Video: "Champion of the Spelling Bee" - Danny Weinkauf (World Premiere)

Danny Weinkauf's album No School Today is an example of kindie power-pop at its best, filled with excellent pop songcraft.  Weinkauf's released a handful of videos that are every bit as slightly quirky but nicely done, and I'm pleased to world-premiere the latest video from the album, the video for "Champion of the Spelling Bee."

Now, I'm sure that being featured on ESPN as part of their Scripps National Spelling Bee coverage with the song was probably a bigger deal, but I like to think that this cute video, featuring animation from Vanessa Appleby and vocals from Weinkauf's son son Kai, will live on long after we forget the kids we see standing at the microphone each spring.

Danny Weinkauf - "Champion of the Spelling Bee" [YouTube]

Video: "Just Not Me" - The Hipwaders

For my tastes, Bay Area band The Hipwaders ranks right up there with Recess Monkey and Caspar Babypants in having kindie's best set of videos in terms of quality, quantity, and diversity.  Their latest video for "Just Not Me," off their new album Year-Round Sounds, pulls in another animator into the Hipwaders' fold, Will Guy of Goopymart, and with just a handful of touches (the tattoo parlor, the backwards "E" in the title character's graffiti, perfectly captures the narrator's... recalcitrance to mind rules.  Much fun.

The Hipwaders - "Just Not Me" [YouTube]

Video: "Hair" - fleaBITE

My choices for picking a new video from New Zealand band fleaBITE were this one for "Hair," about hair growth taken to extreme lengths, or this other one, "Don't Sit Under the Poo Tree," about, well, some sage advice. (Watch that video if you want to learn more.)

But, yes, I decided to go with the abnormally healthy follicles.  The song is from the band's 2011 debut album In Your Ear (the band's got a new album out, their third, called The Jungle Is Jumping this month). It's lyrics worthy of Shel Silverstein meeting the visuals worthy of Dr. Seuss. As combos go, that's a pretty good one.

fleaBITE - "Hair" [YouTube]

Video: "The Creatures Under My Bed": Caspar Babypants

I know, I just posted a review of Caspar Babypants' newest album Rise and Shine!.  Shouldn't I give somebody else some coverage on the site?

Yes, yes, I should (and soon!), but this brand new video from CB for "The Creatures Under My Bed" is just so much fun that I didn't want to wait another week or so.  I'm impatient that way sometimes.  Good stuff again from occasional Caspar Babypants-collaborator, New Zealand-based Mukpuddy. Happiest creatures of the week, by far.

Caspar Babypants - "The Creatures Under My Bed" [YouTube]

Video: "No Homework" - The Bazillions

I like to think of myself as liking a broad range of musical styles, but, yeah, powerpop!  One of the most consistent kindie powerpop purveyors are Twin Cities band The Bazillions, and when you add their consistently great videos to the mix, no wonder there's all sorts of Bazillions videos up here in this site.

The latest video from the band and their partners at eg design is for "No Homework," and while it's school-inspired, it doesn't quite have the learning-first approach of some of their best-known classics.  In fact, given that the song is called "No Homework," maybe it's learning last?  Anyway, the video can also be found on their brand-new Rockin' Video Collection DVD, available on their website.

The Bazillions - "No Homework" [YouTube]

Video: "How Great Can This Day Be" - Lori Henriques (World Premiere)

It is no secret I'm a big fan of Lori Henriques, both of her music, as well as her videos.

Well, Henriques has a brand new album out today, her third solo kindie album.  It's called How Great Can This Day Be, and I'm tickled pink (and green, and yellow, and, oh, you'll see) to offer you the world premiere of the album's title track.

Once again she's teamed with her brother Joel Henriques to produce a memorable music video to accompany her music.  Appropriately for the jazzy, horn-accompanied pick-me-up of a song, Joel's stick puppets of brightly-colored shapes on simple backgrounds (referencing the album cover) look like they're enacting purely non-verbal storytelling from the '60s.

Lori Henriques is excited because her album is releasing the day that Sesame Street is celebrating its 45th anniversary.  One of the best compliments I can pay to this video is that I think the song and visuals would have fit well on the show at just about any point over the past 45 years.

Lori Henriques - "How Great Can This Day Be" [YouTube]