Rose Turtle Ertler

Just finished east coast winter tour from Wollongong to Cairns supported by DCITA's Contemporary Music Touring Program. Was great and I met lots of ukulele players along the way. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ROSE TURTLE ERTLER plays mainly ukulele (and FX) and singing, also bit of theremin, casios, old drum machines, piano, and this and that and whatnot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Two styles of performing her 'strange pop' songs live: 1) as the 'electrik ukulele lady' with FX pedals on the uke and programmed drums and sometimes a bass player 2) acoustic (nude) mode, with just her 1940s Gretsch ukulele and sometimes joined by a trombonist for a few tunes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rose performs oft in her current hometown of Melbourne and has supported acts including Kevin Blechdom (US), Scout Niblett (US), Tip Toe Topic (Belgium) and Ni-Hao! (Japan). She has toured twice to Europe (Belgium, Holland and Germany) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rose is also organizer of annual ukulele event held in Sydney called UKULELE LAND - the biggest uke event in Australia! (ww.ukuleleland.org) and is currently researching for a book about the Australian ukulele scene. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RELEASES : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Solo albums : 1 PING PONG PRINCESS (2003) (Scootstar Records, Sydney) uke with FX, programmed drums, vocals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 TRYHARD TRAILER TRASH (2005) (Scootstar Records, Sydney) uke with FX, programmed drums, theremin, bass, casios, vocals + other tinkles Album of the Week on 2SER (Sydney) and 3RRR (Melbourne) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 LADYBIRDS OF CRICK CREEK (2006) (self released) acoustic ukulele, trombone, bass, theremin, casios, vocals + other tinkles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . Rose also has tracks on the following compilations: LADYFEST MELBOURNE CD (2004) : DIY ARTS SHOW - 3CR RADIO, Melbourne (2005) : UKULELES FOR PEACE - Israel (2006) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PRESS QUOTES : CD "LADYBIRDS AT CRICK CREEK" : "Ertler clouds her blithe or bittersweet observations in a haze of nonsense-style humour, than clothes them in gently eccentric music." (John Shand, SPECTRUM, SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, DEC 2006) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Her sweet, heady voice can dance and twirl with abandon. Beautifully sad sometimes, then quirky like some of the supplementary sounds." (Paris Pompor, METRO, SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, NOV 2006) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Rose Turtle Ertler calls the music on her latest album, 'wonky folk', but the Daily Planet reckons it's the rest of the world that's wonky and this is a straight-up uke-pop gem." "...lovely, unadorned music you'd sing on your porch as the sun goes down and your dog sings along. In this case the dog is a fifteen month old labrador-kelp called Scuffy and he has perfect pitch. His song is appropriately enough "Oh, Scuffy". (Brent Clough, THE DAILY PLANET, RADIO NATIONAL, ABC RADIO, SEPT 2006) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Ertler has clearly mastered the ukulele and she can sing too. Comparisons are difficult to make but those looking for a reference point could think Frank Zappa and Gillian Welch's love-child." (THE NORTHCOTE LEADER, MELBOURNE, SEPT 2006) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CD "TRYHARD TRAILER TRASH" : "...then you find our Rose in Melbourne producing stuff on her second CD that you could play at a donwhome party and the world has done a U-turn. This is the funkiest girl you is ever going to meet. Let the uke age begin." (THE AGE ****) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "This is not traditional uke music, but it's interesting music and Rose Turtle has a cool voice and the kind of lyrics that challenge you and invite you to think. If you are open to new sounds give it a try and support one of the biggest promoters of the ukulele in Australia." (DAVE WASSER, UKULELE HALL OF FAME, USA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "[The songs] variously remind me of Edward Lear's nonsense, Henri Rousseau's paintings and the poetry of John Lennon. She plays with words like they are so many brightly coloured balls, except that, because this is a grownups game, when they are combined in certain sequences they have the power to move us. Even then, the emotional needle is still wrapped in layers of enigma and childhood imagery. It's a marvellous skill. She sings these songs in a quirky attractive voice that shifts between innocence and earthiness, so the effect is like sliding in and out in a dream during an afternoon nap. The backdrops shimmer between ukulele simplicity and denser fiercer textures, often with the uke being outrageously distorted. It's a unique and charming world." (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2003) : CD1 : PING PONG PRINCESS :"It is a strange, funny sound this ukulele makes with distortion (I had no idea you could rock it out!) and along with a drum machine and electronic noises...Song after song, it seems to take you by the soul and invite you to some personal, colourful universes with a natural spontaneity." (BABES IN BOYLAND, FRANCE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2005) LIVE REVIEW (dB MAGAZINE, Adelaide) Holden St Theatre, Adelaide, Sat 16 July support for 'Problem Pony' CD Launch "...The opening act was Rose Turtle Ertler, a Melburnian ukelelist, who plays an electric ukulele and old style Gretsch acoustic instrument, both of which she put to work with startling effect. The audience was enthralled by the sheer strangeness of her sound, eliciting sounds of glass and delayed rock riffs and feedback which she then sung into. It was particularly great in the final song, as Rose generated a fantastic squall when she sung the final chorus into the tiny guitar, her vocal joining with the drone of the ukulele. Her vocal style generally jarred with the new and more experimental sounds she worked from her instrument. It remained in an undulating folk style largely throughout the set, which worked beautifully in Hiccup. It was clear she had the range to push her voice way out there and to match the unusual and occasionally brilliant electric compositions. This endeavour would I think make Rose Turtle Ertler a peerless act." I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4