About Me
BUY "THE COOKBOOK" FROM CD BABY TODAY!
BHI BHIMAN ON THE DAILY KOS
WATCH THE "TALKIN’ NASCAR" MUSIC VIDEO!
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PRESS & REVIEWS:
"The coffee-shop acoustic on his newly released solo album, The Cookbook, blends a mixture of sweet Southern gospel, backwoods pickin’ and hippie-headed California folk music."
-R. Kelly Liggin, Denver Westword
*Click HERE to read the full article
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"Literate, creative lyrics carried on a rich and tasty voice."
"Bhi’s voice is simply amazing. It’s so unique and so genuine that it makes a person come to attention and listen to his excellent song writing."
"Bhi Bhiman has cooked up a tantalizing album with a fresh new sound. If this is a cookbook, its chock full of delicious yet varied flavors. I’d say that the music is eclectic but not as a euphemism for too weird to listen to as that word is sometimes used. The music is funky and rocks but there are some nice smoother tunes as well."
"Bhiman’s debut album features a voice that disguises his youth and captivating lyrics. With each song, it also demonstrates his ability to move in and out of different musical genres."
"This album is pretty phenomenal for an artists first recording effort. Its very much a throwback to a lot of great pop music from all walks of life. Country, rock, reggae, blues, R&B. I am definitely a fan. This is an artist everyone should look out for, but it probably wont be long before you have heard the name Bhi Bhiman."
- CD BABY Customer Reviews
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"Terror, Terror, Freedom, Freedom, Dubya, Dubya, Nascar, Nascar." is the refrain throughout Talkin’ NASCAR, and though the words don’t look funny or catchy when written down, they are surprisingly both when sung by Bhiman. For political junkies, the song delivers on a few levels... it mercilessly mocks the Bush Administration and its cronies, as well as the politics of fear. On top of this, it has a great rhythm that might help settle the nerves and lower the blood pressure if you happen to be stressed during this primary season."
-THE DAILY KOS
*Click HERE see the full post
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"On ’Up in Arms,’ a thick, stretching ballad with sparse, distant guitar, Bhiman’s fiery lyrics and well-pronounced vocals are showcased front and center. His deliciously sarcastic side shines on the blues number “White Man’s Burden Blues;†the bite of the song accentuated by the fact that Bhiman manages to cram every stereotype and denigrating term into it, while peppering them with brief but sweet harmonica solos. “You Gotta Move†is a fierce, catchy anthem that calls to mind Hamell on Trial, as Bhiman works his literate, politically-charged lyrics around a heavy electric guitar track and another distant harmonica."
-Kim Ruehl, Performer Magazine
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"Pronounced "Bee Bee-men," this first-generation Sri Lankan American musician is pretty sure there’s no one else in the world with his name. Even if there is, chances are no other Bhi Bhiman could write a song as cool and catchy as the Bay Area’s Bhi Bhiman can...Sarcasm and humor are among his favorite instruments, but Bhiman’s debut solo album on HinJu Records, "The Cookbook," has recipes with a serious taste to them, too."
-Delfin Vigil, San Francisco CHRONICLE
*Click HERE to read the full article
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Finally a man who can write some music
Very rad stuff - very origianl, totally different than the rest of the stuff in this barely existing subgenre of bluesy/contemporary folk.
- iTunes Album Review
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Cal Aggie in preparation for his show at G St Pub . Below is a snippet from that interview.
Q: What is your favorite thing about making music?
A: I take it for granted, I guess, that I have the luxury of expressing myself through music. The good and the bad emotions. The humor, grief, love, happiness, and the heartache. I don’t think I’ll ever need a therapist’s couch. Creating fictional stories and lending an element of believability to them is probably what I’m best at. I love comedians and their openness and gift of bringing the audience in and letting them really get to know them. From their strong side to the vulnerable. So taking a serious subject in my songs and weaving humor into it is commonplace in my songwriting.
*Click HERE to read the article.
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"With wry humor and an unvarnished sense of reality, Bhiman lends a dose of levity to whatever he’s singing about, serious and unserious subjects alike. Instead of the stick, Bhiman opts for the honey, convincing people with a laugh is much easier than coaxing them with guilt. As an example, “Talkin’ NASCAR†masterfully calls out our current political climate built upon our “War on Terror†paradigm for what is, and in a manner that is not only biting but funny. Exclaiming “Terror is the word they use, instead of saying Muslim people,†Bhi hits the mark and says what everyone has been thinking for years. Capitol Steps couldn’t have done better."
-Josh Loveseth, Sound on the Sound
*Click HERE to read the full review
*Click HERE to read more posts about Bhi on SOS
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"The first thing you notice about Bhiman is his voice; it’s instantly striking and unique, a slapdash mixture of Bill Withers, Richie Havens, and Little Richard...Of course, a good voice alone can’t carry an act if the songs aren’t there, but luckily they are, displaying the folky troubadour aesthetic of Bob Dylan and the wry eye for detail of Randy Newman."
-Aaron Sankin, San Francisco Bay Guardian
*Click HERE to read the full article
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"I don’t expect much to come of vague emails from touring singer-songwriters, but when I clicked the
link to Bhi Bhiman’s website, I was blown away. First by his embodiment of an aging Black Panther in "Up in Arms," wherein he sings, "This bitch-ass crackhead has his gun up to my face" before ending the song with a gunshot. Then I heard "Equal in My Tea," which follows a complex relationship through multiple stages of antagonism and effortlessly relates it to the eventual
collapse of the American empire. Did I mention that Bhiman sings like a traveling Dust Bowl folkie crossed with Nina Simone?"     
-Casey Jarman, Willamette Week
*Click HERE to read the rest of the article
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"He is just a guy with a guitar when it comes right down to it. And there are a million of them lately. I call them The Songwriter Army. Yet somehow just a few of seconds into one of his songs, it is apparent that Bhi is not one of your run-of-the-mill songsters. His voice is urgent and distinctive. It’s true, as his press kit says, you can hear some Dylan and Bob Marley at times. But I am reminded more of Nina Simone, especially in his flair for the dramatic and in his exceptional vocal range. And they also share a barely contained outrage, especially when dealing with social injustice and other global concerns. His songs deftly mix observations of daily life, pop culture, and broader political matters. He also has a playwright’s affection for words and clever turns of phrases. Best of all, he wraps it all up in a disarming sense of humor."      
-Richard Rice, SAN FRANCISCO FREE FOLK FESTIVAL
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"Indeed, the first track, Up in Arms (Minister of Defense) strums up the ghost of Phil Ochs in both voice and content. But a further listen to the CD shows off additional sides of Bhiman which make him appear to be a more well-rounded musician than Ochs was. He’s got some blues under his belt, he’s got some classic rock in the strength of his voice and he’s got a strong sense of poetry in his lyrics. In other words, Bhiman takes the politics and poetics of the generations to come before him and uses them as inspiration to act as one of the voices of his generation."      
-Kathryn Vercillo, The San Fran Voice
*Click HERE to read the full article
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"Bhi Bhiman jams on his acoustic guitar, creating folky numbers while wailing intelligent political lyrics in a soulful Cee-Lo-esque voice. Dig it."      
-Melanie Glover, California Aggie
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