I can't tell you how many people visit here looking for information on the fabulous song "Lovely, Love My Family" by Philly's The Roots on the new Yo Gabba Gabba! soundtrack.
Actually, I can. It's a lot.
And so, just because I streamed "Lovely...", that wasn't enough. I also linked to a YouTube video which, unsurprisingly, was taken down.
But now you can watch on Nick Jr's own site right here. Yes, there's an ad beforehand. Oh, well... Enjoy. (And stick around, you can also see the video for the Ting Tings' cover of "Happy Birthday").
Video (and More!): "The Tale of the Sun and the Moon" - Eric Herman
Another video from Washington's Eric Herman, this one for his "The Tale of the Sun and the Moon" (available on his mellow Snail's Pace compilation). The song, based on a Kenn Nesbitt poem, is not my favorite tune of Herman's by any stretch, but I think the video really adds a lot. The illustrations from Lauren Wilson have an ever-so-slight Gustafer Yellowgold quality to them, though I'll admit to missing Eric's wife Roseann's animations.
Eric Herman - "The Tale of the Sun and the Moon"
Oh, and all of you who had Sugar Free Allstars, ScribbleMonster, and Eric Herman in the "Name The Next Kids' Music Collaboration" pool, congratulations...
Live Videos From Frances England
OK, it's no "Tricycle," but it's nice to see Frances England post some live video, if only because I'd heard about the slide show she was bringing out for some of her shows. Here she is doing the mellow "Animal Inside You" with Jeff Koch on drums and Tim Thurman on guitar at the July CD release party for her fine, fine Family Tree CD. And lots of animal pictures.
Frances England - "Animal Inside You" (Live)
That's not all...
New Music From Rocknoceros: "Gonna Get a Haircut" and "Lucky Lindy"
There is no such thing as working out the kinks on your new music anymore, even in the kids music genre. Thanks to YouTube, we can hear artists try out their latest stuff.
Such as this tune from the DC-area band Rocknoceros. You'll have to get past 30 seconds of announcement-type stuff, but after that, a new tune from their upcoming Pink CD. "Gonna Get A Haircut" features sweet harmony, guitar solos, and the phrase "flattop." I think.
Rocknoceros - "Gonna Get A Haircut" (Live)
But wait, there's more!
Videos, Videos, Videos
I post my fair share (or perhaps more than my fair share) of videos around here -- heck, I even have my own irregulalrly updated YouTube video list -- but I'd be remiss if I didn't point out a couple other sites that deal in the world of video.
First off, I've been really slack in mentioning this, but Jitterbug is a kid-safe site for kids music videos. So if you like the types of videos I link to here, but your kids could do without all the other blah blah blah, I recommend heading over there for their growing collection of stuff to watch.
Second, Rock Tots is a newly-started collection of videos of kids playing music. It's as if "From the Top" ditched the classical focus and went straight to YouTube. OK, it's not really like "From the Top" at all.
So there you have it -- videos of adults making songs for kids, and videos of kids making songs for adults.
Christmas With The Muppets
We've well-established that I'm usually a bit behind the pop-culture curve, so I'm not entirely surprised that I mostly missed the Muppet renaissance from the past six months.
I'm a little sad, however, that I didn't know about the existence of the "Habanera" as performed by some Muppets with less than, say, a fully-formed English linguistic set until now. (You can watch that particular video at the end of this post.)
Yes, in true viral video fashion, there are new, apparently authorized videos being created in Muppets' names. The "Ode to Joy" feautring Gonzo and his chickens, an amusing "Stars & Stripes Forever," and others. And now a video for a much more modern-sounding song, "Glad All Over," from next week's new Muppet special, Letters To Santa, has surfaced. It's not like it's anything special, but it's good to see the Muppets back on the air.
Letters To Santa airs Wed., Dec. 17 on NBC.
