Some famous types picking up the ukulele this week: OK Go (continuing their journey into every more insane videos), Sharon Van Etten and Frank Turner. Alongside them people who are famous to all good uke-loving people like Patsy Monteleone, Kimo Hussey and Herman Vandecauter.
If you haven’t yet, you’ve still got time to vote for Ukulele Video of the Year 2011.
OK Go – Needing/Getting
Via @Farrah_Shamma.
Magdalen Fossum – In The Pines
Price Goodson – Be Kind to A Man When He is Down
Via Humble Uker
Ukulele Uff & Lonesome Dave – Yes, Sir! That’s my Baby!
Patsy Monteleone – He’ll Have to Go
Keep the Hawaiian videos coming, Al. All ukulele roads lead to the Islands sooner or later.
Had no idea Jeff posted the Price Goodson video.
Great stuff.
When I stumbled onto Uff my reaction was “Where has he been hiding?” In an age where people post videos of themselves unpacking a uke and then their first songs five minutes later, how has he managed to remain under the radar so long? Well, the secret’s out now. About bloody time, too.
Now, Frank Turner’s is one of the videos from the VISIONSMagazin channel. My take on these videos is that people for whom the uke is not their primary instrument (or one of their instruments at all) are given a uke(s) and have a go at it.
Since the same uke appears in pretty much all of the uke videos, it must be the channel uke. Frank says the uke isn’t his usual instrument.
Most of the players use picks and have a rock aura about them so I’m guessing they’re rockers having a fun bash on the 4-string. Frank comes off like a folkie go me. All in all, a good place for people to investigate. Some songs are in German, but no matter.
Another nice video by Herman is his recent performance of some Telemann. He plays mandolin and (I suppose) his student plays ukulele continuo. Both acquit themselves quite well.
On a related note, I had a look at a mandolin chord chart last week and it’s obvious why the mando is not the strumming machine that is the ukulele.
Know you’re not keen on her, but fans will love the recent Victoria Vox music video for her song
“French Cafe.”