Putumayo Kids' Picnic Playground tour wasn't much of a tour -- just four or five cities, I think. They seemed to draw a nice crowd, though, if this video from Rhythm Child's performance in LA was any indication. This video features Norman Jones going all quadruple-time on his "Bowl of Cherries" (which will sound familiar to those of you who have "Pick A Bale of Cotton" imprinted on your brain thanks to Raffi or Leadbelly).
The song's on the Picnic Playground, as well as on their upcoming album of the same name. (By the way, you can download a free mp3 of "The Shaker Song," which isn't necessarily a favorite of mine -- "Cherries" is a lot better -- at Rhythm Child's website.)
Rhythm Child - "Bowl of Cherries" (Live)
Peter Himmelman: More Curious, Less Furious
I already mentioned how Peter Himmelman would be releasing My Trampoline, his latest album for kids, next week on the Minivan Productions label. I also noted how he's putting together Peter Himmelman's Curious World, which will be webcast on the Land of Nod website.
A few more details are trickling out, including, perhaps most importantly, a time and day. The first 10 episodes will start on Sunday, October 4, at 10 AM (Central Time), with new weekly episodes running each Sunday morning through December 6. [Update: Will now start Sunday, September 27.] Each episode will feature a theme of the day and things like questions from kids, on the street visits, and chats with King Ferdinand, Himmelman's African leopard tortoise.
Ferdinand's been a part of Himmelman's Furious World webcasts for awhile now. You can even find some of Ferdinand's videos on YouTube. Here he is talking with Peter about music...
King Ferdinand - "Music" [YouTube]
And one more...Video: "Itchy Scratchy" (Live) - Mr. Leebot
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)
