|
Walking into a Ukefink (established in 1994) show you may feel like you've walked into Dante's broom closet.
The stage is littered with anything and everything that can be plucked, peeled, and pounded upon. It is easy to
see why Fred Kiko (of KXLU's Demolisten show) is featuring them in his documentary on "junkyard bands."
Ukefink's music features the banjo, autoharp, xylophone, accordion, toy piano, casio organ, dobro, lap steel, bugle,
clarinet, marimba, tenor guitar, saw, guitarone, pump organ, melodica, harmonica, whistles, bells, pots, pans,
and a cardboard box bass drum. But where Ukefink derives its name and philosophy is from the ukulele. All types
of ukes are employed, from the baritone uke to the banjo uke. For Ukefink, the ukulele, with its size, sound, simplicity,
and sensibility, represents everything virtuous, outstanding, and healthy. The salt of the earth. All wool and
a yard wide. But the Ukefinks are pragmatists. Within the din and clang not a note is wasted. Somehow, by returning
to the instruments of yesterday, Ukefink has created new songs that cannot be pigeonholed by the use of these same
instruments. Ukefink's songs are informed by the histories and voices of these instruements, but not formed by
them. The press has called Ukefink everything from "idiosyncratic toy-rock" (Dan Epstein, BAM) to "balancing
moody pathos with a jaunty sound" (Sara Scribner, Los Angeles Times). Adam Bregman from the L.A. Weekly perhaps
said it all: "suburban yokels Ukefink break out the banjos and ukuleles and gather everyone around the fire."
With Ukefink that could be a candle, a bonfire, or an inferno.
|
