Uni and her Ukelele
My Favorite Letter Is U
© 2006 Unicornbread (634479304354)
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Dreamy, melodic, indie folk-pop that is emotional and melancholy, but also funny and full of life.
tracks
- 1 See Your Face Again
- 2 My Favorite Letter Is U
- 3 Love Is A Lost Art Now
- 4 Sean
- 5 Mahalo Maui Rose
- 6 Home
- 7 Oh Henry
- 8 Haven't Been The Same
- 9 See Your Face Again (Again)
- 10 Chewie And The Unicorn
- 11 Metaly Of Unfinished Songs
- 12 Twinkle, Twinkle
- 13 As Gold
- 14 Summertime
- 15 Tell Me That My World Is Pink, Not Blue
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"That Blonde Venus hair, those frilly outfits, that sweet, sweet voice: It could only be Uni & Her Ukelele. The uke's pink, usually, and the girl's obsessed with unicorns; the overall effect is the musical and sartorial equivalent of sucking on a jawbreaker while drinking whiskey straight from the bottle. Although Uni claims both Ol' Dirty Bastard and Stevie Nicks as influences and strays a long, long way from traditional, she does perform a tune called "Mahalo Maui Rose" that brings the old-fashioned plinky romance."
- Michael Leaverton & Hiya Swanhuyser for SF Weekly, November 16, 2005
"Consider the ukulele — which, roughly translated, means “jumping flea” — developed in Hawaii by way of Portugal and wielded ably now by Uni, a petite and soulful singer who is to wacky sexiness what the nitroglycerin dot is to firecrackers. Channeling the spirits of Tin Pan Alley and Joni Mitchell, she’ll unveil songs from her new album, My Favorite Letter Is U (Unicornbread), with her electrified ukulele, Sally Luka — think B.B. King’s Lucille, but with the personality of a fierce kitten. If all you know about the ukulele is Tiny Tim or that kid on Google Video who rips through “Classical Gas” on his uke, you owe it to yourself to have your mind properly blown forthwith."
- David Cotner for LA Weekly, July 14, 2006
"Had it with the guitar? Consider the ukelele. Heather Marie Ellison, aka Uni, was sold on it the moment she heard a friend play a Prince song on one a couple years ago. In a flash as bright as the glitter she wears onstage, she realized she'd found her instrument. Soon after, Ellison acquired a pink ukelele and christened it Sally Luka - Uni and her Ukelele have been inseparable ever since.
With its small size and fanciful name, the ukelele seems a natural fit for a unicorn-obsessed gal who sews her own frilly stage costumes. But Ellison picked the ukelele based on more than quirk appeal; it was also a practical key to creativity and independence. "I was trying to find an instrument to accompany myself, because I'd always been the chick singer in the band," says Ellison, whose formal training was mostly as a vocalist. "I wanted to be able to play, to be able to rely on myself. I was working on guitar, but it was intimidating. And I realized anything you can do on a guitar, you can do on a ukelele. It's just a guitar with two less strings. It's really easy to learn on. And it's forgiving, you can't really hit the wrong note."
Ellison discovered the ukelele was perfect for both learning and songwriting because it was portable enough to go anywhere; she could play it on her lunch break at Amoeba Music in San Francisco. In teaching herself, she bypassed the traditional ukelele repertoire of Hawaiian songs and Tin Pan Alley tunes to create a unique pop sound of her own making. Lyrics emerged alongside her fingering as she made up songs to go with the chord progressions she learned.
Uni and her Ukelele began performing to a warm reception throughout California, interspersed with Ellison's many other projects. She's been spotted in the funky aerobics outfit Get in Shape, Bitch! and the bizarre cooing electroclash duo Lil' Miss Juju B and Uncle Kenny, as well as the Paper Dolls, a ukelele trio that plays mostly covers. After building up confidence both solo and as a member of the Dolls, Ellison decided to focus her formidable energy on putting out an album. "When I do covers, I feel good, but when I get off-stage, I don't feel the same as with my own songs," she explains. "As much as I love covers, I wanted to give my music a chance."
The result of plenty of do-it-yourself elbow grease, plus some help from musically-minded friends, is My Favorite Letter is U, a self-released debut album with a homemade cover that's a fantasia of rainbows, unicorns, and striped stockings. It's a dish of jangly, whimsical pop confections whose irresistible sweetness veers between girlish disingenuity and womanly wryness. All its songs were written on the ukelele, and though other instruments - keys, drums, bass - drop in to say hello, the ukelele's gentle, rhythmic strumming remains Ellison's most constant companion, the weightless support that keeps her aloft.
To be fair, it's not all about the ukelele. Ellison has a gorgeous, throaty voice that vibrates softly around the edges, but purrs into pitches dead on. A trace of huskiness remains when she rises to a breathless falsetto, singeing the sugar of her voice as it turns dryly humorous, or catches with yearning, or gives out an excited squeal. The tones of both innocence and knowledge converge in it, like hearing a grown-up speak from the safe space of a child's room, and Ellison's lyrics mine this ambiguity with artless guile.
"Oh Henry" is a comic but tender song about both a bratty pony and taking another chance on love. On "See your face again," a grown-up heart asks a child's question: "How can I love you when I live here in LA?" And the lilting sigh of the titular refrain on "Love is a lost art now" seamlessly marries the jaded sophisticate and the starry-eyed ingénue.
Ellison strikes a similar balance between chutzpah and humility in approaching her music. While admitting she was insecure about putting her songs out, she says she overcame the obstacle simply by sucking it up and setting a deadline. "I thought, 'It's gonna be raw, no matter what, because I don't have thousands of dollars to put into it.' And I set a date. I said, 'I'm just getting it done and putting it out.' And that's what I did... It was a good learning experience and I'm, well, proud of myself. I figure it'll only get better if I play more and write more. People like to see you grow."
- Rebecca Johnson for Performer Magazine, October 2006
reviews
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- author: taylor
I love this CD almost as much as I loved seeing Uni live. It's adorable, and silly, and her voice is amazing. No one makes unicorns and rainbows sound as sweet.
- author: Robert Nielsen
I met, heard and hugged this little girl, in September 2008, at the Speisekammer in Alameda, a long long way from my home land Denmark in Europe, and I have never been able to forget her, I never heard a voice more cute.
Heather Marie's other album
author: James BartlettFans of Heather Marie Ellison are encouraged to search out her earlier (1999) CD "Got My Mojo Workin'", on the legendary Johnny Otis's "J & T" label. That set is a charming genre-crossing mix of Blues, Swing, and Pop confections, backed by Johnny Otis and his group. The CD is still in print and I recommend it highly and without reserve. I was disappointed only by the fact that there was no follow-up release.
Starlight and sundaes
author: OiWhat can I say? This cd makes me think of moondust, starlight and a ride on a unicorn to cottoncandy land... When is the last time you actually find music tasty? This is super delicious...Mmmm
buy it!
author: KGreat music from a great girl...
This CD is absolutely fantastic!
author: TippyWhat is there to say about Uni and her Ukelele? Catchy, well-crafted, fun songs; frilly outfits, and all around whimsical wit makes "My Favorite Letter is U" a perfect CD to play with the repeat on.
Truly inspired
author: Steve Taylor-RamírezThis is a truly inspired album! Like a fine novel or film, it’s full of artistic complexity, has loads of charm and is worth visiting again and again. Oh, and I think it cured my cold … it has medicinal properties as well! That gives it a sixth star.
- author: Kelsey
This cd is mind blowing. I love it and can't stop listening/mummming/singing it. I LOVE IT!!!!
I love this CD!
author: JulieThis CD is so much fun! A friend of mine bought one from "Uni" at a park in San Francisco, she brought it to work and we listen to it all the time! It's just so different and unique! Thanks
Uni stole my heart.....
author: Carol FerrellI give this cd 5 stars because it's so unique! There's nobody else like Heather Marie and she's created a cutie-pie character in Uni and her ukelele, a teeny little waif who pours out her heart in her quirky little songs. I absolutely love Tell Me That My World Is Pink, Not Blue - it can stand up against any song anywhere with its sweet little message, soulful singing, and beautiful melody.
touching and irresistible
author: renotherocketi'm not a fan of unicorns myself, but this album is more than mere fluff. the songs are really touching, and i felt that i could relate to them on deeper levels than just the sound. the homegrown packaging is an added plus, making the album more intimate in a time of commercial BS.
touching and irresistible
author: renotherocketi'm not a fan of unicorns myself, but this album is more than mere fluff. the songs are really touching, and i felt that i could relate to them on deeper levels than just the sound. the homegrown packaging is an added plus, making the album more intimate in a time of commercial BS.
Why isn't she a star?
author: tvzetcThink Dusty Springfield + Rickie Lee Jones filtered through Dionne Warwick and Laura Nyro. Forget about the unicorns and rainbows and clown costumes. What we have here is an extraordinary singer and a fine songwriter. You must have this CD.
Utterly & Undeniably Magical
author: Steve M.I'm not good at writing reviews, so I'm going to keep this short and sweet (kinda like Uni! Ha!). Uni has so much talent it's disgusting. Seriously. Her stage presence is all encompassing and her voice is the most hypnotic thing you'll ever hear. Every song on the CD is a precious jewel, each sparkling in its own little way. I told Uni once that I was hearing a lotta Beatles when I listened to her album, as crazy as that sounds, but Paul once said that he loves the ukelele and that he instantly loves anyone who plays one, so I guess it's not as far-fetched as it sounds.
Lyrically Solid Goreous Spring Time Music all Year Long
author: Dream WeaverGorgeous toe tapp'n, suggestive spirit swaying music Ms. Uni's sweet vocals and musicality soothe the ears and the contemplative corners of one's soul. I always feel like I'm sliding down a friend's rain barrell and listening to all that is good.
Uni unleashes uniform understanding of what music needs today!
author: M. W. HoboHand your average singer a ukelele & you'll get 2 bars of 'Tiptoe thru the tulips'. Not so with Uni! She is equal parts glitter-topped chantuse & East Village Singer Songwriter. This album is an excellent example of the contempo+vintage=timeless music that is being offered today by the likes of Uni & her genre contemporaries, The Ditty Bops & other similarly amazing bands. A wonderful addition to any refined music library.
charming and lovely album
author: don cherrythis san francisco songstress does not disapoint with her debut full length album. there seems to be mention of the fantsy subject matter, crazy outfits and instrumentation aplenty. let's not forget that at the core is a great songwriter with a beautiful voice. big ups!
More Than A Gimmick
author: Poopy LicklesTo hear someone talk about Uni and Her Ukelele, you might think the whole act is just a gimmick. A cute girl with a pink ukelele who sings songs about unicorns and rainbows and glitter and ribbons. Well, I suppose on the surface that's what you got. But a gimmick is just a way to get your attention. The fact is, this is a great cd. The songwriting is impressive and several songs have a real emotional depth that might catch you off gaurd. At the same time, the cd never stops being fun. The song arrangments are kept simple so the addition of drums, bass, and guitar serve to hilite (rather than over shadow) the most important thing, Uni's voice.