I don't think Austin's Mr. Leebot is a closet fan of The Itchy & Scratchy Show (though I do believe he would turn in an excellent cover of their theme). But on this new track (it's not even on his not-yet-officially-released new album Robot Dance), he does show off some dance moves that would put Leon Kompowsky to shame.
Mr. Leebot - "Itchy Scratchy" (Live)
Is Dan Zanes More Sky Masterson or Nicely-Nicely?
A while back, Dan Zanes let us know that, while in Puerto Rico, he was working on some Broadway tunes for his next album.
Of course, that was in early 2008, before Nueva York!, before Songs from the Welcome Table, before his The Fine Friends Are Here DVD comes out next month. But never fear, as Zanes has finally made public the November release for the Broadway-themed album.
Likely candidates (that is, educated guesses based on some sleuthing but no actual confirmation from Zanes' camp) include some stuff from Guys and Dolls, to be sure, maybe a little Hello, Dolly! and some more modern stuff, among other things.
The Best Newsletter (Noizeletter) in Kids Music
I never got around to reviewing The Ballad of Phineas McBoof, the first album from Doctor Noize, Cory Cullinan's more animated alter ego. But somehow I got onto his monthly newsletter -- or, as Doctor Noize calls it, his "Noizeletter," natch. I'm on a number of artist newsletters, obviously, but this one has a higher chuckle ratio than most. In latest newsletter, Doctor Noize talks about the Absolutely Mindy theme song contest:
So listen next week for my version and the theme songs submitted by other listeners, many of whom are little kids sending in adorable stuff. And no matter what anybuddy says, Mindy does not have off-air heart-to-hearts with her life-size poster of Zac Efron in the studio in between songs. I don't know where you even heard that, but emailing that to everybuddy you know is definitely how rumors get started.OK, setting aside the whole "anybuddy/everybuddy" thing, I'm amused by that. You might be too...
Video: "Tiger in My Backyard" (Live) - Sugar Free Allstars
It's been awhile since the release of Dos Ninos (review), the first kids album from the Sugar Free Allstars, but they're releasing Gettin' Funky with the Sugar Free Allstars, a concert DVD (all the cool kids are doin' it, dontcha know).
They've been posting cuts from the DVD to YouTube, but they've finally posted a new track from the DVD, "Tiger in My Backyard." Standard SFA funkiness, but with some extra roaring.
Sugar Free Allstars - "Tiger in My Backyard" (Live)
Listen To This: "Sesame Street Theme" / "The Books I Like To Read" - The Hipwaders
Well, yesterday, I posted some old new school Sesame Street, so today I thought I'd post some new old school Sesame Street, courtesy of the Bay Area's Hipwaders.
Yesterday they posted a couple new mp3s for your downloading enjoyment. The first track is the theme from the show, which, unbeknownst to me, actually runs a couple minutes long (and has lyrics to go with it). The second track is Frances England's "The Books I Like To Read." (This cover was captured on YouTube last year.) Both covers rock in typical Hipwaders style and worth heading over to download...
(It also makes me think that kids music artists could do waaaaay more in having guest appearances on each others' albums.)
Oh, the Hipwaders have their Kindie Christmas album on their way to the printer, but it's August in Phoenix -- I find it very hard to think about winter at the moment...
Video: "Furry Happy Monsters" (Sesame Street) - R.E.M.
Amy Silverman, last mentioned in this space for interviewing me in the Phoenix New Times, occasionally records essays for our local NPR station, and yesterday morning her essay on the advantages of a car over our fancy new light-rail station concluded with R.E.M.'s "Stand." Which reminded me of this video, a song I absolutely adore, from the perfect lyrical rewrite to the Kate Pierson look-alike to the way how Michael Stipe's unique dancing style fits in perfectly with the surrounding muppets.
R.E.M. - "Furry Happy Monsters" (from Sesame Street) [YouTube]
Oh, and the '90s best pop song bar none after the jump:
