Video: "(I Woke Up) In a Firetruck" - Karen K and the Jitterbugs

This video from the East Coast artist Karen K and the Jitterbugs starts out a bit slowly -- my first thought was, "well, that's nicely produced, but..." so when I say that you should give it a couple minutes before rendering a verdict, I speak from experience.  It's a simple kids' song designed for interaction with preschoolers, but it takes a while for the interactive nature to become clear.  It also gets funnier as it goes on.

Also: ask your kids if they get the pop culture reference the video's organizing structure is based on. 

Karen K and the Jitterbugs - "(I Woke Up) In a Firetruck" [YouTube]

Video: "Midnight Sun in the Arctic" - Elska

You'll forgive me if I don't get too excited about the onset of summer.  Just as those of you in colder climes don't tend to celebrate the start of winter (very much, anyway), I'm pretty muted about the summer solstice (this year on Friday the 21st), as we've already had some 110-degree days, and we'll have plenty more where that came from.

Having said that, I suppose I could be a little more charitable were I living in, say, Iceland, in which the land of the midnight sun is a bit cooler than here in the desert Southwest. 

So I'll just take the latest video from Elska as an opportunity to relax and imagine  myself cooling off.  It's for "Midnight Sun in the Arctic" from Middle of Nowhere  and, yes, it was filmed in the midnight hour(s) in Iceland.

Elska - "Midnight Sun in the Arctic" [YouTube] 

Video: "Spicy Kid" - Lunch Money

Is there any doubt I wouldn't  have featured the first video from Lunch Money?  I mean, after world-premiering the video as part of my review of great kindie music videos at Kindiefest?

Of course not.

So, yay, a video for "Spicy Kid"!  There are a whole bunch of influences here in this video directed by Jerry Stevenson (Mentos and The Blues Brothers  among them), but it's also totally Lunch Money.  Which is a very good thing.

Lunch Money - "Spicy Kid" [YouTube] 

Video: "The Stump Hotel" - Caspar Babypants

I wish I could say that I bugged Caspar Babypants for a video for the song "The Stump Hotel" from his album I Found You! , but I'm not that prescient (although I'm willing to make a bad pun).  This new video from Mukpuddy, though, puts to good use Chris Ballew's buggy narrative.  Love the very happy banana slug pie.

Caspar Babypants - "The Stump Hotel" [YouTube] 

Video: "Bandwagon" - Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights

When I was at Kindiefest this spring, specifically to do a presentation on great kindie music videos, I found out that Joanie Leeds had invested some money to do a music video.

Well, not a music video.  Fourteen music videos, to be more accurate.​

That's right -- thanks to the magic of Craigslist, every song except one from her forthcoming album Bandwagon​ (out June 25) will have a video.  The first one, "I Love New York," debuted Sunday, and I'm pleased as punch to offer up the world premiere of the second video, for the album's title track, "Bandwagon."  It's one of my favorite tracks from the album, and the foam-based stop-motion animation captures the good feelings from the group sing-along well.  [And, no, I'm not just mentioning it because the animator is some guy named Stefan (Fernandez). ;-) ]  Good stuff, no doubt.

Joanie Leeds - "Bandwagon" [YouTube]​

Video: "The Rattling Can" - Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke

Yes, I know that Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke have just released their newest album, Pleased To Meet You​ (and that I'd recommend it highly to you).

But there may be no KWMC song I hold in higher esteem than "The Rattling Can," off their debut album Rise and Shine​ (which I'd also recommend highly to you).  From the first time I heard it, I loved its energy and the way it took the traditional and reinvigorated it.

​So, yay, new video for the song!  Simply animated by Wilde himself, but lots of fun.  Make sure you stick around for the rare quark, rattling quark.

Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke - "The Rattling Can" [YouTube]​