Aw, heck!

Hoosierhiver debuts the new Mainland Banjo ukulele. Available in winter 2010. If it's as inexpensive as Mike says it will be (around $280), Fergitabboutit! It will fly off the shelves. But I think it needs a nickname. Suggestions?

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4885985246_9d59e5a899.jpg

FNG's

Just about a year ago, I was the "F'n New Guy" here at UCB. In a secret ceremony involving three live chickens, 13 black candles, 7 pounds of salt, and a dwarf named "Chico", the UCB gang made me one of their own.

After a year of kicking me around, it's well past time to open the books yet again and indoctrinate two new contributors to our dysfunctional and deliriously happy crew here at UCB.

You may know him as Robin, Baron, BaronK69, the Swedish Chef, or my Scandinavian Candy Bear, but his rockin' style, unstoppable facial hair, and ripping solos make him a great addition to the crew...

And fighting it out with Adelle for our token estrogen provider (even though we all know that title belongs to Russ) the astonishing Little6ster brings the blues, a wicked slide uke, and buckets of French wine.

So please join us in welcoming these two newest members as UCB breaks borders and goes international. Look for collabs, kooky blog posts, and more shenanigans all the way around the globe.

At least I'm not the FNG any more...

If Swayze could do it, so can you!

Patrick Swayze wrote and performed "She's Like the Wind", which was featured in the gotta-love-it movie Dirty Dancing(1987). Is the song cheesy? Yes. Is it awesome? Also yes. Even if you don't like the song, you gotta give the man credit for writing it. (R.I.P Patrick Swayze)

Do you need motivation to write an original song? Here's a good opportunity to get those creative juices flowing. It's Grumpy's Bring the Song Challenge contest with a very generous prize (mango tenor ukulele) from the good folks at Mainland Ukuleles.

You can find all the details here:



Also, please check out the contest sponsor, Mainland Ukuleles:

Thank you for subscribing.

I am always thrilled and thankful to see new subscribers to my channel. I feel like I owe them at least the customary "Thanks for the sub" message on their channels. Then if I happen to browse their channel's content and like what I see, I will in return subscribe to their channels. That's makes sense right?

Lately, I've been getting a lot of sub4sub tools that are just subscribing in order to get you to return the favor. You'll know these guys when you visit their channels and they have 0 videos and 5000+ subscribers and belong to Youtube groups such as "sub4sub asstards" and "heylookatme.org". So I get it, that's certain peoples' game: create a Youtube account and see who can get the most subscriptions without hosting any actual content. I'm sure it's a proud thing to claim you have an audience of thousands of like-minded time wasters. Cool, good for you.

Now the part that really chaps my hide. When a sub4sub person subscribes to your channel, then you visit their channel to post the standard good faith "Thanks for the sub" comment, then they in turn post a comment on your channel saying something like "hey, sub me back or i'll unsub you."

um, F U and the H you R in on!

That is all...

Neil Gaiman's Cthulkhelele

Not sure if it's his, but he posted this awesome monstrosity on Twitter this morning.

I sooo want it.

A Cry for Help?

Or just attention?

Like the world needed another f-ing forum...

Chalk this up to "shameless self-promption"... appologies.

The Bring the Song CD is in production. The first compilation should be out by fall of this year (provided some of you stop reading and go make me MP3s damnit... ahem).

The Challenge was so unexpectadly popular that I've expanded on the idea.

The Bring the Song Project.

A community focused on helping one another write and publish songs. I'm setting up more challenges, more compilation CDs, and eventually annual song-writing grants to help musicians get projects off the ground.

One thing that's missing - you. Managing the playlists over at youtube became obcene. I've set up another f-ing forum so we can keep track of stuff and gibber about songwriting.

I need you lot to pop in, help post some songwriting resources, and of course, post your latest creations. It's no fun if I just post to myself. I've tried.

http://bringthesong.org/phpbb

Tune Yards

Just awesome....




Her name is Merill Garbus - but the act is "Tune Yards", (her and who ever she can grab at the time). Punk sentiment, performance art style, and a distorted baritone uke... what's not to like?

We need more rockin' out on ukes.

Not the Way I Want It, Not the Way I Need It (oooh)

So, my son is 12 now. Weird age. Half the time he acts like he's 17 & the other half he acts like he's 4. Part of being an almost teenager is driving your parents crazy, right? Well, he's certainly figured out the perfect method. He doesn't slam the door, or stand with fridge open, or anything that I can just "grrr" at then forget about in 5 minutes. Oh no. Not my boy. What he does... it haunts me all night, even after he's in bed. Every day he tortures me- at home, in the car- even in public. It's... it's just wrong. It's horrible. It's.... a Journey song.

"Dooooonnnn't stop beleeeeiiiving... hold on to that fee-ee-lin!"

Oh yeah. Every freaking day.

See, at the last school concert they sang that song. Afterward (after I ran out of the auditorium screaming & projectile vomiting, that is) I informed him that Journey is like my musical achilles heel- like a, like a super-sonic vacuum that sucks all the soul out of me & then I'm all crampy & I have to wash my hands & my ears & go to the bathroom &... well, you get the idea. Not a fan.

I also thought it was really funny that song was chosen. The kids were 11-13. Are they supposed to think Journey is cool? Is this the music teacher trying to "connect" with them? (Then someone told me they did that song on Glee recently.) (Then I asked them my same two questions again.)

Anywho... my son has a pocket full of Journey cryptonite, & he's not shy with it. Walks around the house maybe just humming it quietly, or full blown sings it all exaggerated like. He's clever with it, uses it to his advantage as he knows that I a.) usually forget whatever else we were talking about, & b.) don't mind him going away at that point. I'll suggest some quality family time & he starts singing Journey & all the sudden it's okay for him to go back up to his bedroom/teen-cave. He's smiling & now I have f*cking Journey stuck in my head.

I actually have it stuck in my head right now. Stupid blog entry...

It takes about a month...

...for me to get video footage from my camera to the internet. That's what you get when you purchase your USB cable from some dude off the side of the freeway off ramp.

There have been many UWC compilation videos out there and I know you're all tired of seeing them, but screw you guys, here is mine anyway.



I want to warn you after you've already viewed this video in front of your children, that there are a couple of mild expletives in there. So don't say I didn't warn you (better late than never right?).

What? It's Uke Related... Sort of.

Why can't all videos be like this?


He has a uke... fairly certian he's not playing a uke.

Eyes on the Bear...

Ok you crazy kids. I usually leave this "oversized-glasses girl" thing to UKI, but this one came with a dancing sock bear.




Nauseatingly cute all the way around. Love it.

UWC Jam You Long Time

So the Ukulele World Congress had its second year of awesome good times and we managed to all make it out alive again (but just barely).  There were good people, good booze, and a whole lot of jammin' going on at the field.  This year, we decided to step it up a notch and get some actual arrangements prepared ahead of time.  Rhythm parts, lead parts, boy parts, girl parts, harmonies,  and a shitload of solos.  We managed to beat our own record (8m54s) of the last time we recorded this Neil Young tune with the addition of the awesome Little6ster and smokin' solos from the Baron, and stretched it out to just shy of 12 minutes of jamtastic noise.  UCB could not be prouder to play with our new international friends.  Video below:

And once again, it was really nice to get the whole UCB gang together, Alan, Adelle, Booze, Deach, Grumpy and myself to laugh and have a good time.  I only wish we had an opportunity to take a new group photo.  Perhaps next year.

Thanks to Mainland Ukulele (Mike and Tookta) for a great party.  There should be more (better) recaps coming up from the rest of UCB.

Just 'Cause...

Still speechless about the UWC. So enjoy this.



If you want to learn it on the ukulele and in English, see this video.

2 Sleeping Times Left till UWC!!!

Funny, I can't sleep at night because I'm so excited!