Video: "Among the Green Leaves" - Kesang Marstrand

I'll have more to say about Kesang Marstrand's lullaby album Hello Night shortly, but for now I'll leave you with this video for the album's "Among the Green Leaves." After you watch for twenty seconds or so, you ask yourself, "Is anything going to happen here?" SPOILER ALERT! (The answer is no.) But it's a calming lullaby song -- who's to say that anything should happen? Kesang Marstrand - "Among the Green Leaves" [YouTube]

Video: "Shadows" (Live) - The Not-Its

I mentioned a few weeks back the Bumbershoot offspring Youngershoot, and now it's here. The Seattle fest features Central Services Board of Education hitting the stage in about a half-hour, with Recess Monkey tomorrow, but here for your viewing pleasure is The Not-Its from Saturday's set playing one of the best tracks from their We Are the Not-Its! debut, "Shadows." Besides the fact that the brought their horn section to the show, I love the fact that the female trumpet player also donned a poofy skirt to blend in. The Not-Its - "Shadows" (Live at Bumbershoot)

Video: "King Ferdinand" (Live) - Peter Himmelman

Here's another Peter Himmelman song from My Trampoline performed on his Furious World webcast. I just love the guitar riff in this song. Plus a bonus made-up song (with a word that may or may not be acceptable for the kids in your household) and a brief snippet of Igor Stravinsky (who probably made a lot more people upset than the use of that word I just referred to). Peter Himmelman - "King Ferdinand" (Live)

Hopefully This Contest Will Cause You No Frustration

For those of you heading back to school with your elementary school young'uns, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer have a contest to get their (and your) rhyming skills back into shape. They've got a contest to write new lyrics for their song "Jubiliation" from the Banjo to Beatbox EP with Christylez Bacon. If you read the lyrics to the song, I think it's pretty obvious what they're looking for. Details are at the link above, but the top 5 winners get a free Cathy & Marcy CD of their choice plus a washboard. Entries due Sept. 30th. Now... is Zooglobblation a word? Anyway, to get you in the mood, here's a mood for the song featuring lots of puppetation. Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer with Christylez Bacon - "Jubilation"

Video: Behind the Scenes of TMBG's "Electric Car"

I already highlighted They Might Be Giants' "Electric Car" video (not to mention the mp3). Now here's a behind-the-scenes look which, yeah, is typical "behind-the-scenes" fluff that looks good but doesn't tell you very much except the video must've been a lot of work. (Scissors, people - scissors!) But it's really good fluff, just as beautiful as the video it's promoting. (And it's not actually on the Here Comes Science DVD.) Watch it here. Update: the video's now posted to YouTube...