Video: "Box of Crayons" - The Pop Ups

Radio Jungle album coverThe Pop Ups are primed to have a big April -- the follow-up to their stunning debut Outside Voices, Radio Jungle, is going to be released next Tuesday, April 3. In addition, the Kickstarter-funded follow-up to their live-action puppet extravaganza opens in Brooklyn on April 22. What else could they possibly do in April?

Well, nothing -- they're just too busy. Which explains why they're premiering their video for "Box of Crayons" today, at the end of March. On a disk with lots of radio-friendly hits, "Box of Crayons" -- '80s-inspired synths and soaring choruses with a touch of The Postal Service mixed up with a whole bunch of colors -- might just be the radio-friendliest (not to mention one of my favorites). It's matched up here with animation from Garrett Davis; Harold only had a single, purple crayon -- imagine how much more he could have done with a whole box.

Beyond that -- how would you like to win a copy of the new album? (Yes, yes you would.) Just comment below by 8 PM West Coast time Friday night (the 30th) with your favorite color, and I'll randomly pick a winner (one entry per person, please). Thanks, good luck, and enjoy...

The Pop Ups - "Box of Crayons" [YouTube]

A Brief Comparison of Kids Music Videos Featuring Ninjas

In one corner, the Imagination Movers. The other, Koo Koo Kanga Roo. They will fight each other to the death.

Or... maybe not.

In any case, the Imagination Movers recently released their second video off their Rock-O-Matic disk (and DVD), for the song "Dance Kung Fu." Let's compare it to Koo Koo Kanga Roo's "Ninja Training" off the band's 2011 Midnight Slushie EP.

Video: "Little Lap Dog Lullaby" - Laura Veirs

Not salty, not bitter, not sour. Not even umami. Yes, this video from Laura Veirs for "Little Lap Dog Lullaby" off her fine Tumble Bee album is just sweet. All due credit to animator Helen Woolston. Laura Veirs - "Little Lap Dog Lullaby" [YouTube]

Video: "States and Capitals" - Musical Stew

I really enjoyed Musical Stew's song "States and Capitals" -- see, it's there on my radio station playlist from earlier this week. It's from their self-titled 2007 debut. But this new video for the song takes it up to a whole 'nother level. The original video for the song is probably more useful from a rote learning perspective, but for sheer inventiveness, this new video has it beat. It's too late to sneak it into my list of the best videos of 2011, but I've got a good feeling about it and the 2012 list. And all of a sudden, I appreciate much more fully the puppetry backgrounds of the members of musical stew, "Macho Nacho" and "Mouth Trumpet." Musical Stew - "States and Capitals" [YouTube] (Hat tip: The Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl) After the jump, a bonus video from the band featuring the cutest electrical socket ever. I appreciate much more than I

My Favorite Kids Music Videos of 2011

Picking my favorite kids music videos gets harder every year. I've picked 25 here, but featured at least 3 times that number on the site (a figure which itself is a culling of many more videos). There are another half-dozen videos that easily could have made this list were I to make it, say, tomorrow. You'll find lots of old standbys here, but also videos from new bands and bands who don't spend nearly as much time with their video editor. Here, then, are my 25 favorite kids music videos from 2011 (2011 defined roughly as March 1, 2011 - February 29, 2012 -- I'm just assuming nothing else definitively worthy gets released in the next couple days or so). I'm offering up my (ranked) 10 favorite videos, with another 15 (unranked) honorable mentions. [The complete playlist can be viewed at the end of this post.] 1. Caspar Babypants - "Mister Rabbit" [YouTube] Don't get me wrong -- I love's Chris Ballew's DIY videos, finding them models of the form. But his occasional (and ongoing) collaboration with New Zealand's Mukpuddy Animation has already produced a couple fine videos, including this, my favorite of the year. 2. Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band - "Blue Bear" [YouTube] Another near-perfect melding of song and visual style. 3. - "Career Day" [YouTube] The Minneapolis band hasn't produced a bad video yet. 4. Elizabeth Mitchell - "Ong Tal Sam" [YouTube] Dreamy, oh so dreamy. 5. Dog on Fleas - "Do You Wanna Know My New Dance Step?" [YouTube] You might be forgiven for wondering if I was ever going to pick a live-action video for this list. Well, here's the first of many.

Video: "Noun Town" - Doctor Noize (Grammaropolis)

Doctor Noize is a busy guy. Not only has he just released The Return of Phineas McBoof, his second album about the title character, and he coaches his daughters' soccer team, but on March 4, he's releasing Grammaropolis, an album about, ummmm... grammar? Yes, it's Jane Jacobs meets "Weird Al" Yankovic meets the inevitable Schoolhouse Rock reference. Except that, I think it's safe to say, none of those made Flock of Seagullls reference. OK, maybe Al. Doctor Noize - "Noun Town" [YouTube]