Paris Uke Fest 2010 Off, Ukulele Loki: Friday Links
November 6, 2009
There won’t be a Paris Uke Fest 2010 (via Armelle).
And speaking of Armelle, she’s interviewed me – using her crafty techniques to drag a few neuroses out of me.
Ukulele Loki is giving away his whole album for free this week only.
Bosko and Honey announce the Safari winner and here it is.
If you’re reading this in the UK before 5:30PM on Friday – you might be able to hear my uke playing on Radio 4. Update: Well, they used my version, but they didn’t give me any credit for it. Here’s the MP3.
U900 release a Christmas album.
Ukulele.fr interview Jake Shimabukuro.
UKDad has been asked to design a new Fluke. See some of his ideas here. If you were designing a Fluke, what would you go for? I think I’d be all zeitgeist and go for a moustache.
Quiz yourself on ukulele chords.
Podcast interview with Rock That Uke director.
Laura Veirs’s Spelunking on Uker Tabs.
Marvin Gaye ukulele in Midsummer Night’s Dream.
MP3s: Circles of Concrete has Christpher Bell’s rather lovely Robert L. Sinclaire. Boston Band Crush has one from The Sound of Growing Up.
Amy Crehore has some new sketches and Tickler 3 is on the way.
Would young Patak have been able to get his hands on a Lisa in those days? Even if he didn’t think it was a guitar. (Thanks to Tom for spotting that).
Photos: At home with the Swainsons Part 1 Part 2 (check out the rest of that guy’s photos as well – like this guy). Model with uke.
Adorable: Cory McAbee and his daughter duet. Go to Behind the Scenes, Rocket Ship, 2min30.
Chipswow interviewed by WAF!. She’s a lot less cutesy-wootsy when she’s speaking French.
In the comments: There was a great deal of discussion about how the hell James Hill was playing Billie Jean so I asked him.
Irish Ukulele Festival, Marjinal: Friday Links
June 26, 2009
Here’s a very interesting story from Indonesia (don’t miss the link to the audio). An Indonesian punk band, Marjinal, are giving ukuleles to street kids and teaching them how to make money busking. There’s a similar piece on them in TIME. (Thanks to Charlie)
And another very cool idea. James Hill and the Portland Ukulele Big Band flip the idea of a ukulele group (where everyone plays exactly the same thing) and has everyone playing an individual note which builds up the sound (like a big band). Sounds great.
Details of the first Irish Ukulele Festival. The official website is/will be here.
Donnie from UkeToob does an excellent video interview with Jake Shimabukuro.
Sit down a write five lines of verse,
Of a girl who seems slightly perverse.
Reposed on a lion,
Her instrument, Hawaiian,
And a bug sat on her lady purse.
Armelle will be the official Uke Hunt correspondent at this year’s Paris Uke Fest. So if you’re going, leave her a message.
Seems like wherever people congrate, it’s only a matter of time before they form themselves into a ukulele group. Here’s a bunch of ukulele playing photographers.
Keith Clarke (Editor of Classical Music Magazine) takes up the ukulele ready for the Proms.
His name is Ben Lerman, he plays the ukulele, and he has a very funny new song on ReverbNation. Don’t listen if there are sensitive ears around.
Taxpayer funded ukulele transportation – finally, democracy starts working.
What does the internet think of ukuleles? (Thanks to Hobbit)
The Daily Growl has an MP3 of The Conversationalist by Peggy Sue.
My favourite uke photo this week – and only partly because it’s called, “the remains of what we used to be were taken away with the lightest breeze”.
And thanks to Jim for pointing out that last week’s photo of the week was of the Varsity Trio.
The trend for photoshopping ukes onto presidents continues.
London Ukulele Festival: Friday Links
May 8, 2009
The London Uke Festival 2009 will be held on 20th June. They’ll be attempting to break the world record for most ukuleles played at the same time. You can read more about it in this PDF and register on their website.
More festival news: the Milwaukee Ukulele Festival will include Victoria Vox, The Fabulous Heftones, Boulder Acoustic Society and Lil Rev.
Amy Crehore’s Ticker #2 ukulele is revealed. More pictures on Flickr.
Armelle is posting videos of ukulele songs in different languages (and part two is here and part 3 here). If you know of any others let her know.
The tragedy of the T-Rex in t-shirt form.
Ken Middleton has a new job: Official European envoy for Ohana Ukuleles.
Watch the KoAloha Story here – worth signing up to the site for. But skip about the first 1/3 of the main film and go straight to the animation.
Rod Thomas’s award winning song Same Old Lines is now being used in a DFS ad. And Mr Kazookeylele flogs Doritoes.
Trying to win Zooey Deschanel’s heart by building her a ukulele.
‘Ukelele’ spells trouble for Clint Eastwood.
Ukulele Mike sees himself as the Susan Boyle of the ukulele. He also seems to be spamming the hell out of Twitter in the hopes that Perez Hilton and Jessica Alba are fans in the making.
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.
Friday Links
February 6, 2009
Kate Micucci made a very big impression as the Scrubs ukulele girl. She was the second biggest Google Trend of the day (officially ‘Volcanic’) and the day after was the second busiest day of this blog’s history.
Warren Buffett discusses the possibility that Obama’s election is a turning point in the struggle against ukuleleism, teaching Bill Gates to play the ukulele and how the ukulele is the new stimulus package. Someone give that guy a million cool points.
Sweetafton puts MP3s of MyHope and Road Trip up for sale. And Ukechick has also released an EP on Amie Street under the moniker cc.tran.
WIUO take New Zealand by storm.
Amy Crehore finds Man Ray’s banjolele and discusses her Dreamgirls & Ukes show.
Amy Crehore, Yo-Yo Ma and 12hr Beatles
November 28, 2008
You can get a sneak peak of Amy Crehore’s next show Dream Girls and Ukes on her Flickr and find out more here.
“”The ukulele is already a magical instrument, but there’s something about his playing and being that is other-worldly.” Yo-Yo Ma discusses working with Jake Shimabukuro.
Roger Greenawalt will spend 12 hours performing every single Beatles song on the ukulele. But it’s for a good cause. All the money raised will be going to Warren Buffett.
I’ve been slowly working up a tab for Roy Smeck’s Music Box Waltz, and Dav on the KDUS forum has beaten me to it.
“How do you relax? This might sound slightly ridiculous but I play the ukulele for at least an hour a day and I find something really blissful about it.” Frank Skinner in The Guardian.
Anyone know who this is in the Dutch T-Mobile ad? (Thanks Martin)
Death Cab for Cutie and All Time Quarterback on Uker Tabs.
Bette Midler ukes it up on Ellen (head for around 6:30).
Peter and the Wolf and Amanda Palmer do Black Cab Sessions.
Get Del Ray or Terry Kinakin to play in your living room.
Jeffery Holland’s using-the-uke-to-pick-up-chicks technique in You Rang M’Lord?. Dangerous tactic, though, because apparently playing the ukulele means you’re an “eccentric nice girl who only pretends to be interested in sex.”
Julia and Wade display mad skillz. It’s a bit depressing watching Julia fans getting her CD. They get so excited they make me wonder if I’m living in an emotional coma. I wish I could get that excited about anything, never mind a CD. (And that’s not me picking the strangest two videos – that’s a random sample).
Friday Ukulelinks
October 17, 2008
A big thanks to everyone who’s written to me saying nice things about How to Play Blues Ukulele. I’m completely knocked out by how well it’s been received. There was one small hitch, a couple of the examples got lost somewhere. If you bought the ebook – you should have an email from me. If not, you can download them here:
That caused a bit of a mix up with a few of the track titles as well (the file names are correct but Examples 15 – 33 had the wrong names in the MP3). Sorry for any confusion caused.
On to the real uke news…
The US version of the ad for Wii ukulele. Just as bad as Wii ukulele ad #1.
Ukulele Tonya has a write up of the Wine Country Ukulele Festival and Uke Gal has one in the works. A few videos of the festival have cropped up and James Hill and Ralph Shaw’s unusual duet is my favourite so far.
Chord charts for those weird people who are either left-handed or play baritone (or both).
Songsheet Generator: I couldn’t get the chord shapes to show in ukulele mode, but you might be more successful.
Buy an Amy Crehore t-shirt between now and Halloween and get a signed drawing – dang, wish I’d have waited.
Peter Delaney’s EP Duck Egg Blue is now available outside of Ireland and Oslo. You can pick it up on his MySpace (which I’ve just done).
Strange ukuleles all over the place in this photo.
Lock your doors, the ukulele killer is on the loose.
Dent May’s debut album announced.
Learn CSS with the ukulele. Everybody now, “H1 curly bracket property colon value semi-colon curly bracket…“
Friday Ukulinklinks
September 19, 2008
Not a great deal to report on this week.
Aldrine is doing live ukulele lessons. If you missed the first one, you can find it here. On a related note, I’m changing the official Uke Hunt review policy while I still have some friends left: I’m not reviewing anyone’s music. I’ll be sticking to the usual Monday Exposure type thing from now on.
Play Well With Others wants to know your favourite jam tunes.
Play the ukulele on your iPhone.
UAS Warning: Secured Premises.
Is playing the ukulele just for girls?
Stark Online has a track from the new Rio en Medio album.
Amy Crehore is having a sale on her ukulele t-shirt.
Colin Murray (Radio 1 DJ) plays the new Oasis song on his uke (put down the plectrum, Murray).
Windy City Ukulele Festival, Play Well With Others
June 13, 2008
I’m back a little early. There’s news to be newsed. Over the break I had to take the fancy rotating banner off the front of the site. It was bringing the whole site crashing down every couple of weeks so it had to go. It was very pretty but a whole heap of trouble (like a few girls I could mention).
Windy City Ukulele Festival details.
I’ve had a few people ask me various questions about playing with others and in uke groups but – being an anti-social loner who avoids human contact at all costs – I’ve never been much help to them. Now I can point them towards Play Well With Others. It’s a book and website giving advice on jamming which boasts endorsements from Janet Klein, Jim Beloff and Lil Rev. It’s also a handsome looking site.
Amy Crehore is selling 50 signed prints of ‘The Creature’. You can pick up yours here.
Seeso and Clara Belle featured on Boing Boing (thanks for the mention, Seeso).
MP3s: I’ve mentioned foggy ruins of time many times in this section. The guy behind it has released an EP, under the name Existential Hero, featuring his bariuke. You can download the whole thing here. songs:illinois has Jenny Jenkins.
Uke chords on posters: officially a good idea. Shelley ‘Uke Box’ Rickey features Kokomo on her poster (and some not safe for work material – what is it with ukes and nudity?)
Paul McCartney reprises his ukulele version of Something at the Anfield gig plus a quick burst of When I’m Washing [sic] Windows.
Isaac was a little disappointed not to win Ukulele Review’s contest and came up with this (inspired by Cyanide and Happiness). Click to enlarge.
Vote for the song you want Fin Raucous to play in his shed.
Rebekulele: a cross between a ukulele and a rebec.
Art Ukeuleles
July 25, 2007
The art ukulele by Amy Crehore that I mentioned on Friday caused a bit of a stir on the intertubes after it was picked up by Boing Boing, so I thought I’d take a look at some of the other b-uke-iful creations out there.
My personal favourite is this uke by Christoph Mueller. Hank Williams III calls Mueller’s art, “bad ass work,” and I can’t help but agree. Be sure to check out his Flickr and Saatchi Online.
Flea Market Music’s art gallery features a selection of ukes including one of Peter and Donna Thomas’ ukulele books.
Duane Hielman’s Picasso style uke is a thing of wonder. He also makes many high quality conventional ukuleles as Black Bear.
Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center display a gallery of painted instruments including this uke.
Fluke ukuleles seem to have inspired many artists and the Fluke Museum has a number of examples including this carved koa fluke.
Ron Phillips makes Deco inspired resonator instruments such as these drool-worthy ukuleles.
Ukuleles and smiles are so often seen together such as on this uke.
Update: Robert Armstrong has created a number of painted ukes and has some creative uses for soundholes – such as the yowl-a-lele.
I’m sure there are plenty I’ve missed. Let me know your favourite.
A huge thanks to the awesome Jenny Flame of Ukulele Nation for her help putting this post together.
