Dengue Fever played a long, hot set at Make Music Pasadena last Saturday. I arrived a solid 45 minutes before they began, taking no chances of missing a great spot near the stage. Surf psychedelia fused with Asian-style pop is the closest I can come to relating their sound in the written word. They are sometimes labeled as a world music band, but I’ve come to equate the term with groups whose sound grows old after two or three songs. Dengue Fever somehow always finds a way to hook you in, while never sounding false or untrue to their own unique style. Lead singer Chhom Nimol (spelling referenced on band’s website) and guitarist Zac Holtzman spoke to me briefly after the set. You’ll notice a slight disparity between the questions I asked and the ones Nimol answered in the video below, but it was cool to talk with her anyway.
