightful to see musicians who know where their roots are.

Rooted Architecture in Melbourne is a post from: No Doubt Web