Back From the Tall Tree: Zooglobble on Kids Place Live

So that was fun. If you're hearing after hearing me talking with Robbie Schaefer on Kids Place Live, thanks for stopping by. Lots of stuff 'round these parts, feel free to dig in. If you're looking for more info on what we talked about (and listened to) tonight, here are some pointers... -- First we talked about Scribblemonster and played "The Song of LIFE" from their new album Songs With No Character (review). -- Then we played the awesome Yo Gabba Gabba track from the Roots, "Lovely, Love My Family". -- Next up was a brief talk about Randy Kaplan -- we played "No Nothing" from his new album Loquat Rooftop (review). -- Finally, we wrapped up with a brief talk about the Fids and Kamily Awards, whose 2008 list of the year's best kids and family music will be broadcast this Saturday morning on Spare the Rock. 'Twas lots of fun, and I think I'll be back on soon. Not, like, tomorrow night, but before, say, 2009. On a related note (especially for you radio programmers out there)...

Radio Reminder

Whether you like to hear me live or taped on the radio, you can do so in both ways... First, in less than an hour, you can hear me make my first appearance (so to speak) on Sirius/XM's Kids Place Live at around 8 PM Eastern. Second, this weekend be sure to turn in to Spare The Rock, Spoil The Child where you can hear the announcement of the winners in the 2008 Fids and Kamily Awards. You can find something good on the radio!

Listen To This: "The Water Tower" - Doug Snyder (The Jellydots)

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"

Repeat After Me: Kids Place Live

kpl-img.jpgLike many listeners with satellite radio receivers at home or in their car, I turned on my XM Radio receiver this morning with a mixture of anticipation and dread. Would the merger between XM and Sirius improve variety and selection, or would the combination result in the worst of both channels and the loss of favorite DJs and program directors? Seeing channel names on the lineup released last week didn't really answer my questions. And, really, it's impossible to answer that question completely based on, oh, 15 hours of broadcasting. (Even if you're listening online as I am today, you can't listen to everything.) So the jury's out for the moment. But even awaiting today one channel I wasn't worried about was the Station Formerly Known As XMKids. And there's a good reason for that...

It's Not A Performance On Grammy Night, But Still...

If they get nominated, I don't think that Justin Roberts or Laurie Berkner are going to be performing at the big Grammy ceremony on Sunday, February 8, but at the very least a nomination will get them a Grammy weekend performance. Word from Muddy Girl Productions' Karen Rappaport McHugh that all 2008 Grammy Award nominees in the children's music category will be invited to perform at Los Angeles' new Grammy Museum. (The museum is so new, it isn't even open yet -- it opens December 6.) Anyway, the nominees will perform on Friday, February 6 (for school-children) and Saturday, February 7 (for families) from 10 to 11 AM. Spoken word nominees will also be included in the event. Even potentially more interesting (if you're in the LA area, at least), the Grammy Children's Music Showcase is just the first in a new concert series at the Museum. Rappaport McHugh's been planng a monthly children’s music series which will take place in their 200 seat theatre. The series will focus on a different genre of music each month. They've already compiled a list of bands that the museum is interested in inviting to perform, but artists who believe they fit into a particular month's genre are still welcome to contact Karen at "muddygirlproductions AT verizon.net." The schedule by genre is as follows: