Friday Ukulinklinks

Some very diverting videos this week: Eddie Thomas & Carl Scott, Lego ukulele and KazooKeyLele.

On the subject of ukulele videos, UkeToob is a new blog and podcast showcasing the best ukulele videos.

Jumping Flea Market looks like it might be the recipient of a few of my hard earned Euros once the online store opens. Only two Euros for ‘Ukulele Huren’? (Except the sign is in Dutch)

A new, free and exceptionally good album from Minor Constellations.

Jonathan Coulton’s Just As Long As Me and The White Stripes’ Offend In Every Way.

Warren Buffett takes to the road with his uke, his son and Akon.

The KoAloha Ukulele Story: A film charting the rise of KoAloha.

Foggy Ruins of Time has an mp3 from and an interview with The Elated Sob Story (”Outta Me is my favourite song of yours…” “That’s a cover song.” Ouch.)

For everyone who was interested (Hi, Lonna) the tracks I quoted on Manha Manha were: While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Top Gun Theme, Top Hat by Woody Mann, Have Love, Will Travel, and The Stripper.

If this is your first visit here, you can find the chords/tab in those posts by clicking on the song title in red.

Lyle Lite, KoAhola Scepter, Tangi and WaverlyStreet

There’s a new book in the Jumpin’ Jim/Lyle Ritz Ukulele Masters series just out: Lyle Lite. As the name suggests, it’s aimed a little lower than his other books at the beginner/intermediate level. You can pick one up from FMM for $25, on Amazon for $18.80 (but they’re currently out of stock), or there’s one on eBay with a Buy It Now of $17.70 (and a hefty delivery charge).

It’s not often you get a chance to pick up one of KoAloha’s Signature Series Tenor Sceptre. According to their blog, they’re back ordered up the wazoo. But MGM has one up for sale at the moment.

A couple of very interesting Tangi ukuleles: a playable, scale model ten and a half inch ukulele and a violin shaped uke.

Dave Gjessing of WaverlyStreet ukuleles has a painted pineapple uke with a nautical design by the Artful Dodger up for sale.

Tripping Lily, Uni and her Ukulele and Others

Videos from Alvin ‘Pops KoAloha‘ Okami, Tripping Lily and Uni and her Ukulele.

Alvin Okami & Gordon Mark - Days of Wine and Roses [Read more]

Friday Links

Revolution is in the air again in Boston. Not content with the seditious act of adding tea to water, Viva La Revo-UKE-tion will be kicking off on Monday with the fantastically named The East Boston Make-Out Club Band, the equally fantastic but more boringly named Michael Wagner, Ed White and Ian Schwartz. All you non-Massachusettsians can check out TEBMOCB’s Davina Yannetty on next week’s edition of MUD. EDIT: I’ve been chided for failing to mention that they’re raffling off a homemade uke.

Win yourself a Bushman ukulele. All you have to do to enter is upload a video of you playing ukulele to YouTube and mention the competition at the beginning of the video. Have a go if you think you can beat this.

Chuck Moore makes some gorgeous ukuleles and lives in even more gorgeous surroundings.

Can anyone on the correct side of the Atlantic tell me what the deal with the Nalts ukulele freak is?

Fin Raucous: not just the toast of the ukulele world.

KDUS does more great work, bringing us Bugs Bunny on the ukulele.

Uke Gal tackles a couple of golden oldies and meets Jake S.

Giggity, giggity, giggity. Just look at those curves. God, I’d love to run my fingers up and down that neck. Those KoAlohas are hot. Oh, and Gina Gershon is in the picture too. (via the New York Post, MANY thanks to Uncle Budd for that one).

Former Test Icicle and current Lightspeed Champion, Dev Hynes with a Mahalo in The Guardian.

Old Blue Bus has mp3s of Miss Ada Powers on the uke and her family.

How do you stop feedback from an ukulele pickup?

No pain, no gain.

Suggest lyrics for a ukulele/fez song and join Howlin’ Hobbit in the Order of the Fez.

Friday Links

Musicguymic has new KoAloha Sopranino ukuleles. Only nineteen and a half inches long. Aww bless.

San Francisco’s MoCFA is currently holding an exhibition on the Evolution of the Ukulele. It includes a two day ukulele festival featuring Jake Shimabukuro, The Paper Dolls and many others. If you can’t make it, you can still read another excellent article by John King.

Temporarily Distraught has the artwork and tracklisting for the forthcoming Beirut album.

BlipTV has an interview and performance from UOoGB and mad ukulele/bikini skills.

Hipsters/dupes can tune their ukuleles with their iPhones.

BKLYN Song of the Day has an mp3 of Bob Brozman and Rene Lacaille collaboration. Highly recommended.

Fretboard Journal alerts us to the danger that scented plugins pose to the happiness of your instrument.

Flame On! Rock Uke - a death metal ukulele.

Jenny Flame of Ukulele Nation has discovered a family history of ukulele. She was digging around in old family photos when she came across these two amazing photos of her great aunt in the 1940’s. It’s quite clear her great aunt knew how to rock the ukulele and tilted hat look back in the day.

Friday Links

Jake Shimabukuro is to release a new EP entitled My Life. The tracklist includes Over The Rainbow, In My Life, Going to California and Time After Time. Via Honalulu Advertiser. Pre-order on Amazon.

La Blogotheque has a series of beautifully shot videos Daniella ‘Rio En Medio‘ Stech-Homsy singing and ukeing in the streets of Paris.

Musicguymic has the new and strangely shaped KoAloha Sceptre.

MP3 Blogs: Not Quite Rocket Science offers up a podcast full of charming lo-fi uke songs from the likes of Magnetic Fields, Jakob Borshard and Beirut. While Songs:Illinois presents mp3s from occult banjolele playing psychic Madame Pamita and Cover Freak has a list of the top 5 ukulele cover versions.

Amy Crehore has produced her first art ukulele.

A collection of rare and unusual Flukes and Fleas.

Nellie McKay is to provide a ukulele version of PS I Love You for the forthcoming film of the same name.

Another picture in the Lewis Carroll machete series. (Thanks to Rufus).

My YouTube Videos

I’ve finally got round to uploading a couple of videos to YouTube. I’d resisted previously due to my embarrassement at the hideous facial gurning I do when playing. But there were a couple tunes that required more than an mp3 to get the full effect.

I had to demonstrate the KoAloha Pink Crystal Colored Ukulele Strings generously given to me by the lovely Jenny Flame. And, well, you can see for yourself why the Smeck tribute above had to be a video.

Let me know what you think.