Island Mele
Friday, February 8, 2002
The No-No Boys (Island Fire Productions) "Unexpected Turbulence"
The masculine moniker notwithstanding, two of the No-No Boys are women. Kristy Mizushima and Julia Avilla share vocal duties and even give the reggae-beat songs a welcome freshness. The quartet handles modern rock and light jazz with equal skill. Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" is beautifully reworked as folkish acoustic rock. "Hooked On A Feeling," a hit for B.J. Thomas and later, Blue Swede, is given a crisp alt-rock flavor.
The viability of the group's eight originals becomes more obvious with each replay. Mizushima is the primary writer and a talented one. "Revival" is her concise reggae-beat political statement. "A Few Steps Ahead of You" and "Tell Him I'm Sorry," the latter by Avilla, are two of the Boys' best love songs. Astute use of tempo changes and secondary instruments adds luster to this bright and memorable album.
islandfireproductions@yahoo.com
Mpeg Audio Clips:
Revival
Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info
Kahala Moon (Keala) "Collage"
Kahala Mossman and Mahina Souza are the respective granddaughters of Bina Mossman and Irmgard Farden. As Kahala Moon they're bringing their families' musical heritage forward another generation (The name comes not from a defunct restaurant but from their combined names, with Mahina translated as "moon").
The duo can rock hard on stage but the impression here is of a Gen-X Na Leo Pilimehana, and "Beautiful Hawaiian Boys," one of six originals, has the potential to become as popular as Na Leo's controversial 1984 hit "Local Boys."
Other stand-outs tracks include "Army of Love," a pleasant blend of acoustic riffs and Jawaiian rhythms, and "It's Our Sunshine," a zesty celebration of the duo's favorite beaches. "You Showed Me," known for more than 30 years as a hit for the Turtles, is presented as smooth romantic pop and becomes a rare local remake worth hearing.
Mpeg Audio Clips:
Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info
Tino & The Rhythm Klub (Shaka) "Tino & The Rhythm Klub"
Charismatic Tino Ibach wasn't ready to retire when the Krush broke up for the third time, so he and Krush drummer Lucky Salvador created Tino & The Rhythm Klub. The group's debut CD-single finds them building on the familiar Krush groove. "Sweetly," one of two Ibach originals, is more soulful than most Krush songs but has a similar pop-lite feel.
"Rock the Boat" is a pointless recycling of the Hues Corporation's 1974 million-seller, but "Happy Jam," the other Ibach original, is interesting. In it, Ibach combines soothing rhythms with a catchy keyboard melody and there is smooth interplay between his lead vocals and the band's harmonies.
Versatile vocalist Kristina Babaran adds a seductive soprano top to the harmonizing. "Happy Jam" shows that Ibach, the band and Babaran, can do more than coast as heirs of the Krush.
Mpeg Audio Clips:
Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info
See Record Reviews for some past reviews.
See Aloha Worldwide for locals living away.John Berger, who has covered the local
entertainment scene since 1972, writes reviews of recordings
produced by Hawaii artists. See the Star-Bulletin's Today
section on Fridays for the latest reviews.
