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"Na Mele Ohana"

Vickie I'i and Her Family
(Hula)

No Hawaii-based record label has a larger archive of traditional Hawaiian and hapa-haole music from the early 1960s than Hula Records. This reissue dates from 1962 and shares the marvelous voices and musical legacy of an important musical family of the era. The songs come from I'i's personal songbook, some written with family members, while others are favorites she grew up with. The arrangements are traditional in style and feature various combinations of voices showcasing l'i and her sons and daughters.

Producer Don "Flip" McDiarmid III and annotator Jean Sullivan honored a promise made to I'i over 40 years ago by not including the English translations with the album (Sullivan mentions, however, that translations are now available elsewhere).

The CD will be available at the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame concert at the Hawaii Theatre on Tuesday, and will be in stores later this month.

It is wonderful to have this recordings finally available on CD.

www.HulaRecords.com

Mpeg Audio Clips: "Pua Malihini" "Hilo One" "Kalama'ula" Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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"Antidote"

The Crud
(self-released)

The rock band's debut album has been a long time coming. From the first riffs of the opening song, "My Passion's Gone," it's clear that the wait was worth it. The track has all the components of an alt-rock hit, perfect for radio airplay. The lyric hook provided by the song's title transcends generational lines, and the somber arrangement builds steadily behind Ben Henry's vocals to heighten their impact.

"Too Much Time" adds a lighter note with an uptempo, slightly humorous tale of a woman who apparently has "nothing better to do" than get involved in a relationship. The aggressive buzz-saw rhythms of "Cruel Game" catches the ear as well.

"Antidote" should be available in stores soon, but the CD can be purchased online now at www.thecrud.com.

www.thecrud.com

Mpeg Audio Clips: "My Passion's Gone" "Too Much Time" "Cruel Game" Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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"Turn It Up Louder"

Beethoven's Nightmare
(Koke Kula)

The classical German composer Ludwig van Beethoven suffered from progressive hearing loss. By the time he was 40, he could "hear" his compositions only in his mind. Assume that modern rock would be a "nightmare" for such a composer and you have a logical name for a trio of deaf musicians. (Anyone who prefers one of the politically correct euphemisms for the description should note that bassist/composer Ed Chevy uses the word "deaf" to describe himself and the band).

Producer Ron Tish assisted some of the band's well-meaning friends in producing their debut album. The opening track, "I Want to Be an American In a Rock 'N' Roll Band," is an earnest effort, but the combination of extra musicians and vocalists with a heavy political/patriotic message, creates the impression that the album is intended to be a very PC project to show the world that "differently-abled" people can do anything, if given help.

That impression, however, is quickly dispelled once Chevy, Steve Longo (guitar) and Bob Hilterman (drums) get to be themselves and play straight-ahead garage-band rock. Chevy wrote all the other songs with no outside input, and his lyrics speak honestly of his life as a deaf musician.

As for the trio's singing, given the many ways vocal tracks are being tweaked and remixed these days, these guys fit in quite well.

www.beethovensnightmare.com

Mpeg Audio Clips: "I Want To Be An American In A Rock 'n' Roll Band" "Sonic Train" "It's Just A Deaf Thing" Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info