Mmmm... another year, another album from Seattle's Recess Monkey.
The guys are back soliciting backup choral help from the kids, this time on Valentine's Day in Seattle, for five tracks on their upcoming album, to be entitled Field Trip. Go here for all the details, Seattle-area folks.
I could've made a statehood day reference, but that's really only relevant for us Arizonans, so, uh, never mind.
Listen To This: Caspar Babypants (Chris Ballew)
I like to think I've done a pretty good job of introducing a lot of great artists to a larger audience here at this website, but for whatever reason I've had particularly good luck with the Seattle area. Recess Monkey, Central Services Board of Education, Johnny Bregar -- all of 'em you heard about here first. That's not to mention all the other artists up there in Washington State -- Harmonica Pocket, Eric Herman, Eric Ode, the Not-Its -- all of which makes me wonder what's in the water (or coffee) up there.
Well, I've got another Seattle name for you today -- Caspar Babypants (Edit: link fixed). Now, you might recognize the person behind Caspar Babypants -- Chris Ballew, lead vocalist for the Presidents of the United States of America (and, may as well get it out of the way, yes, the band that brought you "Lump").
But even if you don't, you owe it to yourself to hightail yourself over right now to the Babypants site, which features four seven sweet tracks for your listening and downloading pleasure -- "The Brown and Lonely Worm," "Small Black Ant," "The Island Hop," and "Monkey River." Some are traditional, some are original from Ballew's efforts in kids music, and "Monkey River," well, Ballew once put out an album that featured twelve different versions of that tune, so that one's been around awhile. All of them are so, so sweet -- soulful, laid-back music for fans of Elizabeth Mitchell, Dan Zanes, Dog on Fleas, or Session Americana. You may find yourself listening to them as often as you did "Lump" back in the day. (Edit: Chris has just added "Little Broken Truck," which features an awesome little "buh-beep-beep" fill, "Baby Bear," and a '60s-styled "Three Blind Mice.")
Anyway, the tracks are from Babypants' first album, Here I Am!, which will be out next month. I chatted briefly with Ballew via e-mail, and he said that he's a huge Elizabeth Mitchell fan, calling her his "inspiration" for the disk. He also says he's got three more albums in the works.
I, for one, cannot wait. Album art and track listing after the jump.
Itty-Bitty Review: Musical Farm - Biscuit Brothers
Austin's Biscuit Brothers are TV's greatest kids music secret. OK, Dusty and Buford Biscuit aren't a huge secret in Texas, but these guys deserve a larger stage. In the meantime, we'll content ourselves with another album from the Brothers, Musical Farm.
Released last summer, it's another stellar collection of familiar and slightly less traditional songs with snazzy arrangements, along with some originals, all from the Brothers' Emmy-award-winning TV show. If you have the DVDs at home, you may find yourself a bit tired of some of the tracks ("'This Old Man' again?"), but they're all solid. I'm always a big fan of Tiny Scarecrow, and this album features our family's favorite TS track, the duet with Buttermilk Biscuit on "I Am Singing Softly," which manages to be simultaneously educational, hysterical, and sweet. (New to me, but also amusing, is Tiny's "Continental Tango.") As always, the production, singing, and playing are top-notch; as you might expect from folks who work on "Old MacDonald's Farm," Americana is the most commonly heard genre, but you can also hear some rock, Latin, ragtime, and organ-based pop-rock ("Polly Wolly Doodle").
The album is most appropriate for kids ages 3 through 7, though since these are mostly traditional tunes, that's pretty flexible. You can listen to soundclips here. While nothing's a substitute for their TV work, and the album will probably hold the most interest for fans of the show, Musical Farm is also a fine collection of tunes in their own right, no TV required. Recommended.Reminder: Doug Snyder (The Jellydots) -- Live In Phoenix This Sunday!
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!
New Music From Elizabeth Mitchell (and Suni Paz)
Elizabeth Mitchell has posted a couple new tracks on her Myspace page. The first, "Little Bird Hops," she posted before (and it's still there for the taking, if you'd like to).
So the bigger news is a new track from Elizabeth Mitchell and fellow Smithsonian Folkways artist Suni Paz, whom she sang with in LA back in September. Mitchell's posted a duet of the traditional Argentinian lullaby "Arrorro." The lyrics (courtesy of here) sound like a balm to tired parents of newborns:
Sleep my baby, sleep my sun,
Sleep piece of my heart.
This beautiful baby wants to sleep
But the sandman won't come.
Sleep piece of my heart.
Interview: Randy Kaplan
I love doing the interviews I've done here on this site -- Dan Zanes, Ella Jenkins, Justin Roberts, so many great ones -- but I've got to admit that the e-mails I do over the phone or in person are a pain-and-a-half to transcribe.
So I'm really excited about this interview with Randy Kaplan, filmed just before his show here in Phoenix at the end of last year. I'm excited not just because it's a cool interview and provides some insight into Randy's musical beginnings, how songs like "Shampoo Me" came to be, and how Kaplan pictures, but also because I filmed it and uploaded it to YouTube. No work.
Of course, the sound is a little odd, and occasionally the camera pans left or right just so it's not 7 minutes of Randy on camera, but I still think it's cool.
