What better way to end 2007 with a great video from one of 2008's most anticipated CDs -- They Might Be Giants' Here Come the 123s.
"Apartment 4" hit the band's "Podcast for Kids" at iTunes a couple weeks ago and now it's hit YouTube. As nice as "High Five" was, this track is way awesome. Drums, goofy animated characters, and the drawing out of the word "apartment" into 4 syllables.
"Follow the sound," indeed. You won't be disappointed.
And Happy New Year's, y'all...
CD Titles for Ralph's World and Eric Herman Albums Announced
At one point more than a year Eric Herman interviewed Ralph Covert (listen here). It is solely on the basis on this connection that I'm combining these two bits of news.
First, Covert has announced that the title of his upcoming Disney Sound Ralph's World CD will be called The Rhyming Circus. Hmmm... wonder what rhymes with "elephant"...
And speaking of elephants, this is a little old, but Herman's announced that the name of his 2008 release (due out in the fall) will be What A Ride. If waiting, oh, 10 months or so is a bit too much for you, feel free to check out his latest video, for "Dance Like an Animal." Rudimentary, perhaps, but can your five-year-old animate a video like Eric's did? (Or, more to the point perhaps, can you?)
Video: "Once In A Lifetime" - Kermit the Frog
Yes, you read that correctly. I assure you, two minutes that won't be wasted.
Not really the same as it ever was, but in a way, it sorta is.
(Via Pitchfork via The Daily Swarm.)
Something Else!
Not really. In fact, I posted something about this a month ago, but hey, now it's on YouTube with a little extra content.
They Might Be Giants are doing video podcasts -- "Podcast For Kids!" -- to plug their upcoming Here Come the 123s, and the first one, with "High Five," is up. If all it was was the video, I wouldn't have bothered, but the podcast also includes "bumpers" from the John and John sock puppets. It includes this classic line at the end of the piece -- "Come back next week for another song... about letters... or numbers... or something else... waaaaaahhh."
Trust me, coming from the mouths of sock puppets, it's pretty funny. As for the videos on the band's site promised by the album's PR materials, well, they're still not there.
Video: "It's A Big World" - Renee and Jeremy
If your family at all liked the title track from Renee and Jeremy's fine album "It's A Big World" or the album's cover art by illustrator Hsinping Pan, you will love this video, in which two very good things combine to make something...
Gorgeous.
More Joy
In case you haven't checked out Offsprung's forums, cheekily called The Playground, it might be worth a little time. For example, this thread (noted by loyal reader Katy) unearthed a video on YouTube for "My Children, Be Joyful," by the Canadian band Rock Plaza Central. (Well, if "unearthed" is the verb for a video featured on YouTube's front page and with nearly 300,000 views.)
The video takes entirely unrelated footage from the Canadian television show Nanalan, which, I gotta say, looks suspiciously like a little show called Jack's Big Music Show. Or vice versa. Anyway, the song builds up to a frenzy (la la la's, violins, and, like, a dozen horns) and the frenetic puppets somehow fit perfectly. And, yeah, it's joyful.
Not bad for a song from an album (Are We Not Horses, released in the States this year) that is "all about robotic horses. Robotic horses who think they are real horses. For real. Caught in a battle between good and evil. Between angels and humans. And after eradicating the world of the angels, wondering if they fought for the right side." Yeah, that might not be so much for the kids. Or maybe. I don't know. I kinda want to find out, though.
By the way, if you want to get the track for free, head on over to the band's Myspace page to download it and three others.
What songs are bringing you and your family more joy?
