Dengue Fever- Venus On Earth (M80)
review by Ron Ozer

Track Listing

1. Seeing Hands 4:12
2. Clipped Wings 3:47
3. Tiger Phone Card 3:37
4. Woman in the Shoes 3:06
5. Sober Driver 4:05
6. Monsoon of Perfume 4:40
7. Integratron 3:43
8. Oceans of Venus 3:32
9. Laugh Track 3:28
10. Tooth and Nail 4:28
11. Mr. Orange

When Dengue Fever was forming in 2001, the band auditioned a number of Cambodian singers. Chhom Nimol was immediately at the top of the list. Well known in Cambodia, other singers simply dropped out when they heard she was being considered, so great was the respect they felt for her talent. Now, with a just released album featuring original songs sung in English and Khmer, Venus on Earth, the band is witnessing its biggest round of publicity yet. Already a darling of the NPR set, now they have interviews set with Terry Gross on Fresh Air and David Dye at World Cafe.

When you try to explain to friends about Dengue Fever, many people ask, what does Cambodian music sound like? But Dengue Fever is a synthesis of Cambodian music with so many other forms that it cannot be described so easily. It must be heard, it must be moved to. Before you sit down to hear this great band (or if you prefer, find a spot to dance about in), let me give you a tour of the new album which was released in January and has garnered raves from the New York Times, NPR Music, Philadelphia Inquirer, Spin Magazine and many other outlets. Opening with "Seeing Hands," the new album introduces an original vision for "world music," where songs written in English are translated into Khmer and given the florid vocal line of a Cambodian ballad. In this song we are told the earth is being despoiled in much the same way as a couple's bedroom is ruined by the husband's inability to pick up after himself. "Tiger Phone Card" is an unrepentant pop song in English, a duet between songwriter Zac Holzman and Nimol that sounds almost like a '60s Petula Clark ditty, something that could be heard in an Austin Powers film. But there is a just enough Asian edge, a slight weirdness to make the song modern and charming. Another English track that jumps from the CD (I almost wrote grooves, but sadly I do not have the LP version) with its original atmosphere and good humor is "Sober Driver." This song is set in Echo Park, California, home base for the band. The lyrics recall being telephoned to the aid of drunk companions as an after-the-fact designated driver. Mixing real disgust at the irresponsibility of drinking with a comic exaggerated misty almost Raymond Chandler-esque feel, this song feels classic and new at the same time. Middle Eastern and Asian sounds combine in another new song, "Integratron." In their press materials, Zac explains, "The 'Integratron' is a building in the Mojave Desert constructed by George Van Tassel using no metal, from instructions he says he got telepathically from extraterrestrials. We shot one of the videos for Dragon House [Escape from Dragon House, the band's 2005 second album] out there and wanted to pay tribute to it." The song does conjure up a strange barren land informed by otherworldly melodies, gorgeously put forth by the rich ethereal soprano of Nimol. "Oceans of Venus" sounds like a Dick Dale surf track, with the horns and Farfisa organ jazzing up what would otherwise be fairly conventional '60s psychedelia. "Tooth and Nail" is a haunting ballad that feels like a '60s French chanson, with a bittersweet longing in the vocal that is perfectly reflected in the flute solos.

Arden (DE) was recently privileged to have the international sensation Dengue Fever in our midst. Growing artistically and musically with each album, this is a band with whom we intend to stay closely connected in the coming years; they are the real thing.

Photos from the Arden Gild Hall concert available here.

 


marillion- happiness is the road
tilt- million dollar wound
mickey simmonds- the seven colours of emptiness
ukz- radiation
pain of salvation - scarsick
icon- icon II, icon live
the pineapple thief- tightly unwound
planet p project- levittown (go out dancing part II)
nosound- lightdark
dengue fever- venus on earth
art of all- morgan
marillion- somewhere else
abigails ghost- selling insincerity
blackfield- blackfield II
damien rice- 9
the who- endless wire
the beach boys- good vibrations
the pineapple thief- little man
the killers- sam's town
tom petty- highway companion
hem- funnel cloud
emm gryner- the summer of high hopes
jeremy enigk- world waits
razorlight- razorlight
gps- window to the soul
iron maiden- a matter of life and death
thom yorke- the eraser
richard butler- richard butler
the flaming lips- at war with the mystics
ray davies- other people's live
david gilmour- on an island
nosound- sol29
jackson browne- running on empty 5.1
neal morse- ?
king crimson- 21st century guide to king crimson
shriekback- cormorant
depeche mode- playing the angel
pallas- the dreams of men
my morning jacket- z
riverside- second life syndrome
roger waters- ca ira
various artists- backs against the wall
riverside- out of myself
sigur ros- takk
killers- hot fuss
queen + paul rodgers- return of the champions
journey- generations
yes- the word is live
emmylou harris- heartaches & highways
van der graaf generator- remaster series
rob dickinson- fresh wine for the horses
annie- anniemal
dredg- catch without arms
foo fighters- in your honor
dream theater- octavarium
belle and sebastian- push barman to open old wounds
the go-betweens- oceans apart
porcupine tree- up the downstair (remaster 2005)
coldplay- x & y
nine inch nails- with teeth
aimee mann- the forgotten arm
van der graaf generator- present
christopher o'riley- hold me to this
glen phillips- winter pays for summer
new order- waiting for the siren's call
ben folds- songs for silverman
john doe- forever hasn't happened yet
trashcan sinatras- fez
adrian belew- side one
kaki king - legs to make us longer
longview- mercury
stereophonics- language. sex. violence. other?
for against- echelons
over the rhine- drunkard's prayer
kathleen edwards- back to me
kasabian- kasabian
porcupine tree- deadwing
the wedding present- take fountain
super furry animals - songbook
arena- pepper's ghost
snow patrol- final straw
rpwl- world through my eyes
tori amos- the beekeeper
kino- picture
monarch- the grandeur that was rome
spocks beard- octane
the wonder stuff- escape from rubbish island
richard barbieri- things buried
the pineapple thief- 12 stories down
the pineapple thief- 8 days later
the innoncence mission- now the day is over
zero 7- when it falls
pain of salvation- be
california guitar trio- white water
jelly jam- 2
tim bowness- my hotel year
van halen- the best of both worlds
glen burtnik- welcome to hollywood
charlie mars- charlie mars
porcupine tree- voyage 34 (2004 remaster)
saint etienne- travel edition
lanterna- highways review
hellboys- cha cha with the hellboys review
persona non grata- the fine art of living review
tegan and sara- so jealous review
guadalcanal diary- 2x4 reissue review
voices in the wire- signals in transmission review
roger waters- to kill a child/ leaving beirut review
luna- rendezvous review
jim white- drill a hole in that substrate and tell me what you see review
the drive-by truckers- the dirty south review
the blue nile - high review
lovedrug- pretend you're alive review
twilight singers- she loves you review
keane- hope and fears review
winds- the imaginary direction of time review
kristeen young- x review
asia- silent nation review
macha- forget tomorrow review
crystal method- legion of boom dvd-audio review
kevin moore- ghost book review
marillion- don't hurt yourself singles review
attrition- dante's kitchen review
rush- feedback review
tortoise- it's all around you review
division of laura lee- does not compute review
peccatum- lost in reverie review
iq- dark matter review
bass communion- ghosts on magnetic tape review
the push stars- paint the town review
virgin black- elegant... and dying review
marillion- marbles review
the streets- a grand don't come for free review
the veils- the runaway found review
all about eve- let me go home review
john young band- live review
mary lou lord- baby blue review
the divine comedy- absent friends review
pink floyd- the final cut (2004 remaster) review
prot-kaw- before became after review
jeffrey gaines live review
mocean worker- enter the mowo review
starsailor- silence is easy review
pineapple thief- variations review
lloyd cole- music in a foreign language review
david sylvian- blemish review
spock's beard- feel euphoria eview
guy manning- press pack sampler review
magellan- impossible figures review
the tangent- the music that died alone review
john gorka- live from grace church photos and review
hothouse flowers- into your heart review
charlotte martin- on your shore review
rasputina- frustration plantation review
stellastarr*- stellastarr* review
vast- nude review
sparks- lil' beethoven review
the damnwells- bastards of the beat review
dave gahan- paper monsters review
king crimson- power to believe review
fish- field of crows review
porcupine tree- in absentia dvd-audio review
new model army- great expectations review
antimatter- unreleased 1998 - 2003 review
catie curtis: dreaming in romance languages review
the gathering- sleepy buildings review
twilight singers play blackberry belle review
vienna teng- warm strangers review
opeth- lamentations dvd review
courtney love- america's sweetheart review
blackfield review
anathema- a natural disaster review
nearfest 2003 coverage
neal morse solo photos- metuchen, nj
porcupine tree broadcast
alpha- stargazing review
david sylvian at the tla
emm gryner at the point
barry andrews at the tin angel
tweaker:2 am wakeup call review
cure- join the dots review
fish live from the tla with john wesley
spearhead- everyone deserves music review
miles hunt (wonderstuff) live

full archives coming soon!

 



Studio M Live
818 North Market St, Suite 2R
Wilmington, DE 19801
302.475.9880

 

 

 
Copyright © 1997-2004 Studio M Live, Inc. All rights reserved. All content on studiomlive.com is owned by Studio M Live and may not be reproduced without written permission. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this policy. If you are looking for Custom Injection Molding you are at the wrong site, and should really be at Applied Tech Products.