Dengue Fever

Makin' Mondays Tuesdays at Great Scott in Allston

Eclectic music lovers rejoice: LA-based band, Dengue Fever, has just released their new album Venus on Earth. If you haven’t heard of them before here’s a brief synopsis: two brothers (Zac and Ethan Holtzman) independently discover lost Cambodian pop, assemble musician friends in to a tightly formed band and introduces Cambodian-born singer and siren, Chhom Nimol. The sum of all these parts on Venus on Earth is a catchy, mysterious collection of songs that range in sound from the background music at your local sushi place to fresh compositions with a touch of old world South Pacific pop.

The album from front to back is an entirely original experience. With retro graphic design and frontman Zac Holtzman steering a moped in his telltale full-length beard on the front cover, the listener knows before even popping the album in that it's going to be something unique.

The anticipation breaks with the electronic-geared "Seeing Hands" sung in clear Khmer with a haunting meter. It becomes apparent right away that not being able to understand the lyrics doesn't detract from the connection the listener has with the catchy tunes.

Other album notables are "Tiger Phone Card" and "Sober Driver" which are the exception, both being written in English. Although the song concepts are pleasing in their simplicity, sometimes the feelings are stunted by over-repetition of standard adages like "I'll throw my arms around you," or forced poetry like "You're just the thorn in my side/it's withered dull and dry." While these songs remain some of the favorites from the album, it lends appreciation to the tracks that are in Khmer and can be enjoyed for their musicianship.

Also worthy of highlighting: "Integration" combines the soft vocals of Chhom Nimol with a forceful tempo topped with a soaring chorus. "Tooth and Nail" provides breathing room for the album, soft and soothing although lyrics are a little silly sung in English but sound gorgeous when Nimol switches to her native language. "Mr. Orange" sends the album off with a surfer twist energy in the bass line and keyboards reminiscent of 007-esque opening sequences.

Looking at the band as a whole, Dengue Fever is reviving music that was lost to the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia's darker days. Inspired by the lost or hard-to-find styles of this era the group has managed to come in to their own as a modern American band as well, in an industry where anything goes.

Dengue Fever will be touring stateside before leaving for the UK in the summer, however they're not coming anywhere near New England…at least they're not limiting their tour to Phnom Penh and the South Pacific this time! Tickets cost a touch more than the train down to New York City.

Originally published in Spare Change News 2/13/08.