Video: "Did You Ever See a Lassie?" - Charlie Hope

How cute is this video for Charlie Hope's "Did You Ever See a Lassie?" from her album Sing As We Go?

Cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute.

That's one hundred "cute"s, folks.  Sandpiper Animation, who directed the animated video, includes David Cowles, who's done lots of animation for They Might Be Giants.

Charlie Hope - "Did You Ever See a Lassie?" [YouTube]

Video: "My Daddy's Record Collection" - Sugar Free Allstars

Perhaps you missed my interview on Record Store Day and vinyl (kindie and otherwise) with Oklahoma's Sugar Free Allstars.  Regardless of whether you did or didn't, you should check out the video below for "My Daddy's Record Collection," SFA's offering for this year's Record Store Day.  It's pretty darn simple, a lyric video with only the tiniest bit of additional action, but the song is funky ("boogie time," indeed), and you can, in fact, verify that when Chris "Boom" Wiser shouts out Waylon Jennings' theme song to The Dukes of Hazzard, he wasn't kidding.  Preorder the track at SFA's website, and if you like the idea of buying a tribute to vinyl on mp3 or listening over the computer, do so via the widget below.

Sugar Free Allstars - "My Daddy's Record Collection" [YouTube]

Monday Morning Smile: "Helium Harvey"

A little imaginative helium-based humor from Daniel Savage for your Monday morning.  It's beautiful and utterly delightful, though I still snicker at the way the helium makes the titular character's pants fit.... less than optimally.

"Helium Harvey" [Vimeo]

Weekly Summary (4/7/14 - 4/13/14)

Video: "Los Colores" - Andrés Salguero

"De Colores" is a classic song, but, frankly, after many years of parenthood, I'm more than willing to call for a personal moratorium on that lovely tune.  I'm ready for other songs celebrating in Spanish the many different colors around the world.

I do kinda like this song from Andrés Salguero from his forthcoming debut kids' album ¡Uno, Dos, Tres con Andrés! --it's called "Los Colores" (natch), and it's a gentle folk song pointing out the colors of the world around us.  The animation from Santiago Germano is an excellent match, and I think a lot of preschoolers will enjoy the brief animated trip.

Andrés Salguero - "Los Colores" [YouTube]

Video: "All These Shapes" - The Pop Ups (plus free download!)

When it comes to '80s-aping synth-pop kindie tunes, there is nobody who's currently writing them any better than The Pop Ups"Box of Crayons," the lead single from their latest album, Radio Jungle, was awesome, and they've earned their next "awesome lead single" badge for the song "All These Shapes."  It's the first track on Appetite for Construction, their eagerly-anticipated third album, out later this spring. (They've also earned their "awesome album title" badge, as well.)

The song is wonderful -- a soaring, synth-y chorus, and lyrics that both inspire the little ones (and maybe the big ones) and have enough Easter eggs of lyrical content to keep the big ones amused.  The video, featuring hand-drawn art from Pop Up Jacob Stein (if you see them in concert, you'll know that drawing is a feature of their gigs), illustrates (in many ways) the themes of the song.  Much fun.

The Pop Ups - "All These Shapes" [YouTube] (via Cooper & Kid)

P.S. -- would you like a free download of the song?  Here you go: