Today -- June 14 -- is Flag Day, a holiday which, though minor in the greeting card scheme of things, looms large in the imaginations of kids music artists. (Why doesn't Thanksgiving get the same respect?) Here are three Flag Day videos to get you in a patriotic summertime mood.
First up, it's Billy Kelly, with a new video for "That Old American Flag," off his most recent album The Family Garden. It's a straight-up, un-ironic tribute to the flag and his dad. Added bonus of the video -- revealing one of Billy's secret talents. It's, er, singular in nature (watch 'til the end).
Bill Kelly - "That Old American Flag" [YouTube]
Video: "Magic" - Rabbit!
I've heard the Florida band Rabbit! described half-seriously as kids' music, and even they tag themselves in part as "children's music." I suppose that might be a bit much, as a lot of their songs are twee love songs that probably won't hold the kids' interest, at least from a subject-matter perspective. (The hyper love songs might be a little more up the kids' alley.) But they're not entirely unfamiliar from the kids' music world -- for example, they contributed five songs to the Do Fun Stuff kids' compilation.
Their latest video, for "Magic" off their 2010 album Connect the Dots, is a pretty cool kids' song and totally cute. If would very much fit in, say, a Yo Gabba Gabba! episode.
Rabbit! - "Magic" [YouTube]
Stream the album and their recent EP after the jump...Video: "The Wheels on the Bus" - Readeez
Michael Rachap has been working on a bunch of Readeez that tackle nursery rhymeez (er, rhymes). I personally prefer his take on "The Wheels on the Bus," which sounds very "wheels-on-the-bus"-ish while not sounding quite like most other takes you've heard. Simple but effective.
The Wheels On The Bus from Readeez on Vimeo.
Video: "Room 28 (That's How We Roll)" - Mista Cookie Jar & the Chocolate Chips
Perhaps Los Angeles' C.J. Pizarro, AKA Mista Cookie Jar, was a fairly typical 4th grade classroom parent -- you know, donating tissue paper or markers when asked, contributing to the teacher gift. But he also helped create the song and video below, in which the kids look like they're having a blast. They also learned how to round numbers, though I'm kinda thinkin' Mr. Valdez taught them that before they recorded "Room 28 (That's How We Roll)." (Should you care to, you can download the track here.)
Mista Cookie Jar and the Chocolate Chips - "Room 28 (That's How We Roll)" [YouTube]
Video: "That's What Friends Are For" - Frances England
The idea of fan videos are nothing new, obviously. I don't want to think how many hundreds of thousands of them are floating around YouTube. Fan videos for kids music are somewhat rarer -- Mindy over at Kids Place Live is starting to encourage them, and Caspar Babypants has 4 or 5 of them.
But now Frances England can join the crowd. She's got a fan all the way in Norway who's made a minimal but very cute claymation (mostly) video for England's contribution to the Many Hands compilation. This might just be the first fan-made video that makes it to the KidVid Tournament...
That's What Friends Are For from Nora May on Vimeo.
Video: "First Kid in Outer Space" - The Not-Its
Their next album Tag, You're It! comes out later this summer, but Seattle's The Not-Its aren't quite done with their last album. Their new video for the great track "First Kid in Outer Space" is up and it's a swell-looking blend of live-action and animation, directed by Gino Scarpino.
Also, it features a cute kid, so it's got that going for it, too.
And for what it's worth, I understand the band's running a contest related to the video -- go here tomorrow (Friday) morning for all the details.
The Not-Its - "First Kid in Outer Space" [YouTube]
