Humble blogger can’t stop spinning Dent May and his Magnificent Ukulele, a brilliant Mississippian with an equally splendid backing band, inspired entirely by some delicious French tunes. All signs point to…yes, in my book.

The debut LP, The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele, which one might believe is just a dripping twee record, in fact speaks well beyond that little pigeon hole; it’s inspiring pop that’s not just drenched in the ooey gooey sticky sweet, but also what happens after you’ve logged too much sugar in your belly…ache, bile, vomit.

Inspired by the likes of Serge Gainsbourg and Lee Hazlewood, May has dabbled in all types of tunes–from high school choir, to church, to country, and synth-driven power pop before, in humble opinion, hitting us with what matters.

Dent croons through a backing band with these amazing percussives, brass, and heck pedal steel. And guess who happened to fall all over this little Scott Walker-inspired crooner while recording a particular album that made a whole host of their dearest fans drool ten times over? You guessed it, that little outfit Animal Collective, who spent time in Dent’s town recording their long awaited record Merriweather Post Pavilion. Now, they are labelmates.

His tunes are mostly about his greatest reference point: southern college towns. Yet its deliciously intriguing thanks to sardonic lyrics and constant poke at all those “hangers on”–you know those post college grads who can’t seem to leave campus.

And the handclaps, oh! the handclaps.

Currently addicted to his brilliant April sit down for a Daytrotter Session, Pulp and Circumstance urges you to take a listen. And there’s even more material besides his debut LP; a small, lo-fi EP filled with cheeky tunes called A Brush With Velvet. The EP was inspired by Dent’s obsession with The Partridge Family as a teen, of which he cataloged old episodes on countless VHS tapes.

Match made in heaven with P&C? Methinks…didn’t I express a silly love for tune “I Woke Up in Love This Morning” so long ago you’ve finally forgotten about my geeky soft spot? Yes, sir.

If you’re a fan of the sweet sounding, ukulele driven tunes of Swede Jens Lekman, you’re sure to appreciate Dent May. But where there are similarities, there are so many unique qualities to each that bring them into different listening spaces. Yip.

Oh, of course. The rigamarole.

Daytrotter Sessions are recorded up at FutureAppleTree Studio One in Rock Island, Illinois, and features minimal mic-ing. Nothing is overdubbed so its all delicious drool-worthy and raw. Golf claps.

For any previous mentions of the deeelish Daytrotter Sessions, gander.

Dent May and his Magnificent Ukulele are currently on a pretty substantial trek across the states. No stop in Boston, unfortch, my local kittens. Here’s to hoping sometime, eh?

Enjoy.

[Dent May and his Magnificent Ukulele – Oh, Paris.]
[Dent May and his Magnificent Ukulele – When You Were Mine.]