« February 2008 | Main | April 2008 »
For those of you going through (temporary) KidVid Tournament 2008 withdrawals (fear not -- more matchups will follow soon...), Jeff from Out With the Kids is running his own tournament, the OWTK NCAA Kid's Music Tournament, featuring 12 recent releases battling it out for Spring '08 review supremacy. It looks like the Final Four is almost set, but that's when the voting really counts, right?...
I'm traditionalist in not too many things, but the idea that baseball's opening day should be, well, in the day, and, well, in North America (as long as all the teams are, you know, based here) is something I firmly believe in.
So for once I am timely with this updated list of baseball songs. (Read last year's list here.) Enjoy, and may all your teams have a great season. (Yes, I realize that's a statistical impossibility. Doesn't matter -- it's the first day of baseball...)
*********
There are very few sports-related children's songs that come to mind. I can understand why, as sports like football and hockey require a lot of equipment and are typically for older kids (this is especially the case for football). Basketball and baseball are easier to play, perhaps -- less equipment, introduced at an earlier age. Since the major sports typically become mostly a spectator sport as we grow up, perhaps it's good that there isn't much children's music about sports since a song about watching other people do something is kinda depressing as a kids' song. (It does make me think that the genre of children's soccer songs is a niche waiting to be filled.)
Here goes:
-- "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" (well, duh) -- try Wiggleworms Love You, from the Old Town School of Folk Music (nicely bipartisan, cheering for both the Cubs and White Sox), or also the Hold Steady's version.
-- "Baseball Dreams" -- off At the Bottom of the Sea, by Ralph's World (Cubs all the way in this one)
-- "I'm Gonna Catch You" -- off Under a Shady Tree, by Laurie Berkner (it has one relevant line -- "So I jumped into Saturday / And I had a baseball batter-day" -- yeah, I'm really reachin' here)
-- "Pop Fly" -- off Justin Roberts' forthcoming album by the same name, about a daydreaming boy playing the outfield...
-- "Centerfield" -- off Centerfield, by John Fogerty (not kids' music, but a great song anyway). See also Visqueen's rendition on the forthcoming Desoto Records kidscomp Play!
-- "Talkin' Baseball -- off countless albums by Steve Cashman, who just re-records and updates his song -- baseball history lesson in 3 minutes
-- "Big Train" -- off the RTT's Turn It Up Mommy!. About Walter "Big Train" Johnson. I'd probably disagree that he's the best pitcher ever, but that's another blog. Good song.
-- "Right Field" -- Peter, Paul and Mary.
-- "Cryin' in the Dugout" -- off Daddy-A-Go-Go's upcoming Eat Every Bean and Pea on Your Plate album. A humorous song -- "Baseball Dreams" played for laughs instead of nostalgia.
-- "The Greatest" -- Kenny Rogers.
-- "Roll Around" -- Peter Himmelman, off of his My Lemonade Stand CD. A fun, rollicking song about a baseball who retires, then comes back to his calling.
-- "Baseball Tips with Professor Buckley -- Peter Himmelman, My Green Kite, an amusing little spoken-word piece.
-- "Baseball" -- Milkshake, off Play!. Guest-starring Cal Ripkin, Jr.
-- "The Challenger Baseball Song" -- Ben Rudnick and Friends. All about the Challenger Division of Little League, for kids with mental and physical disabilities.
-- "Baseball, Baseball" -- Stephen Cohen, off Here Comes the Band.
-- "Hey! Batter!" -- Hank Cooper, from Playground Fortune Teller -- all about the language of baseball...
And finally, an artist reviewed here on this very site wrote me a while back to suggest four more songs, including at least one I'm miffed I forgot... the comments in quotes are the artist's, not mine.
-- "Catfish" -- off Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series. I am unfamiliar with this one. But it's Dylan.
-- "Joe DiMaggio’s Done it Again" -– Wilco and Billy Bragg, from their Mermaid Ave Vol. 2
-- "A Dying Cubs Fan’s Last Request" –- Steve Goodman – "Classic, and very funny." See "Talkin' Baseball," above.
-- "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" -- Brave Combo - "two very cool versions... wacky and fun." It's Brave Combo, how could it not be fun?
If any of you have more suggestions, leave me a comment.
You probably already know that the next Dan Zanes album, ¡Nueva York!, is almost here (set to be released on May 20). You may also remember the Zanes mentioning to me earlier this year that he's recorded an album of Broadway tunes.
But in between those two albums is a third album with some new Zanes material coming out later this spring. It's called The Welcome Table: Songs of Inspiration, Mystery and Hope, and it's a compilation of new and previously-released DZ&F material "mostly from the North American gospel traditions." With the promise of new Zanes music and the fact that proceeds will benefit the New Sanctuary Movement, an American organization of churches and synagogues "working toward deportation reform," I think it'll definitely have a few fans...
It's the battle of the ampersands in the Ella Jenkins Region, the last of the 4 KidVid '08 Regions to be decided -- the #1 seed Renee & Jeremy's "It's A Big World" (the title track from their debut CD of the same name) versus the #2 seed Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke's "I Had A Little Dog" (from their forthcoming - eventually - CD).
You know the rules by now -- one vote per family in the comments below, due by 9 PM tonight (Friday). As always, vote nice, y'all.
Renee & Jeremy - "It's A Big World"
Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke - "I Had A Little Dog"
Maybe it's been a long and sleepy week, but I'm very taken by this CD.
Songs For Sleepy Beings is the creation of Michigan's Gretchen Eichberger-Kudlack, who put together Half Moon, an old-timey string band which here plays a set of quiet-time folk music on the first half of this CD. Traditional lullabyes ("Pretty Little Horses") mingle with ever-so-slightly more current lullabyes ("Goodnight Little Gwen," attributed to Woody Guthrie).
The musicianship here is first-rate, with the Half Moon musicians hitting just the right balance of technical expertise and tenderness, saving the album from the mushiness which afflicts many lullaby CDs. The band rightly plays second fiddle (if you'll pardon the pun) to Eichberger-Kudlack, who has a clear, bright voice. Initially her voice seems too bright for a quiet-time CD, but the secret genius behind the CD's appeal is the tracking, as the music and arrangements grow ever-so-slightly dimmer with each track. By the time the CD hits track 7, "Baby's Bed's A Silver Moon," 20 minutes in, her vocals are much more appropriate for a sleepy baby. Following that is another 15 minutes of Eichberger-Kudlack playing familiar lullabyes unaccompanied (mostly) on piano (there's a couple tracks with vocals). By this time your child (or you) will probably be fast asleep.
The album is most appropriate for kids ages birth through 6. You can hear clips at the album's CDBaby page, or listen to some complete songs at the Half Moon music page. The packaging (featuring artwork by Jamey Barnard), I should note, is simple but very pretty.
I hear few lullaby CDs I can recommend whole-heartedly. Songs for Sleepy Beings is the exception -- it meets that high standard. Besides being a lovely gift for new parents, you might want to consider it for your own family. Definitely recommended.
Ah, back to 2 KidVid Tournament 2008 matchups a day. Over at Offsprung we have a battle to be the champion of the Pete Seeger Region -- Gustafer Yellowgold's "Pinecone Lovely" against Mr. Richard's "Cheese."
Vote here by 9 PM Thursday night.
Let's start off the 2nd week of KidVid Tournament 2008 with a battle for supremacy in the Leadbelly Region -- the #1 seed They Might Be Giants' "Seven Days of the Week (Never Go To Work)" (from their recently-released Here Come the 123s CD/DVD) taking on the #2 seed, David Tobocman and his track "Home" (from I Count to Ten and Other Helpful Songs, also recently released).
Go forth, watch both videos, then You. Make. The. Call. (Or, rather, vote in the comments below by 9 PM Thursday night. Vote once per family. Play nice, y'all.)
They Might Be Giants - "Seven Days of the Week (Never Go To Work)"
David Tobocman - "Home"
Some days just get away from you, so there's no KidVid Tournament 2008 matchup here... but....
Go here and vote on the Jimmies' "Spanimals" vs. Orange Sherbet's "Campfire Song" for supremacy in the Woody Guthrie Region bracket.
Go, go now! Voting 'til 9 PM tonight.
If you are having problems voting over there, please post here and let me know! (I won't post the comments, but I do read them.)
Update #2: I've been told that people are not verifying themselves as being real. I know you're all real, but I think there's a follow-up step that you need to do after you've registered -- I think that's an e-mail, but I forget. In any case, check your e-mail for verification e-mails from Offsprung.
OK, maybe you can, but seeing as the fabulous Biscuit Brothers (no, not the fabulous Baker Brothers, that was a movie) just have 3 CDs, they're a ways away from that limit.
In just a couple weeks, though, they'll be ever-so-slightly closer there as they'll be releasing their fourth CD, Musical Farm. Their newsletter (which includes a free download of the math-friendly "Watermelon Song") says they'll be releasing the CD (which includes 7 music videos) on April 2.
Woo. Hoo.
Actually, until today I was my only fan.
But, yes, now the Zooglobble Facebook page has two fans -- me and Muddy Girl Productions' honcho Karen Rappaport McHugh.
Wait? What's that? Zooglobble has a Facebook page? But why?
I have no idea. Much like I have no idea why I got a Myspace page. But I've had it for about 3 months now. If you're looking for someone who will tentatively embrace a website a good 18 months after it becomes popular, I'm your guy. Watch for the Zooglobble Flickr page this fall and Twitter site in spring 2009.
Anyway, if you're around, do stop by.
So the first round of KidVid Tournament 2008 is in the books, and much like the men's and women's basketball tournaments, we've seen our share of close calls, blowouts, and slightly humorous beer ads.
OK, so "no" on the beer ads.
Anyway, this week we'll have the second round of voting to find the most popular kids' music video of the past 12 months. Thanks to everyone who voted last week. Upcoming this week will see...
Ella Jenkins Region: #1 Renee And Jeremy - "It's A Big World" vs. #2 Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke - "I Had a Little Dog"
Leadbelly Region: #1 They Might Be Giants - "Seven Days a Week (I Never Go To Work)" vs. #2 David Tobocman - "Home"
Pete Seeger Region: #1 Gustafer Yellowgold - "Pinecone Lovely" vs. #3 Mr. Richard - "Cheese"
Woody Guthrie Region: #1 The Jimmies - "Spanimals" vs #2 Orange Sherbet with Hot Buttered Rum - "Campfire Song"
When will voting start? You'll just have to wait and find out...
One of the things I like most about the kids' music genre is the feeling that artists are following their own muse, no matter how skewed, when they jump in. Oh, sure, with everybody thinking that kids music is the Next Big Thing, there are more than enough CDs that scream opportunism. But there are still plenty of musicians making their music, their way.
Which brings me to Gunnar Madsen, the Bay Area artist who many years ago helped found the well-known a capella group The Bobs, and who last week released his third album for kids and families, I'm Growing. On his previous two kids' albums, Madsen tapped into the humorous vein he sometimes mined for the Bobs, such as on "Tuna Fish," all about a guy whose parents named him, er, "Tuna Fish." That occasional silliness continues here on I'm Growing, such as on "I Feel a Waltz Coming On," from a musical Madsen worked on nearly 15 years ago, about a person with a fear of waltzing. Or "Mozart's At the Window," which is the best "Beethoven's Wig" piece never written, as multiple Madsens tell the story of a very naughty Mozart to the tune of his 40th Symphony.
But on many songs, Madsen plays it reasonably straight, or at least as straight as one can on a song about somebody walking from San Francisco to Texas (the Randy Newman-esque "Walkin' Back to Texas"). "Always on the Bottom" name-checks Hilary Rodham Clinton while, er, singing the praises of not being too ambitious. And "There's A Bowl of Milk in the Moonlight" sounded about 80 years old to me, but Madsen puts it about 70 years, describing his composition as "an old English Pub song for cats." Madsen's voice is usually front-and-center, and rightfully so, but the musical arrangements are well-suited to these stories, either a capella, or accompanied by piano, or even a fuller set of pop-based instruments.
The songs here really aren't "kids' songs" -- there's nary a song here about the first day of school or learning the alphabet -- but I think kids ages 4 through 8 will be in the best frame of mind to hear the songs. You can listen to every track from the 43-minute album at Madsen's page for the album.
Gunnar Madsen reminds me a bit of Peter Himmelman, another singer-songwriter whose released albums for families along with albums for adults for many years now and who shares with him a somewhat idiosyncratic view of the world. He's a story-teller, though Madsen tells his story not so much via folk-rock but rather through a wide gamut of musical styles. There's no pop-rock goldmine at the end of the rainbow here on I'm Growing, but if your family isn't looking for that and can appreciate the well-played (and sung) stories here, you'll enjoy the disk. Recommended.
One last chance to vote -- the Ella Jenkins Region's #1 seed, Renee & Jeremy's "It's A Big World" against the #4 seed, Andre 3000's "Throwdown."
Go here and vote by 9 PM tonight (Friday).
The final day of the first round of KidVid Tournament sees a matchup from the Pete Seeger Region, with the #1 seed -- Gustafer Yellowgold's "Pinecone Lovely" (off the Have You Never Been Yellow? CD/DVD) -- taking on the #4 seed, Asheba's "No More Monkeys," most recently found on Putumayo's Animal Playground disk.
Who will win? That's up to you -- vote in the comments below, one per family, please. The voting deadline is 9 PM West Coast time tonight (Friday). And vote nicely.
Gustafer Yellowgold - "Pinecone Lovely"
Asheba - "No More Monkeys"
Easter's coming way too early -- the earliest you will ever see it (unless you live to, like, 203) -- so you'll forgive me if I barely get this out in time. The Bay Area's Hipwaders have posted a pretty cool version of "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" at their Myspace page for streaming and downloading. Their shuffling Bakersfield-sounding rendition will have you hip-hip-hoppity-hip-hip-hoppa-ing until you run screaming because the phrase is lodged in your brain. Permanently. Like it is in mine.
So maybe that's why I waited 'til now...
Over at Offsprung, where They Might Be Giants' "Seven Days of the Week (Never Go To Work)" takes on Happy Monster Band's "I Will Be Your Friend." #1 takes on #4 in the Leadbelly Region.
Vote here.
While some other "March Madness" starts today, we're already on Day Thre of KidVid Tournament 2008, in which we have a matchup from the Woody Guthrie Region -- the #1 seed "Spanimals" from The Jimmies from their debut Make Your Own Someday versus the #4 seed "You Can Be Anything" from Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang (off their self-titled debut).
Vote in the comments below. One per family, please. Play nice. Votes due by 9 PM West Coast time today (Thursday).
The Jimmies - "Spanimals"
Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang - "You Can Be Anything"
It is possible that Brooklyn-based Randy Kaplan could become, if he wanted to, the next Dan Zanes, playing for the moms and dads a mixture of blues and rock that works well for both the kids and adults.
But on Loquat Rooftop, his second album for kids, Kaplan continues to follow his own idiosyncratic path that might not generate a deal with the Disney Channel next week, but shows off both his musical and storytelling chops.
Those musical chops are certainly there, as Kaplan's voice, ever-so-slightly nasally and raspy, blends in perfectly with his song choices. A couple songs, such as producer Mike West's amusing "Clothes Dryer" (on which Kaplan dryly notes that he used to love doing laundry so much, he went to "laundry camp") and "The Ladybug Without Spots," employ a strolling New Orleans-jazz-style approach. "Mazal Mazal" is a punkish song about a little kid, while the title track is a gentle folk song. Kids are used as chorus and occasional counterpoint (and a kid named Joe does a great "Boogie Woogie Washer Woman") to good effect.
Kaplan's choices of covers are well-selected -- Huddie Ledbetter's "Good Morning Blues" is a gentle blues which, as you might expect from the title, is more blues in 12-bar structure only. Hank Williams ("Move It On Over"), Lieber and Stoller ("Charlie Brown"), and the musical Annie ("Tomorrow") also make and appearance here, and one of Kaplan's strengths is making those songs sound fresh (and appropriate for kids).
Finally, Kaplan comes from the stories-and-(and-in-)song wing of kids' music, as heard on the silly story about monkeys and ducks "No Nothing" or the sweet "(Don't Say) Anything At All," a message song about not using words as violence. It's the kind of song that, strung together a dozen times, would make most parents' eyes roll, but, as a single song interspersed all the other goofiness and gladness sounds just about perfect.
With the exception of the "The Fire Engine," whose chorus "It's big / It's red / It's metal with water" is now unfortunately lodged in my brain, the 42-minute album is mostly targeted at kids ages 4 through 8. You can hear some tracks from the album (and its predecessor Five Cent Piece) at Kaplan's Myspace page for his kids stuff or at the album's CDBaby page.
Perhaps Randy Kaplan won't be the next Dan Zanes -- his love of storytelling puts him more in the camp of Pete Seeger or Trout Fishing in America perhaps (not bad company there, either). But it would be nice to see a bit of Zanes' popularity rub off on Kaplan, because Loquat Rooftop's mixture of blues and folk-rock, laced with good humor and heart, will appeal to many kids and their adults. Definitely recommended.
... It's a matchup from the Ella Jenkins Region — the #2 seed “I Had a Little Dog” from Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke (from their as-yet-unreleased CD) versus the #3 seed “Animal Alphabet Song” from The Hollow Trees (off their Welcome to Nelsonville release).
Watch the videos and vote here, not in the comments to this post.
In day two of KidVid Tournament 2008 we feature a matchup from the Pete Seeger Region -- the #2 seed "The Elements" from The SqueeGees from their self-titled CD and Meet The SqueeGees EP versus the #3 seed "Cheese" from Mr. Richard (off his Polka Dot Puzzle album).
Vote in the comments below. One per family, please. Play nice. Votes due by 9 PM West Coast time today (Wednesday).
The SqueeGees - "The Elements"
Mr. Richard - "Cheese"
Over at Offsprung there's a KidVid Tournament 2008 matchup from the Leadbelly Region -- the #2 seed "Home" from David Tobocman (from his Very Helpful Songs CD) versus the #2 seed "Bounce" from Ellen and Matt (off their Best Friends album). Go there, watch the videos, and vote by 9 PM today! (You'll need to register with the site, but we're a very friendly group of people. No hassles, we promise.)
Leading off the KidVid Tournament 2008 is a matchup from the Woody Guthrie Region -- the #2 seed "Campfire Song" from Orange Sherbet with help from Hot Buttered Rum (off their Campfire Sing-Along CD versus the #3 seed "My Lucky Day" from Eric Herman (off Snow Day!).
Vote in the comments below. One per family, please. Votes due by 9 PM West Coast time.
"Campfire Song" - Orange Sherbet with Hot Buttered Rum
Watch here (broadband link here)
"My Lucky Day" - Eric Herman
It is time once again for the KidVid Tournament, the 2008 edition, where families come together by watching videos the way they were meant to be watched.
On the computer.
Over the next 2+ weeks, we'll be pitting 16 of the best kids' music videos from the past year or so head-to-head with readers voting to determine the best video of the year.
Who was the selection committee which decided the 16 best? Well, mostly me. Plus, well, some reader suggestions. (Gwendolyn and Andre 3000 thank you!) The seedings are below. The first two matchups will be posted Tuesday morning. Come back and vote for your favorites.
And remember: please, no wagering!
Ella Jenkins Region
1. Renee And Jeremy - "It's A Big World"
2. Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke - "I Had a Little Dog"
3. Hollow Trees - "Animal Alphabet Song"
4. Andre 3000 - "Throwdown"
Leadbelly Region
1. They Might Be Giants - "Seven Days a Week (I Never Go To Work)"
2. David Tobocman - "Home"
3. Ellen and Matt - "Bounce"
4. Happy Monster Band - "I Will Be Your Friend"
Pete Seeger Region
1. Gustafer Yellowgold - "Pinecone Lovely"
2. The Squeegees - "The Elements"
3. Mr. Richard - "Cheese"
4. Asheba - "No More Monkeys"
Woody Guthrie Region
1. The Jimmies - "Spanimals"
2. Orange Sherbet with Hot Buttered Rum - "Campfire Song"
3. Eric Herman - "My Lucky Day"
4. Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang - "You Can Be Anything"
I hesitate to use the phrase "the most unusual kids' album you'll hear all year," because, I assure you, no matter how unusual a particular kids music album, I've heard odder ones (don't get me started). So let me describe Ladybug One, the second kids' CD from the Seattle-area Harmonica Pocket thusly: It's the most unusual good kids' album you'll hear all year.
I hope that doesn't sound like damning with faint praise, because the album is quite good. But it's definitely not a collection of straightforward kids' pop, folk, rock, jazz, or anything else. Oh, sure, there are a few elements of that here -- the indie-pop "Spiders In My Breakfast," re-appropriated from the band's first album (for adults), and the soulful and jazzy take on "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," for example, are fun tracks that don't sound too unfamiliar. "One Tree Said" sounds like a track from a future Decemberists kids' CD. But many of the other tracks veer into more challenging territory -- the psychedelic "I Love the ABCs" or the number of songs on which band mastermind Keeth Apgar explores Indian music. You might not think that "O Susanna" and sitar and tabla percussion would make a good fit, but it does, actually helping to hear the song fresh.
In fact, one of the most successful things about the album is how the wide variety of instruments here (including didgeridoo, mbira, and saw, and quite possibly my favorite, hula hoop) serve the songs, not the other way round. The instruments aren't being used to show off -- they genuinely make sense within the context of the songs. And kids will enjoy the variety of songwriting approaches -- story, metaphor, humorous, counting. It makes "Mere Bacche Ke Liye Lori," a Hindi lullaby, which could potentially come off as pretentious, sound part of a whole.
The album will be of most interest to kids ages 3 through 7. You can hear clips from the 55-minute album (many of which have been reworked from their first kids album) at the album's CDBaby page, or listen to four excellent tracks at the band's own music page.
The Harmonica Pocket's Labybug One is unusual, but a couple spins of this low-key but well-crafted album should make many listeners aware of its numerous charms. Definitely recommended.
I already talked about the ever-expanding Baby Loves Music empire, but apparently BLM founder Andy Blackman Hurwitz is taking it to heart. In this interview with Wired.com's GeekDad, Hurwitz outlines his future release schedule:
"Hip-Hop comes out April 1 [Ed. - that I've told you about], Salsa September 1 [Ed. - OK, that's been pushed back]. Blues (being produced by the North Mississippi All-Stars) is being recorded in the fall as is Reggae (being produced by Stephen Marley), and both of these should come out in early ’09."
Whoa. That could be seriously good.
While I think Hurwitz sells the rest of the kids music genre short -- he says,
"I hate to be a music snob and like to think that there's some merit to anything creative so I don't want to come across as "dissing" other kids music - it's just that ours is created and produced by the best in the business, musicians with decades of experience in the art of songwriting and songcrafting and I think that's what makes the difference - REAL musicians."
... thereby indeed "dissing" the significant number of talented artists in the genre meeting that criteria right now -- I am impressed by the talent he is bringing to bear to all these different genres.
I'm just waiting for the meta-overload of a "Baby Loves Kids Music" disk.
(Hat tip: Idolator)
I've been sitting on a bunch of interviews from my trips to Austin last September. With the music world once again congregating in Austin for SXSW, it's high time I transcribed and shared them with you.
Given the South By Southwest connection, I thought it appropriate to kick things off with Tor Hyams, who will be speaking at a kids music panel at SXSW Friday.
Among the many roles that California-based Hyams has is producing the Kidzapalooza stage at Lollapalooza and the Austin Kiddie Limits stage at the Austin City Limits Festival, not to mention the Little State stage at the Big State Festival. It was backstage at ACL 2007 that I caught up with Hyams and talked about producing those events and his thoughts about the future of kids music festivals.
Zooglobble: What's been the best part about the Austin Kiddie Limits stage?
Tor Hyams: The best part about the Austin Kiddie Limits is, I have to say, Austin. People are really different. There's no airs about anybody, they're very open and honest and willing to have a good time, and that makes what we do a lot easier.
You produce Kidzapalooza, Austin Kiddie Limits, and the kids stage at the Big State Festival. Big State is more country, while the other two are more rock. How did you decide who you would try to get for Kidzapalooza as opposed to Austin Kiddie Limits?
In Kidzapalooza, we go a little harder-edged. It's just a different energy to that place than here. This is more of a roots-rock kind of energy, where Kidzapalooza is more of hard-rock kind of energy. Some bands fit into both, like the Sippy Cups. Some bands don't work in both. For example, we had the Blisters, Jeff Tweedy's son's band, at Kidzapalooza, but they're from Chicago, and they're kids. It would've been hard to get them out here. I think they would've done well here, but it's just a different thing. So it's really who fits more the roots-rock mold or even country crossover acts do well, but Austin's such a dynamic city that I think you could any kind of act on stage here and it would work.
I saw a quote from Charles Attal, the head of C3 Productions who sort of described the festival circuit as a land grab -- there are a lot of opportunities in a lot of other places to establish these festivals. Do you think a kids stage is something C3 or other entities would be looking towards doing?
Yeah, it's something I'm looking towards doing right away, especially with the Kidzapalooza brand, if not both. Obviously, Kidzapalooza would be a little easier to transport because it doesn't have a city's name in it, but Austin Kiddie Limits is a great brand and it could easily travel. In fact, in a way the kids idea could move even faster than the grown-up idea. There's less at stake, the ticket prices aren't as high -- parents just like going out and seeing great music.
The difference in what we do here and at Chicago is that we have legitimate recording acts on stage. Whether they're signed or not, it doesn't matter, but are they playing real music for the whole family as opposed to dumbing it down. So if you're dumbing it down, you're talking to the wrong people. We believe children are much more in tune and intelligent than grown-ups are because as grown-ups we forget a lot of this stuff, the purity of why we're here and what we're supposed to be doing.
James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem at his set on Friday said Austin Kiddie Limits was great because nobody in the audience is reading the blogs saying, 'That guy is over.' They're either crying and asking mommy to go home or they love it.
Yeah, that's right, there's no hip factor to contend with. "Oh, they didn't play all their songs from their first album that we loved." It's really a pure place where it's really just about the music. The other thing about kids watching as opposed to teenagers or grown-ups watching is that you really have to be good. Kids don't care about who you are, what you're wearing, what the image is. They feel that stuff, the energy of the performer, and if you're not good, they'll walk away, they don't care. They get nothing out of it besides the purity of the music. Some of the main stage performers who come over here get a little nervous because they know that, just because they are whoever they are does not guarantee them an audience.
Do you go out to solicit the special guests, or do they come to you?
Both, really. This year, I went out to Big Sam's Funky Nation from New Orleans. I love them, and they agreed to play. But then you have Ziggy Marley, who asked us. It's really just got to be like that, because they're not getting extra money, we don't pay them. It's really got to be a labor of love. We're not as well funded as the other stages, obviously, and so if they want to do it, we let them do it, and we're happy to have them. It's wonderful for the kids and obviously it gives the parents something extra, too.
Any future plans, anything you're looking forward to doing?
I want to take Kidzapalooza on the road to several different cities, not the whole country, but several different major cities. This year is the biggest year we've done for Austin Kiddie Limits yet and I want next year to be better. Every year I think there's no way we can top that, but there's always a way. Whether it's just making parents more comfortable or whatever. Which is why I like working these things so much because it's always a challenge and that's what gets me going.
One of my favorite events on this site last year was the inaugural edition of the KidVid Tournament 2007, which took the craziness of basketball's March Madness and married it to the craziness of the kids music genre. (I'm pretty sure nobody ever used the phrase "craziness of the kids music genre" before -- hey, I'm right! -- but whatevs.)
Well, the slightly sports-aware among might be aware that we're getting close to that time again and, yes, that means it's almost time for KidVid Tournament 2008.
But before we get there, I need your help. Because I only have 14 videos selected...
KidVid Tournament 2008 will include videos from the following artists (nicely arranged in alphabetical order, ever the organizer am I):
Asheba
Ellen and Matt
Gustafer Yellowgold
Happy Monster Band
Eric Herman
The Hollow Trees
The Jimmies
Orange Sherbet
Renee and Jeremy
Mr. Richard
Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke
The Squeegees
They Might Be Giants
David Tobocman
I'm looking to readers to pick the 15th and 16th videos. I will be running a contest here to pick one of the two "play-in" contestants and one over at Zooglobble's Offsprung outpost. Go here for the other contest.
Nominate your favorite(s) in the comments below. The video with the most comments will be picked, as long as the video conforms to the following rules (yes, I like rules):
1. The video has to be publicly accessible on the internet -- sites requiring registration to view the whole video will not be accepted.
2. The whole video has to be available (I call this the Disney Rule because the Disney website only includes truncated selections of videos). Now, if the video is available somewhere not on Disney's website... er, that's OK.
3. The video has to be from the past year or so. The song doesn't have to be, though.
4. Artists with a video already in the tournament (see list above) are ineligible for this final slot.
5. No videos recording live performances will be accepted -- c'mon, let's get just a little editing and creativity in here.
I reserve the right to modify the rules above to account for things I'm not bright enough to anticipate.
Deadline for nominations/votes: 8 PM West Coast time / 11 PM East Coast time Friday, March 15.
So show me what I've missed. And look for the brackets -- and voting -- starting next week.
We've had mixed luck taking our youngest, Little Boy Blue (who's about 2 1/2 years old), to cultural events. The Dan Zanes concert last month? Boy, the kid sat there and took it all in, bouncing a bit and clapping his hands. The musical version of Goodnight Moon we attended at our fabulous local theatre for young audiences, Childsplay? Let's just say it's a good thing we were in the back row, near the "screaming kid" room.
I'm gonna chalk that one up to hunger, but you know, maybe it's because we didn't have a chance to watch a Goodnight Moon DVD over and over like we did with Dan Zanes to prep the guy.
Anyway, Debbie Cavalier, who recently recorded a kids' music CD of her own called Story Songs and Sing-Alongs as Debbie and Friends, just penned a good guide for parents about to take their kids to their first musical event.
It's a solid set of common-sense recommendations which, thankfully, doesn't completely assume that your child's first concert is necessarily going to be the symphony. The suggestions -- listen to the music together beforehand, talk about speakers and appropriate concert behavior -- apply just as much to Megadeth as to Mozart. Though I'm guessing Dave Mustaine wasn't quite who Cavalier had in mind...
For those of you awaiting the release of Justin Roberts' next CD, Pop Fly, his latest newsletter has a treasure trove of info. (For those of you who don't care, his latest newsletter still has a treasure trove of info, though I suspect little of it would interest you.)
First off, the tracklisting, 11 JR originals, produced by Liam Davis.
1. Pop Fly
2. She's a Yellow Reflector
3. Big Field Trip
4. Henrietta's Hair
5. The Backyard Super Kid
6. From Scratch
7. Stay-at-Home Dad
8. She Sits
9. Giant-Sized Butterflies
10. Kickboard, Baby, Yeah
11. Fruit Jar
Second, Roberts' trumpet player Dave Winer is putting together a video for the title track and is looking for close up pictures "of your child or your inner-child" to be assembled into a giant collage. No word if this going to turn into some sort of "Where's Waldo?"-like hunt. Anyway, for details, check out Roberts' Journal page.
You know, when Recess Monkey recorded "I Went to the Zoo (w/the Dalai Lama)" on their debut CD, Welcome to Monkey Town, I don't think they were engaging in wish fulfillment.
But the Dalai Lama is visiting Seattle in April as part of the Seeds of Compassion event and on April 12, the band is essentially going to be the Dalai Lama's opening act, a sweet gig if there ever was one. (Because, hey, nobody going to see the Dalai Lama is going to boo them for not playing "Stairway to Heaven.")
And for those of you going to Recess Monkey's shows this weekend and a couple weeks from now as part of the recording for their upcoming July album Tabby Road or if you're just curious about the new album, click ahead, why don't you, and see the tracklisting...
01 birthday bite
02 pedal power
03 sleepover
04 the sandbox song
05 kitty sister
06 dr. wiggle
07 kc in the clouds
08 under my bed
09 green monster
10 my yeti's so cool
11 robin the sugar goblin
12 messy nessy
13 boogie monster
14 mummy don't allow
15 little dragon
16 monster truck
17 wolfman
Tracks 9 through 16 are a monster medley a la the Beatles' Abbey Road, natch. And in the end...
Photo credit: Kevin Fry
I don't typically mention contests from bands here (though I'm going to do so a couple times here in the next few days), but I was amused by this, the rules and regulations for a recently-launched contest the Barenaked Ladies are running to promote their upcoming kids' music CD Snacktime.
The assignment is -- draw the band. "Barenaked Ladies just want to see the most creative cartoon of them," they say, and the winner will receive a BNL hoodie, t-shirt, and personally autographed copy of Snacktime.
Yeah, yeah, cute, whatever, but the rules, goodness, those are long, though the band probably does have a few more fans than the bands typically releasing albums in the genre. They're capped by the final statement -- "The contest is open to legal residents of the United States and Canada (excluding Quebec and Rhode Island)." The pure randomness of the statement (which I'm sure is backed by very sound legal reasoning amused me. Anyone from Quebec or Rhode Island care to share why they might be prohibited from entering said contest?
If you've heard If You Ever Hear An Owl from The Terrible Twos, then you were probably excited to hear that the band was prepping its follow-up, Jerzy The Giant (that is, had I told you, which in some rush or other, I didn't. I apologize.)
Y'know, I was going to make you click through to see the album cover, but why should I make it difficult?
Oooooh, I like that. Jerzy the Giant is out July 28 on Vagrant.
(And if you haven't heard the very excellent Owl, by all means check out the band's Myspace page for some of the songs and read the review.)
Update: In case you're wondering, that fun illustration is from University of Kansas Associate Professor of Illustration Barry Fitzgerald, who met Chief Two Matt Pryor through, yes, their kids. Check out more of his kids' stuff here.
Over the course of four albums, New York's Brady Rymer has gradually moved away from the more standard fare of kids' music into something a little more complex -- music celebrating family life. On his latest CD, Here Comes Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could, his fifth, Rymer continues this evolution with an album full of tracks that explore what families do.
Rymer is not like Dan Zanes in that I think it's totally possible that someone without kids could completely enjoy Zanes' "age-desegregated" music -- I think someone who's not tied in some way to a child on a very regular basis wouldn't be that compelled by Rymer's music here. But in some ways, Rymer's trying to walk that fine line of creating music that speaks to both generations equally.
Lyrically, Rymer tackles such topics as piling in the car for a family road trip ("Road Trip," natch, with the catchy chorus singing of visiting "Shoofly, Sleepy Eye, Kalamazoo") or a visit from far-flung family members ("The Relatives Came"). Rymer's never been known to work the more uncomfortable parts of family life, and that doesn't change here -- the most uncomfortable Rymer's narrators get is the "Grown-ups gone wild!" of adults dancing like kids on "It Was a Saturday Night." So if you're looking for a warts-and-all description of family life, Rymer ain't your guy.
Of course, Rymer's strength has always been his music, and this album is no exception. His melodies are in fine form, and the Little Band That Could sounds as good as they've ever been. Listen to the backing band on "The Little Band That Could" or "Road Trip," and it's easy to move your head in some way. Rymer's songs are straight in the folk/rock/roots-rock tradition, and so it's not difficult to picture a little Bruce Springsteen, a little John Mellencamp, maybe even a touch of Dan Zanes as you're listening.
I'll admit, sometimes it's almost a little overwhelming. I wondered if there was a tad too much bling in their (admittedly fine-sounding) cover of "Bling Blang." "Pie" is a great song about a kid who just wants to eat pie all day, but I was uncertain if the midtempo track, which features slide guitar work from Larry Campbell (who's appeared with Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, and Emmylou Harris, among others), would really interest the 7-year-old kid the song is being sung to.
I found myself gravitating to the last two tracks, which after the full-band treatment on the first 11 tracks, sound spare in their simplicity. Brady's "Good Night, Daisy," is a lovely lullaby waltz to his daughter that just features Rymer singing with Claudia Mussen (one of his backup singers), along with bass and Larry Campbell providing some nice dobro. That and an excellent solo rendition by Brady of Pete Seeger's "Well May the World Go" are almost worth the album's price alone. In retrospect, I think the band's effectiveness on the album would have been enhanced even more had it appeared just a little bit less.
The 47-minute album is most appropriate for kids ages 5 through 9. Right now you can stream the whole album at Rymer's website, or you can also hear samples at the album's CDBaby page.
Fans of Brady Rymer won't be disappointed by the new album, and I think Here Come Brady Rymer... is a fine introduction to families who aren't yet fans. Rymer's crafted his best album yet as he continues to be one of the best practitioners of family music about families. Definitely recommended.
I don't talk a lot about music that isn't specifically kids' music, but that guideline's never stopped me before from veering into stuff for the adults.
And so when I saw the video below for Tally Hall's "Good Day," I thought, hey, that's worth posting. For one thing, it's a really cool song. For another thing, it's a really cool video. The punchline to the video will probably go over your kids' heads, but the video and the song is pretty kid-friendly. Especially if you and your kid are able to process rapidly-changing cuts and about 8 different tempo changes.
"Good Day" is from Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum, which is being re-released by Atlantic Records on April 1. (You can hear "Good Day" and more at their Myspace page.)
Now, I'm hardly the first person to the Tally-Hall-for-the-kids party (Clea mentioned this very song more than 18 months ago), but there really is a kids' music connection here...
3/5ths of the band are the voices for the Happy Monster Band on Playhouse Disney, which runs in 5-minute "American Idol"-inspired snippets on weekday mornings. I believe they've also written (or at least recorded) the music. The lyrics are your basic "do good" stuff targeted at 3-year-olds, but the music itself is surprisingly susceptible to repeat listening.
Now, I would be happy to direct you to the video player at the Playhouse Disney site if indeed said video player actually, say, played videos there. But it's been incredibly spotty in its playback, so instead I'll go back to Youtube. You can find "Scare Up Some Fun," "Do the Monster Stomp," and "Get Up and Go Go Go" there. And you can watch the best of 'em, "I Will Be Your Friend," below:
(Note: video oddly ends mid-song. Try your luck with the videoplayer if you want more.)
As someone who spent time in North Carolina in the late '80s and early '90s I have a soft spot in my heart for the band The Connells, who turned out a few good albums of jangly power-pop (some of which are still in my collection).
And it seems like these days, if you just wait around long enough, all your favorite bands will turn to kids music, and the Connells are no different, as lead singer Doug MacMillan has formed Mommie. I've known about MacMillan's band for a while now, but I'm spurred to draw attention to them now because they've just posted some new tracks -- "Fun Fun Fun Fun Fun Fun Fun Fun Party," "Bubble," and "Carrots Are Crunchy" -- worth a listen. Those are a little slow, with the slightly older track "Bubble" in particular being more atmospheric than most kids' songs. And if those don't tickle your eardrums, at least listen to "Dumptruck," a jangly jewel of a song all the more notable for being written by MacMillan and his son Charlie when Charlie was just 3.
Anyway, for those of you wondering what the Band might have sounded like had they recorded a split kids' music EP with R.E.M., check it out.