Stories

"I am Hawaiian, I'm all that's left / I am the son of the sea and the surf This land was my land, I shared with friends / Now it is their land, and I pay rent..." Vic Malo's politically-charged "Ode to Waiahole & Waikane Valley" is filled with clever criticism, taking stabs at so-called "progress" and alluding to the Woody Guthrie track, "This Land is Your Land". (Did Vic know about the uncovered verses when he wrote this song?) "I pay to see a waterfall But there's no water—none at all They're gonna tax the sun I hear them...

The song "Countryside Beauty" has been on repeat for the past 24 hours, so it's evident that I'd be sharing this one with you today. There's something about the islands song that emanates the lush tropical smells and views of Hawaii... Today's a short post. Enjoy the video, I'll have more on Tender Leaf in the future. Listen to the wind blow, listen to the birds sing out loud And it's that time again for us to fall in love Well, it's a beautiful morning, think i will go outside It's a beautiful morning, think I will take a ride,...

That DJ Muro tracklist is nearly complete, aside from information like label, year, album title. But one thing's now definite: DJ & the Spice of Life are responsible for "Blue Moon". I came across Tell Me Once More on eBay a while ago, saw the songs listed and immediately knew this was the band whose Rodgers & Hart cover was included in DJ Muro's mix. But I needed absolute proof, so I picked up a copy*. Notice how their outfits are coordinated? The guys on the end wear vests, the middle men white shirts, and D.J. Oshiro is the only...

Recent plans to go back to the islands for a short vacation have fallen through, so I'm left digging for Hawaiian records some 2500 miles away from Honolulu. Can't say that these albums satisfied my need to dig through bins at Hungry Ear, Jelly's, Rainbow's, and all the thrift stores on O'ahu. But it was a big relief to find three of these at my doorstep when I got home (i.e. eBay/internet finds). Expect more on these soon (maybe the Kalapana LP is already too well-known to post about, but who knows if something will come of it).

Aside from say, Mackey Feary's Black & White CD, there haven't been too many reissues of Hawaiian LPs in the U.S. (at least the kine I'm looking for). But do you remember what I said about those Japanese record enthusiasts? Needless to say, some of the best Hawaiian funk/soul/jazz has been re-released on CD via Japanese label Cool Sound, as well as its Cool Hawaii imprint. It's hard for me to tell, but some of these reissues might not be available anymore. If they are, I'll gladly buy the whole lot the next time I visit Japan (whenever that is...)....