What Uke Listening To?
About a year ago a friend gave me a ukulele. The tiny thing sat gathering dust on my bookshelf for 10 months. Finally I dusted it off, tuned it up and sat down to teach myself, instantly becoming enthralled in it’s delicate, clean sound. I spent a while trawling the interweb for ukulele chords, which were quite different from what I’d been used to on guitar and bass. Since then I’ve come across a hidden world of ukulele lovers and performers. From The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain to the plethora of artists on the affectionately dubbed ‘Uke’Tube, it seems this little instrument has been overlooked and underrated for years.
So here I present to you 3 great unsigned ukulele artists you should be listening to; regardless of what instrument they play…
JULIA NUNES
MP3 ♫ Julia Nunes - The Debt
After winning Bushman’s 2008 YouTube Ukulele Video Contest, Julia has gone on to play at NY’s Uke Festival, tour London, play 3 days at Bonnaroo and even perform with Ben Folds. It seems anyone who picks up a ukulele looks to Julia as the equivalent of a uke playing Britney; but one with an adorable personality.
Recording YouTube videos in her dorm room with cereal box percussion or occasional melodica, she plays an eclectic mix of covers and self-penned songs, self-releasing her original material… for now at least. Eventually a label will come calling, but hopefully Julia will keep her comical, streetwise, tongue-in-cheek style that she nails so well.
Other http:// YouTube • Website
DANIELLE ATE THE SANDWICH
MP3 ♫ Danielle Ate The Sandwich - The Patriotism Of Reincarnation
Danielle Anderson not only plays ukulele, but also guitar, violin and clarinet, with an effortless voice to boot. Like Julia Nunes, DaTS began from humble YouTube roots and has quickly become a firm favourite amongst subscribers and musicians alike, performing originals & covers as well as writing the theme tune to hometown Colorado based TV show Everyday. Her songs hold all the charm and carefree ambience only a ukulele can provide, with more metaphors and adjectives packed in then any other wistful singer/songwriter could dream up. With Danielle, the ukulele seems to be her perfect musical dance partner, acting as a springboard to showcase her delectable voice and strong songwriting capabilities.
Other http:// YouTube • MySpace
GARFUNKEL AND OATES
MP3 ♫ Garfunkel & Oates - Worst Song Medley
Duo Riki Lindhome & Kate Micucci are pure comedy. Original songs about smug pregnant women, one night stands and bad dates never seemed so appealing until sung by two confident 20-somethings. Incorporating amusing accents, vocal narratives and witty one-liners which play on the cliches of human interactions, Garfunkel & Oates are a refreshing breath of lightheartedness. This even comes through in live shows, breaking up the setlist by reciting poems from Ashanti (yes they exist - she has a book!) It seems the ukulele brings out this great sense of humour in a lot of it’s users.
Other http:// Website • YouTube