The fine folks at Disney have decided that if they can't beat 'em, join 'em, which means, yay, YouTube! They've started to post individual videos from their artists on YouTube, and today I'm going to feature them, just because I feel like it.
This one is from Ralph's World's latest album with Disney, The Rhyming Circus, a driving number featuring his band wearing t-shirts spelling out "RALPH." It was either this or a video featuring Ralph Covert in a Sgt. Pepper's-like outfit. I'm guessing Covert didn't have final wardrobe say on these. But I really like this song.
Ralph's World - "Gotta Be Good"
Just When I Thought I Was Out...
Not too long ago, I quietly removed my "Offsprung" link from my sidebar. The site, which was started by Neal Pollack in the heady go-go months of 2006-2007, quietly died as a site for content due to "technical difficulties."
But now Offsprung lives! I'm back on it! Best of all, it's a Ning site, so the stuff actually works again!
For the most part, I'll be cross-posting stuff from this site over to my page there, but I'll be sure to let you know if there's something cool going on there.
And, really, folks, there's a lot of cool parenting discussion going on over there, it's not like every other parenting website. Not for everyone, perhaps, but if it is, I think you'll dig it.
You Know, Mindy, Peter Himmelman Has Some Theme-Writing Experience...
Sirius-XM's Kids Place Live has been busy as of late, what with a whole bunch of folks filling as Robbie Schaefer heads for Uganda on a KPL-related mission. And you've got people like Peter Himmelman stopping by in advance of the release of My Trampoline later this month. As previously noted, the album is the first from Minivan Productions, whose head Dan Perloff is there in the photo along with Mindy Thomas, whose Absolutely Mindy show is looking for a theme song.
Specifically from you, the kids music community. (Or I'm sure she'd be happy to have Spoon write something, too. But I think she wants you.)
The song should be about 30 seconds to one minute long, recorded to CD, and snail mailed and postmarked by August 14th. Mindy will (try to) air all entries received throughout the week of August 17 to the 20, and a final song will be chosen on Friday, August 21. The winner themester will be interviewed live on Mindy's show and have their winning song played every afternoon "UNTIL WE GET TIRED OF IT," as Mindy puts it. (The fine print entry details can be found here.) I think artists should enter just for the chance to be interviewed live by Mindy.
And who knows, maybe Himmelman was there in DC he was cooking up some ideas for a post-Land of Nod-related theme. (And, er, he's scored a bunch of TV shows.)
Photo courtesy Sirius-XM Satellite RadioLicensing Kids Music, Italian Division
We occasionally cover the use of kids music for commercial purposes, from Dan Zanes' dalliance with Wal-Mart and Coke to Kira Willey's "Colors" being used in an ad for Dell Computers. Plenty of other folks have had their kids music licensed for other purposes -- Justin Roberts, the Jellydots, for example.
Here is the most unlikely use I've seen this year. Didi Pop recently had "Feed the Pet" from her self-titled debut used for... a line of kids wear from an Italian fashion house. That's right... Laura Biagiotti licensed the use of the tune for their line of dolls. (To hear it, just go to the website, and after clicking on English -- or "Italian" if you're bilingual -- click on Laura Biagiotti DOLLS.) I wouldn't exactly put "get music licensed by an Italian fashion house" on your kids' music to-do list, but, hey, it happens...
Let's Hear It For the Midwest Kids Music Festivals
Well, Kansas City's KC Jiggle Jam holds the title for the best kids music festival anywhere, and this weekend's Kidzapalooza will again rock Chicago's Grant Park with a stellar lineup, but there's always more room for additional family music in the midwest. Des Moines, a city I have a soft place in my heart for (seriously, folks, sweet city there), joins the club on Sunday, Sept. 27 with their Every Family Rocks festival. Any lineup that features not only big names Dan Zanes and Justin Roberts, along with regional stars like Funky Mama and Truckstop Honeymoon (featuring Mike Ward, who's recorded folks like Randy Kaplan and Laura Freeman), to go with their local acts, has got me on board. All that for just $8 (in advance).
Now to start working on the Upper Midwest (or the Southwest).
Video: "Bubble" (Live) - Mommie
If that last live video was thrashy, this live video is not. Not every song on Mommie's debut album Mommie's Dearest (review) is about vehicles. On the album, "Bubble" takes a very dreamy cast, but in this live video from the past weekend, it has more of an alt-country sound. I like the rapt look of attention from the boy on lead Mommie (so to speak) Doug MacMillan's left. (I also like how MacMillan steps to the side during a portion of the instrumental break to let the videographer capture the rest of the band). Not every band could keep a crowd during a North Carolina rainstorm...
Mommie - "Bubble" (Live)
Mommie - "Bubble" from Mann's World on Vimeo.
