Carmaig de Forest
Encyclopedia
Carmaig de Forest is a singer-songwriter
, mainly on the ukulele
, but also the guitar
, originating from Los Angeles, California
. Since starting his career as a ukulele singer-songwriter, he has mostly stayed in the creative musical underground of California and Baltimore, at one time touring with the Violent Femmes
, who would later play with him on his DeathGrooveLoveParty album. Perhaps his most recognized achievement was being the warm-up artist for the Ramones
in the early 1980s.
De Forest's political songwriting style has been referred to as "Raymond Carver's
poems set to music". De Forest is also not afraid of expressing his political opinions, as he released a single called "George Bush
Lies" in 1992, and re-recorded that song, this time protesting against his son, George W. Bush
for the 2004 Presidential Election
.
Many of his songs have been covered by his friends in the Baltimore and Vancouver underground scene, including Canadian accordion player Geoff Berner
, who claims to be "touring for two", as Carmaig de Forest plays mainly underground gigs, while Berner is a bit more on the road.
His fourth studio album, Idiot Strings, was released on the Serious Records label on September 9, 2007.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, mainly on the ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
, but also the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, originating from Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Since starting his career as a ukulele singer-songwriter, he has mostly stayed in the creative musical underground of California and Baltimore, at one time touring with the Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes were an American alternative rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, initially active between 1980 and 1987 and again from 1988 to 2009...
, who would later play with him on his DeathGrooveLoveParty album. Perhaps his most recognized achievement was being the warm-up artist for the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
in the early 1980s.
De Forest's political songwriting style has been referred to as "Raymond Carver's
Raymond Carver
Raymond Clevie Carver, Jr. was an American short story writer and poet. Carver is considered a major American writer of the late 20th century and also a major force in the revitalization of the short story in the 1980s....
poems set to music". De Forest is also not afraid of expressing his political opinions, as he released a single called "George Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
Lies" in 1992, and re-recorded that song, this time protesting against his son, George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
for the 2004 Presidential Election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
.
Many of his songs have been covered by his friends in the Baltimore and Vancouver underground scene, including Canadian accordion player Geoff Berner
Geoff Berner
Geoff Berner is a Canadian singer-songwriter and accordion player from Vancouver, British Columbia.Due to his insightful humor, politically inflammatory compositions and showmanship, Berner has gained a cult following over the years, especially in Canada and Norway, where he recorded his first...
, who claims to be "touring for two", as Carmaig de Forest plays mainly underground gigs, while Berner is a bit more on the road.
His fourth studio album, Idiot Strings, was released on the Serious Records label on September 9, 2007.
Albums
- I Shall Be Released (1987)
- DeathGrooveLoveParty (1993)
- El Camino Real (1997)
- Idiot Strings (2007)
External links
- http://www.carmaig.com/ Official Website (Not working!)