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Island Mele John Berger |
"Love Is ..."
Na Leo No local recording act is more astute at promotion than Na Leo (formerly Na Leo Pilimehana), and their new anthology is their cleverest idea since they released two versions of their first greatest hits album in 1996. "Love Is ..." includes a "Limited Synchronization License" that allows the buyer to use these songs in a personal video and then give (not sell) copies to friends. Want "The Rest of Your Life" as the soundtrack of your wedding video? Here it is, along with a "minus one" version, just in case you and your special someone want to include your own rendition (i.e., "You Don't Remember" would be perfect for the first video of a newborn).
NLP MusicNa Leo fans not planning video projects will find "Love Is ..." a perfectly packaged collection of the trio's most popular original love songs plus "Candle in the Night." Even the two "minus one" tracks add to the romantic ambiance.
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The Rest of Your Life
"The Legendary Ray Kane"
Ray Kane Some of slack-key master Raymond Kane's early recordings may already be available on CD as low-budget reissues, but this compilation makes them redundant for all but the most obsessive fans. HanaOla honcho Michael Cord enlisted George Winston as the producer of this remastered 18-song collection, and Winston provides the same detailed information on tunings and related information as is found in the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Masters series he produces for his own Dancing Cat label (local music maven Jay Junker adds the historical background, with input from Noelani Mahoe and Chris Orrall). In short, this is a perfect introduction to Kane's early recordings, and to the broader subjects of slack-key and modern Hawaiian music as well.
HanaOlaEverything a fan or student needs to know about these landmark recordings is here. Anyone interested in slack-key should consider this a "must buy."
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"Bhudahead"
Bhudahead Bhudahead recently rocked the Wave Waikiki, but the progressive power rock quintet may have first been heard here on the recent "Big Island's Own Hana Hou!" compilation album. The band on the album spelled the name Buddahead, and the producers didn't include any information on the performers, but the song sounds like an early calling card from these guys. This eponymous 8-song demo disc (currently available at the band's gigs) displays their readiness to tackle larger markets.
Self-distributedStraightahead grinding rock is the foundation of Bhudahead's music, but a couple of songs suggest the sardonic attitude of the Red Hot Chili Peppers or the Butthole Surfers. Others neatly combine rap, funk and punk. No explanation is given for doing a remake of a Led Zeppelin classic as the final track, but it's inoffensive compared to most local remakes.
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See Record Reviews for some past reviews. 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. Contact John Berger at jberger@starbulletin.com.
