Dengue Fever’s cool in Khmer

Partygoers generally unfamiliar with Dengue Fever’s exotic blend of SoCal surf with 1960s Cambodian psychedelic rock were won over by the band’s performance at last year’s Hallowbaloo downtown street festival. A couple of tunes they played at that event have ended up on their new album, “Cannibal Courtship,” (Fantasy, $9.99 download, $14.95 CD album), which boasts the best production of all their albums to date. Cambodia native Chhom Nimol’s wonderfully ornamental vocal style is part and parcel of her Khmer-language vocals, although she’s singing more in English.

Whether you want to relive that Halloween evening or are curious to hear more about Dengue Fever, you can preview a couple of tracks at vimeo.com/concord and see the music video for “Cement Slippers” and an engaging live performance of the Khmer-language “Uku.”

— Gary Chun

Shave ice on Kona Street? Ailana!

A delightful thing we love is the $4.50 Uji Kintoki shave ice at Ailana’s in town. Green tea, azuki bean, ice cream, condensed milk and mochi all in one! There are other delightful flavors, such as Choco Lover, Peanut Butter Caramel, Tropical Trio (mango, papaya, haupia) — all sooo ono! Dare I say they put Aoki’s and Matsumoto’s to shame? Blasphemous? But it’s in town, parking is easy and they are hard-working, delightful people. Ailana Shave Ice is at 1430 Kona St., Suite 102; open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays; call 955-8881.

— Peggy Sucher, Maili

Hey noni, noni, smooth my skin!

My hairdresser in the Enchanted Lake Shopping Center first suggested I try noni, a locally grown fruit long used for medicinal purposes, for my itchy scalp, and then I found Puna Noni brand shampoo, conditioner and jasmine lotion. The products smell good, feel good and leave my skin silky smooth. I love buying such excellent local items. Puna Noni products are available online at www.punanoni.com, but I buy mine for $6 to $9 at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii Commissary. They are also sold at Down to Earth, Don Quijote, Marukai Wholesale Mart, Kale’s Natural Foods, Vim N Vigor and Celestial Natural Foods; call 888-335-NONI.

— Ruth Carlson, Kailua

Buy a bracelet, boost a nonprofit

Looking for a simple, elegant way to share the warmth of the islands while helping a worthy cause? Easy-to-wear Share Aloha bracelets are made from silicone with stainless steel clasps and plates engraved with the Share Aloha logo. Each bracelet comes with a CherryCard that allows you to donate $1 online to a charity of your choice, in Hawaii and elsewhere, at cherrycard.org. The message is simple, say the Share Aloha founders — three moms who work at a Hawaii nonprofit: “Love, compassion, kindness and charity. We want to support organizations that are working to make the world a better place.” Share Aloha bracelets make great gifts at home and away. They’re $9.95 at Island Snow in Kailua and share-aloha.com.

— Chris Oliver, Kailua

‘Slippahs’ book fits keiki right

If you’re looking for a children’s book that you won’t tire of reading every day, check out “Slippahs, Slippahs” by Kris Matsuyama. It’s a story about two young children in search of their slippers. Children will enjoy looking for the hidden slippers and gecko on each colorful page, not to mention singing the catchy tune by Willie K, accompanied by Mie Dunbar (a second-grader at Aina Haina Elementary School) and Emma Krening (a seventh-grader at Mid-Pacific Institute). With its references to Hawaii landmarks, it makes a nice gift for keiki and mainland ohana. And the song will stick with you and have everyone singing along: “Slippahs, Slippahs, where did my slippahs go!?” Priced at $10.99; available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, and Costco.

— Tricia Matsumoto, Hawaii Kai