If it's Day Three of KidVid Tournament 2010, it must be the Leadbelly Region. The first matchup pits the top seed, Recess Monkey's "Marshmallow Farm" from Field Trip, against (ironically enough) "Field Trip" from The Hipwaders from their Marshmallow Farm album. (Just kidding -- it's from their Goodie Bag EP.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below, but the official results are based on the poll at the bottom of the page. One vote per person, please. Votes due by midnight tonight (Thursday) East Coast time. And, as always, play nice!

Recess Monkey - "Marshmallow Farm" [YouTube]

The Hipwaders - "Field Trip" [YouTube]

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Because of the local nature of the show, I didn't bother letting you national readers know about Doug Snyder's trip to Phoenix to play some shows here in the Valley of the Sun. Wouldn't want you to get all jealous and leave in a huff, of course. But play he did, returning to the Children's Museum of Phoenix and making his first appearance at the Church of the Beatitudes Not Just for Kids concert series.

At Sunday's show at the NJFK series, Doug played a wide range of his Jellydots tunes, and I nicely spaced out my video coverage to capture 'em all... (See, I told you not to leave in a huff.) This one's from the forthcoming Jelly Jukebox disk. (Sorry, though, I didn't capture his take on the Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star," nor our excellent "OH-wah-OH"s pre-chorus.)

Doug Snyder (The Jellydots) - "O Bounty" (Live) [YouTube]

Three more videos after the jump, including a rare Jellydots song (at least, live)...

Continue reading "Concert Recap: Doug Snyder (Phoenix, February 2010)" »

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK, not really.

But you know how I told you about Sara Hickman's long list of 2010 activities? And how Sara Hickman's been making music with Jason Molin?

Well, they'be been cranking out more demos. Yeah, the awesome "Bananas" is still there, along with some other demos, including "Family Time Rocks." What's that all about? Well, it has something to do with Family Time Rocks, Hickman's and Molin's attempt to use her status as Texas State Musician to get families to get more creative. (That website just has a splash page that doesn't do anything, but does have a Nov. 7 date. Hmmmm....)

Anyway, all that would be reason enough to post something and to be excited, but here's where I blow your minds, folks. Guess who's joining Family Time Rocks?

Continue reading "Family Time Rocks Adds Dave Grohl" »

Posted by SAShepherd at 02:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here it is, folks, the first video for The Jellydots. Doug made good on his suggestion that his upcoming album Jelly Jukebox would be a lot more beat-based, and with this video for "Adventure Quest!" from the album, he's playing around with a younger doppelganger. It's a video every bit as funky (and fun) as the song itself.

The Jellydots - "Adventure Quest!" [YouTube]

Posted by SAShepherd at 06:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The latest Land of Nod Nodcast Podcast is up, and this time it features Doug Snyder, chief Jellydot. As with all the Nodcast Podcasts, Snyder tries his hand at writing a Nodcast Podcast theme, plays clips of some of his popular songs, and gives a sneak preview of a new song from the next Jellydots album (an album titled Jelly Jukebox). The song is called something like "Adventure Quest," and it's definitely in demo form, as Snyder points out, but should sound sweet when stuff like real horns are mixed in. Snyder also gives a guitar lesson, teaching a blues song, so you aspiring guitar kiddos (OK, and aspiring adult guitarist, too) can join in the fun. (The Fresh Air bit will probably go over the heads of anyone under the age of 25.) Listen or subscribe to the podcast here.

Posted by SAShepherd at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Finally had the chance to upload (and post) a nice little interview with the genius behind The Jellydots, Doug Snyder. He played a couple sweet shows here in Phoenix a couple weeks back, and I caught him in between sets. We talked about his guitar, work on his upcoming album, and other Jellydot-ian news. (Oh, and Little Boy Blue wandered in occasionally, so apologies for the odd camera angles for some of the interview.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 12:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So very pleased was I with main Jellydot Doug Snyder's performance at the Children's Museum of Phoenix this past weekend, the first of several shows I'm helping the Museum put on. (Does that make me a musical curator of sorts?)

A good crowd (split into two parts, for Doug's two sets), a friendly group of kids, and a lovely sun-dappled space perfect for this song. I thought it was so perfect, I even panned the camera at the proper moment...

Doug Snyder (The Jellydots) - "Mr. Gloom"

And there's more...

Continue reading "Concert Recap: Doug Snyder of the Jellydots (Phoenix, Jan. 2009)" »

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's been a crazy-busy week for me, but I've got my calendar clear to see the Jellydots' Doug Snyder play a show at the wonderful Children's Museum of Phoenix this Sunday, January 11. Sets are at 2 and 3 PM, free with Museum admission. I'm so geeked I was able to help the Museum with their new series, especially with Doug.

Make sure you get there early, for two reasons:
1) Space is limited. (Check out the CMOP calendar for how to make reservations, though they're leaving a few spots open for walk-ins.)
2) Your kids (and you) will be so distracted by "Whoosh!" on the ground floor that it'll take you a good 20 minutes to get up to the 2nd floor...

See you tomorrow!

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A while ago, main Jellydot Doug Snyder lived in Phoenix, even playing a Sing-Along Saturday at Stinkweeds Records. Well, Doug moved on to New Mexico, but he's returning to the Valley of the Sun to kick off a great 2009 kids music-wise when he plays a couple of sets at the Children's Museum of Phoenix on Sunday, January 11. Come at 2 PM, or come at 3 PM (or maybe even stay for both). The show is free with CMOP admission and if you haven't yet visited the museum and you've got kids who are still in the single-digit age range, you really should stop by -- it's a really cool museum.

I've helped CMOP put together a whole concert series for 2009 -- more details on the rest of the series coming soon!

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I know Doug Snyder of The Jellydots is recording tracks for the next album, but in the meantime, he's involved a project called Friends of Niko.

It's a project started by Friend-of-Doug Loreta Boskovic, whose son Niko developed autism at some point after he turned 3 years old. To raise funds to provide some expensive therapy for her son, Boskovic wrote some pretty heartfelt lyrics and then turned to Doug to create some music to go with it. The result, "The Water Tower," has some fairly personal lyrics that are difficult to listen to if you're not in that situation, but the chorus (one line: "And you, forever in our minds / Like a water tower / That I don't notice driving by"), matched with a swooping chorus, fairly well soars.

Listen to the song below, but make sure you check out the website and Niko's story, and donate if possible.

Doug Snyder (The Jellydots) - "The Water Tower"

Posted by SAShepherd at 03:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I reviewed the Jellydots' 2nd album Changing Skies a little more than six months ago. At the time, it was an mp3-only release. But now it's got a full-fledged CD release through Pokey Pup Records, and I thought it merited another mention. Here's the original review:

*****

In the comparatively small world of kids music, I'm not sure there's been an album that has shook up the genre recently as much as the Jellydots' debut CD Hey You Kids!. At time it rocked, other times it was gently sweet, but it seemed to resonate with parents who might never have given the genre a second thought.

So how exactly does one follow up such a standout release? You pretty much have two choices -- follow the template exactly, or throw away the mold. For Doug Snyder, chief Jellydot, the answer was more the latter than the former and you can hear the results on Changing Skies, the followup CD currently available in digital formats and available on physical CDs in the not-too-distant future for old fogeys like me.

How is it different? Well, the primary difference is that the subject matter is definitely geared towards older kids. It's not that Hey You Kids! was necessarily a perfect album for a 3-year-old -- it was definitely more for 6-year-olds and older. But songs about dropped cookies and going to camp, and treating each other with respect were definitely for kids. On the new album, though, Snyder often writes songs about 14-year-olds, or even their older siblings. "Remember Me" is a beautiful song which conjures up every memory you never had about a tenth-grade romance with a girl who moved away. "Art School Girl" is a dryly humorous reggae-tinged track about a young woman who moves away from Austin because she thinks life will be more exciting elsewhere and ends up working in Starbucks. Your 3-year-old might bop her head to the tune, but won't really care about the lyrics.

The album isn't totally a missing My So-Called Life soundtrack -- "Big Swingset," for example, is about, well, a swingset and moves briskly in 7/4 time (a meter which, I assure you, is not found on most pop-rock albums), while "Sad Robot" is a slower track about a robot who'd much rather be zooming through space. And for those of you who loved the lullabies at the end of the first CD, Snyder doesn't disappoint here, either -- "When You Were Born" and "Pretty Little Baby" evoke Paul Simon and Elliott Smith in tenderness. So, yeah, there are some songs for the youngsters, but the overall vibe is for kids older than them.

I'm going to peg the primary audience here at ages 9 and up. You can listen to samples and purchase the CD at Pokey Pup or CDBaby or hear a couple songs at the Jellydots' Myspace page. (Order it at iTunes here.)

In its own way, Changing Skies an experiment in creating a different path for family music, one that attempts to include all family members in the musical journey. Dan Zanes has blazed this trail most successfully, but with this album, deliberately or not, Doug Snyder is seeing whether or not a more rock-based approach might also work. I'm not sure everybody in a family will like all the tracks equally, but I'm pretty sure at least somebody will like each track in turn. And I definitely think the adults who liked Hey You Kids! will like this new one, too. Recommended.

Posted by SAShepherd at 09:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you want to know, then check out the latest DadLabs video, an interview with the Jellydots. Listen to the band discuss such issues as who kids really learn to cuss from and (about 4 minutes or so into the piece) chief 'Dot Doug Snyder play "Bicycle" on acoustic guitar. That song still holds up even without the amplification.

Posted by SAShepherd at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In the comparatively small world of kids music, I'm not sure there's been an album that has shook up the genre recently as much as the Jellydots' debut CD Hey You Kids!. At time it rocked, other times it was gently sweet, but it seemed to resonate with parents who might never have given the genre a second thought.

So how exactly does one follow up such a standout release? You pretty much have two choices -- follow the template exactly, or throw away the mold. For Doug Snyder, chief Jellydot, the answer was more the latter than the former and you can hear the results on Changing Skies, the followup CD currently available in digital formats and available on physical CDs in the not-too-distant future for old fogeys like me.

How is it different? Well, the primary difference is that the subject matter is definitely geared towards older kids. It's not that Hey You Kids! was necessarily a perfect album for a 3-year-old -- it was definitely more for 6-year-olds and older. But songs about dropped cookies and going to camp, and treating each other with respect were definitely for kids. On the new album, though, Snyder often writes songs about 14-year-olds, or even their older siblings. "Remember Me" is a beautiful song which conjures up every memory you never had about a tenth-grade romance with a girl who moved away. "Art School Girl" is a dryly humorous reggae-tinged track about a young woman who moves away from Austin because she thinks life will be more exciting elsewhere and ends up working in Starbucks. Your 3-year-old might bop her head to the tune, but won't really care about the lyrics.

The album isn't totally a missing My So-Called Life soundtrack -- "Big Swingset," for example, is about, well, a swingset and moves briskly in 7/4 time (a meter which, I assure you, is not found on most pop-rock albums), while "Sad Robot" is a slower track about a robot who'd much rather be zooming through space. And for those of you who loved the lullabies at the end of the first CD, Snyder doesn't disappoint here, either -- "When You Were Born" and "Pretty Little Baby" evoke Paul Simon and Elliott Smith in tenderness. So, yeah, there are some songs for the youngsters, but the overall vibe is for kids older than them.

I'm going to peg the primary audience here at ages 9 and up. You can listen to samples and purchase the CD at CDBaby or hear a couple songs at the Jellydots' Myspace page. (Order it at iTunes here.)

In its own way, Changing Skies an experiment in creating a different path for family music, one that attempts to include all family members in the musical journey. Dan Zanes has blazed this trail most successfully, but with this album, deliberately or not, Doug Snyder is seeing whether or not a more rock-based approach might also work. I'm not sure everybody in a family will like all the tracks equally, but I'm pretty sure at least somebody will like each track in turn. And I definitely think the adults who liked Hey You Kids! will like this new one, too. Recommended.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I was sort of sad when the Welcome to Ralph's World CD came out, and Giselle Potter didn't do the cover illustration. Not that the new cover was bad, but I always thought that Potter's drawings had a verve and quality that telegraphed the essential "this is not just thrown together" feel that helped the Ralph World CDs do well.

Well, perhaps the kids music genre finally has another illustrator it can call its own. North Carolina-based illustrator Brandon Reese has not just one but two kids-music-related projects for two very cool bands. The first project is the cover for the Jellydots' new CD, Changing Skies. It's my favorite CD cover of the year.

Beyond that, Reese also designed the new logo for Squirrel Mechanic Records, Lunch Money's homegrown label. Go here for a peek (scroll down about halfway). Very whimsical.

I know, I know, album art is probably on its way as everybody gets all down-loady, but I hope that doesn't happen for a long time...

Posted by SAShepherd at 02:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

They Might Be Giants frankly retired the category of "Best Robot Song For Kids (and Adults)" with "Robot Parade," but I'm not going to begrudge attempts by other artists to take a run at TMBG's crown.

This week's contestant is The Jellydots, who've just posted another new track from their upcoming album Changing Skies at their Myspace page. "Sad Robot" is, as the title suggests, not the happiest of tales -- a lonely robot dreams of communicating with the stars. It also features a heavy bass line and lots of guitar work. It is a considerably different track than the previously referenced "San Diego." It's more like the "Adult Version" of "Robot Parade," on TMBG's Dial-A-Song collection, perhaps. And it seems like there should be some wistful Japanese animation to go along with it...

Posted by SAShepherd at 04:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You know, by the time you've been listening to music for about 20 hours in a 36-hour period, your focus tends to wander. Yeah, yeah, drums. Yo La Tengo, sure. Where the heck is that water bottle?

But I came here to Austin with a job to do and I'm going to do it. After all, I'm a professional.

Actually, no, I'm not.

But I'm here.

In any case, Day 3 here at the Austin Kiddie Limits stage and I'm without Miss Mary Mack, who slept in until 9 AM this morning and is relaxing back at the (metaphorical) ranch with her grandma. After filing my Day 2 report at the press tent, I dashed over to the stage, just in time to catch We Go To 11... pose for pictures. Sorry, guys, maybe next time.

Continue reading "ACL Fest (Austin Kiddie Limits) 2007: Day 3 Report" »

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The other day, I posted a video of the Jellydots performing a new cut, "San Diego," as part of the Tricycle Music Fest in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Well, the finished version of The Jellydots' "San Diego" is now available as a free download from their Myspace page. It'll be on their upcoming release Changing Skies, which is, according to the page, "almost done!" (Interjection Doug's.)

I think you'll find it a valuable addition to our modern lifestyle. Or, at the very least, your family's mp3 collection.

Posted by SAShepherd at 01:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Jellydots traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina about a month ago to perform at the Tricycle Music Fest. In addition to performing a special version of their hit "Bicycle" (take a wild guess at how they modified it and watch here to see if you guessed correctly), they debuted a song from their upcoming album.

Musically, it's got a sunny, late-California afternoon sort-of vibe. It's sort of hard to make out the lyrics in the muddy audio mix, but the chorus is pretty clear:

"Why don't we go to San Diego? / We can sign up this year / Why don't we go to San Diego? / I'm gonna pack up my gear."

The song seems pretty relatable to kids, but considering the line midway through - "It gets so hot in Texas" - it seems like this is a case of real (adult) life inspiring the song, as Jellydots main man Doug Snyder recently moved from Austin to here in Phoenix. Now, ordinarily I might cry foul ("Hey, where's the song about Phoenix?"), but I gotta tell you, "Phoenix" is not nearly as easy to stick in a chorus as "San Diego."

"Why don't we fix transportation in Phoenix?"
"Why do I get neck cricks looking at houses in Phoenix?"

So Doug gets a pass.

Anyway, enjoy.

Posted by SAShepherd at 02:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

If you live in the Phoenix area, don't forget that Doug Snyder, main man of the Jellydots, will be playing a free Saturday Sing-Along at Stinkweeds this Saturday, June 9, starting at 10 AM.

(If you don't live in the Phoenix area, well, I can't help you then. Make your own Saturday music experience. Do Breakfast with Enzo Garcia in San Francisco. Or go to Baby Loves Disco in LA. Or listen to Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child or Greasy Kid Stuff. Or just sing and dance in the comfort of your own home. Whatever.)

Doug's relocated here to Phoenix, so if you're in the area, this is a great chance to meet him. (And, if you or your kids have a hankerin' to learn guitar, to schedule a lesson.)

Stinkweeds, located at Central and Camelback, will be opening up at 10 AM for this, and the weather looks like it'll be tolerable. (Whoo-hoo! Tolerable!) Come early, 'cuz based on the attendance last time, I think it'll be pretty packed.

Look for me -- I'll be the guy with the lime-green uke.

Posted by SAShepherd at 09:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

[Read to the very end to find out a cool announcement about a Phoenix-area show.]

Unlike some of my Offsprung colleagues (Dr. Flea, Erica Perl, do stop by), I'm an amateur practitioner of music, kids' or otherwise. I enjoy playing, but my audiences are rarely any larger than the 3 other members of my immediate family.

So, remember the Singalong Saturday that my local record store, Stinkweeds, was going to host with my help? (Humor me and say yes.)

Yeah, it was lots of fun. Lots of people -- maybe 40 -- for something that was publicized at close to the last minute. I brought some rhythm instruments (shakers, Casio drum machines... OK, no drum machines). The weather cooperated -- wonderfully mild.

And the music? Well, it can be viewed in one of two ways.
1) Dario's Magic Bus was a nifty little trio of Dario on guitar and Jason and Justin playing upright bass and a single-drum drum set.
2) I played, too.

That's right. In the corner stood me and my lime green Dan Zanes ukelele, playing along with "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Old MacDonald," and the like.

There's just an itsy bitsy problem.

My current chordal knowledge on the uke is limited to 5, maybe 6 chords, much less if I don't have my chord book in front of me.

And so, if the band wasn't playing in the key of the chords I was familiar with, I was forced to strum idly with a silly grin on my face. Which is a not uncommon expression for me, but typically I'm not looking that way in front of three dozen strangers.

I really don't mind improvising, but if I were going to do that, I'd much rather pull out my violin, where my ability to transpose is crudely competent.

But when I'm asked to lead the crowd in "Pay Me My Money Down" (Dario, while very cool, didn't have a setlist long enough for the full hour) it's, well, a lot harder than you'd think.

It's not just skill in playing music, there's a definite art in working the crowd, and one that I've got a lot to learn about.

That's why I'm very excited that Stinkweeds will have the Jellydots' Doug Snyder at their next Singalong Saturday, on June 9th at 10 AM. It'll be the last Singalong before the summer break, so come early as I think this free event will be even more popular than the first one.

Don't worry, the owner and I are already thinking about events for the fall. And, as far as I'm aware, I'm not on that calendar of events.

By the way, Doug's now living in Phoenix, and so if you or your kids are lookin' for guitar lessons (you've always wanted to learn how to play "Bicycle," right?), drop him a line through his website.

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Yeah, I know there was a show or two in Brooklyn last week, but I would be remiss if I did not direct you to Belinda and Hova's recap of their Grease Ball on March 18th. Doug Snyder of the Jellydots played, and Captain Bogg and Salty played at least one new song, "Don't Drink Sea Water."

Another report can be found here. I can't decide if their description of one of Doug's songs ("a song about multiplying by three") was either very laconic humor or surprising lack of pop-cultural knowledge, but in either case it made me chuckle.

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Sippy Cups and Daddy-A-Go-Go went back to the late '60s in namechecking the past at SXSW this weekend. The Jellydots didn't go quite that far back. Think late '80s. Think rappers wearing large clocks.

Continue reading "The Jellydots LIVE at SXSW" »

Posted by SAShepherd at 06:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I know that bar on the right side of the main homepage is a bit on the long side, but it's time for some updates...

Planet KidVid is a new enterprise from longtime Friend of Zooglobble Monty Harper and kids' musician Mr. Billy. If they keep up with the posts, this could be a website that causes lots of families to go over their allocated "screen time."

The Harper family is evidently trying to take over the web as Monty's wife Lisa and her daughter Evalyn have established the Kids Music Planet podcast. What is slightly different about this podcast from many other kids' music radio shows is that they play multiple selections from a few albums. So if for some reason my review of an album isn't clear enough you can decide for yourself. ;-)

Belinda and Hova finally seem to have settled on a new internet location for their Greasy Kid Stuff playlists. If you go to their website, you can also find out all about their Mar. 18th "Grease Ball" with Captain Bogg & Salty, The Jellydots, and The Sprockettes. You can also hear They Might Be Giants' penned-just-for-Belinda-and-Hova "Greasy Kid Stuff."

I've also added Fred Koch's new children's music-related blog to the sidebar. Fred is another longtime listener and reviewer of kids music and I'm glad to see him start up a blog.

Regular readers will certainly be aware of Amy's appearance on WNYC's Soundcheck on Tuesday. Amy made a lot of excellent points (and ones I mostly agree with) and is to be commended for always sounding coherent, a not at all easy thing to do live on the air. Listen to the 20-minute segment here.

Finally, children's media publicist (and, well, fan) Beth Blenz-Clucas talked about a couple of her clients and other kids' musicians and topics on Vicky and Jen's Grammy-related podcast. The podcast also includes discussions with Richard Perlmutter (he's working on Beethoven's Wig 4, apparently), Dan Zanes, and Ezra Idlet from Trout Fishing in America. (Beth was also kind enough to mention this website as a good resource...)

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Heard from certain sources this morning that Austin-raised band The Jellydots will also have a showcase at South By Southwest next month, joining at least 3 kids' bands and roughly a bajillion other bands. That's a pretty darn good mini-festival right there.

Assuming, of course, you can get a hotel room.

Which you can't.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A couple months ago, I mentioned that Doug Snyder of The Jellydots would be sitting in with Enzo Garcia at one of Enzo's Saturday morning "Breakfast With Enzo" shows in January.

Well, loyal reader Deb in SF sent in this photo from this past weekend's confab. That's Enzo on the left playing saw on Doug's "My Blanket."

Sounds like a grand time was had by all...

(Photo courtesy Deb Evans Braun)

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Austin's Jellydots have posted a new tour date on their Myspace page -- the mysteriously-named and possibly-incorrectly-spelled "Greasypaloosa" in Portland, Oregon on March 11, 2007.

Hmmmm.... could our friends Belinda and Hova have anything to do with this?

(And I think "Palooza" has now officially entered the lexicon as the arts' world's "-Gate.")

By the way, for those of you wanting to strum along at home to the fabulous songs on Hey You Kids!, song charts are now available here. Kinda appropriate, seeing how the songs were originally created to, uh, help teach kids how to play guitar. (Hey, how would they sound on ukelele?...)

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So here's the first installment of my quixotic attempt to produce a list of the Top 50 Kids Songs of All Time.

In general this list is supposed to produce a list of songs familiar to a wide range of kids, at least in English-speaking North America. (OK, I realize that's not quite so wide.) As we approach #1, the songs are more likely to be "classics," recorded multiple times, and familiar enough to people for them to join in singing spontaneously. Which is not to say that more recent and more recording-focused tunes won't make the list, just that they're probably more the exception than the rule.

And remember, if you haven't entered the contest to pick the top five, go do so now.

Without any further ado, then, here we go...

50. "Bicycle" - The Jellydots: Did I say this song wouldn't make this list? OK, I changed my mind. Of course, a lot of the Jellydots' tunes were written to help teacher guitar to kids, so maybe 20 years from now some 10-year-old kid will jam out on her own guitar to this. (Listen at the Jellydots' Myspace page.)

49. "Tricycle" - Lunch Money: "This tricycle / Was my brother's tricycle / And that's why it has / This dent in the fender." Lunch Money's debut Silly Reflection is a small gem of a CD and I could've picked any one of a half-dozen excellent songs here, but this one is the most accessible and relatable to kids and their parents. (Listen at Lunch Money's lyrics page for "Tricycle".)

48. "Car Car" - Woody Guthrie: Hard to believe this song is, what, 50 years old? Covered by Elizabeth Mitchell on You Are My Sunshine (with a "beep beep" that still makes us swivel our heads every time we listen to it in the car), it's still timely today. (Listen to a sample of Woody's version here.)

47. "Yellow Bus" - Justin Roberts: Roberts is one of the top 2 or 3 crafters of kids pop tunes working today. This track is a fine example of his folk-pop talent merged with his ample sense of humor -- kids and parents might not necessarily sing his music on their own all the time, but they'll definitely sing along. (Listen to a sample here.)

46. "Trot Ol' Joe" - traditional: An excellent example -- the first of many -- of songs that have been shaped through the years to fit slightly different melodies and lyrics. Also an excellent example of songs to combine with physical movements with toddlers. Love the "whoooooaaa, Joe" part.

Final note: Note the common thread here? Yes, all these songs deal with modes of transportation. No, the rest of the list will not be organized quite so neatly.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Why, yes, yes it would. Frances England's got herself a spiffied-up website and a video and slideshow to boot. Now if only Lunch Money and the Jellydots would jump in with videos for their awesome three- and two-wheeled songs...

Posted by SAShepherd at 03:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Denizens of the fair city of San Francisco, what might be the most interesting live show of 2007 awaits you. On Saturday, January 20, Doug Snyder of the Jellydots will be joining Enzo Garcia for his Breakfast With Enzo show.

It's as if Matthew Sweet decided to join Tom Waits for a show. I don't know what it'll sound like, but I'd imagine that even the stuff that doesn't quite work will at least be interesting. Should be a hoot and a half.

Posted by SAShepherd at 06:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This band will change your life.

Not to get all Natalie Portman on you, but like the Shins, the Austin-based band The Jellydots might just change a few families' lives, or at least their opinions on what kids' music can be.

I pick the Shins as a reference point deliberately because it was their skewed pop I kept thinking of while I listened to the Jellydots' first nationally-distributed CD, Hey You Kids!. The simple pop of the title track, a melding of delicate guitar work and percussion work sounds like the spare pop on the Shins' Oh Inverted World! CD while "I'm Not Ugly (You're Not Either)" has a propulsive melody and beat that sounds like "Fighting in a Sack" off Chutes Too Narrow.

Not all of the tracks have such a Shins vibe. The opening track "Bicycle" is a great power-pop tune that the Shins (or a hundred power-pop bands) would love to have written, while "Lake Rules" has a reggae beat and accompaniment reminiscent of Elvis Costello's "Watching The Detectives."

Lyrically the CD speaks straight to kids. The lyrics deal with subjects like bicycles, choosing to be positive, and self-esteem. I particularly appreciated the lyrics on "Quite Naturally" ("Yesterday I saw an ad on my TV screen / And all the people on the screen / Looked so happy to me / It seemed like they were living in a special fantasy / Where money, fun, and happiness all grow on plastic trees.") Over an entire album these messages of uplift might become repetitive were it not for the fact that they're wrapped in such sweet bonbons of melody. Parents aren't entirely ignored -- the best song on the disk is tucked near the end, the slow and beautiful "Captain Sleep," a nearly perfectly-constructed song which kids might be OK with but will resonate with the parents.

The 41-minute album will be especially appreciated by kids ages 4 through 9, but the melodies will be enjoyed by those much older, too. You can hear samples of all the tracks at the album's CDBaby page or hear a few cuts at the band's Myspace page. The album will very soon be released in a physical format, but if you can't wait, you can order it now from iTunes.

Essentially a "Greatest Hits" collection of songs from albums previously only released in Austin, Hey You Kids! is a fine showcase for Doug Snyder's abundant songwriting skills and voice and the adept musicianship of the trio. If you have any affinity for power-pop and indie-pop, you need to check out this album. It's too good to let Austin have all the fun. It may not change your life, but it's definitely recommended.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)