Thanksgiving hasn't even ended yet and already we're moving on to the Christmas/Hanukkah/winter holiday of your choosing phase of the year.
Tito Uquillas, guitarist and songwriter for Bay Area band The Hipwaders has jumped into the blogging ring with his new blog, Kindie Christmas. All about Christmas songs (natch), started in part to help motivate him as the Hipwaders go into the studio in January to record a bunch of Christmas songs for a winter 2009 release. (That news is new; they're also wrapping up work on Goodie Bag, an EP of new tunes.)
Anyway, Tito's always been an astute viewer of the kindie music scene (not to mention a vital part of it himself), so the blog promises to be a good read.
You'll Be Spinning (Lunch Money): "Dizzy" Track Listing
A Fids and Kamily voter told me that 2008 "might've been the best year yet for kids-music album art," and while I'm inclined to agree, 2009 looks like it might be even better.
I told you before about Brandon Reese and his nascent career as a kids music illustrator.
Well, it continues as he's posted all his artwork for the new album Dizzy (OK, they didn't take any of your suggestions), set for official release in January by Lunch Money.
Woo. Hoo.
The album cover is here (with Molly's permission.) Go here to see all the details -- sketches, etc.
And, yes, Brandon, you did do them right.
Track listing follows...What Kind of [Fill In The Blank] Are You?
Last night on Kids Place Live, "re-percussionist" Billy Jonas made an appearance plugging his upcoming family CD Happy Accidents (due out next month). And for those of you who find "What Kind of Cat Are You?" ridiculously compelling ("Kat..hmandu"), you're in luck -- there's a sequel.
"What Kind of Dog Are You" makes an appearance, and on the radio, Jonas went through a whole list of animals (e.g., cows), not just dogs. Clearly, Jonas has stumbled upon a song format which he'll probably be playing for, like, the next 20 years.
In case this confuses you, watch (OK, just listen) to this:
No Middle Road: Neil Sedaka To Release Kids Album
When I hear about another adult artist making an album for kids, usually it makes some sort of sense -- they've got kids themselves, or perhaps they have a touch of goofiness that makes for an easy relationship with a kids' audience.
I can feel safe in saying that I never thought I'd include Neil Sedaka in the ever-burgeoning list.
And I feel doubly safe in saying that I never thought Sedaka would take to reworking his own classic songs for the kids' set.
I mean, I'm used to seeing punk and hip-hop and metal and classic rock songs reworked into kid-friendly tunes. But I'm not used to seeing Mick Jones or Missy Elliott or Metallica or Robert Plant reworking their own songs. What happens when a certified master of the pop song tweaks... himself?
We're about to find out -- on January 6, 2009, Sedaka will release Waking Up Is Hard To Do, featuring 11 tracks, including re-workings ("spoofs"? "re-imaginings" -- what the heck do we call these?) of "Breaking Up is Hard To Do," "Where the Boys Are," and "Love Will Keep Us Together."
As I said in the title to this piece -- I'm not sure there is any middle road here. It will either be a mess or something touched with a bit of genius.
Here's the tracklisting and album art.
Video: "We Dress Ourselves" (Live) - Princess Katie & Racer Steve
You usually have to watch animated Disney videos to see princesses sing, but if your kids are looking for something that rocks a wee bit more than your typical Disney princess, New York's Princess Katie and Racer Steve are coming to the rescue -- their live DVD Revved Up & Ready To Rock! is set for release in February. They've just posted a cut from the concert recorded earlier this year at NYC's Highline Ballroom. And, yes, Racer Steve's got his baseball cap.
Princess Katie and Racer Steve - "We Dress Ourselves" (Live)
Listen To This: New (Old) Music From Lunch Money!
Lunch Money have helpfully posted a new picture on their Myspace profile illustrating exactly what a cookie as big as each of their heads would look like.
Oh, and they've posted the final version of the accompanying song. You've heard "Cookie As Big As My Head," "Dizzy," and "Tiny Dinosaurs" before, but there they are in all their final, mastered glory. Crisp production values, horns, and the tiniest bit of non-Molly lead vocals.
The new album (whose name I'm not yet at liberty to reveal) is out January 17.
