Venus on Earth
 | By Dengue Fever M80, 2008, Audio CD Customer Rating: 18 reviews Recommend |
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"A unique and surprisingly danceable group that combines a beautiful Khmer-language vocalist from Cambodia and a quintet of seasoned locals with a knack for mixing Southeast Asian pop, Vietnam-war-era lounge music, klezmer, ska, surf rock, and Ethiopian jazz." — SPIN
psychedelic. They are world music. They are anything but mainstream. There is virtually no other band in the world playing "Khmer Rock," the style of 1960s Cambodian rock derived from Armed Forces Radio in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. Sophomore album Venus On Earth features eleven original songs that expand on the band's sound but will please hardcore fans of both the group and the genre. There is no other band like Dengue Fever, which garners fans in everyone from indie kids to well-heeled world music consumers.
At last, Dengue Fever has made an album that quite nearly matches their incredible live performances. The group began at least as a tribute to the playful yet heavy psychedelic pop scene that flourished in Cambodia before Pol Pot came to power and silenced countless suspected dissidents in that country's infamous killing fields in the mid-1970s. Like the Cambodian pop music that so enamored them, Dengue Fever began by revitalizing strong elements of '60s surf and garage rock in their sound. Over time, they've expanded their influences to Ethiopian funk and modern dance-rock. Once a multi-culti California band with a Cambodian-born singer paying homage to the past, Dengue Fever now plays original, swirling, psychedelic pop. With Western audiences ever more open to hybrid sounds, it will be a huge surprise if Venus on Earth doesn't allow Dengue Fever to quit their day jobs for good, especially after the film about their trip to Cambodia, Sleepwalking through the Mekong, hits the festival circuit in 2008. — Mike McGonigal
- Seeing Hands
- Clipped Wings
- Tiger Phone Card
- Woman in the Shoes
- Sober Driver
- Monsoon of Perfume
- Integratron
- Oceans of Venus
- Laugh Track
- Tooth and Nail
- Mr. Orange
Title: Venus on Earth
Sales Rank: 5347 in Music
Artist: Dengue Fever
Label: M80, 2008-01-22, Audio CD, 1 Disc
Package Dimensions: 5.55 x 4.97 x 0.54 inches, 0.18 pounds
- venus on earth by dengue fever
- I happenened to come accross this group on pbs and just liked thier sound.It's as simple as that,I'm hooked on thier music. More reviews
- A Fresh Sound
- I like all music, and this music is fresh! I heard an interview with the bandleader on PBS, and some cuts were played. The soloist's voice is truly addictive. Add this group to your collection, and you'll enjoy it.… More reviews
- Great stuff
- I can't tell you how fun this band is. The first CD is fun silly pop, the next two are darker and more moody but still have some lively party tunes. Hypnotic, addictive so catchy, you'll be singing in Khmer all day! I will say that the new songs in english take some of the fun out of the whole… More reviews
- Destined to Remain a Cover Band?
- I really liked their last two albums, which relied more heavily on covers of and songs inspired by classic Khmer rock hits from the 60s. Unfortunately, it seems that as the band searches for its own voice, the music gets drastically less interesting. Hopefully they'll learn from this and surprise me next time. Still great to see live,… More reviews
- A new language
- I give this album four stars but consider it no less than fantastic. I don't like the star rating system anyway. The missing star means only that I think there's much more to come from them, or more that exists and that I haven't heard yet. This album comes across to me as a remarkable seedling one might find in a city sidewalk, a secret… More reviews
