Now, it's obvious to many that my 2008-2009 University of North Carolina Tar Heel men's basketball team was the best in the country (ranked #1 for a good portion of the year, won the NCAA Tournament with each win in double-digits), but hey, they did lose 4 games, so it's not an open-and-shut case. The University of Connecticut women's basketball team? They not only won the Tournament, but they were undefeated, winning every game all year by double-digits. Amazing, maybe the best team ever.
So last year's KC Jiggle Jam was pretty impressive: They Might Be Giants, Justin Roberts, Trout Fishing in America, plus regional favorites like Jim Cosgrove (who drew the biggest crowd of the weekend), Funky Mama, and Dino O' Dell. Clearly in the top echelon of festival lineups -- maybe a Memphis men's team.
This year? My goodness. All those folks listed above are coming back plus Dan Zanes, Brady Rymer, Recess Monkey, and regional favorites The Doo-Dads and Sugar Free All-Stars (and more). For, er, $8 per kid ($10 at the door) and $5 per adult.
I'm sorry, but the competition is over. While what I've heard about the Kidzapalooza and Austin Kiddie Limits stages for this summer and fall suggests that that's going to be a pretty good time, too, at this point it's just a question as to whether the Jiggle Jam is the best family music lineup this year or the best family music lineup ever. If you're anywhere near Kansas City this Memorial Day weekend (Saturday, May 23rd and Sunday, May 24th), get yourself down there.
Coraline Hits The Stage With Suitably Slightly Unsettling Music
For those of you with older kids and an affinity for the Magnetic Fields, have I got news for you -- New York's MCC Theatre is bringing Coraline to the stage as a new musical. With music from Stephin Merritt. Now those of you who remember Merritt's album (as the Gothic Archies) for the Lemony Snicket series of books, The Tragic Treasury (review), will probably realize how perfect Merritt is for writing the music and lyrics. The ever-so-slightly creepy music and lyrics (listen to some demos here) are very intriguing.
Now, just as the movie version came with reviewers' warnings that young kids might find it a bit too disturbing, the Theatre says it's appropriate for kids 8 and older. (And that's probably a good thing, too, because at $65 a ticket, it's a little different than leaving a $7 movie matinee because the kids are too scared...) Coraline starts May 7.
New Eric Herman On Its Way...
News from Eric Herman that he's wrapping up work on his next album of all-new material, titled What A Ride!. Eric is a longtime friend of Zooglobble, and it sounds like he's put the time he spent writing Cool Tunes For Kids as the new album will feature..."Tito from the Hipwaders, Mr. Billy, Chris Wiser from Sugar Free Allstars, Robbi K, Eric Ode, Glenn Colton and David Tobocman... [as well as] Gwendolyn Sanford from the amazing Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang."It's not quite like Santana's Supernatural (and he forgot to mention James Dague from ScribbleMonster), but it's a pretty good collection of folks nonetheless. His newsletter (sign up at the website) featured a clip of "Come Play," on which Herman and Gwendolyn's voices blend really well together. (The other clip, for a tune, called "Heartbeat," was even better, believe it or not.) In any case, look for the album June 9...
Interview: Chris Ballew (Caspar Babypants)
Chris Ballew is probably most familiar to folks of my generation as one of the guys behind the Presidents of the United States of America, who came out of the Pacific Northwest and had a number of alternative rock hits in the mid-'90s. And while the Presidents are still going strong (Ballew answered these questions in the midst of a European tour with the Presidents), he's turning some of his attention to making music for the younger set via Caspar Babypants.
If the giddiness of his debut Here I Am! album or his series of YouTube videos hasn't convinced you how excited Ballew is by his efforts in the family music genre, this interview will.
Zooglobble: What did you listen to or play instrument-wise growing up?
Chris Ballew: I guess I was a bit of a piano wonder kid. I started with a pro teacher when I was 4 and went until I was 14 and discovered the awesome power and majesty of the ELECTRIC GUITAR! Then it all changed focus but I still have the piano in my bones.
What artists influenced you as a musician in the Presidents?
The Beatles, Boston, Lenny Kravitz, The Stooges, and Weird Al. I wanted to make a Frankenstein’s monster of all those artists and I think I actually did it. So it has the love and peace intent of the Beatles, the arena rock swagger (it's in there!) of Boston, the clean articulate simple production of Lenny Kravitz (the early stuff), the fuzz and scrape of the Stooges, and the oddball lyrics of Weird Al.Listen To This: Tres Leches
The wave of lullaby albums that swept over us last year has receded, but there are still a few albums coming out. One that I have hopes for is the upcoming debut kids' CD from New York a capella trio Tres Leches, Tres Leches: Songs, Chants & Lullabies for All Our Relations.
I prefer the album's alternate (older) title -- Zzzz: Lullabies and Music to Wind Down To -- the name (if not the music) is zippier and gives a better indication of why you and your family might give it a spin. The music on their myspace page features English-language and non-English-language tracks and for those of you who are looking to add to their collection of Ellipsis Arts and Planet Sleeps lullaby disks, I think you'll want to keep your eyes open (or closed) for this.
Yo Gabba Gabba Gabba: YGG Set For a Third Season
Word from Nickelodeon this morning that they've picked up of a third season of Yo Gabba Gabba!. The network will commence production on 13 new half-hour episodes in August for its NOGGIN channel. No word yet on guest stars (though I'm thinking that Seth Rogan is waaaaaay overdue, man) or musical partners in crime. (I wonder what the fact that they're bringing it back for just 13 shows means given that Season Two had 20 shows.)
I'm also reminded that they've started a live show gig down in Australia, which makes me wonder why in the world they're not doing that here first. Northern Hemisphere not good enough for Brobee?
