Brass from Richmond to Iceland

We went to hear the No BS Brass Band tonight at Lulu's, and I haven't felt that kind of excitement since hearing Benni Hemm Hemm in San Francisco in 2007. There were a number of similarities between the two bands: LOTS of brass, incredible energy, great musicality. They both have really original compositions and arrangements. No BS is a Richmond band whose members "have been trained in the conservatory and in the garage band"; they are all brass and percussion. Icelandic band Benni Hemm Hemm includes brass and percussion, as well as guitar, glockenspiel and strings, but it is the brass which really stands out.

Give them a listen, and try to catch them in concert!

Evening Trivia:
*Someone bought me a copy of the band's 3rd CD as an upcoming Christmas present. I promised to forget. Forget what?
*Gabe cooks at Lulu's, which offered the best dinner in town tonight, for a stellar $8.
*If I said that I have performed with a member of the No BS Brass Band, I wouldn't be lying.

If you don't know which is the Richmond band and which is the Icelandic one, ask yourself: who is wearing sweaters?

New recording from Benni Hemm Hemm

Benni released a new recording this past June, Murta St. Calunga, and you can listen to parts of it or purchase it here. Only two of the cuts are duplicated on his mini LP Ein í leyni (which contains 7 songs).

Score!

Out for coffee and scones today after the gym...
The young woman who helped us loved my Benni Hemm Hemm screen-print tee shirt! She asked me to write down the name so she could order one, and listen to their music. Horns, I said, great horns...
If you click on the label below ("Benni Hemm Hemm") you'll see my other articles on the band...

Confluence of Icelandic and Hawaiian Music

I recently bought another Benni Hemm Hemm recording (entitled--surprise!-- Benni Hemm Hemm) and was delighted to find a Hawaiian song on it. My first post (3/21/06) answered "Why Iceland?" with "it goes so well with Hawaiian music." Benni agrees! The song is Ku-Ui-Po, which you will probably recognize from Elvis and Blue Hawaii--it's a beautiful version.

Benni fans will also recognize "I could love you in a wheelchair baby." (I just LOVE the way he says "Baby".) It's guaranteed to run through your mind constantly, but not in a bad way (like, for example, most musical numbers--in my opinion--with the exception of songs from Blue Hawaii, naturally...and from other classics such as Cannibal!, The Musical, or Lagan).

There are a number of songs in English, and I particularly like Fight. The lyrics to most of the Icelandic songs are translated on Benni's web page. Labbie is from their first recording, Summer Plate, and was, I believe, composed in Italy. The saddest song in the world, Til Eru Fræ, is on this recording.

These songs have humor, sweetness, and a horn section that just won't quit. Those horns are the Whole Steamboat. Benni and his band ROCK!

Best of Benni

Readers have asked, so I'm happy to help.

For Benni music, go here.
Here for a "signed" music video of "I can love you in a wheelchair, baby."
More good stuff at Benni's myspace.

Enjoy!

I'm with the band!

"I can love Iceland in a wheelchair, baby"...With apologies to Benni Hemm Hemm, who put on an terrific concert in San Francisco Monday night! It was so considerate of them to schedule it for a night when we could get there. (Check out the rest of their schedule, and if you can go see them while they're in the U.S.--DO IT!) The band, which can number up to seventeen musicians, was about eight strong as they played before an enthusiastic audience at the Bottom of the Hill. Their sound is great, and the horns and percussion are very exciting. Of course we couldn't understand all the words...I'm hoping to get the words to the "saddest song in the world".

To be strictly honest, I'm not really with the band. But I did get my picture taken with Benni, and he was most gracious in talking to John and me. Under my arm you'll note my new copy of their Most Wonderful CD, Kajak.

Here's what Benni had to say about the concert in his blog:

We had great fun in San Francisco. We checked out the downtown in the cold, cold wind - and it felt just like being in Iceland - and we went to Amoeba, the best record shop in the world.

The show at The Bottom of the Hill was fun. Óli did a standing drum solo, Palli jumped and we had a great time. It was a good night.

We booked our tickets while in Virginia, and drove down to San Francisco from Santa Rosa just a day after arriving in California, for the express purpose of experiencing Iceland in San Francisco. Benni being a fellow librarian and all that, we have to stick together. So we got in to S.F. in time to enjoy City Lights bookstore, Trieste coffee shop, and a fabulous dinner at Chef Jias. At 11 pm we drove over to Potrero for the concert. How do you like my band shirt?
WHAT A HIGH! Thank you Benni Hemm Hemm! Plus, this concert was the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAY WE ARRIVED IN ICELAND--how cool is that?