Antarctica Takes It! – C&F (Chords) The nominations for 2010’s video of the year are in, being tabulated and you’ll have a chance to vote on them tomorrow. This year it’s going to take some pushing and shoving to get a list of ten and this one is just on the brink. After the howls […]

Darren Hayman went against the grain and spent January recording one track every day. A few of them featured ukuleles but not the one I’ve chosen. I’ve bent the rules to allow my favourite of the month: a tenor guitar song with Elizabeth ‘Allo Darlin‘ Morris. Another of his duets was with Helen Arney who […]

No doubt about the hottest uke item on eBay this week: a Kamaka Jake Shimabukuro Signature ukulele. In 2006 Kamaka announced they’d be making 100 ukes to Jake’s specifications, individually tested by him and with his signature. And they were going to decide who gets them by lottery. The seller obviously isn’t a player and […]

Bossarocker is booking acts for the Uke Hunt podcast live sessions. So if you can make it to Manchester get in touch with her. New records from Garfunkel and Oates and Spring Breakup (Mathias Kom on ukulele duties). The opening track, The Effect I Have On Women, is brilliant and a must for anyone missing […]

ABBA – Take A Chance (Tab) I need your opinions in the comments because I want to settle this. Instrumental versions of songs (as opposed to versions of tunes that are instrumentals already): a worthwhile pursuit or inevitable cheesiness and boredom? I’ve done a few songs made instrumental and I think it’s hard to make […]

I’m sure 2010 will got down in ukulele history as the year of Hey, Soul Sister (don’t even think about it: released November 2009). But I’ll be remembering the year for the diversity, skill and invention on display from the ukers. And it’s heartening to see that, despite all the mainstreamification and talk of the […]

Ryan Gosling – You Always Hurt the Ones You Love (Chords) There’s a new film out with a ukulele song in it. So far, so blah. Here’s the part that will blow your mind: the song isn’t Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Instead he’s playing a lovely old tune that’s very well suited to the uke. […]

I don’t know how it’s possible but there was a genre of banjolele-heavy music that had completely passed me by until now: quelbe (or fungi), a cousin of calypso and mento from the Virgin Islands. From the US Virgin Islands, the Ten Sleepless Knights are a Quelbe band (Virgin Island’s cousin of calypso and mento). […]

A couple more interesting videos from NAMM 2011. Epiphone are bringing out an official Les Paul ukulele but that guy is so annoying I’m already striking it from my want-list. Much more likeable are the Beloffs with their Flea banjo-uke and (from around 4:25) the solid-body electric Fluke. Kerri Char custom tenor. Photo: Women with […]

Mark ‘Fingerstyle Solos for ‘Ukulele Nelson has a new book of slack key uke arrangements out: The Uke Buke: Learn to Play Slack Key Style `Ukulele. You can buy it in paper form on Amazon or, in pdf form, on his website. This week’s most exciting news: Garfunkel and Oates have been signed up for […]