Saturday, September 26, 2009

Luau at the Lake


I'm getting into this tiki vibe - last weekend I attended the Luau at the Lake, the best excuse I've come across yet to wear Hawaiian shirts and throw a two day long party. While there, I saw several bands and listened to music I don't normally hear. Exotica and surf guitar, vibraphones and ukuleles, you-name-it-I-heard-it. Frankly, it was great. Check out a few of these bands, maybe your hula girl (or fire dancer) will pay you a visit.

The Cocktail Preachers

The 9th Wave

Fisherman

Waitiki 7

Saturday, September 12, 2009

The dogs are barking......


The Yalloppin' Hounds were one of my favorite swing bands when I first discovered them. They do blends of classic swing jazz with some occasional hip-hop and rap built in, and catered to swing dancers in New York city (note a previous album, Lindy Hop Deluxe. In addition, here is a grainy you-tube video of them playing at the now destroyed Windows on the World that was at the top of the World Trade Center- link). Just as I was discovering them and looking for concerts to attend, they disappeared........No shows, no albums, and nothing new on the website. I was greatly disappointed and feared the band had dissolved. Unknown to me, the band spent several years working on their newest album, The Great Recession, which seemed to appear out of nowhere a few months ago and the music is tearing up the jazz scene. Both classic and new, traditional and fresh, the music is bold and engrossing and I am listening to this constantly now. Along with the aforementioned Miss Smith to You, I consider this a must-purchase for any bachelor pad, jazz aficionado or dancer.

Band Website
Amazon.com album link

Friday, September 4, 2009

PCU Soundtrack


As the movie Animal House was to colleges of the 50's and early 60's, PCU is to colleges of the 90's. I graduated from college in 1991, and I recognized, all to clearly, all to foibles and fun of my college experience in this movie. The story itself is quite thin, a prospective students visits PCU, a college in the throes of political correctness run amok, and he ends up hanging out with the comic slacker who is hated by the administration for failing to follow along. Of course, this is a great excuse to have a monster party. Who needs anything more in a movie?

The album has some great tunes, but I bought it almost exclusively for the two George Clinton songs that are unavailable anywhere else (that's George Clinton of the Parliament Funkadelic), entitled Stomp and Erotic City. Stomp is the classic party tune, with a great beat and lots of references to hazardous booty. Erotic City is a cover of the Prince song, and it's just as fun and dirty as the original. See the movie, buy the soundtrack, turn it up loud.......