Video: "Lullaby" - Chris Blake

I got an e-mail from Chris Blake, an LA musician whose latest album Wave features a gentle song called "Lullaby," sung from the perspective of a parent to a soon-to-be-slumbering child. If you had told me that a sweet lullaby song could feature the word "TV" as the last word, I'd probably have laughed -- hey, I was wrong. The video features home movies from a half-century ago or more, and, yeah, it's manipulative, but it works. Makes you wonder if the digital video/YouTube explosion will make these kinds of things more common or less wistful in the future. Anyway, a peaceful 3 minutes or so. Chris Blake - "Lullaby"

ACL Fest (Austin Kiddie Limits) 2008: The Festival in Video

As I'm starting to wrap up coverage of the 2008 Austin City Limits Festival and the Austin Kiddie Limits stage, I thought it might be nice to add some video to go along with the pictures and words I've been posting. So read on ahead for a whole bunch of sights and sounds (simultaneously) from this weekend's activities. Not just the usual suspects -- the Jimmies and Uncle Rock and Buck Howdy -- but also some other artists and other stages...

Austin Kiddie Limits 2008 Preview: mr. RAY

We're nearing the end of our ongoing series of previews of the artists who will be playing the Austin Kiddie Limits stage at the 2008 edition of the Austin City Limits Festival. Today it's mr. RAY. (Previous artists: Buck Howdy with BB, Uncle Rock, Jambo, The Jimmies, Big Don.) First, the technical specs... -- Official Website (or here if you're British) -- Videos -- Myspace page -- Zooglobble archives. mr. RAY might just be the biggest artist to play the AKL stage this year... if you're British. That's right, the New Jersey-based mr. RAY (aka Ray Andersen) is signed to Universal Records for the UK and Ireland and has a big following across the pond. Here in the US, his fanbase isn't quite as big yet, perhaps, but those of you in Austin next weekend will get a chance to hear his Beatles-y pop for preschoolers and see what'll definitely be the coolest guitar on stage barring the surprise appearance of Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen. mr. RAY plays 1:30 Saturday, 2:30 Sunday. mr. RAY - "Roy G. Biv" One more video after the jump.

Austin Kiddie Limits 2008 Preview: Big Don

We're continuing our ongoing series of previews of the artists who will be playing the Austin Kiddie Limits stage at the 2008 edition of the Austin City Limits Festival. Today it's Big Don. (Previous artists: Buck Howdy with BB, Uncle Rock, Jambo, The Jimmies.) First, the technical specs... -- Official Website -- Videos -- Myspace page -- Zooglobble archives, though this entry is it for the moment. For those of you thinking you can't break into Austin Kiddie Limits, Big Don (aka Austin hip hop artist Don Robinson) proves ya wrong. How do I know? When I was at Austin Kiddie Limits last year, I got a copy of Big Don's Big Beat... because somebody was passing them out to any interested party. I'm assuming Tor Hyams was one of those people who got the CD, too. Anyway, the album is nothing too complicated, just good, solid hip hop for preschoolers, mostly. I have no idea how he'll be in concert, but I'm looking forward to bopping along. Big Don plays at 2:30 on Friday and 11:30 Sunday. Big Don - "Humpty Dumpty"

Because One Pirate Video Today Was Insufficient

To wrap up International Talk Like a Pirate day posts, loyal Zooglobble reader Katy sent me a link to the video below, which despite its occasional lip-sync issues is not without its charms. (Oh, and pirates in schoolrooms is apparently an irresistible theme.) It's from the Edmonton band Captain Tractor and language is not quite G-rated. A safe PG, perhaps, just not totally G. Captain Tractor - "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate"