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.
Mr B the Gentleman Rhymer, Plushgun, Luca Gemma: Saturday UkeTube
October 31, 2009
Most of the UOGB stuff that turns up on YouTube is DVD rips, which makes lizardonuke’s channel very refreshing with lesser seen songs and backstage shenanigans. As well as the UOGB, this weeks vids include Mr B schooling us, Lulu and the Lampshades going bandstand busking (watch the whole thing here), The Bobby McGee’s fighting off zombies, Plushgun making a video on the cheap, Peter Moss soundchecking, Luca Gemma with the UKEit guys and plenty more. [Read more]
Molly Lewis CD, Celebrity Ukuleles: Friday Links
October 16, 2009
Lots of opportunities to do your bit for charity and get a celebrity uke: bid on Warren Buffett’s ukulele, Frank Skinner’s ukulele and a uke signed by the UOGB.
Molly ’sweetafton23′ Lewis made you a CD (but she eated it). You can buy the downloads here.
The London Uke Festival has made it to the final round of voting for Best New Festival. You can vote for it here.
Mel Bay have put up part 2 of John King’s introduction to Famous Solos and Duets.
The New Zealanders are having a shot at breaking the biggest uke ensemble record (are there even enough people in the country?). Mike Dickison is supposed to be leading and even he might not make it. He needs a ride from Hastings to Gisborne on Sunday morning. If you can help him out send him an email.
The podcast/ukulele love-in has been shattered: “Helen and Olly, Answer Me This. Why are assholes so attracted the the ukulele?” Martin the Soundman: “The ukulele is an instrument only a 5 yr old would get a hard-on about.” (To be fair, they weren’t entirely disparaging about the uke and it’s still my favourite podcast).
James Hill dances even better than he ukes (via Bosko and Honey).
Julia Nunes on College Humor (thanks to Cliff).
Jeff’s compiling a list of ukulele scenes in movies. If you can think of any more, let him know.
MP3s: A couple of rehearsal tapes from Howlin’ Hobbit’s Snake Suspenderz, Bridging the Atlantic has a few MP3s from Merrill ‘tUnE YaRdS/Sister Suvi’ Garbus.
Brittni Paiva is a very slick player but, yikes, those album covers.
UkeTube: Best of 2009 So Far
September 12, 2009
Since I’ve been busy battling Mafia goons, shooting rabid dogs and swimming round Venice in hotpants I haven’t been keeping up with new videos, so I thought I’d knock together a post of my favourite uke videos of the year so far. Feel free to chime in with you faves and call me an asshat for not including them.
For the record, my favourite non-uke videos of the year so far are The Tallest Man on Earth in the Secret Garden, Emily Elbert’s Silent Time and Dead Weather’s Treat Me Like Your Mother [Read more]
Friday Links
May 29, 2009
Keep up ukulele players’ well deserved reputation for kindness and generosity and sponser me for my part in the London Uke Fest’s record attempt. A big thanks to Jeff, Josh, Art and Chris(who was incredibly generous) for opening the pot.
My Fingerpicking Ukulele mini-course is looking a bit tired and will be taken down next Friday. So if you’re interested, get in fast. It might be resurrected at some point in the future – possibly as part of an ebook.
Fantastic Moustaches of the World ukulele: Front, Back.
Play along live with the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain at the Albert Hall as part of the Proms. If you can’t wait until then to catch them, you can hear Hester on Radio 4’s The Afternoon Play on Monday and Peter on the album A Psychedelic Guide To Monsterism Island (The POP! Stereo has a track from it available for download).
A story about the rise of the ukulele in Singapore thanks to the efforts of Ukulele Movement.
Another Martin cropped up on Antiques Roadshow. Much more interesting than the last. It’s a one-off spruce top. If you can buy it for the appraised $4,000 bite his arm off – he is underestimating Martin collector’s craziness. (via Ukulelia)
Boy Meets World ukulele: Part 1, Part 2.
MP3s: Craig Robertson covers Ukulelezo. Fong Songs has two MP3s from Ukulele Force including James Hill’s version of Cantina Band. Out the Other has a couple of JuNu tracks.
Exceptionally easy ukulele quiz. I got 100%, bitches. Although it’s not entirely to be trusted: “That’s right. The next largest is the concert, the baritone and then the tenor.”
The Beatles Fest is going after the same mass-ukulele record as the London Uke Fest. They tried the same thing last year and managed 28.
Vertigo Smyth chords on Uker Tabs.
Bette Midler gives the Obama girls a ukulele.
Supermodel Pania Rose plays naked ukulele. Not particularly well, but it would have been remiss of me not to mention it. And she lists her favourite band as Beirut. Keep her away from me. She’d fall in love and it would be one big hassle.
And a whole bunch of naked ukulele models here.
James Hill – True Love Don’t Weep
March 23, 2009
James Hill’s long awaited new album True Love Don’t Weep is out tomorrow. It’s a collaboration between him and his partner, dancing cellist, Anne Davison. You can listen to clips of it here and read him answering some of my impertinent questions about it right here:
It’s been more than two and a half years since A Flying Leap, how has playing developed in that time?
Yeah, it’s been a while. My deal with myself has always been: “don’t record a new album until you have something new to say.” It just took me a while to figure out what I had to get off my chest this time around. Lots of things changed in my life, too. We moved to the country, we started hanging with a lot more folk musicians, I grew a beard, and so on. It’s been three years but it feels like more.
How does duetting with a cello change how you are playing?
The cello is a good match for the uke. “Low and bowed” is a perfect complement to “high and plucky”! It was so obvious that we almost missed it; we were together for two or three years before we even considered playing as a duo. And it’s come a long way from it being “my thing” with Anne accompanying. Now she’s an integral part of the sound, vocally and instrumentally.
You’ve got a great voice. How come we haven’t heard it before?
Thanks. “Great voice” is too kind but I’ll take it. The point is this: if you want a certain depth of connection with your audience, you gotta speak to them. You have to open up. It’s hard to write instrumental songs “about stuff.” I mean, I tried. I still try and I’ll keep trying. But, you know, the stuff I’m talking about in Obedience Blues or in Travelin’ On… the only way to say it is, well, to say it. It took me a long time to get comfortable with that because it felt like I was “giving up” on instrumental music.
Your version of Sakura Sakura is bound to prompt comparisons with Jake Shimabukuro’s version. As the two titans of the ukulele, how closely do you follow what each other does? Is there any friendly rivalry between you?
That really wasn’t the point of me recording that song. I just love the melody and the “spaciousness” of the tune. Jake and I keep in touch but we haven’t been in the same room at the same time for years. He’s off doing his thing and I do my best to keep busy. The way I see it we’re both still cutting our teeth and finding our way.
What are your top ukulele practice tips?
For technical stuff, practice with a purpose and stop once you’ve done what you set out to do, whether it takes 10 minutes or 2 hours. For creative stuff, noodle constantly and don’t get too attached to your first inspiration!
Are you ever going to come to the UK?
I’d love to. When’s the first Ukulele Hunt Festival?
When I raised the subject of the sexiest ukulelist, you were the clear winner. How does it feel being a ukulele sex symbol?
“Ukulele Sex Appeal” would make a good uke workshop, don’t you think? Or maybe even a DVD…
True Love Don’t Weep is out on the 24th March on Borealis. Listen to extracts here.
Ukulinklinks: New James Hill Album
March 6, 2009
You can listen to excerpts from James Hill’s upcoming album True Love Don’t Weep on his website.
Chalmers Doane has posted all nine of his and the Halifax’s uke albums on his site. And the music is as kitsch as the covers. (Via HUG).
And related to both those, the new edition of Ukulele Yes! is up. (I wish they’d put up an RSS feed. I completely missed the last one. And I’m still not subscribed despite numerous attempts and assurances from the man himself).
Ukulele Cosmos has been shut down by its host for using too much bandwidth. Stay away from Bluehost and scammers who recommend it. They’re a notoriously crappy host but they’re very generous to affiliates.
Des Cordes et Dubois has a very challenging tab of Allegretto Op. 30 by Mauro Giuliani.
Jimmy McGee tells us how to be annoying with a ukulele yet fails to mention the most annoying song to play on the ukulele.
Ukulele spotting: Phil Jupitus and Lauren Laverne uke it up in a caravan – at around 5 and 9 1/2 minutes (thanks to Andy for that). The Saturdays break out the uke for Comic Relief at 1:50 (should I be worried that I find the uke the most exciting part of that video?).
Jake Wildwood’s other half, Bonnie, has these cute banjolele-playing gnome doodads for sale (it took me a while to realise that’s a pipe rather than some Gene Simmons gnome action).
Taking the Flying V concept one step further.
Baby Bosko. Awww bless.
UkeTube
October 18, 2008
James Hill and Ralph Shaw – Yodelele Lady
Rebecca Fonoimoana – Its a Pity
[Read more]
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…“
AC/DC / James Hill – Thunderstruck
September 30, 2008
James Hill / AC/DC – Thunderstruck (Tab)
You might notice the lack of an mp3 for this one. That’s because it’s way beyond my abilities. You really need to use a pick to play this right and I’m hopeless with those rhino’s toenails. You’ll just have to watch James Hill do it here (Thunderstruck starts around 1:00). He plays the riff in D-tuning and exactly the same way as it’s played on guitar (so it’s a fifth higher than the original).
