Video: "Pizza Moon" - Earthworm Ensemble

I can't say that "Pizza Moon" is on my list of favorite songs on Earthworm Ensemble's self-titled debut. But on video, some of the things that seemed a little over the top (e.g., Zachariah's rapping) play just fine. I dig the way that Zachariah gets into it here. A nice 3 1/2-minute diversion... Earthworm Ensemble - "Pizza Moon" [YouTube]

Video: "The Llama Dance" - Patrick & Eugene

Most stuff I get pitched by publicists who don't appear to have spent more than 1 minute on my site is kinda stupid. This is kinda stupid, too, but not so much so that you won't enjoy it slightly while your kids go nuts over it. I mean, c'mon, there's animation of an overweight hippo -- is there any other kind -- shakin' their tuchus at the viewer. Still, you do learn what an "ungulate" is. It's from the British duo Patrick and Eugene and I'm gonna describe it as 70% vaudeville / 40% techno / 30% pop-folk. What's that? That's 140%? Oh. Patrick & Eugene - "The Llama Dance" [YouTube]

Video: "Mama Loves Baby" (Yo Gabba Gabba!) - Solange Knowles

There's another new Yo Gabba Gabba! episode coming up this week -- it's called "Baby" and it's kinda Mother's Day-themed. To pitch in, Solange performs the song "Mama Loves Baby." Solange wears an eye-catching dress, but it's nothing compared to the strikingly bright green-screen visuals behind her. It's almost as if they're trying to counteract whatever mellow vibe is generated by the song. (In other words, I like the song more than I like the video.) Solange Knowles - "Mama Loves Baby" (from Yo Gabba Gabba!) [YouTube]

Kindiefest 2010: Bill Harley

IMG_1907.jpgEverything I so enjoy about Bill Harley is wrapped up in this picture. The Kindiefest panel that I'd moderated that included the amazing group of Bill, Suni Paz, Elizabeth Mitchell, and Kathy O'Connell had wrapped up some time before. I found myself talking with Bill near the exit and looked down at the garbage can just outside the window and saw my name card -- and just my card -- discarded on the top. "Aw, man!," I said, jokingly, and decided I needed to get a picture of the proof of my impermanence. At which point Harley said, "No, wait -- I need to get my card out and in the picture." We then ran outside like a couple of giddy 7-year-old boys, he found his own card in the trash, arranged it artfully on top, and then I took the picture. It's that ability to see the absurdity and humor in the day-to-day life of us all that makes Harley such a beloved performer. He's a hard worker (he said at the panel that he sets aside an hour or two each day to write), but it's that essential humanity (honoring the child, as he said) that's given him such a long career, I think. On Sunday, Harley performed at the public showcase. It was a fun set, though I was a bit distracted because I had to leave for the airport and so spent part of the set saying my last goodbyes. But I had fun, as did the rest of the crowd. Harley also let his friend Keith Munslow, who backed Harley up on keyboards, do a song of his own. Good stuff all around. Maybe that Bill Harley placecard's on eBay by now... Bill Harley (w/ Keith Munslow) - "Everybody's a Baby About Something" (Live @ Kindiefest 2010) [YouTube] (my favorite part of this -- also generally indicative of Harley -- is that he teaches the crowd to whine. In harmony. More pictures (of the actual Bill Harley) after the jump.

Video: "$9.99" - Caspar Babypants

Brilliant stuff from Chris Ballew aka Caspar Babypants. I've always liked the song "$9.99" from his More Please! disk, but this video -- which features a lot of help from Ballew's daughter Josie -- is, well, just wow. Another one of the incredible series of minimalist Babypants videos. Caspar Babypants - "$9.99" [YouTube]