Dent May: Uking all over the place

Monday, February 16th, 2009 | musiX

The ukulele … making a comeback? Did it ever leave? Over the past couple of years I’ve become smitten with a few uke-loving artists: cabaret-and-fairy-dust chanteuse Uni and Her Ukelele [sic], Chico folk duo Dick and Jane and Francophile Zach Condon from Beirut. Now I can’t get enough of Dent May … or his Magnificent Ukulele.

Now, Dent May may be too quirky for his own good. He plays a damn ukulele for one thing. May also likes to sport sweater vests and round, so-outdated-they’re-actually-cool glasses. His new record is called The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele, and it’s loaded with kitschy pop numbers with titles like “You Can’t Force a Dance Party,” “I’m an Alcoholic” and “God Loves You, Michael Chang” …

… and it’s really (f)u(c)king good. The ukulele takes center along with May’s slightly exaggerated croon, while hand claps, tambourines and random shakers provide the percussion. Topics? Pretty girls. Paris. Parties. Liquor. Pretty girls.

May recorded the album in his hometown of Taylor, Miss. (population: 289) in the trailer he lived in until recently. This came after being discovered by that one band everybody likes … what’s their name … Animal Planet … no … Animal House … um … Animal Crackers … Animal Collective! That’s it.

The band signed May to their Paw Tracks label, and they’ll all head out on the road together in March. In the meantime, May is playing dates with A.C. Newman, including Feb. 22 right here in Portland at the Doug Fir. If you can’t get enough, look for his dance record under the moniker Dent Sweat in the future. If it’s too much, don’t do anything.

“You Can’t Force a Dance Party” - Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele

Dent May, video for “Meet Me in the Garden”

Tags: Animal Collective, Beirut, Dent May, Dick and Jane, Paw Tracks, The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificen, Uni and Her Ukelele

5 Comments to Dent May: Uking all over the place

fishdog
February 16, 2009

you won’t regret going to see him live. his band is tight and his stage presence entertaining. i caught a short set at a live radio show and they tore it up and had everyone moving. good stuff.

Max
February 16, 2009

Nice one Mark. I gotta tell you man, I LOVE my ukulele. I bought a Kala tenor uke when I was on Maui a few years ago, and it has become one of my favorite things. It’s my secret weapon when my daughter is super fussy, it’s totally portable (a great road-trip or vacation instrument) and it’s just so much fun to play.

There’s a new crop of uke players gaining notoriety, but for my money, Jake Shimabukuro is the king of the young uke troubadours, and he’s got mad skills: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mEqEe-PIC8

Bob
February 17, 2009

I am as a big a uke fan as anybody, but I really don’t like this dude’s music. This whole thing smacks of schtick to me - a blatant move to try to capture the attention of the blogging world by making his music and his “look” be weird and kitschy. I applaud him for the fact that it is obviously working but I ain’t buyin’ it.

Mark
February 17, 2009

I agree, Bob…and I’m usually the first person to call someone out. I guess this didn’t rub me as wrong, and I liked the tunes enough to overlook the schtick.

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