Free Ukulele MP3s on eMusic: Part 3

The big, exciting eMusic news is that Beirut’s new album The Flying Club Cup is available on eMusic ahead of its release on those funny round things people used to listen to. The downside is it’s not available to Brits (yet). You can read my review of The Flying Club Cup here. My must downloads are The Penalty, Cliquot and Forks and Knives.

Back to the task in hand. I’ve come up with a list of ukulele tracks on eMusic and have selected 25 for you to grab for free before they start charging you. Read more about it in part one.

George Formby

15. Why Don’t Women Like Me?
16. Ain’t Nobody’s Biz’ness…/Goody Goody/I Like Bananas

I don’t mention George Formby very often on this blog. Not because I’m snooty about him or don’t like but because he’s well covered by many people who know his techniques much better than I do (I recommend all uke players check out Matt Richards’ split stroke lesson).

I have a high regard for Formby and his popularizing of the uke and there are many songs that still sound good today (and quite a few that haven’t). There are a number of compilations of Formby’s songs on eMusic, it’s worth picking and choosing carefully.

“If women like them like men like those, why don’t women like me?” A question I’ve asked myself many times.

Roy Smeck

17. Ukulele Bounce

The Wizard of the Strings. My ukulele hero.

Bob Brozman

18. Ukulele Spaghetti

Another musical hero of mine. His latest album Lumiare is a virtuoso tour de force. Each track started life on a ukulele or a similarly diminutive instrument (the charango seems to be his current favourite) and was built up with layers of other stringed instruments.

Ukulele Spaghetti is his real ukulele tour de force which he regularly breaks out at gigs.

Ho’opi’i Brothers

19. Hawaiian Cowboy

There are plenty of Hawaiian ukulele albums on eMusic. Unfortunately, most of them are of the reggae-lite variety that drives me up the wall. There are some honourable exceptions: IZ, the legendary King Bennie Nawahi and the Ho’opi’i Brothers.

The Ho’opi’i Brothers are no relation of Sol Ho’opi’i as far as I can tell but they certainly embody his spirit. There’s plenty of the laid back Hawaiian sound on the album but I’ve chosen the speedy Hawaiian Cowboy for its unmissable Hawaiian yodeling.

Kimya Dawson

20. Blue Like Nevermind

Kimya Dawson’s gravelly voice and ‘Tina Turner first thing in the morning’ hair style take a little getting used to but it’s well worth it. Her songs are absolutely fantastic. Particularly when she’s backed up by David-Ivar Herman Dune on ukulele as she is in this case. You can see the two of them together in this clip.

To check out clips of all these songs and more ukulele treats click here.