"If you can imagine a band where a Cambodian beauty queen shares the stage with Rasputin, Barry White, Allen Ginsberg, Michael Hutchence, and Brian Wilson, you'd have a pretty good idea of the group Dengue Fever." -- L.... more »A. TIMES "Her voice is swathed in reverb, becoming instantly mythic." -- THE WIRE "The culture clash inherent to this band gives its debut a dynamic flair." -- TIME OUT NEW YORK "Dengue Fever is at the vanguard of an emerging global pop sensibility, making familiar yet eerily unique music." -- KEXP Fronted by Cambodian pop star Ch'hom Nimol, who sings in Khmer, Los Angeles sextet Dengue Fever blends the rhythms of sixties Cambodian pop--heavily influenced by American surf, rock, and early psychedelic garage bands--with their own eclectic mix of American and international styles. Unlike the world music bands of the late eighties, Dengue Fever is more concerned with a universal groove and breaking down musical barriers than with notions of authenticity. There are echoes of Bollywood soundtracks, Ethiopian soul, American R&B, Cambodian folk, Spaghetti Western weirdness, and girl-group angst in the mix, but the resulting concoction is the band's own. On Escape from Dragon House, the sound is denser, thicker, and richer than on the group's 2003 self-titled debut. Escape from Dragon House is also darker, both musically and lyrically, with a fully realized style that melts all of the band's influences into one realized voice that is pure Dengue Fever.« less
"If you can imagine a band where a Cambodian beauty queen shares the stage with Rasputin, Barry White, Allen Ginsberg, Michael Hutchence, and Brian Wilson, you'd have a pretty good idea of the group Dengue Fever." -- L.A. TIMES "Her voice is swathed in reverb, becoming instantly mythic." -- THE WIRE "The culture clash inherent to this band gives its debut a dynamic flair." -- TIME OUT NEW YORK "Dengue Fever is at the vanguard of an emerging global pop sensibility, making familiar yet eerily unique music." -- KEXP Fronted by Cambodian pop star Ch'hom Nimol, who sings in Khmer, Los Angeles sextet Dengue Fever blends the rhythms of sixties Cambodian pop--heavily influenced by American surf, rock, and early psychedelic garage bands--with their own eclectic mix of American and international styles. Unlike the world music bands of the late eighties, Dengue Fever is more concerned with a universal groove and breaking down musical barriers than with notions of authenticity. There are echoes of Bollywood soundtracks, Ethiopian soul, American R&B, Cambodian folk, Spaghetti Western weirdness, and girl-group angst in the mix, but the resulting concoction is the band's own. On Escape from Dragon House, the sound is denser, thicker, and richer than on the group's 2003 self-titled debut. Escape from Dragon House is also darker, both musically and lyrically, with a fully realized style that melts all of the band's influences into one realized voice that is pure Dengue Fever.
John E. Cole | Prosperity, PA United States | 05/12/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I bought the original version of this CD after stumbling across Dengue Fever on the National Geographic world music website under Cambodia (even though the band is in Southern California -- where else!). What a find! From the moment I popped it into my CD player, I was hooked. I can't exactly claim to be a world music aficionado, but I do like to try different kinds of music from just about everywhere, and every once in a while I get lucky and find a real gem like this one.
I can't understand a word of Khmer, but that was no impediment to my falling in love with Chhom Nimol. Her voice is powerful, clear, and mesmerizing. The music feels kind of like a time warp. It makes me feel good. In trying to describe it, words like mod, cool, groovy, and funky come to mind. There's one track in particular, "One Thousand Tears of a Tarantula," that makes me feel like I'm dissolving or something; I don't know how else to describe it. How do they do that??? At first my wife thought I was going a little crazy listening to that -- but I think I've got her liking it now too. There are a whole lot of other great tracks here too. Give it a try -- you won't regret it! By the way, I also have their self-titled debut album and it has the same addictive effect on me.
Just the other day I bought this recently released enhanced version of this CD, partly because I was afraid of wearing the first one out. The bonus track is kind of fun, and the video is fantastic! The whole band looks really cool. It's psychadelic! -- I hope I can use that word here without giving the wrong connotation. And in case I haven't said it already, Chhom Nimol is beautiful.
"
Still feverish....
spitgrrl | libraryland, indiana | 05/02/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this because I was immensely impressed by their newest album, "Venus on Earth" and this one is just as great. The songs, by and large, are drenched in straight-up psychedelic pop and are so darn catchy that you'll have these tunes stuck in your head for hours...even if you can't understand the lyrics. But that's what's so great about this band: They transcend language and nationality and can be enjoyed by anyone who appreciates great music."
Swirling Khmer-Psych Pop
echoes of empires | San Francisco, CA USA | 11/21/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Who knew such a music existed - but it does, and we're lucky to have Dengue Fever bringing it to us. Take healthy doses of Ros Sereysothea (Cambodia's queen of Khmer garage rock and balladry) along with things like Fifty Foot Hose, the Doors, Pink Floyd, the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Kak, etc - all darker voices in the psychedelic realm - and you'll begin to get an idea of what this band's all about. Beautiful Cambodian-influenced melodies sung (mostly) in beautiful Khmer, buzzing guitar lines, farfisa-ish organ, jazzy drumming, and fat inventive basslines - wow. The band's first record was a great cover album for Sereysothea and Sissamouth's songs, very true to form and great. This one grows a great deal, with more originals, a broadening of their sound - including funkier and heavier, and better production. It's great. Propulsive, melancholy, and passionate, you can't go wrong. If you're lucky enough to have them play live near you, go see them - they're great live too."
Unreal! The best kind of Dengue Fever to get!
S. Jacobs | Northern Virginia | 09/08/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I discovered Dengue Fever while listening to radioparadise.com. I'm sorry to say that I don't understand the khmer lyrics, but I find it fascinating all the same.
I love the musicianship on this CD. The keyboards nicely complement the sound. I now have all three of their CDs and am exploring music by other Cambodian artists."