The young Maltese band Beangrowers is slowly garnering international fame and its latest album, also called Beangrowers, has just been launched in New Zealand.

After just a couple of weeks on the market, the album's single, Jose Clemente, has already reached the seventh position in New Zealand's alternative music charts.

Zomba Records, the band's record label, has now released the band's second single This Year's Love. The video-clip of this song is also on rotation on Juice TV, one of the leading music stations in New Zealand, which transmits 24 hours a day.

This is the band's first album released outside Europe and the group is also hoping to have its album released in Australia later this year.

Beangrowers' rise to international fame started after it signed a deal with the German company Rough Trade Records in February 1999.

Ever since, the band has been touring Germany and other countries in Europe promoting their music and making it in the top 10 of different international charts.

Beangrowers is made up of Alison Galea, vocalist and guitars; Ian Schranz, on drums and Mark Sansone, on bass.

Recently, the band made a number of phone interviews in New Zealand and received some very encouraging feedback from both the press and public.

Cameron Officer, writing for NZoom.com, referred to Alison Galea as the "keeper of the angelic vocal chords" and went on to write that "if Zomba have their way, Beangrowers will be the next... well, big thing."

The band is hoping to tour New Zealand by the end of the year. Meanwhile, Beangrowers are writing new material in preparation for their third album.

www.beangrowers.net.