Zooglobble

KidVid Tournament 2010: You Set the Bracket (Mostly)

2010-03-16T02:00:18Z

Yes, folks, it's KidVid Tournament time. And I need your help.

You may remember that I picked out my 20 favorite kids music videos of 2009 last week. I hope you were paying attention, because now I need your help setting up the brackets for KidVid Tournament 2010.

In the poll below, I'm asking you to vote for up to 15 of your favorite videos. The 15 that get the most votes will be placed in the KidVid Tournament 2010 bracket and I'll pay attention to the vote counts in determining the all important seeding.

A couple additional notes:
1) Why 15? Well, I've got to make sure that if you, my loyal public, completely miss the boat on a video (or if a video misses out by, say, 1 vote), I have a just a little bit of control.
2) The eagle-eyed among you will notice that Secret Agent 23 Skidoo's video for "Family Tree" is missing from the poll. That's because I have a rule that prior winners have to take at least one year off. Skidoo got more than 500 votes in last year's epic KidVid Tournament 2009 final against the The Jimmies. If he were in again this year, he'd probably win, and what's the fun in that? I'm sure he'll be back.

Anyway, voting ends Wednesday night, and one vote per household please. The poll is below, and in case you need to be reminded, all the videos follow the poll in a handy playlist format. Thanks!

Zooglobble's 20 Favorite Kids Music Videos of 2009 [YouTube]

Remind: Ziggy, Elizabeth, (Daniel), and Jay. Tonight.

2010-03-16T00:59:01Z

A quick reminder that Elizabeth Mitchell and Daniel Littleton join Ziggy Marley on the Tonight Show, er, tonight (March 15). They'll be helping out with "I Love You Too" from Marley's Grammy-winning album Family Time. It's not the song that Mitchell helped out with on the album, but it'll do. Here's another version of the track to get you in the mood...

Ziggy Marley - "I Love You Too" [YouTube]

Do Kids' Musicians Get the Royal(ty) Treatment or Royalty Screwed?

2010-03-15T16:52:31Z

Some posts are meant to be.

A couple weeks back, when I started Zooglobble Radio (go listen now, really), I got into a brief discussion with another person in the industry involved in terrestrial radio in some way. They reported their playlists, but expressed doubt that it was really benefitting the artists they played on the station. They mentioned one artist in particular that they'd played literally dozens if not hundreds of times that had never received a single royalty check. (I chose Live365 in large part because I wanted to make sure artists got paid, and they're the only internet radio provider that provides full SoundExchange payment.)

So when I saw this Los Angeles Times article about royalty payments paid by SoundExchange, a non-profit group created by Congress to distribute royalties from digital and satellite media streams, I thought this might be of interest.

And then I read the first paragraphs:

When John Boydston got an e-mail from SoundExchange saying he had several thousand dollars in unclaimed royalties, he did what most sensible people would do. He ignored it.

To the rock musician from Atlanta, "money for nothing" meant a song by Dire Straits, not a stranger contacting him out of the blue promising to cut him big checks.

But then he got the message again six months later. Curious, he called SoundExchange.

"Sure enough, they had a sizable amount of money for me," said Boydston, 51, whose band Daddy a Go Go includes his two teenage sons. "It was several thousand dollars. That's not a ton of money. But for a guy who makes CDs in his basement, it was enough to finance my next album."

That's right, that's SXSW artist Daddy A Go Go there.

So here's my question for you, kid rockers -- is SoundExchange a major part of your income stream, a minor part, or no part at all? And if so, why (or why not)?

This Oran Etkin / Putumayo Kids Thing Might Just Work Out

2010-03-12T21:57:56Z

Seriously, check out Oran Etkin, whose duet with Charenee Wade on "Little Lamb Jam" is featured on the latest Putumayo Kids disk, Jazz Playground. I don't need much more than a tuba and Dizzy's "Salt Peanuts" to make me happy, and this collection of bits from a recent Jazz Playground Concert Tour concert in Philly has both. Let there be a long, fruitful partnership.

Video from Etkin (plus a bonus video from the album) after the jump...

]]> Oran Etkin, Putumayo Kids Presents Jazz Playground Concert Tour [YouTube]

Kinderjazz - "Gazooba" [YouTube]

The Top Kids Music Albums of All Time Poll: #s 25-11

2010-03-12T15:09:02Z

Here's a list of album numbers 11 through 25 of the Top Kids Music Albums of All Time Poll. For a few more comments on the methodology, go here, but you may as well just dig in... because it's gonna take a little while.

25. Family Dance - Dan Zanes
Points: 136
Ballots: 6
Release date: 2001
Zanes' second foray into music for families. Unlike its predecessor Rocket Ship Beach, this album to me feels like his first real "age-desegregated" album, with less of the more kid-focused stuff on the first disk.

24. Easy - Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Points: 137
Ballots: 6
Release date: 2008 (released in 2009)
I'm not the only person to have said it -- it's the first great kids hip-hop album, but saying so makes it sound like its appeal would be limited. It's not.

23. Rocket Ship Beach - Dan Zanes
Points: 140
Ballots: 6
Release date: 2000
Sure, Laurie Berkner and Justin Roberts released albums before this one came out, but if there was an album that first made people in the world at large aware of a resurgent genre, it was this one.

22. On a Flying Guitar - SteveSongs
Points: 144
Ballots: 6
Release date: 2000
The second SteveSongs disk, and the first after Steve Roslonek left his job as a business consultant to perform music for kids full-time. It's worked out well for him, I think.

21. Singable Songs for the Very Young - Raffi
Points: 146
Ballots: 6
Release date: 1976
It's been said (though by whom has been lost to the mists of time and the internet) that this album, Raffi's first, basically created the kids' music genre from a sales perspective. Seeing as the album has gone platinum, that's not entirely surprising.

]]> 20. Singin' with Susan - Susan Shane-Linder
Points: 155
Ballots: 6
Release date: 1995
This is the first of three kids album from the Florida-based Shane-Linder.

17. (tie) Silly Reflection - Lunch Money
Points: 160
Ballots: 7
Release date: 2004
Some of these albums are well-loved because they're popular. Others are well-loved because they get passed around as a secret. This is an example of the latter.

17. (tie) Songs to Grow On For Mother and Child - Woody Guthrie
Points: 160
Ballots: 7
Release date: 1956 (recorded in 1947, re-released by Smithsonian Folkways in 1991)
Is this the first great children's music album? I think it is...

17. (tie) You Are My Sunshine - Elizabeth Mitchell
Points: 160
Ballots: 7
Release date: 2002
I find it appropriate that Woody Guthrie and Elizabeth Mitchell are tied in this poll because there isn't a single contemporary kids musician who is as indebted to Guthrie as Mitchell, who covers Guthrie's "Car Car" on this, her second album for families.

16. Little Mermaid Soundtrack - Various Artists
Points: 170
Ballots: 8
Release date: 1988
There were several movie soundtracks and Broadway cast albums listed in people's ballots -- appropriately enough, this is from the movie that signaled Disney's resurgence in animated movies for kids. (And, yeah, the songs from Alan Menken and Howard Ashman are pretty good, too. Probably better than the movie itself.)

15. Annie Broadway Cast - Various Artists
Points: 176
Ballots: 8
Release date: 1977
Is Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin's "I Won't Grow Up" the proto-theme song for the kids music genre?

14. Fascinating Creatures - Frances England
Points: 178
Ballots: 8
Release date: 2006
Is there any album on this list whose origins were less likely to have suggested broad popularity than this debut from Frances England? The album was recorded as a preschool fundraiser, and turned into a launching point for a career.

13. Family Tree - Frances England
Points: 179
Ballots: 8
Release date: 2008
Given the close placement of this album to its predecessor, you might think that there was a lot of block voting going on, that people voted for both albums together (and relatively closely in placement). While that was true in some cases, for the most part people had definite favorites, voting for one or the other. Which bodes well for England's future success, too.

12. No! - TMBG
Points: 195
Ballots: 8
Release date: 2002
If Dan Zanes' Rocket Ship Beach was the first shot across the bow letting people know the kids music genre was resurgent, They Might Be Giants' No! was the first landing. In addition to being a great album, it was the first album that suggested to artists in the 21st century that they could make music for families and, if they chose, continue to make music for the adults as well. As the decade rolled, what seemed like a nice option increasingly looked like a survival option.

11. House Party - Dan Zanes
Points: 197
Ballots: 9
Release date: 2003
By 2003, Zanes was really getting going -- House Party was his fourth album for families (fifth if you include Sea Music, and his guest artist list at this point would be the envy of any variety show (Debbie Harry, Angelique Kidjo, Philip Glass make appearances here). While the Grammy-winning Catch That Train! might have been the apotheosis of his "age-desegregated" music, this one comes pretty close.

The Top Kids Music Albums of All Time Poll: Results Introduction

2010-03-12T15:04:25Z

I'm about to post the first part of results from the Top Kids Music Albums of All Time Poll, and I wanted to start off by thanking everyone who voted lo these many months ago. Nearly 90 folks submitted ballots, which I thought was an excellent response. And I also want to thank everyone for their patience while I compiled these results.

One note on the results I'll be presenting here. The rules I outlined in my original post asked people to vote for 10 albums, with point ratings from 1 to 10, but people could submit fewer than 10 albums with points reduced accordingly. As I received votes, however, I realized a couple things:
1) The disparity between a tenth place vote and a first place vote was far too large
2) By permitting one- or two-vote ballots (albeit at a discounted value), it didn't discourage persons who wanted to specifically promote one artist at the cost of all others.

So, prior to tabulating votes, I decided to change the scoring methodology as follows:
1) Rather than scoring votes from 1 to 10, I scored votes from 18 to 27. (There was a justification for selecting that range, but it's not worth getting into.)
2) I disqualified all ballots with fewer than five votes.

I will be describing the top 25 albums using the revised methodology, but will publish (after the full results are revealed) both sets of results.

So I hope you enjoy the results. There are a lot of familiar faces, a few (relatively) unfamiliar ones, and a lot of time both in the voting and in the compiling. Enjoy.

My Favorite Kids Music Videos of 2009

2010-03-11T15:23:39Z

As much as 2009 was a great year for kids music, I think it might have been even more the year of the kids music video. In past years, coming up with 16 good kids music videos, let alone 20, was hard work. This year, it was hard, but not because there wasn't enough good stuff. There was too much good stuff.

I'm still not sure why that is -- while you have your fair share of material developed for DVDs or TV pilots, there are still plenty of videos on this list that seem created solely for the purpose of promoting a song or album (and perhaps amusing their creators). But it doesn't really matter, does it? Here, then, are my 20 favorite kids music videos from 2009 (2009 defined roughly as March 1, 2009 - February 28, 2010), starting off with the #1 video of the year... (or you can watch the whole list at my YouTube playlist of these 20 great kids music videos).

1. They Might Be Giants - "Meet the Elements" [YouTube]
Videos are flavor enhancers -- they don't do much for a bland song, no matter how technically proficient or cool the visuals are. But a good video can go a long ways toward implanting a song into the brain. And combine a great song with a great video, and you can put this result at the entryway to They Might Be Giants' wing in the Kids Music Video Hall of Fame.

]]> 2. Robbert Bobbert and the Bubble Machine - "We R Super Heroes" [YouTube]
The hyperactive animation fits Robbert Bobbert's style perfectly. Another brilliant match of song and visuals.

3. Billy Kelly - "People Really Like Milk" [YouTube]
It's hard to animate a song that's all about funny wordplay that doesn't just re-hash the funny wordplay. Not only does this video enhance the wordplay, it is all -- song and animation -- the work of Billy Kelly. He's a triple threat! (OK, a double threat, unless you count his ability to upload to YouTube.)

4. Recess Monkey - "Marshmallow Farm" [YouTube]
Proof that you can make a good video for relatively little money (and without animation), Recess Monkey created a whole series of videos that showed tons of imagination making up for the lack of tons of cash. And though I wanted to include "Sack Lunch", I think this is the best of the bunch.

5. Tim and the Space Cadets - "Superhero" [YouTube]
I know, this video from Tim and the Space Cadets is a wee bit sentimental, and the song is merely good, not great, but when you see videos with production values like this, it resets the bar for everyone else in a good way.

6. Secret Agent 23 Skidoo - "Family Tree" [YouTube]
Robots, school buses, and Ferris wheels -- Secret Agent 23 Skidoo (with an assist from Saki) knows what makes families groove.

7. Caspar Babypants - "Itsy Bitsy Spider" [YouTube]
If Recess Monkey videos have mini-budgets, Chris Ballew's Caspar Babypants videos have micro-budgets. But they're so well-considered and edited smartly, that the minimalist approach pays off big time.

8. Rocknoceros - "Pink" [YouTube]
Bright and shiny and juuuuust this side of hyperactive is a phrase that I would never use for the fabulous trio Rocknoceros, but it's one that fits well (and appropriately) with the video and song. In a good way.

9. Debbie and Friends: Willy Won't Smile for the Camera [YouTube]
Debbie Cavalier has spent a lot of time crafting a unified image on her album art, website, and videos, to her (and her music's benefit). The videos have a distinctive look and feel, and this is the best of the bunch.

10. Randy Kaplan - "The Ladybug Without Spots" [YouTube]
Another cool song, another animated video (that's six of the top 10, if you're counting). Why is that? Well, I think part of it is that the obvious tropes of standard music videos (wind machines, rapid-fire editing, and stories told obliquely interspersed with band/musician shots) just don't work for 5-year-olds. But smiling ladybugs and Randy Kaplan's storytelling? Kidvid gold.

11. Readeez - "Counting for Pleasure" [YouTube]
Wait - I can only pick one Readeez video for this list? Who made up that stupid rule? Oh, I did. Sigh. If I did this tomorrow, I'd probably come up with another Readeez entirely. They're all pretty darn good.

12. Brian Vogan - "That's How A Pumpkin Grows" [YouTube]
Gorgeously animated, Brian Vogan's video is perfect for your kindergartner's pre- (or post-) Halloween viewing pleasure.

13. Eric Herman - "Ants in Your Pants #99" [YouTube]
It's no "Elephant Song", but what is? Still, the animation in Eric Herman's latest video has come a long way from those early days.

14. Johnny Bregar - "Shoo Fly Pie" [YouTube]
There is nothing complicated about this video from Johnny Bregar -- it's just a simple idea, well-done, and paired with a nifty little song. Works for me.

15. Clementown - "Ed" [YouTube]
Perhaps it's not fair that Clementown based its songs on poetry from illustrator Calef Brown, because it meant that they had the inside track on, you know, animation. But, hey, maybe other artists should do more of the same...

16. Dan Zanes and Friends featuring La Bruja - "Pollito Chicken" [YouTube]
As you'd expect, a Dan Zanes video is a high-quality production, and this one is no exception. I wouldn't have expected so many ties, but there's no accounting for tastes.

17. The Not-Its - "Come Play at Our House" [YouTube]
What is it with Seattle houses and kids music videos? First Johnny Bregar, and now the Not-Its.

18. Ben Rudnick & Friends - "A Frog Named Sam" [YouTube]
The live-action stuff of Ben Rudnick and the band is pretty run-of-the-mill, but the animation interludes are excellent. (And, yeah, it's a cool song.)

19. The Hipwaders - "Field Trip" [YouTube]
The Hipwaders have always been interested in videos, doing a whole bunch for their Kindie Christmas disk. This one, from their Goodie Bag EP, is a little clunky, but has a distinctive visual style.

20. John Hadfield - "Robot Monkey Head" [YouTube]
A video from John Hadfield, for the older siblings of the ones watching the Brian Vogan video.

Video: "Donut Brain Aliens" - Dirty Sock Funtime Band

2010-03-10T04:57:57Z

I probably should lead with the newest video, but it's a video for a song called "Donut Brain Aliens." How could I not lead with it?

It's from the Dirty Sock Funtime Band, and it's from their new show that starts tomorrow (Wednesday, March 10) on WQED in Pittsburgh. It features "educational adventures... aimed at youngsters ages 3 to 8."

Adventures involving donut brain aliens, apparently.

Dirty Sock Funtime Band - "Animal Song" [Vimeo]

The Dirty Sock Funtime Band "Donut Brain Aliens" from Snap Films on Vimeo.

More, less, well, weird stuff from the show after the jump.

]]> Dirty Sock Funtime Band - "Animal Song" [Vimeo]

The Dirty Sock Funtime Band "Animal Song" from Snap Films on Vimeo.

I think this is my favorite of the three. Cats with jazz hands -- can't go wrong with that.

Dirty Sock Funtime Band - "Animal Song" [Vimeo]

The Dirty Sock Funtime Band "Rest Stop" from Snap Films on Vimeo.

Zooglobble Radio - Kids Music Worth Airing

2010-03-09T15:34:20Z

Well, now that I've got such a spiffy new logo, I think it's time to have something else shiny to go with it.

How about a new radio station?

That's right, I'm happy to announce a new kids music radio station, Zooglobble Radio, the motto for which is "Kids Music Worth Airing!" (Get it? Get it? "Kids music worth airing"? Yeah, OK, I was amused.)

I've been wanting to get a little more of the great kids music that crosses my desk (or inbox) out into the world, and this is my solution. While terrrestrial radio and podcasts were both potential options for me, I've decided to start an internet radio station. I've been broadcasting for a week or two now, and I'm getting the hang of it, negotiating the playlist rules of operating an internet radio station and the limits of storage. I'm also trying to get the hang of listening to CDs with an ear towards songs just as much as albums as well as getting used to converting CDs into a digital format (which I've not had to do). All of which goes to explain why I've got a lot of different songs available right now, but not nearly as many as I hope to have over time.

Anyway, I don't claim to have the background of Amy from Hip Young Parent or Gwyneth and her Gooney Bird Kids station. And maybe one day I'll start doing live shows like live radio standbys Kathy from Kids Corner, Belinda and Hova from Greasy Kid Stuff, or Bill from Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child -- not to mention a bunch of other radio stations. (The barriers to entry of satellite radio are significant, so I think Sirius-XM's Kids Place Live is safe from further satellite radio competition. And Lisa, I just don't have the time to write all those permission letters...)

Right now, I've got 3 playlists going at the moment:
-- My Favorite Kids Albums of 2009
-- New Music February 2010
-- Lullabies March 2010

You can see when they're airing here. I do plan on updating them semi-regularly, so it's not like you'll have to listen to the same songs for months on end. Finally, if you have questions or comments or suggestions, do let me know. I'm looking forward to doing this -- hope you're looking forward to listening to this.

Radio Playlist: My Favorite Kids Albums of 2009

2010-03-09T15:28:17Z

People Really Like Milk - Billy Kelly Thank You For Joining the Happy Club
Thank You for Joining the Happy Club Billy Kelly Thank You For Joining the Happy Club
(Let Me Tell You) What I Like About You Billy Kelly Thank You For Joining the Happy Club
Velveeta Girl and Sqatsie Bunny Clogs More! More! More!
Are We There Yet Bunny Clogs More! More! More!
Midtown Greenway Bunny Clogs More! More! More!
Brown And Lonely Worm Caspar Babypants Here I Am!
Billy Pringle Caspar Babypants Here I Am!
Monkey River Caspar Babypants Here I Am!
Nice 'N' Clean Chromeo Yo Gabba Gabba! Music Is Awesome
Trousers Dan Bern Two Feet Tall
Mister Lister Dan Bern Two Feet Tall
Working On A Building Dan Zanes The Welcome Table: Songs Of Inspiration
Jesus On The Mainline Dan Zanes The Welcome Table: Songs Of Inspiration
We've Been Down This Road Before Dan Zanes The Welcome Table: Songs Of Inspiration
Mad Dreyer Family Band Family Photograph
You Get What You Get Dreyer Family Band Family Photograph
How To Be Happy Dreyer Family Band Family Photograph
Salvador Duplex! Worser (Listening Master)
Orange Popsicle Duplex! Worser (Listening Master)
September Is My Favourite Duplex! Worser (Listening Master)
George Washington The Galactic Heroes Greasy Kid Stuff 3
Just Becaue It's Different Doesn't Mean Scary I'm From Barcelona Yo Gabba Gabba! Music Is Awesome
The Lawnmower - John And Mark John And Mark John And Mark's Children's Record
A Counting Error - John And Mark John And Mark John And Mark's Children's Record
Colors - John And Mark John And Mark John And Mark's Children's Record
Every Day Is A Summer Day Keith Munslow Homemade Fun
Watchin' All The Cars Go By Keith Munslow Homemade Fun
Spork Keith Munslow Homemade Fun
Big City, Little City Laura Freeman Somersault Season
Look In A Book Laura Freeman Somersault Season
Happy Noodle vs. Sad Noodle Logan Whitehurst & The Junior Science Club Greasy Kid Stuff 3
Heigh-Ho Los Lobos Los Lobos Goes Disney
Cruella De Vil Los Lobos Los Lobos Goes Disney
It Only Takes One Night to Make a Balloon Your Friend Lunch Money Dizzy
Are You A Rabbit? Lunch Money Dizzy
A Cookie As Big As My Head Lunch Money Dizzy
Enemies Milkshake Great Day
When I'm Old Milkshake Great Day
Shenandoah Pete Seeger American Favorite Ballads Volume 1
Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep Pete Seeger American Favorite Ballads Volume 1
The Wabash Cannonball Pete Seeger American Favorite Ballads Volume 1
My Trampoline Peter Himmelman My Trampoline
Main Dish Peter Himmelman My Trampoline
Are There Any Kids Named Steve Anymore? Peter Himmelman My Trampoline
Haven't Got A Pet Yet Recess Monkey Field Trip
Tiny Telephone Recess Monkey Field Trip
The Teens Recess Monkey Field Trip
Pink! Rocknoceros Pink!
Don't Give Up Rocknoceros Pink!
Big Wheel Rocknoceros Pink!
Lovely, Love My Family The Roots Yo Gabba Gabba! Music Is Awesome
Go Waggaloo Sarah Lee Guthrie and Family Go Waggaloo
Take Me To Show and Tell Sarah Lee Guthrie and Family Go Waggaloo
Brush Your Teeth Blues #57 Sarah Lee Guthrie and Family Go Waggaloo
Seven Is The New 14 The Sippy Cups The Time Machine
Don't Remove The Groove The Sippy Cups The Time Machine
My Angry Voice The Sippy Cups The Time Machine
Panda Brain The Telephone Company Panda Brain!
Bomb Pop The Telephone Company Panda Brain!
What Am I Gonna Do With This Baby The Telephone Company Panda Brain!
Meet the Elements They Might Be Giants Here Comes Science
I Am a Paleontologist They Might Be Giants Here Comes Science
Put It to the Test They Might Be Giants Here Comes Science
Wake Up The Verve Pipe A Family Album
When One Became Two The Verve Pipe A Family Album
Cereal - The Verve Pipe A Family Album
We Are The Not Its - We Are The Not Its We Are The Not Its
The Great Compromise - We Are The Not Its We Are The Not Its
Shadows - We Are The Not Its We Are The Not Its
I Love You Too - Ziggy Marley Family Time
Wings Of An Eagle - Ziggy Marley Family Time
Future Man, Future Lady - Ziggy Marley Family Time

Uploaded February 25-ish. There is a set list, but digital broadcasting rules prevent me from publishing it. Ordered alphabetically (roughly) by artist.

Radio Playlist: New Music February 2010

2010-03-09T15:13:55Z

Alastair Moock - A Cow Says Moo - A Cow Says Moock
Alastair Moock - Two Mommies - A Cow Says Moock
Brendan Taaffe - Well May The World Go - Little Boots
Buck Howdy - Home on the Range - Pete Seeger Trib
Caspar Babypants - Itsy Bitsy Spider - More Please!
Caspar Babypants - Robin on a Wire - More Please!
Charity And The JAMband - Get Your Booty Out of Bed - Party Like a Twinkle Star [[Disc 1] - Party]
Charity And The JAMband - Row Row Row Your Boat - Party Like a Twinkle Star [[Disc 1] - Party] Charlie Hope - I'm Me! - I'm Me! (A Collection of Songs for Children)
Charlie Hope - Train Song - I'm Me! (A Collection of Songs for Children)
Daisy Mayhem - If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out - Ranky Tanky
Daisy Mayhem - They All Ask'd For You - Ranky Tanky
Dan Bern - Trousers - Two Feet Tall
Dan Zanes & Friends - I Won't Grow Up - 76 Trombones
Dan Zanes & Friends - The Inch Worm - 76 Trombones
Dean Jones featuring the Felice Brothers - Hail! Hail! The Gang's All Here! - Rock Paper Scissors
Dean Jones featuring the Felice Brothers - Sing Like a Sparrow - Rock Paper Scissors
Earthworm Ensemble - Bear and Dog - Earthworm Ensemble
Earthworm Ensemble - We Are Birds - Earthworm Ensemble
Haley Bonar - Beautiful You - Sing With Me
Haley Bonar - Sing With Me - Sing With Me
Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke - 18 Wheeler - Rise And Shine
Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke - Rattling Can - Rise And Shine
Laura Freeman - Look In A Book - Somersault Season
Los Lobos - Heigh-Ho - Los Lobos Goes Disney
Pete Seeger - Shenandoah - American Favorite Ballads Volume 1
Ralph's World - All About Bob - All Around Ralph's World
Ralph's World - The Robot Looked At The Stars - All Around Ralph's World
Renee & Jeremy - C'mon - C'mon
Renee & Jeremy - Mama Papa Love - C'mon
Sarah Lee Guthrie and Family - Go Waggaloo - Go Waggaloo
Stan Ridgway & Pietra Wexstun - Bring It On In The House - Silly Songs For Kids, Vol. 1
Stan Ridgway & Pietra Wexstun - Spider's Web - Silly Songs For Kids, Vol. 1
The Deedle Deedle Dees - Little Red Airplane - American History + Rock-n-Roll = The Deedle Deedle Dees
The Deedle Deedle Dees - Tres Muralistas - American History + Rock-n-Roll = The Deedle Deedle Dees
The Jellydots - Adventure Quest! - Jelly Jukebox
The Jellydots - O-Bounty - Jelly Jukebox
The Telephone Company - What Am I Gonna Do With This Baby - Panda Brain!
The Verve Pipe - Wake Up - A Family Album
They Might Be Giants - Meet the Elements - Here Comes Science
Uncle Rock - You Look Good in the Rain - The Big Picture
Various Artists - Humpty Dumpty - The Youngster Parade - House of Mercy Kids' Album, Volume 1
Various Artists - Oh Susanna - The Youngster Parade - House of Mercy Kids' Album, Volume 1

Uploaded: February 27-ish. Played randomly. Due to Internet broadcasting regulations, songs listed in alphabetical order.

Radio Playlist: Lullabies March 2010

2010-03-09T15:01:09Z

"Kounandi Déni" - Abdoulaye Diabate African Lullaby
"Monkey River" - Caspar Babypants (Here I Am!)
"August Lullaby" - Central Services Presents... The Board Of Education
"Goodnight Child" - Chuck Cheesman A Family Songbook
"Hush Little Baby" - Dan Zanes The Fine Friends Are Here
"Sweet Rosyanne" - Dan Zanes & Friends Catch That Train!
"Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)" - Dixie Chicks Home
"Fais Do Do" - Elizabeth MItchell & Lisa Loeb Catch The Moon
"You & Me" - Frances England Family Tree
"Beautiful You" - Haley Bonar (Sing With Me)
"Isle au Haut Lullaby" - Mae Robertson & Don Jackson All Through the Night
"My Bonnie" - Music Together Bongos
"Harvest Moon" - Neil Young Harvest Moon
"Shenandoah" - Pete Seeger American Favorite Ballads Volume 1
"Goodnight, Irene" - Raffi The Corner Grocery Store
"I'm Not Tired" - Ralph's World (All Around Ralph's World)
"Is There Really Any Wonder" - Renee & Jeremy C'mon
"Brush Your Teeth Blues #57" - Sarah Lee Guthrie and Family Go Waggaloo
"Old Friends [Live]" - Simon & Garfunkel The Concert In Central Park
"Goodnight Children Everywhere" - Sixpence None The Richer For The Kids
"Thank You and Goodnight" - Uncle Rock The Big Picture
"Go To Sleep" - The Verve Pipe A Family Album
"Gymnopedie No. 1" - Yutaka Sado; Lamoureux Concert Orchestra Bedtime Beats

Uploaded: March 2nd-ish. Played randomly. Due to Internet broadcasting regulations, songs listed in alphabetical order by artist.

Video: "A Song About Ferrets" - Karen Potje

2010-03-09T04:45:13Z

This video for "A Song About Ferrets" from Karen Potje's 2008 jazz-folk disk (with a hint of country) Can't Help But Love You, Baby is a mix of Eric Herman's "The Elephant Song" and Rocknoceros' "Trying To Write a Song." That's not a bad pair of songs to be reminded of. Perhaps not quite in either song's league, but definitely amusing enough.

Karen Potje - "A Song About Ferrets" [YouTube]

Check Out That New Logo!

2010-03-08T15:56:05Z

Hopefully you're seeing a fancy new logo up there at the top of the page and down a bit along the right-hand side of the link bar. Isn't it pretty? I think so (though I probably need to increase the resolution a bit).

When I first started thinking about getting a professionally done logo to replace my own poorly-crafted one, for a variety of reasons the first name that came to mind was that of Brandon Reese. I knew there was a lot of talent in the kids music field -- Billy Kelly, for example, or Kevin Kameraad, not to mention musicians with a nice eye for design, such as Frances England. But Brandon was definitely my first choice.

You're probably familiar with Reese's work -- he's designed album covers for Lunch Money and The Jellydots, not to mention a bunch of games and other stuff for eeBoo. (And I interviewed him a little more than a year ago.)

He has a sense of whimsy and play along with a strong design sense, two things I wanted to convey with this new logo, and I think he nailed it. That logo on the right is what I like to think of as the main logo, the one that if I were to sell all sorts of stuff would be plastered all over it. (Anybody need a men's organic t-shirt?) But it's got a very portrait orientation and sometimes I'm all landscape-y, so Reese designed a second logo that incorporated part of that first logo...

Anyway, I'm very happy with the logo. Thanks to Brandon for taking some pretty vague design concepts and turning them into something with a virtually no fuss. If you want to learn a little bit more about the design process for this logo and Reese's next projects, read on...

]]> Zooglobble: What particular design challenges did you face with designing this logo?
Brandon Reese: I think my main challenge was to make sure the logo read well in small and larger formats. I also wanted to keep the colors to a minimum to keep costs down when printing business cards, letterheads, t-shirts, etc.

There were a few things that you said you wanted the logo to convey. You wanted to show some sort of action and stay away from kids idly just listening to music. You also wanted me to think about Zooglobble's motto "kids music worth sharing".

It's funny. When I was just about to send off my first round of sketches to you, the jumprope image came to me. I quickly doodled it and added it to the email. That was the sketch that ultimately became the logo.

Is there anything in the logo you're particularly pleased with?
I really dig that the headphones and jumprope create a semicircle. I'm big on symmetry. It keeps my OCD brain happy.

What other projects are you currently working on?
Currently, I'm working on a robot-themed colored pencil set and sketchbook cover for eeBoo. Oh, and just last week I met with Molly Ledford from Lunch Money to discuss the visual direction for their next album. It's going to be sweet!... mmmmm... donuts...

Here is a donut- O
Here is a donut hole- •
I ate some of this donut- C
Sorry, only crumbs left- ...

Crowdfunding, Part 2: Matt Clark Kickstarts His Project

2010-03-06T21:40:21Z

Two or three weeks ago, Jim Cosgrove, AKA Mr. Stinky Feet made a splash in the kids music world by announcing he was "crowdfunding" his next album by asking for supporters to pledge money toward the costs of recording, producing, and distributing the next album. Cosgrove's views on why he went this route are essential reading for kids musicians. He also noted that he hadn't previously heard of Kickstarter, a site which helps musicians (and countless others) do the same thing.

One major difference, though, between Cosgrove's approach and Kickstarter's is that Cosgrove's going through with the project regardless. (In fact, I'm pretty sure he's starting recording this week.) But if a person seeking Kickstarter help doesn't reach the required amount, they receive squat.

So let's hear it for Portland, Oregon's Matt Clark, who's established the first genuine kids music Kickstarter project. That's right, if you go here, you can be part of another crowdfunding experiment. $3 gets you 1 mp3; $5 gets you 2, and so on. My favorite level -- $50 gets you (among other things) 3 chances to name the new disk.

Clark's debut, Funny Little Fella, was a nice little disk -- here's hoping he gets the $3,000 to have round 2 see the light of day.