Dengue Fever is a group of musicians from the Los Angeles area fronted by a Cambodian female singer.  The unique combination of the band’s indie rock-tinged Cambodian music, Chhom Nimol’s commanding stage presence coupled with her powerful singing and vibrato, and the recognizably Western music mixed with Khmer lyrics, all contribute to the band’s attraction.  In addition to the music’s attraction to Western audiences and World Music fans, to Cambodians it’s on par with older American blues and hillbilly bands, taking them back to a place that now exists only in song.

Venus on Earth has 11 cuts and tops out at a tad over 41 minutes.  It’s recorded with both analog and digital equipment, and the musicians are all accomplished enough to meld in with Chhom’s vocals seamlessly and sonorously, in spite of her sometimes use of a language that audiences frequently don’t understand.  It all comes together in a mesmerizing blend.Although “Clipped Wings,” “Tiger Phone Card,” and “Sober Driver” are frequently played on radio stations worldwide, it’s sad that the other cuts on this CD are not.  The intro to the first cut, “Seeing Hands,” with the Farfisa organ, was especially surprising, reminding me of the intro to Vanilla Fudge’s “You Keep Me Hangin' On.”

The group’s coming together was probably inevitable, with the combination of the hot indie rock scene in LA, and in nearby Long Beach the largest Khmer community in the US.  To the typical American’s ear, their music might sound like surf-pop played by tripping musicians who’ve listened to too much George Clinton playing World Music, while half the musicians were watching a Bollywood film with a soundtrack sung by Ethiopian soul singers, and the other half were watching Hang ‘Em High with the accompanying Ennio Morricone soundtrack.  On the other hand, to anybody who was lucky enough to have a one-year all-expenses-paid tour in Southeast Asia back in the 1960s or 1970s, it sounds a lot like just about any local band that played in the GI hangouts there during that time.

In a 21st century context, however, it's a band that's been featured in in media such as the New York Times and on the nationally syndicated radio show, "World Cafe," as well as catching airplay from radio and Internet stations all over the world.  They're on their way.  And you should be on your way to pick up this CD, so you can make up your own mind.