I've Got the Munchies for Kids' Music
We've been talking a lot about adult rockers' recording music for kids, but sometimes the path goes in the other direction.
The Showtime drama Weeds has featured not one but two pieces of kids' music in its second season -- "Little Monkey" from Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang and "Crazy Dazy" by Chris Ligon (featured on the Bloodshot Records' excellent The Bottle Let Me Down compliation).
In fact, Gwendolyn and co-conspirator Brandon Jay are the co-composers for the season, so I believe music supervisor Gary Calamar had inside knowledge when he wrote of Gwendolyn's reaction to the use of "Little Monkey" in the episode.
"You should have seen Ms Gwendolyn's face when she saw Silas and Megan monkeying around to her song. I don't believe this is what she had in mind when she wrote it. Makes me smile!"Gwendolyn also contributed another song to the show, "Happy Clappy Birthday," which, until recently, was on the show's Myspace page. It was almost a satire of cutesy kids' music until the final verses took a more... downbeat view.
(You can listen -- or attempt to listen, as the player gave me some difficulties -- to all these tracks, or at least the first 15, happy seconds of "Happy Clappy Birthday" by following this link.)
What other kids' songs would you love get broader exposure?
Comments
It's so funny you bring this up today. The weeds preview clip - walt? at the lectern? that's my brotherinlaw... little deb trivia... but we don't get showtime, so that's the only way I'd see it. Thanks.
anyway, love this fun topic -
I could totally hear Lunch Money's songs on a couple of the shows my husband watches on TV. What's that goofy hospital show with the guy from Garden State? Silly Reflection, Roller Coaster or Tricycle could totally fit on that show. They make me so happy. I'd love to hear their songs everywhere.
Enzo has this RAD jaw harp song called Eedley on his LMNO Music - Orange record that is so cool. It's really trancy. It's on a kids' record, but there's no real reason it's a kids' song, I guess. The kids love when he plays the jaw harp/jew's harp/trump. It could totally be TV music. Or movie music.
Posted by: deb in sf | October 5, 2006 08:59 PM