Other Paddle-lads & lasses on recordings and in the live show have included: Sandra Mello, Chris Gill, Yanos Lustig, Christopher Fisher, Steve Gardner, Isaac Carter, Bonfire Madigan Shive, Bart Davenport, Brian Mello, The Paper Dolls, Pat Johnson, Vance Ehlers and Bill MacBeath.
A little poppy, a little jazzy, a little country and oh! oh! oh!
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Originally from Baltimore and now based in sunny Oakland, songbird and solo uke-slinger/guitarist, Tippy Canoe (Michele Kappel-Stone), made the switch from a 5-piece drum kit with the garage-pop princesses The Kirby Grips (Sympathy For The Record Industry), to a 4-stringed ukulele in 2003. In 2009 she upped the string count and added guitarist to her resume. She’s on a mission to bring sincere uplift in a severely down-slanted era by spreading her hook-laden pop-meets-roots music.
On her debut full-length album, “Parasols & Pekingese,” released in 2008 on Late Bloomers Works and recorded with her full band the Paddlemen, Tippy Canoe shows off her enchanting and dynamic sound. Her voice is a mixture of the 60's girl group sound and classic country with its own quirky nature shining through. Her songwriting highlights a variety of influences ranging from 20's and 30's acts like The Boswell Sisters and Jack Teagarden, to 50's and 60's performers like Brenda Lee and The Chiffons, and catchy post-punk bands like Squeeze and Blondie.
Tippy Canoe has shared the stage or completed coastal tours with artists including Martha Wainwright, Big Sandy & his Fly-Rite Boys, Mad Tea Party, and others. San Francisco shows Tippy Canoe a lot of love; she was included in an exhibition on the ukulele at the San Francisco Museum of Craft and Folk Art, featured in the first annual San Francisco Ukulele Festival, and aired on a segment of PBS’s Bay Area Arts program SPARK TV. Tippy Canoe also contributed original music to the animated children’s DVD “Music Time.”
You won’t want to miss Tippy Canoe as she continues to stomp the pavement and charm audiences with her solo act.
---who conjure up a tight-knit mesh of rhythm to compliment her old-timey pop melodies. Additional assistance is provided at times by Yanos Lustig (sax/keys - Johnny Bones and the Palace of Jazz), and Christopher Fisher (drums - 77 el Deora/The Country Squires).
Quotes from the Press: "From the rollicking rootsy country of "Mass Transmissions" to the dark sensuality of "Sleep, Sleep My Dear" and everything in between, Tippy Canoe and the Paddlemen prove that theirs is more than a passing interest in the treasure trove of the past. Tippy's voice can tap both Patsy Cline and Billie Holiday and the Paddlemen themselves are so good they're easy to miss in a sense. There isn't a self-serving note played with all focus on the songs and not the players." Bob Lange, Rock and Roll and Meandering Nonsense.
"Kappel’s switch from mainstream music to a more independent sound was a brave move that sets her apart from a lot of female musicians, Silva said. 'I think it’s more difficult, especially for a female, to do something different and still gain respect,' she said. Silva’s favorite female musicians include Joan Jett and Kathleen Hanna, who used to sing for punk group Bikini Kill. Women such as Jett, Hanna and Kappel are inspiring to young girls, Silva said." Angela Perez, The Orion (Chico, CA)
"Quirky country, sensual lounge music, call it what you will: Tippy Canoe & The Paddlemen's Parasols & Pekingese is an alternative to popular country acts and a challenger to alternative sensations such as Neko Case." Barrett King, SEN Baltimore (Any Given Tuesday Podcast/Blog)
“Reel after Reel sees Kappel sound as lovely as Erin McKeown and Champs-Elysee is another fine moment, a somewhat poppy song with Kappel echoing Debbie Harry. This is a lovely record all told.” Anna Maria Stjärnell, Collected Sounds.com
"I do not fear ukuleles, I fear lack of them." Isaac Asimov, author.
FOR CLUB BOOKING & PRIVATE EVENTS, press inquiries, hi-res photos, album copies & interviews
$15 plus shipping.
Sizes MED/LRG/XL presently available.
Please specify size and be sure to use the secret handshake when ordering. LBW 0002-Mens' beefy-tee 1
LBW0004-Ladies' sassy-tee 1
One single dollar (free shipping). Parasols and Pekingese Sticker by renaissance man Brian Mello LBW 0003-Pekingese sticker
"The Return of the Jumping Fleas! Or how we learned to stop worrying
and love the ukulele" by Ian Lendler with photos by Chris Stewart.
San Francisco Chronicle Magazine expose of the modern Bay Area uke scene
November 25, 2007
Tippy Canoe & the Paddlemen's song "Nut Butter Baby" kicks off Volume One of the new Japan meets U.S. (with a dash of Europe) compilation of Old-timey, Jug Band and Americana music. Shout Baby Shout, Vol. 1 (Yanoo! Records, -distributed by Buffalo Records)
Music Time, a children's educational DVD featuring two original songs by Tippy Canoe "The process of learning is more important than the instrument used." Music Time keeps the learning process simple by starting with basic music skills such as rhythm, pitch, and melody. Children will learn through movement, song and interactive sessions. Music Time is an important first step in a child's developmental process; it will greatly influence creativity. Research suggests that music training at an early age can stimulate parts of the brain necessary for understanding complex mathematical and scientific concepts. Early education in music also enhances reading, language, foreign language and verbal memory skills. "My Fave-o-rite Thing" & "Coming Together" performed by Tippy Canoe with the Rodent Records' Collective available from Punchbowl Productions. http://www.punchbowlproductions.com
Tippy Canoe painting by Brandt Elling Peters
Brandt Elling Peters is a self-taught artist currently living in Tampa, FL with his wife, fellow artist, Kathie Olivas and their two dogs Bailey and Diego. He has been exhibiting in numerous galleries across the US & Canada. Brandt grew up on the West Coast and came from a family of antique collectors and artists. His eclectic upbringing was filled with a wide range of Pop ephemera. The subject of his paintings is a world of sideshow icons, deviant animals and masked, glorified, cartoon alter egos. Although misfits on the surface, a sense of relation is understood, secret from the public.
Check out his artwork available to enliven your phone, laptop or who knows what else http://www.gelaskins.com/artist.php?Artist=25
Just uncovered a rare old ukemonkey 78 'It's only a little chipolata'
recorded sometime between some wars off the end of Blackpool pier.
Hope you like it!
Loves ya,
ukemonkey
the weasel exists in the bay area. many weasels exist in the bay area. if you are one of said weasels, we would love to see you this weekend. it’s a busy one.
Thu 10 – solo acoustic show at maggie mcgarry’s in san francisco. Fri 11 – solo acoustic show at mama buzz café in oakland Sat 12 – weasels exist. (bay area chapter) at retox lounge in san francisco. this saturday show will be extra exciting, as i will be joined by a band of friends and weasels from northern california, including phil stein-webber, who is responsible for the drums on ‘relentless professional behavior’. more info available on the calendar. hope to see you over the course of this epic weekend.
Peculiar Pretzelmadness descends on San Francisco Tuesday night at Hemlock Tavern. Stomping and hollering with old and true comrades in arms, Deathat and Corpus Collasum! $7!
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