Comedy album features Dynamite during a recent live performance

"Something Smells Funny"
Jose Dynamite
(Pass Out Records)

Hawaii comedian Jose Dynamite’s first comedy album is a strong debut for him as a recording artist. It was recorded during a live performance in March and is a satisfying showroom souvenir. Dynamite shares his memories of growing up in St. Louis with "a Mexican name," explains why he likes "local girls" and discusses the experience of being a father to his girlfriend’s three children — two of them teenage girls.

Dynamite drops a quick and clever quip about a homeless man he saw urinating on a sidewalk, and doesn’t spend much time on ethnic jokes but includes some thoughts on Filipinos (Dynamite explains early in the show that he is of Filipino, Polish, Swiss, German and Italian ancestry).

His comments on aspects of the nightclub scene ring true. He also poses the thought-provoking question: Since women who date younger men are called "cougars" shouldn’t there be a similar animal-type name for men who prefer younger women?

Dynamite does not use the "F-word" or similar vocabulary. A few bits of unnecessary toilet humor are as off-color as he gets.

Visit passoutrecords.com.

"We Are Made of Stars"
Taimane
(Taimane Gardner)

Almost exactly a century ago — 1914 to 1916, to be exact — English composer Gustav Holst wrote "The Planets, Op. 32," a seven-movement orchestral suite with each movement named after a planet of our solar system and its corresponding astrological character (Holst omitted Earth, which has no astrological character, and Pluto, which was not discovered until 1930). Taimane Gardner follows a similar thematic journey with "We Are Made of Stars." It is a big step forward.

For one, this is a concept album that starts with "Mother Earth" and then skips around through the solar system. Pluto gets left out once again but there are tracks for "Father Sky," the sun, a battle and someone named Jonathan.

All the songs are originals, and they all reveal subtle nuances of melody or texture with repeat listening. Gardner also performs as a singer as well as a musician and is the producer of the project.

"Mother Earth" opens the journey with Hawaiian percussion, the slam poetry of Kealoha, oli (chant) by Pualani Kanahele, some vaguely tribal singing, several verses of Japanese folk songs and the announcement that "the time to come together has just begun."

Gardner goes for it with her familiar high-speed strumming on "Mercury" — the shredding style appropriate here given that the planet has a year of 88 Earth days and is the namesake of the fleet-footed messenger of gods. "Jupiter" is one of the most bombastic tracks; it too is built on a hard-rock, fast-strumming arrangement. "Mars" alternates between subtlety and shredding while several voices chant in an identified language.

"Rings of Saturn" is a soothing contrast to the instrumental bombast that comes before it. Gardner’s precise but delicate playing is complemented by the soothing sound of crystal singing bowls. "Venus" stands out with its ominous melodic structure and vaguely sinister poetry.

Hints of Spanish, Gypsy and Eastern European melodies percolate elsewhere.

Visit taimane.com.