Album Notes

Kurt Chandler and Kris Hennum - aka the DharmaBoyz - feature crisp two-part harmonies and captivating melodies, blending folk, country and a little bit of bluegrass to create a rich and distinctive sound - with Chandler playing guitar and banjo, and Hennum on guitar, mandolin and harmonica.

The Back Story:
Playing off the title of a Jack Kerouac novel, the DharmaBoyz formed four years ago as an acoustic duo. But the musical partnership of Chandler and Hennum has deep roots. The two have been playing music together since they were college roommates.

Today, in their work-a-day lives, Chandler is a staff writer at Milwaukee Magazine and the author of two books, including "Shaving Lessons," published last year by Chronicle Books. Hennum, meanwhile, runs a family-owned business and operates Mister Ed's Recording Studio, a state-of-the-art facility fashioned from a remodeled horse barn!

The Recording:
The DharmaBoyz recently released their first CD, "Back in the Neighborhood." Recorded at Hennum's Mister Ed's Studio, and mixed and mastered by renowned engineer Pat Lilley of Nexus Studio, the new CD incorporates a wide reach of arrangements and instrumentation - from piano, percussion and standup bass, to violin, dobro and pedal steel guitar.

The Fine Points:
Among the CD's 11 original tunes are Hennum's bar-room toe-tappers, "A Little Fun on Me" and "Don't You Tell Me," along with Chandler's award-winning songs: the double-entendre-filled ode, "All Over You" (winner of the 1999 Wisconsin Composers' Circle award) and the mesmerizing highway song, "Bitter Blue" (winner in the 2001 Wisconsin Area Music Industry songwriting contest).

The Gigs:
In live performances and radio shows, the DharmaBoyz mix original songs with cover tunes that span the generations -- from the Everly Brothers to the Beatles, from Bob Dylan to the Eagles, from REM to Counting Crows.