Stories — Review

Have you ever wanted to rewrite lackluster liner notes of an outstanding album? Explosive, unexpected, fresh—that's The Aliis, a group whose musical talents know no limits. But the liner notes to their 2xLP, The Aliis Live, fall short of proving the band's powerful performance is worthy of royalty. I propose that The Aliis Live needs new liner notes. Here's my take.

"Inspiration is where you find it," wrote Wayne Harada in the Home Grown I liner notes, a Hawaiian music compilation released on KKUA Records in 1976. Me? I find my inspiration in music (of course), and I know I'm not alone (hence: this). In 1976, prolific radio DJ Ron Jacobs released Hawaii's first volume in the Home Grown series. Ron had moved back home to Hawaii from San Diego and immediately fell in love with the music of the islands. While living and working in San Diego, Ron Jacobs produced the California city's own Home Grown LPs. But he dreamed...

Each person experiences Hawaii in a unique way. Home Grown II helped manifest individual perspectives into something marvelous and tangible. Learn more about the Home Grown series by disc jockey Ron Jacobs and how his Hawaiian compilations told different stories of the land.

After some 40 years, the Glass Candle Band once again proves they are one of Hawaii's best performing acts. Glass Candle rocked their reunion show at Hawaiian Brian's for a remarkable end to 2011.

Today is a special day, my girlfriend's birthday! This post is in honor of her and her Japanese roots. It's also a post about a Kalapana album that not many people know about. Enjoy! Kalapana sat down in 1991 to create what should be a monumental album in their long list of recordings, but has been largely overlooked in their discography. My guess is that people enjoy the 1970s and 80s sound of Kalapana, but never really got used to the 90s sound of this CD. Kalapana plays Southern All Stars—featuring ten tunes written by prolific songwriter Keisuke Kuwata—showcases the...