I post my fair share (or perhaps more than my fair share) of videos around here -- heck, I even have my own irregulalrly updated YouTube video list -- but I'd be remiss if I didn't point out a couple other sites that deal in the world of video.
First off, I've been really slack in mentioning this, but Jitterbug is a kid-safe site for kids music videos. So if you like the types of videos I link to here, but your kids could do without all the other blah blah blah, I recommend heading over there for their growing collection of stuff to watch.
Second, Rock Tots is a newly-started collection of videos of kids playing music. It's as if "From the Top" ditched the classical focus and went straight to YouTube. OK, it's not really like "From the Top" at all.
So there you have it -- videos of adults making songs for kids, and videos of kids making songs for adults.
Christmas With The Muppets
We've well-established that I'm usually a bit behind the pop-culture curve, so I'm not entirely surprised that I mostly missed the Muppet renaissance from the past six months.
I'm a little sad, however, that I didn't know about the existence of the "Habanera" as performed by some Muppets with less than, say, a fully-formed English linguistic set until now. (You can watch that particular video at the end of this post.)
Yes, in true viral video fashion, there are new, apparently authorized videos being created in Muppets' names. The "Ode to Joy" feautring Gonzo and his chickens, an amusing "Stars & Stripes Forever," and others. And now a video for a much more modern-sounding song, "Glad All Over," from next week's new Muppet special, Letters To Santa, has surfaced. It's not like it's anything special, but it's good to see the Muppets back on the air.
Letters To Santa airs Wed., Dec. 17 on NBC.
Would Arthur Listen To This?
In the always-expanding Ziggy Marley to the stars. Last month Marley announced he was recording a kids' CD. No word on release date.
More of Marley on the subject, plus the obligatory video...
Just In Case You Think The Muppets Are Bummed About the Lack of a Grammy Nomination
Kermit the Frog won't win the Grammy this year, but he's moved into covering some more recent, adult tunes. This will be amusing only if you're familiar with the song (and only of marginal interest to your kids), but I swear that if you are familiar with it, you must must must watch this all the way through. (Hat tip: Idolator.) I'm not a huge fan of this song , but the album it closes, Sound of Silver, is pretty awesome.
And if you're not familiar with that song, you can always go back and watch this more familiar cover.
Ed: It's up on YouTube!
Fresh Biscuit (Brothers) for Christmas
It's always good news when Austin's Biscuit Brothers have new stuff for public consumption -- and the Volume 3 of Go Make Music! I told you about a few weeks back, is so-close-you-can-taste-it available. (It's gonna be here any day now, they swear.)
But that's not all -- the Christmas/holiday episode I mentioned before is now available for PBS stations across the land to pick up for free to airing this holiday season. And in case you (or your local PBS affiliate) need some convincing, they've kindly gone ahead and posted some clips on YouTube.
Here's one of my favorite Biscuit Brothers Christmas tunes (they have a whole Christmas CD) featuring, of course, Tiny Scarecrow:
Biscuit Brothers - "The Best Christmas Ever"
And some more...
A Low-Schmaltz Thanksgiving Song from Rock Daddy Rock
If you like your Thanksgiving songs with even less schmaltz than Cathy & Marcy, you can try this brief song from Rock Daddy Rock on for size.
Though, I'd add, if you're a vegetarian you might want to stay away.
(I just finished assembling a seafood lasagna for Thanksgiving. We're kinda agnostic in that regard.)
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
