Friday Links: Amy Crehore, Bobby McGees, Amos Brealy
February 20, 2009
Full close ups of Amy Crehore’s Dreamgirls and Ukuleles show. Demon, Slither, Lucky 13.
Bobby McGees advertising Film 4 with the lovely song When Father Died, Ferrets Licked Away the Tears. And Jimmy McGee advertising me and playing a ragtime tune.
New mass-ukulele record: 900.
Word on the web is that Tangi ukuleles are shutting up shop. So if you’ve had your eye on a Manini, don’t hang about.
Ken Middleton’s Bluegrass Reel and Kate Miccuci’s Dear, Deer and The King Blues’ My Boulder on Uker Tabs.
I don’t usually mention full album downloads, but I’ll make an exception for The Magic Ukulele of Roy Smeck on Cagedream since it’s only available in Japan. Assuage your guilt by buying Roy Smeck Plays Hawaiian Guitar, Banjo, Ukulele and Guitar.
Will some please buy Amanda Palmer a ukulele tuner. “It’s a toy instrument.” Gasp!
Splendid but NSFW. (Please direct all complaints to Heather).
Amos Brealy recounts his love for a George Formby impersonator.
Bushman Ukulele Video Contest 2008 and other Ukulelinks
October 3, 2008
The Bushman World Ukulele Video Contest 2008 is now open for entries. First prize is $1,000 on account to spend on Bushman ukuleles.
I was idly browsing the Duke of Uke’s long list of celeb clients. Amongst the ukenoscenti was the unexpected name of John Barnes. I hope he ukes better than he raps.
Sex! Drugs! and Ukuleles! have a competition to win a Pono ukulele.
J-Hob has been doing sterling work on Uker Tabs this week with Joy Division’s She’s Lost Control and The White Stripes’ Offend In Every Way.
New song from Craig Robertson: download it on Ukulelia.
Rod Thomas’s Same Old Lines is available on iTunes.
Joanna Lumley attends a ukulele funeral.
Mad Tea Party find that people used to ask, “‘What is that little thing you’re playing?’ These days, the majority of comments are like, ‘Oh, I’ve started playing ukulele!’”
Ukulele techno sucks according to Amanda Palmer. Alison Goldfrapp ukulele sucks according to eveyone (click the left most peacock eye).
Night of 100 Ukes: Thursday 16th October at Otto’s Shrunken Head NYC. Featuring Hot Time Harv, Sweet Soubrette and the Shipwrecks and, I assume, 98 others.
Uke tabs from Singapore and Malaysia.
This machine mildly annoys fascists.
Amanda Palmer, Broken Records: UkeTube
September 27, 2008
Arrrrrgh. Some serious interweb connection problems for me at the moment. I’ve got a few posts lined up, but if you’re expecting a message from me, you may have to wait a while.
Anyhoo, this week’s videos include Amanda Palmer covering another Radiohead song on the uke. I would have included the Jack and Meg of the ukulele Versi-o-rama doing thieir version of Tonight You Belong to Me were it not for Dailymotion issues – the singing and ukeing might not be the best around, but the video more than makes up for it. [Read more]
On The Blog
June 23, 2007
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain’s new album, Precious Little, is available from their website. You can download a track from the album – Joni Mitchell’s (He Played Real Good) For Free – on Horse Latitudes.
Bake yourself a Cakelele. Aloha-licious.
All four presenters of Resonance FM’s ‘perfect accompaniment to a chocolate Hob Nob or recreational self abuse’ Glue Peter are learning the uke and indulging in all things ukulele. Their last ukulele special featured, Duke of Uke mainman, Matthew Reynolds and live music from Hefner’s Darren Hayman. I’ve been promised more uke content in the future. Listen online at 3.30pm (UK time) every Saturday.
Amanda Palmer is playing Creep again. This time with The Gossip’s Beth Ditto and a puppet. (DailyMotion seems to be down at the moment – there’s a shorter, lower quality version here)
Play the Lilo and Stitch air ukulele.
How to settle a ukulele fight.
Amanda Palmer/Lady Carol/Julien/Radiohead – Creep
June 14, 2007
[youtube FGXVB6tyjJw]
Amanda Palmer – Creep (Chords)
Having been mention three times on this blog in the last week, this song has officially reached the status of ‘zeitgeist’. Amanda Palmer’s version has caused a stir in blogville; Julien Dore won Nouvelle Star yesterday; and, friend of the blog and friend of the stars, Susan Tobacco pointed me in the direction of the above version by Lady Carol.
A couple of things worth pointing out in Palmer’s version. The first is the juicy Cmadd9 chord she plays at the end of the intro. The second is that she seems to be having trouble moving to the B chord. 
One way she might have solved this (other than that tiresome ‘practicing’ business) would be to play the song in D tuning using these chord shapes. You could also use these shapes in C tuning to make hollering Ruuuuuuuuuuuu-huh-huh-hun a little easier.
Buy Dresden Dolls UK
Buy Pablo Honey UK
UkeTube
June 9, 2007
This week there have been some worthy additions to stuff I’ve already mention with more videos from the Belgium UkeFest and Taimane at her family reunion. But this week has been notable for two strangely compelling performances.
f3rt – 4:33
[youtube sgtL_lNiRXs]
A note perfect rendition of John Cage’s defining work. The tune reaches a dizzying crescendo at 3:31 when he sighs a little. I love this tune so much I have it as my ringtone.
Ukulelia – Gsoffa wird halt Aberall
[youtube mHkd0rhZ5Yc]
It takes either bullet-proof chutzpah or staggering ignorance to call yourself ‘Ukulelia’. When I listened to this the first time it was painful. Then I couldn’t resist listening again. I spent the rest of the day walking around singing ‘Suda, Norda, Osta, Westa‘.
Victoria Vox – Peeping Tomette
[youtube -wQQgrxYYcw]
This clip has been up on MUD for a while now but it’s always worth listening to a mouth trumpet solo.
Amanda Palmer – Creep
[youtube Ek5ZNgw8Vdk]
Final proof that I am visiting the wrong bars. In all my years of bar propping I’ve not once seen a goth-girl with a flower in her hair stood on the bar strumming a uke. The closest was a senile farmer with sheep-dip in his hair who sang It’s A Long Way to Tipperary while lying on the pavement.
