Booking now for a winter tour. We're heading south in December and will do a Midwest movement for the end of the 2012 year and to welcome 2013. Stay tuned for details, but for now, I can tell you that Chicago, Cincinnati, Hot Springs, and Champaign are on the list for sure. More to come...
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It's pretty awesome that our first self-produced music video got over 1,000 views in one month. Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdoF3x1mKCU&feature=plcp
Reply
After two years of recording and production, the Duke of Uke & His Novelty Orchestra release their 2nd studio album, April's Empire, on April 21st at the HighDive in Champaign.
Champaign, IL –– The Duke of Uke and His Novelty Orchestra, a 7-piece orchestral funk-pop
ensemble, based in Urbana-Champaign, IL, featuring 4-part vocal harmonies, ukulele, violin,
tuba, saxophones, electric bass, rock drums and Latin percussion, will release their second full length studio album April’s Empire on April 21, 2012 at The HighDive in Champaign, IL. The
public is invited to join the ensemble at their CD Release Party on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at
7:00pm at The HighDive, at 51 Main St. in Champaign.
The Duke of Uke and His Novelty Orchestra began recording April’s Empire with Mark Rubel at
Pogo Studios in Champaign in May 2010—three months after the release of their first studio
album, This Way Up. The new album, April’s Empire, was co-produced and mixed by Grammy
award-winning engineer, Gerry “The Gov” Brown at Noa Noa Studio and JVern Studio Los
Angeles, CA. The album was mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music, New
Windsor, NY. The album artwork was done by Urbana-based artist, Glen Davies.
The album will be available on iTunes and other digital outlets, and the ensemble is scheduling
performance tours for this spring and summer throughout the U.S. to promote the album.
###
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2012, oh, yes, it's gonna start with fireworks! Playing the New Year's 4 hour set at Esquire Lounge is always thrilling. Then we'll breathe for a minute, pack the Duke-mobile, dedicate a trailer troll, stuff stuff in that trailer, and get on the road. January's Southern Tour is looking awesome!
Jan. 5 - St. Louis, MO @ Crack Fox
Jan. 6 - Hot Springs, AR @ Maxine's
Jan. 8 - Little Rock, AR @ Stickyz Rock 'n Roll Chicken Shack
Jan. 10 - Katy, TX @ Dunn Bros. Coffee
Jan. 12 - Pascagoula, MS @ Celtic Irish Pub
Then, to NOLA.
yep.
Reply
It's a thrill to be so close to finishing "April's Empire"! Just a few more recording sessions with Pogo Studios, and then all the tracks will be sent to Grammy Award Winning Engineer Gerry 'The Gov' Brown for mixing magic.
We started recording it in May of 2010 (yes, 3 months after the release of "This Way Up").
Last Sunday, we worked out the finishing touches of the voices in our title track, April's Empire. It kind of took our breath away, and it's been in my head all week! It debuts live on Saturday, at Mike n Molly's with The Curses and Train Company. Good stuff.
Reply
Hello friends and fans,
There sure is alot going on this year so far!
We're excited to announce that work on the new album is going extremely well. We actually have more material than we anticipated. Everybody is bringing really fantastic ideas to the table. We've got sessions scheduled for the rest of this month and the next to work up the songs and get them mixed. Mark Rubel is doing a super job as always and we really enjoy working with him. Some ideas have solidified about the album name and artwork and we'll be making those announcements soon.
Also on the radar right now are tour dates! We've been networking our butts off and really focusing on playing all over the Midwest this Spring and Summer. More than anything, we're really focused on the festivals. So far, we're off to a good start, and have been asked to play at The Woodchuck Festival in Charleston, IL this coming April. As promoters start solidifying the line-ups, we'll be keeping you posted on where we'll be heading.
Reverbnation has really given us a great tool for sharing our music and news with everyone, and we'll be keeping up with the updates here. Thanks for your continued support. We look forward to giving you more sonic mirth.
Love,
The DUNO gang
Reply
Our album and individual songs are available for purchase in our store here or through Digstation @:
http://www.digstation.com/AlbumDetails.aspx?albumID=ALB000042837
Reply
After closing up the year and the decade with a stellar show at The Esquire Lounge in downtown Champaign on NYE, we're getting ready to head back into the studio to continue work on the upcoming album. We're all very excited about the songs we're producing and are hoping that we'll be able to wrap up the album by late winter/early spring. We're actively seeking Artist Development companies and Booking Agents to work with us to get the upcoming album- and us!- out into the greater market. Hopefully we can connect with people that are the right fit for us and really get the upcoming album the attention we feel it deserves. We all strongly believe in the music we're making together and really just want to share it with as many people as possible. In the meanwhile, and on a more local level :), we've got two shows this month: one at the Krannert Center for Performing Arts on 1/20 and another at the Champaign Public Library on 1/23. Both are mid-month and both are FREE!. As always we hope to see you out at the performances and thank you for your continued support! Yours in mirth and merriment~ The Duke and HNO
Reply
The Duke of Uke and His Novelty Orchestra / Blog
Winter tour...
Booking now for a winter tour. We're heading south in December and will do a Midwest movement for the end of the 2012 year and to welcome 2013. Stay tuned for details, but for now, I can tell you that Chicago, Cincinnati, Hot Springs, and Champaign are on the list for sure. More to come...
Reply
music video JUMP BACK!
It's pretty awesome that our first self-produced music video got over 1,000 views in one month. Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdoF3x1mKCU&feature=plcp
Reply
APRIL'S EMPIRE CD Release Party: April 21
After two years of recording and production, the Duke of Uke & His Novelty Orchestra release their 2nd studio album, April's Empire, on April 21st at the HighDive in Champaign.
Champaign, IL –– The Duke of Uke and His Novelty Orchestra, a 7-piece orchestral funk-pop ensemble, based in Urbana-Champaign, IL, featuring 4-part vocal harmonies, ukulele, violin, tuba, saxophones, electric bass, rock drums and Latin percussion, will release their second full length studio album April’s Empire on April 21, 2012 at The HighDive in Champaign, IL. The public is invited to join the ensemble at their CD Release Party on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at 7:00pm at The HighDive, at 51 Main St. in Champaign.
The Duke of Uke and His Novelty Orchestra began recording April’s Empire with Mark Rubel at Pogo Studios in Champaign in May 2010—three months after the release of their first studio album, This Way Up. The new album, April’s Empire, was co-produced and mixed by Grammy award-winning engineer, Gerry “The Gov” Brown at Noa Noa Studio and JVern Studio Los Angeles, CA. The album was mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music, New Windsor, NY. The album artwork was done by Urbana-based artist, Glen Davies.
The album will be available on iTunes and other digital outlets, and the ensemble is scheduling performance tours for this spring and summer throughout the U.S. to promote the album. ###
Reply
NYE jump starts a Tour SOUTH
2012, oh, yes, it's gonna start with fireworks! Playing the New Year's 4 hour set at Esquire Lounge is always thrilling. Then we'll breathe for a minute, pack the Duke-mobile, dedicate a trailer troll, stuff stuff in that trailer, and get on the road. January's Southern Tour is looking awesome! Jan. 5 - St. Louis, MO @ Crack Fox Jan. 6 - Hot Springs, AR @ Maxine's Jan. 8 - Little Rock, AR @ Stickyz Rock 'n Roll Chicken Shack Jan. 10 - Katy, TX @ Dunn Bros. Coffee Jan. 12 - Pascagoula, MS @ Celtic Irish Pub Then, to NOLA. yep.
Reply
Spring = finishing the album. Summer = TOURING
It's a thrill to be so close to finishing "April's Empire"! Just a few more recording sessions with Pogo Studios, and then all the tracks will be sent to Grammy Award Winning Engineer Gerry 'The Gov' Brown for mixing magic. We started recording it in May of 2010 (yes, 3 months after the release of "This Way Up"). Last Sunday, we worked out the finishing touches of the voices in our title track, April's Empire. It kind of took our breath away, and it's been in my head all week! It debuts live on Saturday, at Mike n Molly's with The Curses and Train Company. Good stuff.
Reply
2011 Update
Hello friends and fans,
There sure is alot going on this year so far!
We're excited to announce that work on the new album is going extremely well. We actually have more material than we anticipated. Everybody is bringing really fantastic ideas to the table. We've got sessions scheduled for the rest of this month and the next to work up the songs and get them mixed. Mark Rubel is doing a super job as always and we really enjoy working with him. Some ideas have solidified about the album name and artwork and we'll be making those announcements soon.
Also on the radar right now are tour dates! We've been networking our butts off and really focusing on playing all over the Midwest this Spring and Summer. More than anything, we're really focused on the festivals. So far, we're off to a good start, and have been asked to play at The Woodchuck Festival in Charleston, IL this coming April. As promoters start solidifying the line-ups, we'll be keeping you posted on where we'll be heading.
Reverbnation has really given us a great tool for sharing our music and news with everyone, and we'll be keeping up with the updates here. Thanks for your continued support. We look forward to giving you more sonic mirth.
Love,
The DUNO gang
Reply
This Way Up Available for Download
Our album and individual songs are available for purchase in our store here or through Digstation @: http://www.digstation.com/AlbumDetails.aspx?albumID=ALB000042837
Reply
What's New for the New Year
After closing up the year and the decade with a stellar show at The Esquire Lounge in downtown Champaign on NYE, we're getting ready to head back into the studio to continue work on the upcoming album. We're all very excited about the songs we're producing and are hoping that we'll be able to wrap up the album by late winter/early spring. We're actively seeking Artist Development companies and Booking Agents to work with us to get the upcoming album- and us!- out into the greater market. Hopefully we can connect with people that are the right fit for us and really get the upcoming album the attention we feel it deserves. We all strongly believe in the music we're making together and really just want to share it with as many people as possible. In the meanwhile, and on a more local level :), we've got two shows this month: one at the Krannert Center for Performing Arts on 1/20 and another at the Champaign Public Library on 1/23. Both are mid-month and both are FREE!. As always we hope to see you out at the performances and thank you for your continued support! Yours in mirth and merriment~ The Duke and HNO
Reply