Almost universally referred to as ‘The Mighty Zeppelin’, anyone who says they’re not the greatest band ever to walk the earth is just plain wrong. The news that they are to reform is about the most pant-wettingly exciting thing to happen since the discovery of fire.
If you’re not familiar with the crosses in the tab, those are dead notes. To play them, you rest your fretting fingers on the strings (without pressing them down) and strum. You should get just a click.
Suggested by West
The final part of my list tracks you might want to grab as your free tracks when you sign up for eMusic.
21. Celebrants Song
A particularly out-there freak folk multi-instrumentalist. On this track, baritone uke notes splatter themselves against the wall while her voice mumbles something medieval sounding. It’s quite something to behold.
Foster, her voice and her uke are also part of Born Heller.
22. Hardest Bastard
The Tiger Lilies are one of those love them or hate them groups. The sing twisted music hall numbers in a Monty-Python-woman voice while wearing make-up and bowler hats.
They are responsible for the most blasphemous song every written Banging In The Nails and plenty of ukulele offense-fests.
23. Kaulanna O Hilo Hanakahi (with Jimmy Kaopuiki)
Laid back, sunshine melodies from Herb Ohta.
24. I’m A Bear In A Ladies’ Boudoir
Ukulele provided by Shorty Long mainman Pops Bayless. Do you need to know any more?
Another band with a decidedly ribald sense of humour. They play in a hokum style resurrecting old tunes such as Shave ‘Em Dry (Lucille Bogan’s too hot for the 30s jazz number) and this track made famous by Ukulele Ike. Both these tracks come from their must have EP Nasty Novelities.
As well as old covers they write their own material and cover more modern songs – such as The Beastie Boys’ Paul Revere, Black Flag’s TV Party and Nine Inch Nails’ Closer – in the hokum styles (but do it more convincingly than Hayseed Dixie).
25. Kaveka
My favourite thing about eMusic is stumbling upon great music I’d never have heard of otherwise.
Uchiyama is primarily a dance and that shines through in her music – heavily rhythmic Polynesian and irresistibly dance-able. The tracks are dominated by percussion – even the ukes become percussion instruments.
There are plenty of tracks I didn’t have space to mention ranging from hip-hop ukulele, to Tiny Tim, to wildly avant garde Musique concrete, to Ian Whitcomb’s recreation of ragtime songs. You can check out a list of all the ukulele tracks I could find on eMusic. They even, I’ve heard others say, have tracks that don’t include the ukulele. So go grab your free tracks and scurry away before they start charging you.
Click here to get these tracks on eMusic.
Other parts:
Part one
Part two
Part three
Black Sabbath are the only band to have two riffs in my top ten. Surprising, since I don’t even like them that much.
Whereas most riffs bludgeon their way into your subconscious through endless repetition, this one is played only four times at the opening of the song and not heard again. A testament of how strong it is.
I want to clear something up before we get started: I do not use manga trivia to chat up hookers.
Back to business, watch the best of the week’s uke videos over the fold Read the rest of this entry »
Dominator tabs Going To California (not the Jake Shimabukuro version).
KDUS pointed in the direction of this video of Calexico on the ukulele. Also there is a video of Jeremy Warmsley crooning his way around Brussels.
PJ Harvey pictured with cigar-box ukulele in The Guardian.
If you couldn’t make it to SF for the Evolution of the Ukulele Exhibition, check out this extensive photo tour.
Cyberinsekt has an mp3 of Uncle Bob’s Ukulele Singers covering The Pixies Monkey Gone To Heaven and Foggy Ruins of Time has a ramshackle baritone uke track from Tinyfolk.
The eBay ukuleles I’m trying desperately hard not to buy.
I do like a good f-hole (and not just because I’m immaturely obsessed with double entendres). They’re also exceptionally sexy and look like they should be played by one of the characters in Heroes. So, I’m very impressed with Kala’s new electric archtop ukuleles available in black and sunburst and a dangerously affordable $225 price tag.
Martin stopped producing the 3K model in 1938. Is this a Martin 3k from the 1960’s? Apparently so.
For those of you that yearn for the heady days of 80’s hair metal, here’s a Les Reitfor double-neck ukulele.
The design on this 1920’s Lyon and Healy concert uke isn’t to my taste but it looks nicely done.
Finally, here’s the winner of the most endearingly ugly ukulele award.
This tune looks like it’s becoming the Smoke On The Water of the 21st Century. It’s already become the bane of the life of everyone who works in a guitar shop.
I’ve beefed the riff up a little for the ukulele by adding a C-string drone i.e. keeping it ringing through the whole thing.
Suggested by uncle budd
This is the first riff every guitarist learns to play. It’s the embodiment of the ‘less is more’ philosophy.
Deep Purple guitarist and writer of this riff, Ritchie Blackmore is currently writing madrigals and appearing at a renaissance fair near you.
Suggested by Stewart and weelie
Cream only lasted two years but they kicked out their fair share of great riffs in this time. The Sunshine of Your Love was written by bassist Jack Bruce after seeing Jimi Hendrix (who would later cover the song).
The first part of the riff is single notes and the second introduces 7th chords for some of the notes. You could just continue to use single notes as before if you prefer.
A few of the notes call for vibrato. You can create these in a couple of ways. You can bend the string (pull it down or push it up) and release the string a few times. Alternatively, you can wiggle your fretting finger along the neck (but staying within the fret). This is the method I prefer for the uke – it’s more subtle and easy to control.
Suggested by weelie
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.
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.
17. Ukulele Bounce
The Wizard of the Strings. My ukulele hero.
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.
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.
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.
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