Stories

If you missed the Friends of the Library of Hawaii Books & Music Sale this weekend, you missed aplenty—nearly 30,000 vinyl records waiting to be combed through. I had a chance to look around the warehouse before the collectors, who started lining up outside around 7:30 am, rushed the stacks of wax inside. Doors opened at 9:00 am.

"You're My Fantasy" by Tender Leaf Beauty strikes hardest in its purest form. Tender Leaf is the perfect example. Back when life was simpler, a group of friends got together to create music. That group, led by Murray Compoc Spencer and Darryl Valdez, found joy in jamming acoustic guitars and writing songs together, eventually entering the studio with the help of producer Kit Ebersbach. The resulting Tender Leaf LP—the only songs the band ever recorded—is now a legendary free soul album sought by collectors of rare groove and AOR music. (Cool Sound/Cool Hawaii reissued the album in Japan). In conclusion,...

"Babe I Want You" by Hal Bradbury If you've been longing for a heavy tune from Hal Bradbury—his previous efforts featured on Aloha Got Soul have been smooth, laid-back, and jazzy—this is it. Sexy, groovy, dancefloor-ready: "Babe I Want You" is ripe for the arsenal of the modern-day, crate-digging DJ, whose turntables crave that obscure rare groove record no one's heard yet (well, no one else but DJ Muro.) Go ahead, give it a spin! Listen to more music by Hal Bradbury here.

The Friends of the Library of Hawaii are hosting their annual music sale, "Friends, Books, Music... The Sale!" this weekend, May 24-26, 2012 at their Honolulu Harbor Warehouse near Pier 1. It's the biggest record fair in Hawaii, hands down.

"You Send Me" by Hal Bradbury This song is almost too good to be true, just like that feeling you get when you know you're with the love of your life. Hal Bradbury thrills us with "You Send Me", a smooth, modern soul jam that's not-so-heavy on the synth or drums or guitar riff—which is a good thing. The instrumentation leaves enough room for Hal's voice to captivate, but the music still grooves enough to keep you nodding all the way through. Slow jam? Maybe. Whatever you call it, keep this tune in your pocket of favorite Hawaiian soul tunes....