The other semi-final matchup of KidVid Tournament 2010 is an all-Seattle affair. (We've had a number of those this year.) It features the Leadbelly Regional winner Recess Monkey and their "Marshmallow Farm" video from Field Trip -- the video defeated the Not-Its in an epic Round 2 Seattle-based matchup. That video's going up against the Woody Guthrie Regional winner Brian Vogan and "That's How a Pumpkin Grows" from his Little Songs album -- it defeated a Readeez video in Round 2.
KidVid Tournament 2010 Semifinal #1: Caspar Babypants vs. Debbie & Friends
The first semi-final matchup of KidVid Tournament 2010 features the Pete Seeger Regional winner Caspar Babypants and his "Itsy Bitsy Spider" video from More Please! -- the video vanquished Dan Zanes in an epic Round 2 matchup. That video's going up against the Ella Jenkins Regional winner Debbie and Friends and "Willy Won't" from the upcoming More Story Songs and Sing-Alongs, who defeated a feisty Johnny Bregar in Round 2.
Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below, but the official results are based on the poll at the bottom of the page. One vote per person, please. One vote per person! Votes due by 5 pm tomorrow (Friday) East Coast time. And, as I continue to say, play nice -- that means encouraging folks to watch both videos and avoiding trash-talking. Really, folks, it's just a silly internet contest.
Caspar Babypants - "Itsy Bitsy Spider" [YouTube]
Debbie and Friends: Willy Won't [YouTube]
They Might Be Giants Reveal Plans for Next Kids Album
When we last heard from They Might Be Giants, they were enjoying the success of their latest CD/DVD set for kids, the excellent Here Comes Science. They were working on their next adult CD. There wasn't even any discussion about the next kids album.
But now, in a Zooglobble exclusive, the band reveals their next kids album, coming out sooner than you'd think:KidVid Tournament 2010: Brian Vogan vs. Readeez
The other second round matchup of KidVid Tournament 2010 today is the Woody Guthrie Regional final featuring Brian Vogan's "That's How a Pumpkin Grows" from his Little Songs CD against "Counting for Pleasure" from Readeez' Volume 2 DVD (and Songeez CD).
KidVid Tournament 2010: Recess Monkey vs. The Not-Its
The first round is for weeding out the pretenders -- the second round of KidVid Tournament 2010 features nothing but heavy-hitters -- or, to mix sports metaphors, it's the Slam Dunk Tournament of kids music. The first matchup today is the Leadbelly Regional final featuring Recess Monkey's "Marshmallow Farm" from their Field Trip CD against "Come Play at Our House" from The Not-Its' We Are the Not-Its! album.
Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below, but the official results are based on the poll at the bottom of the page. One vote per person, please. One vote per person! Votes due by noon tomorrow (Thursday) East Coast time. And, as always, play nice -- that means encouraging folks to watch both videos and avoiding trash-talking. Don't make me come back there.
Recess Monkey - "Marshmallow Farm" [YouTube]
The Not-Its - "Come Play at Our House" [YouTube]
SXSW 2010 (Music) Report: Day 3
I was eager to hear music in my first full day at SXSW, but as it turned out, it was nearly 8 PM before I devoted my full attention to a full set.That's one of the problems, of course, with SXSW -- there's so much going on, that you're constantly being bombarded with sensory overload.The crowds wandering the streets of downtown Austin, the noises coming out of every building, the knowledge that right now somewhere some other band you wanted to see plus 14 other bands you'd probably love if only you knew they existed are playing.This isn't some Austin City Limits Music Festival problem where it's 2 or 3 folks maybe playing simultaneously with staggered set times and within a 4-minute walk.No, this is everything. happening. at. once.No matter what you're doing, there's something else cooler happening someplace else.That may not actually be true, but it's hard not to feel that way.
My sole real barbecue experience of the weekend came courtesy of the suggestion of Austin Chronicle writer Melanie Haupt, who suggested Franklin Barbecue, which is a trailer in the shadow of I-35 just north of downtown.I joined Melanie, her husband, and a friend for some excellent early in the morning.It was a reminder amidst the tons of free food and stuff and music on offer at SXSW -- sometimes it's worth paying for something.I recommend it highly.
Anyway, at this point, it was nearly noon, and since the pre-meet for my SXSW panel was at 1 PM, I had to abandon any (unrealistic) plans for sliding into a day party prior to the pre-meet.So after finding some parking, I scooted on down to the convention center where I spent most of that free hour or so wandering the aisles of Flatstock 24, a poster convention held (annually) in conjunction with SXSW.Very, very cool.It's like going to a museum - A MUSEUM OF AWESOME ROCK POSTERS.Made of awesome and win, y'all.I never did find the perfect show poster for me -- for me, it had to be a perfect combination of art and artist, and I never really did find it.(Plus, I'm trying to get rid of wall art, not add it.)But gorgeous stuff to look at.
Then it was off to the pre-meet for Jumping into the Kiddie Pool: Diving for Dollars.Tor Hyams was our moderator, and he led those of us on the panel through a spirited discussion of the business of kids music -- in many ways, this was as much fun for me as the panel itself that followed, because there was a lot of give-and-take.The regular panel (squeezed into a room that was probably a bit small for the 40+ folks crowded into it) was useful, I think, for the folks that attended who wanted more basic info.But there wasn't as much time for the interplay.There was time for me, however, to curse.Sorry, guys.
After the panel (the hour went by quickly, they shooed us out of there at 3:15) we continued to shoot the breeze with folks outside the panel room, then a couple of us went across the street to have a beer at the Hilton Hotel's sunken outdoor patio restaurant.While we there, a couple guys from GWAR walked by.Those guys are normally pretty tall, walking around in elevated boots and headpieces.When your head is at about street level, they look gi-normous...
-- Shoot breeze: Gwar
