Y'know, those iPhones have video cameras now and the Flips are easy to use (I should know). I'm with Tito, it shouldn't be this difficult to have any of the other folks who make music on a more regular basis for kids (or the kids themselves) captured on camera. This sounds like a nice cut (I'm unable to figure out which one specifically) from Joshua James, Sunday's special guest at Lolla's Kidzapalooza stage. But I know there was a lot more that brought down this house this weekend...
Joshua James live at Kidzapalooza stage, Lollapalooza 2009.
If Only Somebody Had Done This Better...
I have no idea whether Da Jammies is destined for a network or will be lost in straight-to-DVD purgatory.
All I know is that I watch the video above, listen to the songs at their Myspace page, and read the description of the show, an
"animated series that follows five kids from the Suburbs who attend a Performing Arts school. These kids sing, dance and rap, all with a dream of becoming famous as they each are on a mission to make it in the music biz"and I wish that it had been done better. Oh, yeah, it had: OK, there's no actual animation, but it's a waaaay cool song. Ironically, Class of 3000 is itself subject of a copyright infringement lawsuit.
Video: "Don't Touch My Stuff" (Live @ Kidzapalooza) - Zach Gill
I love the fact that people are recording some stuff on the Kidzapalooza stage at this year's Lollapalooza festival, such as Zach Gill -- I just wish some folks also felt compelled to record the more traditional kids' acts. (Hello, 23 Skidoo? Frances England? Lunch Money?)
Zach Gill - "Don't Touch My Stuff" (Live @ Lollapalooza 2009)
In Memoriam: Mike Seeger
Musician and folklorist Mike Seeger died from cancer Friday night at the age of 75. His importance to the kids music world is relatively minor compared to his half-brother Pete, but not without significance. He will be remembered much more for his musical output as a solo artist and with the New Lost City Ramblers, his collecting of traditional music, and his discovery of forgotten traditional musicians. But his mother was Ruth Crawford Seeger, who wrote one of the first important books of children's music, and he recorded a couple kids' albums, including American Folk Songs for Children with his sister Peggy.
Here's a clip of him playing "John Henry" a couple years ago. One of these days I'm going to learn myself some banjo...
Video: "Here Comes the Sun" (Live @ Kidzapalooza) - Perry Farrell & Lee Ann Rimes
Yeah, you read that right. Lolla founder Perry Farrell and country singer Lee Ann Rimes took the Kidzapalooza stage at Friday's rainy Lollapalooza and engaged in a bit of wishful thinking, faithfully rendering "Here Comes the Sun."
I understand there were actually kids in front of those adults. Besides, everybody loves the Beatles, right?
Perry Farrell & Lee Ann Rimes - "Here Comes the Sun" (Live at Lollapalooza 2009)
Play List: Suitable For Little Ears, Vol. 4
When I started my "Play List" series, I hoped that others would join in and offer some play lists and mix CDs of their own. And they have. Today's list is from Chris Rosella, and he's been putting these together for awhile (as evidenced by the title). Got a mix tape of your own that you want to share? Let me know. But without any further ado...
*****
Hi there. My name is Chris. I have been a music nut all my life. Back before the kids were born, I used to make my wife listen to all kinds of feedback and screaming, which she would usually just ask me to turn down, if not off. I also dragged her to some concerts that she endured more often than she enjoyed. Since the kids (3 ½ and 2) were born, I still like having music on in the background, but I find I am much more sensitive about lyrical content and scary sounds, even as young as my two are. So I have become increasingly interested in the wild and wacky world of children's music.
I've always liked to make music mixes to inflict on people, even innocent bystanders who hadn't specifically asked me for anything. When I made the transition from recording tapes to burning CDs, I discovered that it was even more fun to mass-produce my creations and inflict them on a grand scale. So it was only a matter of time before it occurred to me to try my hand at kiddie music mixes.
Of course, it's the parents who control the CD player; if the parents don't like it, they aren't going to let their kids hear it, so I tend to think of the parents more often than their kids. Speaking for myself, when I have my "Kid Stuff" playlist (29 hours and growing!) running in my living room or in the car, I'm listening to music I have deemed good enough for MY discerning ears as well as for my kids' innocent ones. I know there are parents out there who grit their teeth over some of the drivel their kids demand on those long road trips--I honestly do try to assemble a CD "the whole family can enjoy."
One more note. A good two-thirds of the below playlist are individual downloads, not entire album purchases. If not for Rhapsody, I wouldn't be in the "business" I'm in. I'm giving you all the artists' websites if you'd like to know more about any of them; you should also be able to find most of them on Rhapsody for full-length preview and reasonably priced downloading.
So below is the playlist for the fourth installment in the series I have titled Suitable for Little Ears. This one is subtitled "Three Chords and the Truth Mix" because that's the personality it eventually developed:
1. Tiny Dinosaurs--Lunch Money
2. We Are the Dinosaurs--Two of a Kind
3. Cave Baby--The Mudcakes
4. Dumpling--Dog On Fleas
5. Worms--Pencilhead and the Playground Punks
6. Are We There Yet?--Jam Toast
7. Cool to Be Uncool--The Jimmies
8. Superman--David Weinstone / Music for Aardvarks
9. Things You Want--The Hipwaders
10. Stop, Drop, and Roll--Doug Fleming, Jr.
11. Poo Party--The Mudcakes
12. The Veggie Song--Danny Adlerman and Friends
13. Fruit Salad--The Bad Goods
14. Eat Every Bean and Pea on Your Plate--Daddy a Go-Go
15. Monday Pants--Jam Toast
16. Bedhead--The Jimmies
17. I Scream, You Scream--Frances England
18. Space Song--Milkshake
19. Outer Space--Jetta and the Jellybeans
20. Skinnamarink--Debi Derryberry
21. Learning My Letters--The RTTs
22. I'm a Fire Engine--Uncle Rock
23. Back It Up, Dump Truck!--Mother's Little Helpers
24. Free to Be Me--Frances England
25. Go Wild--Milkshake
26. A Good Boy With a Bad Reputation--Dan Schorr
27. What a Wonderful World--Daddy a Go-Go
Some comments on the songs, and on the artists who created them:
