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"It's Just Me"

John Feary
(Rip Tide)

It's been several years since John Feary last recorded. He introduces himself here as a contemporary local artist whose repertoire embraces Hawaiian, Jawaiian and light pop. Feary includes one song written by his uncle, the late Mackey Feary, but makes it clear throughout the album that he is his own man. Two originals show that he has something to say -- there's a song about watersports as well as one about male/female relationships.

Feary also does well as an interpreter of songs by Phil Keats, Guy Cruz and Kawika Gapero. Producer Alden Levi deftly blends acoustic and electronic instruments in ways that add breadth to the arrangements without losing Feary's unpretentious down-home appeal.

Changing the lyrics to Rod Stewart's classic "Tonight's The night (Gonna Be Alright)" is a bad idea -- although not bad as when he recycled Loggins & Messina's "Lahaina" as "Palolo." Feary and producer Levi make amends with their remake of "Swept Away."

It isn't mentioned here, but the final song, "Blue Manoa," was originally Feary's contribution to Kenneth Makuakane's compilation album, "Wa'ahila," in 2001.

www.riptiderecords.com

Mpeg Audio Clips: "Waterboys" "Swept Away" "Small Girl Hula" Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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"Lifetime Party: 30 Years
Of Friends, Volume 2"

Cecilio & Kapono
(C&K)

Cecilio & Kapono have been celebrating their 30th anniversary since 2003. This is the second album they've released since that capitalizes on that milestone. Since we've shredded several local recording artists, producers, and record labels for failing to include even minimal documentation on their recent releases. It would be playing favorites not to mention that "Volume 2" is another stinker in that department. It doesn't even have composers' credits, let alone any information on when these recordings were made or on C&K's many accomplishments. It isn't much as a "live" album either.

C&K's first "live" album, "Cecilio & Kapono: Together," was recorded during their first reunion concert at the Waikiki Shell in 1982, and produced to give a sense of the experience. There's nothing like that in this collection of songs culled at random from recordings made during C&K's three-night 30th Anniversary engagement at Kapono's, Henry Kapono's nightclub, in June of 2003. There's no sense of these left-overs being a "set," no intro at the beginning and no back intro at the end, just a hodge-podge of disconnected live versions of songs that their fans already have.

There's one new song. C&K were never known for doing Hawaiian songs in the '70s and '80s but "O Makalapua" is the final song here. Almost anything C&K record and release is worth hearing, but their loyal fans deserve much more for their money than they're getting here.

Mpeg Audio Clips: "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" "Koke'e" "Na Mele O Kaua'i" Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info

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"50 City"

Justice Moon
(Moonshine)

Justice Moon is one of the growing number of writer/recording artists who are bypassing traditional record distribution networks and selling their music on line. Moon offers a perfect introduction to local hip-hop with this five-song project. His music mixes are mainstream hip-hop with an occasional hint of island influence, but his lyrics describe the scene here rather than offering local-boy fantasies of mainland pimping or gangbanging.

Moon's choice of subject matter gives him a creative edge on gangsta wannabe types since he's not just "another one like all the other ones." His vocal style is a bit reminiscent of LL Cool J., but not excessively so -- that gives him commercial appeal. Moon also shows imagination in writing material around proven music hooks. "It's A Shame," a hit for the Spinners back in 1970, provides the radio-friendly hook for a new song by that title here.

"50 City" is available at www.justicemoon.com.

www.justicemoon.com

Mpeg Audio Clips: "50 City" "Soiree" "It's A Shame" Quicktime | RealPlayer | MPEG-3 info