NOW THERE ARE TWO!!!

A Splash of Aqua Velvet

The new Aqua Velvet CD, "A Splash of Aqua Velvet" has been released on CLANG! records (label of legendary NRBQ keyboardist Terry Adams)!

It features more of the Aqua Velvet magic, taking beloved pop songs to the islands in an exotica mood inspired by the great records of Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman. Ukeleles, marimbas, sitars, nature sounds and steel guitars abound, with vocal help from Kristi Rose, Swan Dive, Bill Lloyd, Brad Jones and Daniel Tashian.

CDs are available from the NRBQ Store.

Audio Aphrodisiac

"Exotica meets erotica in these luscious reworkings of ‘60s and ‘70s nuggets from Bacharach to Zappa, given a foot-deep sheen of studio polish by multi-instrumentalists Hoke and Leago, vocalist Kristi Rose and monster session cohorts Richard Bennett, Neil Rosengarden and Steve Herrman... Brad Jones, Daniel Tashian, Bill Lloyd and Swan Dive (delivering a genius mash-up of Todd Rundgren’s 'Hello It’s Me' and the Beach Boys’ 'Caroline, No')."

"The opening salvo of Johnny Mathis’ 'Chances Are' sets the mood for A Splash of Aqua Velvet: matadorial horns segue into lush hula makeout music, as if stoking the fires for a get-busy session between Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef. What keeps the Austin Powers luau sound from getting too precious... are the depth and swoop of the arrangements, the obvious delight of the superb musicians and the sheer gorgeousness of songs such as The Left Banke’s bewitching 'Pretty Ballerina' and Petula Clark’s 'You’d Better Come Home' (which features some of Rose’s most subtle yet dramatic vocals on record)."

- Jim Ridley

Hey Everybody, Let's Fall In Love

Aqua Velvet's first CD, "Hey Everybody, Let's Fall In Love" is still available at CD Baby. Twelve tracks of pop exotica, just waiting for you right now.

They may throw a Bach-like fugue into "Friday On My Mind" or mix a sitar raga with a barrage of jew's harps in "Happenings Ten Year's Time Ago". There is an elegant tango flavor on the Byrd's beautiful "You Showed Me", with French accordian and pizzicato strings, and they go to a sensuous, otherwordly place on the sexy "I Only Have Eyes For You" with smoky sax, slinky steel guitar and undulating bass flutes.

These are BIG musical pictures, using BIG ideas and beyond that, they feel good. Amazed musicians here and in Europe who've heard advance cuts are asking, "Is there a whole CD of this stuff?"

Just go to cdbaby.com to get your copy.

Nashville Scene calls it "....an audio lounge stocked with whatever the November 1965 Playboy deemed necessary for romantic conquest..."

Puremusic.com says "The groovy bar has been raised. A classic of pop reinvention."

Steel Guitar Forum says "Great, great arrangements of tunes that you've probably never imagined as instrumentals..."

World-wide WFMU DJ Bob Brainen listed Aqua Velvet among his top five CDs of 2005.

• Chances Are
• Hello, Caroline. No, It's Me
• Magdalena
• Pretty Ballerina
• You Better Come Home

• Happenings Ten Year's Time Ago
• Our Day Will Come
• Stoned Soul Picnic
• You Are Everything
• You Showed Me