Out early on a workday afternoon and ready to rock out over sushi? Head to California Beach Rock’n Sushi on Ward for one of the best dinner deals in Honolulu. Get seated between 5 and 6 p.m., seven days a week, and you can order till satisfied off the (sorry!) rockin’ $1.50 per item menu. Nigiri, including unagi and tender pieces of hamachi, is $1.50. Even specialty handrolls are on special for $3. Not feeling like sushi? The early-bird dinner set is a steal, with vegetable tempura, choice of meat, salad and miso soup for $11.95. The casual restaurant draws a mix of tightwad hipsters, office workers and families on a budget, and it has an upbeat feel with throwback music of the ’70s and ’80s blasting. California Beach Rock’n Sushi, 404 Ward Ave.; 597-8000.
— Lacy Matsumoto

RELEASES

GIVE ‘CHINESE DEMOCRACY’ A LISTEN

And now it’s here.
“Chinese Democracy” (Geffen), the Guns ’N Roses album that’s been referred to as a “white whale” more times than Melville’s own Moby Dick, has been stabbed through with a spear and brought to ground. Fourteen tracks, no blubber.
Half the songs classify loosely as ballads, while the others are more forcefully up-tempo, but nearly every one makes unexpected stylistic switches. The effect is theatrical, with voicings and arrangements often taking precedence over riffs and grooves, making it more like the score to a rock opera than an arena-oriented assault.
Purity is the opposite of what Axl Rose, below, seeks here. Convolution is everything as he spirals toward a total sound even he can’t quite apprehend. Nothing on it immediately reveals its essence. Even the songs with hooks, such as the sing-song rant “Better” and the grande olde ballad “Street of Dreams,” derail themselves in subtle ways, requiring the listener to reconsider her first judgment..
The end result is a cyborgian blend of pop expressiveness, traditional rock bravado and Brian Wilson-style beautiful weirdness.
— Ann Powers, Los Angeles Times

WINE-O

It’s holiday appropriate: combine family facetime and good spirits at Wine The Experience in Kapahulu. Shannon Ball and his wine experts can walk you through a modernized, step-by-step process during a private party to create your own specialty wines. “When the idea came up to be involved in something I loved while combining it with my B.A. in biochemistry, I couldn’t resist,” Ball explains. For holiday meals, Ball suggests a dry white such as Washington state Yakima Valley pinot gris. “It has more body than a typical light citrusy Italian pinot grigio, so it will still hold up to a variety of dishes — a fresh, firm acidity and nice crisp apple and melon fruit flavor.” There are no sulfites added, cutting back on those day-after wine headaches.
Want to have your wine ready for the holiday rush? “We have a number of wines still available to bottle for the holidays; just let us know when you need it, and we can make sure you choose wines which will be ready,” Ball says. With more than 60 wines to choose from, you’ll be able to find something that will please. Wine The Experience, 1016 Kapahulu Ave.; 738-0738, www.winetheexperience.com.
— L.M.

SALES & BARGAINS

• From 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, check out a special Sonja Picard jewelry trunk show at the Lily Lotus boutique in Kaimukï. With pieces in all price points and event-only deals, there’s plenty of incentive to make it on over to meet this Canadian jewelry designer and view her couture pieces. It’s a combo deal: you’ll save 20 percent on Lily Lotus brand clothing, and enjoy complimentary refreshments, too. 1127 12th Ave.; 735-3400, www.lilylotus.com.
• Don’t have $100 to spare for a cocktail number this holiday season? No need to fret, you’re hardly alone this year. Make yourself shine with Frederic Fekkai glitter hair spray. Just $18, it’s a far cry from cheap-looking halloween glitter spray, something new for you, and impossible for others to miss. No one will notice that you’re in the same little black dress again, just that you’re shining this time around. Neiman Marcus, Ala Moana Center; 951-8887, www.neimanmarcus.com.
• Gonna take more than glitter to get you rockin’? If you’re the kind of girl who dreams of Coco Chanel’s long-strand pearls and big crossing C’s, check out the consignment store Pzazz. On a recent hunt we found an Alice Temperley number reminiscent of the 1930s, a layered pink chiffon number by Laundry and a vintage strand of faux pearls by Chanel. Get gorgeous, gently used holiday pieces here, and check out their $5 rack, too. Don’t forget to bring in your unwanted items, either; you might make a buck or two. 3057 Waiçalae Ave, Kaimukï; 732-5900.
— Pualana Lemelle

OBAMA-RAMA

“Dance da hula right dea in da Oval Office, yes we can.
Teach da nation how fo spread da aloha spirit, yes we can.
Grine çono pupus in da Situation Room, yes we can.”
Those are just a few of the ideas for President-elect Barack Obama to give the White House more Island style. They’re the creation of Town & Country Surf Designs, emblazoned on T-shirts, $20, in men’s sizes S-XXXL (XXXL costs $22). Find them at select T&C locations: Ala Moana Center, Kahala Mall, Windward Mall, International Market Place and Pearlridge; www.tcsurf.com.
— Paula Rath

WHAT’S ON YOUR IPOD?

Lacy Matsumoto, From the Hip columnist
1. “Le Disko,” Shiny Toy Guns
2. “Little Bit,” Lykke Li
3. “Blonde Ambition,” Roxy Cottontail
4. “Can’t Noc The Hustle, Vol. 2,” DJ Compose
5. “Hipsters,” ZTrip