Stories

The beginning notes and bird calls of "Lihue" quickly hook you into what becomes 3 full minutes of a seriously tropical groove. I played it last night and again today, and I swear the song gets better with each listen. But you don't have to be from Hawaii to enjoy "Lihue"—music lovers from Detroit to France praise this tune—and better yet, you don't have to spend a lot of time or money finding it. eMusic sells the LP, entitled "Around Again", at $5.99; iTunes, $9.99. (Note: the vinyl release is often referred to as her "Self-Titled" album). ...as Nohe was...

Just as it did 30 years ago, Hawaii's economy thrives largely on tourism, so it's no surprise that many of the musicians I've mentioned were/are also entertainers. It's hard work entertaining people 7 nights a week (see: Phase 7), because for vacationers in paradise every night's a Friday night, right? Vic Malo is no exception here. His handsome voice filled the now-closed Golden Dragon Lounge at the Hilton Hawaiian Village almost every night of the week (I'm guessing) for several years—during the mid/late 1970s through the mid 1980s. Those lucky enough to hear him in person were no doubt captivated...

Came across this today, it's pretty cool! The Aliis were Don Ho's backing group, although they also performed and recorded on their own.

New year, huh? What's on the resolution list? 1. Get back to the islands. 2. Eat more lau lau and poke. 3. Find more hard-to-find Hawaiian LPs. Accomplishing #1 means the other two will easily fall into place. But what if I'm not on the islands? Well, there's a few Hawaiian food spots around town. And what about finding more Hawaiian music? The local record shops don't offer much outside of touristy albums, eBay auctions usually end beyond the reach of my wallet, and Japanese web stores are even further beyond that. Which is why I'm adding a new series...

...and it was inevitable. Ever since I heard that 30-second clip of Lui Williams' "Oh, Oh (Think I'm Falling in Love)", I had a sense that the rest of the song would be just as enjoyable (and, at 3 minutes 45 seconds, much more gratifying). It's possible that Lui dubbed his own vocals for the chorus, but my best guess is...he didn't. The recording sounds entirely live, so a sideman probably backed him up. (I don't own the LP or CD, nor do I have the liner notes.) Still can't get enough of the near-constant guitar riffing that makes the...