Video: "Shape Rap" - The Alphabet Rockers

The Alphabet Rockers have been around for a few years -- their self-titled debut came out almost 4 years ago. The San Francisco-based group is trying to do two things that many have tried, but comparatively few have succeeded at: making tuneful hip-hop for kids, and making tuneful educational music for kids. On at least one track, they've met both challenges, and made a slick video to boot. Check out "Shape Rap" - v. smooth. It's reminiscent of one of my favorite public service announcement series of all time. (And if you're looking to continue the educational vibes, you might want to also view "Shape Hunt" with the kiddos.)

Alphabet Rockers - Shape Rap from Alphabet Rockers on Vimeo.

Share: "I'm a Vampire" - Roy Handy & the Moonshot

You know how last year, it was pretty clear even in summer that Justin Roberts' "Trick or Treat" would be the Halloween song of 2010? This year, I've got a really good feeling about Roy Handy and the Moonshot's new song, "I'm a Vampire." It's catchy, it's funny, and is, well, seasonally appropriate. And, no, it has nothing to do with True Blood or Twilight or any of those things. It's just got an excellent Old '97s-like riff. Hopefully by the time October rolls around and the song's all over the airwaves (and your stereo), the promised RH&MS EP will be ready. In the meantime, download the song for free below. (And here's a video...)

Video: "Party Day" - The Laurie Berkner Band (World Premiere)

The Laurie Berkner Band have a new DVD coming out later this month. It's called Party Day! and it features 12 all-new videos of longtime Berkner favorites (see: "This Hat") and new ones (see: "Where Is The Cake?"). It also comes with a 5-song EP, which includes a new acoustic version of fan favorite "My Family." Today, I'm proud to have for you the world premiere of Berkner's "Party Day" video. The video for this "title track" features a ladybug, banana slug, a beetle, and an ant, along with Laurie and the band and the kids dancing around in some silly hats. (Trust me, the hats make a little more sense in the context of the DVD.) It's a fun little song and video, not to mention representative of the DVD's top-notch production quality. Party Day! is released on July 26th.

Itty-Bitty Review: Hey Pepito! - Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke

Oh, to have the energy of Pepito, the titular squirrel the latest EP of Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke. I'd be able to knock out these reviews in four, five minutes flat. Perhaps I could do that if I just wrote something like, "I've yet to hear a Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke song that I haven't liked" and left it at that. But you probably expect just a little bit more (even though it's true). So, then, in brief, the six songs of Hey Pepito!: 1) "Pepito": a gigantic adrenaline rush that might, in the long run, get a little wearisome when you listen to it for the four-hundredth time, as your kids will invariable make you do. (Purchase the album via Little Monster (or the widget below) and get an e-copy of a Wilde-drawn comic featuring Pepito to boot.) 2) "Don Mario's Song": Another ear-wormy chorus, with the added benefit of an extended Latin percussion break, each instrument named in turn. I love "Pepito," but I think this is the best song on the album. 3) "Talking Big Pet Pig": This pig looms large in KWMC iconography -- here he gets an origin story, done Dylan-pre-electric-style. 4) "It's So Good": Previously released, is that a samba I hear? 5) "Mary the Fairy": Also previously released, the story of a flight-challenged and inattentive fairy. 6) "Summer Lullaby": As tender a song as "Pepito" and "Don Mario's Song" are rave-ups. The songs are most appropriate for kids ages through 3 through 7. Listen to the whole EP by streaming it via the player below. Hey Pepito! is a fun 22 minutes, a worthy albeit brief follow up to their wonderful debut Rise and Shine. Or, to put it another way, I've still yet to hear a Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke song that I haven't liked. Definitely recommended. [Disclosure: I received a copy of the album for possible review.]

Itty-Bitty Review: Winnie the Pooh Soundtrack

Can you call a movie franchise a "re-boot" if you're trying to make it look (and sound) like it was made fifty years ago? Well, if so, then Disney's successfully rebooted at least the soundtrack for Winnie the Pooh, the latest film about A.A. Milne's silly old bear and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. The chief allure for most readers here will be the tracks feature Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, more commonly known as the duo She & Him. Deschanel's voice is a very good fit for the retro sound employed here, such as on the theme song and "A Very Important Thing to Do." Deschanel's original contribution to the soundtrack is the end-credit song "So Long," and it's very much a She & Him track. If you're going to pick up any single song from the soundtrack, it should be that one, though traditionalists might prefer the theme song. I also liked (sight unseen) one of the new tracks, "The Backson Song," which features Craig Ferguson's voicing of "Owl" whipping the cast into a frenzy. The score from Henry Jackman (found on the latter half of the disk) sounds pleasant enough, but unless you have a budding Mozart in the household, that is not the draw for your 4-year-old. (The soundtrack is most appropriate for the movie's target age range, that of about 3 to 6.) The soundtrack to Winnie the Pooh is not attempting to break any new ground, but that's precisely the point -- it's intended to serve a movie which is trying very hard to envelop the viewer (and listener) in Milne's timelessness. In that regard, the soundtrack succeeds in being as satisfying as a pot of ~~hunny~~ honey. Recommended for fans of the movie and of Pooh Bear; even She & Him fans are bound to find a track or two worth adding to their collection.

Radio Playlist: Lullabies (July 2011)

It's been waaaay too long since I've updated the Zooglobble radio station lullaby list. (Ahem.) So here ya go. Streams at night along with random songs interspersed throughout the day. (Note that songs are in fairly random order, and are played in totally random order.) Caspar Babypants - "Calling From Clouds" (Here I Am!) Dan Zanes & Friends - "The Good Night Waltz" (Family Dance) Elizabeth Mitchell & Lisa Loeb - "Free Little Bird" (Catch the Moon) Frances England - "Spring Has Sprung" (Family Tree) The Jellydots - "Captain Sleep" (Hey You Kids!) Lunch Money - "At the River" (Dizzy) Mae Robertson & Don Jackson - "Hobo's Lullaby" (All Through the Night) Music Together - "Shenendoah" (Fiddle) Raffi - "Rock-A-Bye Baby" (The Corner Grocery Store) Ralph's World - "Many Things to Know" (At the Bottom of the Sea) Renee & Jeremy - "Rely" (C'mon) Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto - "Desifinado" (Getz/Gilberto) Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke - "Summery Lullaby" (Hey Pepito!) Essie Jain - "Midnight Starship" (Until the Light of Morning) Jason Falkner - "Michelle" (Bedtime with the Beatles) Tanya Donelly - "Moon River" (Sing Me to Sleep) Sarah Sharp - "Donut Song" (Sweet Songs) Randy Kaplan - "Forever Young" (The Kids Are All Id) Heidi Swedberg and the Sukey Jump Band - "Down in the Valley" (Play!) Mr. and Mrs. Muffins - "The Ladybird's Lullaby" (The Striped Ladybird) The Okee Dokee Brothers - "Sweet Dreams" (Take It Outside)