Post #35798 by Traitor Vic on Sat, May 24, 2003 2:58 AM

Okee dokee, McDougal... This is gonna be kinda long and drawn out, I'm sure. A bit weird, too, if you've never been into this stuff before. You're probably lucky that most folks is down in Ft. Lauderdale this weekend.
What most of us consider Tiki Music is, generally, of a Non-Rock and Roll genre that has become known, in recent years, as "Exotica." It is a sub-set of the Post-War Big Band Music that has, again, in recent years been absorbed into the "Lounge Music" category. I would suggest that you familiarize yourself with this stuff as some of it can be quite interesting and it always seems to help set the mood for a Mai-Tai or a Zombie (as if a mood really needs to be set).
Capitol Records has a great set of CDs out that chronicle the Lounge Music Scene called Ultra-Lounge (www.ultralounge.com). The first of the series of 22 (so far) is entitled Mondo Exotica and is filled with some of the smoothest tunage you'll ever hear as well (as some of the Ultra-Exotic wailing of Yma Sumac). The big guys are Martin Denny and Les Baxter. Get that. Get it Now. Go to Amazon or Half.com or wherever and just go ahead and place the order. If you like it, you'll need more of it. If you don't, you're not really into Tiki as much as you thought you were.

Lounge Music is always acceptable in the Perfect Tiki Environment. The remainder of the Ultra-Lounge set is pretty darned marvelous if you find yourself into that sort fo thing. There are also several more modern combos who have produced the stuff. Most notably (in my opinion): Combustible Edison, Tipsy, Pink Martini and Friends of Dean Martinez (who feature a slide guitar - sometimes pedal steel - as the lead instrument). There have also been several releases, of late, of Techno Remixes of Lounge Tunes (Capitol has two ElectroLounge volumes out and there is even a Remix CD of Tipsy Songs which is quite good). Some of this stuff, though, can be a bit frantic or changed so drastically from the original tune that is doesn't really fit the Lounge Mood anymore.

Then, of course, there is Hawaiian Music. Slack Key guitar is the type that is usually most tasty to the mainlander's palate. Windham Hill has a couple of CDs called the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Masters Volumes I and II. There is, of course, Ukelele Music and Don Ho (Tiny Bubbles? Who wants to sit back with an Exotic Rum Cocktail and listen to some dude croon about Champagne?) but the Slack Key seems best to me.
Surf Guitar! Gotta Love It! Any good Surf Guitar Band can be listened to while enjoying a well made Tropical Drink. My suggestions would be Los Straitjackets, The Planktones, The Halibuts, Dick Dale, The Ventures, Laika and the Cosmonauts and the Mermen. There are, of course, Hundreds of Others.
This crosses the line into Rock and Roll Territory, so... I suggest just finding what you think fits. I tend to play stuff like Southern Culture on the Skid's "Make Myan a Hawaiian" and The Presidents of the United States' "Tiki God" during my Tiki Related Extravaganzas. Also... Van Halen's "Everybody Wants Some" opens with some tremendous Jungle Noise and can be fit into a Tiki Mix nicely.
I have found that as long as you start out with music that fits the occaision at the beginning, whatever you end up listening to later depends on how you (and everyone else) feels.
Have fun finding your groove!