Seeing as the 2009 edition of South By Southwest's Music Festival starts tomorrow, I thought I'd summarize some of the kids music-related activities going on.
In terms of showcasing bands, the highlight is the free show Saturday afternoon at Auditorium Shores:
Astrograss 12:30 p.m.
Joe McDermott 1:05 p.m.
Daddy a Go-Go 1:45 p.m.
Biscuit Brothers 2:25 p.m.
Jambo 3:20 p.m.
The Telephone Company 4:00 p.m.
That's a nice mix of out-of-town and local shows. But wait, there's more!
New Sippy Cups Album "The Time Machine" Out June 16
Word from the Bay Area band The Sippy Cups that their next full-length album, The Time Machine, will be out June 16. That's, like, exactly three months from today. Unfortunately there is no time machine you can use to transport yourself forward to that date, but according to the press materials, the title is more, well metaphorical than my cheap joke:"What kid doesn't love the idea of a time machine? But in the case of The Sippy Cups, the time machine they are referring to is not some tricked-out Delorean, but our own bodies, which are constantly growing and changing and moving us through time. They wanted to convey to children and parents how magical that journey through time can be, and how precious the milestones are along the way. "Of course, I've read enough PR material to know how overblown that can all be, but still, sounds like it might be cool. Track listing for The Time Machine is as follows:
One Grammy Window Closes, Another (Shorter) One Opens
No sooner do I stop talking about the 51st Annual Grammys than I start talking about the 52nd Annual Grammys. The Recording Academy announced yesterday that next year's awards will air on January 31st, 2010.
Which means that the award window will be just 11 months long, from Oct. 1, 2008 through Aug. 31, 2009. We're halfway through the award window right now! Oh. My. Goodness.
Anyway, what that means for the rest of the awards process is as follows:
New Music From Frances England: "Sunset Shines On Me"
This is how much I trust Frances England and her music.
For the life of me I can't get this video to work, but it's new music from Frances, celebrating her kids' preschool, Sunset Co-op Nursery School in San Francisco. Seeing as her career got started from recording Fascinating Creatures as a preschool fundraiser, I'm guessing she likes the place.
So I'm posting it in hopes that you'll tell me what it sounds like. (And eventually I'll get it to work myself.)
Update: I got a chance to hear it last night. My instincts were correct. For somebody unconnected to the school, it was a pleasant chance to hear Frances sing about something meaningful to her. I'm sure those connected to the school loooove the song.
Sunset Shines On Me from Frances England on Vimeo.
Sunset Shines On Me from Frances England on Vimeo.
Concert Recap: Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players (Phoenix, March 2009)
One of the things you don't really appreciate if you've spent time putting on small shows or Family Music Meltdowns (Austin division) is how much time it takes to set up a Big Show. I'm not just talking about the all the work leading up to the day of the big event -- I'm talking about the big day itself. Sure, I've been to the Austin Kiddie Limits stage a couple times, but that was always after everything was set up (and before everything was taken down).
So I spent basically a good part of 4 hours helping to get Church of the Beatitudes ready for the Justin Roberts concert this past weekend and another 2 hours after it ended. Bringing in the backline (drums, amps, additional speakers, etc.). Setting it up. Welcoming the band (hi, guys and gal!). Getting the instruments and voices warmed up. Running through sound-check which, for a band which has as many singers and multi-instrumentalists as Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players has, takes a while, even with a pro running the soundboard. All the other little things and then...
Showtime!
As I would have expected, the band sounds great in concert. They ran through a set of song selections from every Justin album, including all the big hits ("Pop Fly," "Our Imaginary Rhino," "Yellow Bus"). No "Cartwheels and Somersaults" or "Fruit Jar," but I wasn't really expecting them to do the latter (nor was I surprised by "Cartwheels'" absence. Show was only an hour long, after all.) And Roberts is good at getting the healthy-sized crowd (for Phoenix) involved with a lot of the songs -- I never would've expected "She's A Yellow Reflector" to lend itself to crowd participation, but there it was...
And just like that, it was over. Good time.
Justin Roberts - "Pop Fly" (Live)
More live video and pictures after the jump.Video: "Brand New Key" - Suzanne Sherman Propp
I am gently entertained by this video for "Brand New Key," a pop hit for Melanie more than 35 years ago. It's a cover from Suzanne Sherman Propp, found on Propp's new album Play!. Propp's voice fits the ear-wormy descending line of the chorus, and the video art (from a 16-year-old out of North Carolina) is an appealingly lo-fi blend of images.
And while Wikipedia explains how some of the song is open to interpretation, the key in question is a rollerskate key, meant for tightening the skates. So now you know. I'm all about the learning here.
Suzanne Sherman Propp - "Brand New Key"
