Norwegian singer and ukulele player Siri Nilsen has just released a new album, Alle Snakker Sant (Everybody is telling the truth). Those of you looking to learn or pratise Norwegian will definitely appreciate her lovely voice and very clear lyrics together with her ukulele fingerpicking.
[Update of the 16.11.2011 : Lillebjørn Nilsen, who is a renowned Norwegian singer and songwriter and also Siri's father sent me the link to a performance of 'Alle Snakker Sant' Siri and himself gave a few days ago during a TV show. It is the first time I see Lillebjørn perform on the uke, the guitar being his instrument of choice. The complicity between father and daughter is obvious in the video which you can view here (after a short ad).]
Here is a live version of the title song of the album, Alle Snakker Sant (Hvor skal du gå?)
I have discovered the French band Stoned Popes a couple of months ago and I have really enjoyed the mood brightening effect their songs had. The band features a ukulele and their songs have a catchy rhythm and feature many instruments, borrowing from different musical styles.
I couldn’t resist asking them a few questions to find out more about their music.
U&L: When and how was your band Stoned Popes formed ? Can you tell us a little about the different members of the band, where everybody is from and what instruments everyone is playing ?
Stoned Popes: The band in its current form was formed two years ago in Paris by 6 crazy frenchies:
U&L: Where does the name of the band come from?
Stoned Popes: It’s a well-kept secret…
U&L: Your music creates a contagiously happy atmosphere and before you know it you feel like clapping along to the rhythm of your songs. Who are your musical influences ?
Stoned Popes: Thanks! We mix a lot of musical influences including British and US pop, Caribbean music such as reggae, rock, folk and all music with good rhythms and vocal orchestrations!
We try to create a happy and contagious melting-pop with all these influences. We were influenced by The Beatles of course, Cake, Beck, Calexico and innovative projects such as Gorillaz. All good bands who are not locked in any stereotype! We all listen to different music styles and we try to put that in our music.
Listen to What’s Coming After by the Stoned Popes:
Stoned Popes:Seb, our drummer, lived in Brazil a few years ago. He learnt typical body percussions there. He tried a combination on Loser song and we all loved it. That’s how Dum Clap was born!
Stoned Popes performing Loser Song live.
U&L: A question aimed at us ukulele fans: how did you discover the ukulele?
Stoned Popes: We were lookin’ for kind of an “island sound” in our meting-pop. What instrument is better than a ukulele to get this sound?! Plus the ukulele has a lighter sound than the guitar so it allows us to have complex orchestration while having a very soft sound.
We use it as well inLoser song. This tune has a rocksteady rythm, the ukulele helps to push the song further, far from the classical reggae sound.
U&L: You have just released an EP called Stereo On. Can you tell us a bit about it? How many tracks featuring the ukulele are there?
I have featured a cool video of Les Poupées Gonflées in one of my Weekly Ukulele World Tour post before and when I saw that they were about to release an album in which the ukulele played an important part, I set out to interview Valérie Charlot, the ukulele player in the band. Valérie seems to be seriously smitten by UAS (Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome).
Version française de l’interview des Poupées Gonfléesici.
Here is my translation of the interview. To read the original version in French, click here.
U&L: How was the band Les Poupées Gonflées formed? Can you introduce the different band members?
Valérie:Les Poupées Gonflées have been around for a year and a half but I started writing songs in the Poupées Gonflées style about 2 years ago. After writing my first originals, I started looking for accomplices!
Bebop was an obvious choice as we had previously been singing together in a band (swing) and because we had been friends for a long time. She plays the guitar as well as unlikely percussions (everyday life objects used as musical instruments such as keys, a necklace, a watering can…).
Meeting Titi was a stroke of good fortune. She plays the acoustic bass.
I play the ukulele and chromatic concertina. My uke is a soprano Kapono from New-Zealand, made of koa, which I really love. I sometimes steal my son’s Hamano to get a more muffled sound. I dream of a Koaloha (like you Armelle) or of a Lo Prinzi, in koa as well. I am also tempted by a soprano Chevalier but I will first invest in an electro-acoustic Risa to play on gigs.
As I had already written songs for Bebop and Titi’s personal repertoire before starting the Poupées Gonflées project, they both trusted me to write songs for the band.
We started rehearsing intensively about a year and a half ago and did our first gig in October 2009 (as first part for a band). Our first CD was released in October 2010 so as you can see we have not waisted any time!
U&L: What would you say are the characteristics of your band Les Poupées Gonflées ?
Valérie: A rather cheeky sense of humour which speaks to women and makes men laugh. Elaborate vocal harmonies, modest but effective instruments. No musical taboos whatsoever.
U&L: You are working on a new CD which is going to be released in January. What will be on the CD and how much ukulele will be featured ?
Valérie: We’ve just recorded 14 tracks, 11 of which being original songs. The CD also features an adaptation of Django Reinhardt (vocals), an old French standard completely revisited with the help of a skillful arranger friend _ the only man of the crew with Mathieu, our sound engineer_, and a cover of a song by Ricet Barrier (an old rogue from the Chanson Française and a ukulele player).
The ukulele is prominent in our repertoire except on 4 of the tracks (one of them being an a cappella song). All the rhythms are played on the uke. I write all the songs on the uke and check all vocal harmonies with the piano as I only have 2 vocal chords!
U&L: There is a lot of vocal work in your songs, how do you work on vocal lines in your songs? Do you write lyrics first and then work on the instruments or do you start from a melody played on an instrument ?
Valérie: This varies quite a bit. For example, in the song Badoum I started playing a few chords, the melody then came by itself and the lyrics followed. However in most cases, I am guided by the lyrics. On one of the songs the melody came to me while driving, so as you can see, there are no constants.
Les Poupées Gonflées : Les Copines de La Femme de Mon Mari
U&L: Do you sing your songs A Cappella to adjust your vocal lines ?
Valérie: I write the vocal lines and I then input them into a software program called Finale which makes beautiful music sheets. I then submit them to the other two and I try to take their tessitures into account as I know them well.
We make the necessary changes at the end of the first rehearsal, I rework my music sheets and it takes us about 6 weeks to get a song which sounds really right, especially when the song includes a chorus of harmonised voices.
U&L: You have recently played as first part for Bob Brozman, how did that feel ?
Valérie: It has such an effect that I first refused. We were in the middle of our recordings in the studio and I wanted to remain calm and composed…
But as the request came from our excellent friend and inspired musician Mathieu Presqué, I eventually changed my mind two hours before the concert (so I didn’t have time to get stressed out!)
We played Stand by Me on ukulele and lap steel guitar for the first time in front of Mr. Brozman himself!
Besides the excellent evening I spent in his company (he is delicious and his concert was excellent) it will remain a good memory, especially since I am a fair rhythm ukulele player and not at all a ukulele hero!
Voici la version française (et originale) de l’interview de Valérie Charlot, l’ukulélistedes Poupées Gonflées. To read the English version of the interview, click here.
U&L: Comment est né le groupe Les Poupées Gonflées et peux-tu présenter les différentes membres du groupe et les instruments dont chacune joue?
Valérie:Les Poupées Gonflées existent depuis un an et demi, mais j’ai commencé à écrire dans ‘l’esprit Poupées’ il y a deux ans. Quand j’ai eu les premières compos, j’ai cherché des complices !
Bebop s’est imposée très vite, parce que nous chantions ensemble dans un précédent groupe (de swing) et que nous sommes amies de longue date. Bebop joue de l’accordéon, de la guitare et des percussions « improbables »( des objets du quotidien détournés en instruments de musique : des clés, un collier, un arrosoir…).
La rencontre avec Titi est due à un hasard bienheureux ! Titi joue de la basse acoustique.
Je joue personnellement de l’ukulélé et du concertina chromatique. Mon ukulélé est un Kapono soprano en koa, from New Zealand que j’adore (qui dira les délices du koa ? moi !) et il m’arrive de voler le Hamano de mon fils, pour son son plus feutré. Mais je rêve d’un Koaloha (comme toi Armelle !), ou d’un Lo Prinzi (en koa aussi), je suis enfin tentée par un soprano Chevalier, pour finir, je vais d’abord investir dans un uke électro-acoustique pour les besoins de la scène, et je pense que mon choix va se porter sur un Risa électro-acoustique, comme me l’a conseillé un excellent ami.
Comme j’avais déjà écrit des chansons pour le répertoire personnel de BeBop et Titi, qu’elles aimaient bien, elles m’ont donc fait confiance pour partir dans l’aventure Poupées Gonflées, et pour l’écriture des chansons.
Nous avons commencé à répéter (de façon intensive !) il y a un an et demi, nous avons fait notre premier concert en octobre 2009 (une 1ère partie) et notre premier disque en octobre 2010, autant dire que nous n’avons pas perdu de temps !
Les Poupées Gonflées :Où est-il ?
U&L: Comment définis-tu le style de musique et les caractéristiques de votre groupe Les Poupées Gonflées ?
Valérie: de l’humour un peu coquin…qui parle aux femmes et fait rire les hommes ! Des harmonies de voix très travaillées, des instruments « modestes » mais efficaces ! Aucun tabou musical !
U&L: Vous êtes en train de travailler à la sortie d’un album, sortie prévue pour janvier. Que trouvera t-on sur l’album et quelle sera la place de l’ukulélé ?
Valérie: nous venons d’enregistrer 14 titres dont 11 compositions originales, une adaptation de Django Reinhardt (chantée), un vieux standard français complètement détourné (je vous laisse la surprise !) avec le coup de main de maître d’un ami arrangeur (seul homme de l’entreprise avec Mathieu, notre ingénieur du son) et une chanson de Ricet Barrier (vieille canaille de la chanson française et… joueur d’ukulélé !).
L’uke est prépondérant dans notre répertoire _ à l’exception de quatre titres (dont un a cappella)_ et il assure toutes les rythmiques. J’ajoute que je compose toutes les chansons à l’ukulélé, je vérifie ensuite l’harmonie des voix au piano, parce que je n’ai que deux cordes vocales !
Les Poupées Gonflées : Les Copines de La Femme de Mon Mari
U&L: Il y a beaucoup de travail vocal dans vos chansons, comment travaillez-vous vos lignes de voix dans vos compositions ? Commencez-vous par écrire les paroles de vos chansons puis ajoutez-vous les instruments ou bien travaillez-vous à partir d’une mélodie trouvée sur un instrument ?
Valérie: C’est très variable. Pour la chanson Badoum par exemple, je suis partie d’un enchaînement d’accords, la mélodie s’est imposée, le texte a suivi. Mais souvent, c’est l’idée d’un texte qui me guide. Il y a aussi une chanson dont la mélodie m’est venue en voiture ! Très variable donc.
U&L: Travaillez-vous vos chansons A Cappella pour ajuster vos lignes de voix ?
Valérie: j’écris les lignes de voix, que j’édite en belles partitions grâce au logiciel Finale, puis je les soumets à ces demoiselles, j’essaie de tenir compte des tessitures de chacune, que je connais bien. Nous modifions ce qui doit l’être à l’issue de la 1ère répétition, je retravaille ma copie et il nous faut ensuite à peu près 6 semaines pour avoir une chanson qui ‘sonne’ vraiment ! Surtout quand il y a un chorus de voix harmonisées !
U&L: Valérie, tu as joué récemment en 1ère partie de Bob Brozman, quel effet cela fait-il ?
Valérie: ça fait un effet tel que j’ai commencé par refuser ! Nous étions en plein studio et je voulais rester en possession de mes moyens…Mais comme c’est Mathieu Pesqué, notre excellent ami (et musicien inspiré) qui me l’a proposé, j’ai changé d’avis deux heures avant le concert (du coup, pas de stress !) Nous avons donc joué Stand by me, ukulélé et lap steel, pour la première fois à la balance, devant M. Brozman himself ! Autant dire qu’outre l’excellente soirée que j’ai passée en sa compagnie (parce qu’il est délicieux et parce que son concert était génial) ça restera un bon souvenir, d’autant que je suis une honnête rythmicienne et pas du tout une ’ukulele heroe’ !
Pour aider les Poupées Gonflées à financer leur album, pensez à commander l’album dès maintenant (sortie prévue en Janvier 2010) en envoyant vos coordonnées à Valérie Charlot ainsi qu’un chèque de 12 Euros à l’adresse suivante :
I really liked Craig Robertson‘s song Undead so I was therefore very pleased when he kindly sent me a copy of his latest CD, Better Liar.
The CD consists of eleven of Craig‘s original songs, including Undead, and of a cover of The Scorpion Queen, a song by ukulelezo Zoe Janzen.
Craig Robertson describes the style of Better Liar as Gothic Pop Noir. The ukulele is not the instrument that naturally springs to mind in association with Gothic Pop Noir but it does fit perfectly well with the songs, and creates a special atmosphere quite unique to Craig Robertson. A perfect demonstration that the ukulele is much more than a happy-go-lucky instrument.
Here is a review of the songs I liked best in the album.
Craig wrote Only a Bird, the first song of the album, after listening to a 1900 song by Harold von Tilzer, A Bird in a Gilded Cage, a song telling the classical story of a young and beautiful woman married to an old man just for his wealth. Despite her riches, she remains unhappy, a bird in a gilded cage.
Only a Bird develops on the same theme with a much modernised metaphor, a catchy song with lovely lyrics. Chords and lyrics to the song are available on Craig‘s website here.
The second song, Broken’s Spoken Here is one of my favourite of the album. Imagine yourself in a bar, close your eyes and listen carefully to the lyrics. You’ll feel as if you were transported to the scene, the lyrics painting such a vivid portrait of a breakup. The rhythm of the song and Craig’s voice emphasize the drama and the slide guitar solo towards the end of the song adds to the atmosphere.
Lyrics to Broken’s Spoken here are available here.
Rosa’s Song is another interesting song, starting with muted strings as percussions and building up with the ukulele and bass. The rhythm is slightly haunting, a perfect match to the lyrics. I really love the ukulele in the song.
Craig’s cover of The Scorpion Queen, is also about creating an atmosphere. The Syntar gives an oriental feel to the song.
Undead is the kind of song that you will be humming before you know it, it’s a really nice pop song.
One thing I find really remarkable in Better Liar is Craig‘s storytelling abilities. You start listening to a song, your mind fills with pictures created from the lyrics along with the atmosphere conveyed by the music, and pretty soon you find yourself escaping from the real world.
Pigeons and Hawks and Conjure Box are typical examples. After the first verses you are hooked and you really feel like knowing what’s going to happen next. And then there are the catchy choruses for you to sing along.
The song Conjure Box is especially compelling and the ukulele hammering contributes to creating some kind of suspense and a slightly uneasy atmosphere. A really great song.
Better Liar, the closing song of the CD has a completely different style. Ukulele fingerpicking emphasizes a nostalgic and reflective feel to the song.
Craig playing Better Liar on his 50′s Gibson tenor uke.
In conclusion, I really recommend the CD Better Liar. Creative lyrics, ukulele, great voice and songs with melodies that stick in your head make it a very enjoyable CD.
