The DVD of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain’s triumphant performance at August’s BBC Proms is available for preorder at their site. They’ll start shipping the discs on 3 December. They’ve posted this audience-member video to entice you:
We’ve placed our order, of course. Look for a review in this space, likely sometime after Christmas.
Posted by acilius on November 19, 2009
https://losthunderlads.com/2009/11/19/new-uogb-video/
I’m in the office working late; I need music in the background to keep me focused. Here are some YouTube vids I’ve been using for that purpose.
Heartography, by Zoe Deschanel.
Al Wood on a RISA Solid Tenor Uke.
I Can See Clearly Now, played by Colin R Tribe.
Tico Tico, performed by Bernard Massuir.
Posted by acilius on November 11, 2009
https://losthunderlads.com/2009/11/11/what-ive-been-listening-to-while-working/
Here’s the first new YouTube uke video from New Zealand’s Anna Van Riel in quite a while.
Posted by acilius on November 7, 2009
https://losthunderlads.com/2009/11/07/new-video-from-anna-van-riel/
Al Wood, proprietor of the indispensible Ukulele Hunt, is also an excellent uker himself, as this cover of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra‘s “Music for a Found Harmonium” shows.
I’ve been a fan of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra (their stuff is for sale here) since running across the ballet Still Life at the Penguin Cafe, which PCO founder Simon Jeffes wrote based on pieces he’d done with the original incarnation of the group.
UPDATED, 6 November: Armelle Europe has put an interview with Al on Ukulele and Languages in which this video is featured. The interview is terrific, as we would expect of Ukulele and Languages.
Posted by acilius on November 5, 2009
https://losthunderlads.com/2009/11/05/al-wood-covers-the-penguin-cafe-orchestras-music-for-a-found-harmonium/
Whether this post is a trick or a treat is not for me to decide.
At the Corktown Ukulele Jam, young Jimmy the Uke plays “Monster Mash”
The Vampire Song, aka “You Know a Lot About Me,” by Count Orlok and his Ukulele
Poopy Lungstuffing and Organ Failure perform “You Are My Sunshine” as it would sound if zombies sang it
Poopy does a solo version of “Little Orphant Annie.” I think this is the best video in this post.
“The Wolf in Me,” a rather grim original by Danny Korves.
Jennifer Teeter’s “Sea Monster’s Lament,” also known as “The Lesbian Sea Monster Song.” It’s realy too sweet to be a Halloween song, but there is a monster in it, and some handcuffs, so I’m including it.
If you are looking for a song addressed to neopagans who keep 31 October as a religious holiday called Samhain, here’s something.
Posted by acilius on October 31, 2009
https://losthunderlads.com/2009/10/31/ukulele-videos-for-halloween/
Via Ukulele Hunt (long may it wave,) “Mrs P,” a Westerner living in Doha, Qatar, reports that she has been giving ukulele lessons there. Among her students are members of the royal family.
Posted by acilius on October 30, 2009
https://losthunderlads.com/2009/10/30/a-ukulele-teacher-in-qatar/
YouTube’s Steve 29928 has posted a couple of new ukulele videos. He’s wearing clothes in these, perhaps inspired by our post below about veiled Muslim women.
Jack Johnson, Holes to Heaven
Posted by acilius on October 29, 2009
https://losthunderlads.com/2009/10/29/more-from-steve-the-formerly-naked-ukulele-guy/
Here’s a new ukulele-YouTuber to watch, Steve 29928. What he lacks in clothing he makes up for in talent. He’s new to the instrument, improving very rapidly. He’s already put up three performances worth listening to in their entirety.
His cover of UB-40’s cover of “Red Red Wine.” It’s his latest one, and his best so far, I think.
“Can’t Help Fallin’ in Love with You“- not the best performance perhaps, but his dog peeks into the frame, and I love that.
Posted by acilius on October 25, 2009
https://losthunderlads.com/2009/10/25/steve-29928-a-naked-ukulele-guy/
Friend of the blog Armelle Europe has posted a couple of hilarious videos by Alfred Williams at her website, Ukulele and Languages. If you like puns, you’ll like “I Can’t Think of Any Jokes“; if you like visual puns, you’ll like “Trinidad Looks Quite Like Wales.” Some time ago, Armelle embedded a video of Alfred Williams performing “Love Machine” in Latin, which I include below.
Posted by acilius on October 21, 2009
https://losthunderlads.com/2009/10/21/pattern-recognition/
Poopy in closeup (click for video)
A couple of weeks ago, Ukulele Hunt included Poopy Lungstuffing’s “Dolly Got a Haircut” in the weekly roundup of uker vids. It’s been playing in my head ever since. I invite you to listen and see if you have the same reaction. It sounds a lot like the song Tom Waits would have written if he’d spent his childhood as a young girl who was self-conscious about her mental health.
If Poopy’s song does stick in your head and you’re looking for something to vie with it, you might stay on YouTube and switch to TorontoUkes. They’ve posted a bunch of videos from this month’s Corktown Ukulele Jams. I’d say five of the strongest entries include Marianne Girard’s cover of “What a Wonderful World,” Paul Yedema’s of “Drinking EX and Asking Why,” and Sunny Widerman’s of “Levon.” Of the originals, my favorites are Zoe Henderson’s “Cryin’ in My Sleep” and Eve Goldberg’s “Pineapple Sorbet.”
Girard’s “What a Wonderful World” is radically simpler and more wistful than Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s iconic version. Her version doesn’t compete with his, but has a quiet strength of its own. Yedema and Henderson play gentle, sad, country-and-western style tunes; if you’re in the mood for a good cry, either one could help you get there. Goldberg’s tune, a ukulele transcription of a guitar piece of hers, is light and chipper; if you’re in a good mood to start with, it’ll make you very happy. If you are looking for a song to help you raise your spirits, Sunny Widerman’s mighty performance of Elton John’s hit should help you gather your resolve. (more…)
Posted by acilius on October 17, 2009
https://losthunderlads.com/2009/10/17/earworms/
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