The first time you watch this video, I recommend not watching it at all... that is, close your eyes or scroll up (or down) or hide the page behind another page if that's possible on your operating system and just listen to the song. It's a perfectly fine song, sure.
Then watch it.
No matter if you thought the song was cool or "meh," I guarantee you'll be more impressed by the song the second time through.
Jim Gill - "Living Inside of a Jar" [YouTube]
Kickstarter and Kids Music. Again.
The list of crowdfunding posts here is lengthy, and it's about to get even longer. It had seemed to me that the mania for family musicians to fund their projects through sites like Kickstarter had calmed somewhat, but it's started up again with a vengeance, with at least 5 projects worth your time to check out, several of them with hip-hop flair.
First up is Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, who's drumming up support for his third kid-hop album Make Believers. The project just launched, and at the higher funding levels you can get the shirt off Skidoo's back! (OK, not really. Just his coat. Or his hat.) Anyway, here's the video with Skidoo's whole family pitching in.
Kid-hop option #2 is from Boston-based artist RhymeZwell, and it's to fund the filming of a new video for the first single off his upcoming second album Robots on the Dance Floor. And while the implication in his promo video that there's nobody doing kid-hop is, erm, well, see above and below, we'll just chalk that up to the sales pitch. And judging by the concept video's production values (and the song itself), I think the final result may be pretty slick.. Rewards include copies of the album.
Kid-hop #3: Big Don (aka Don Robinson) is an Austin-based hip-hop artist who's raising funds to print and distribute Big Don's Brand New Beat, his second album for kids. (I remember getting a copy of his first album randomly placed in my hands at an Austin City Limits Festival a few years back; it was a lot better than most albums randomly placed in my hands.) As you might expect, rewards include copies of the new album.
Hip-hop not your family's thing? Well, there's more...Video: "Early Worm" - Rocknoceros
I don't know, if I found Rocknoceros hiding out in my attic, I might feel a little freaked out -- they seem to be really busy and doing reasonably well, so what are they doing in my house!?! But such crazy situations are the basis for many a video setup, and such it is for "Early Worm," the first video from their new album Colonel Purple Turtle. Also: do not play this language for anyone you know attempting to learn English as the mangling of our already colloquial speech will confuse them even further.
Rocknoceros - "Early Worm" [YouTube]
Video: "Born to Dance" - Alastair Moock (with Anand Nayak)
I don't often post live videos here, but I dig this one from Alastair Moock. It's for "Born to Dance," off his forthcoming album These Are My Friends, recorded earlier this month at Boston's Club Passim. The performance also features Anand Nayak, who's all over the new disk. (I think that's Mark Erelli on harmonica as well, not to mention Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem's Scott Kessel on drums.) Nayak'll be on hand for some of Moock's other kid-friendly gigs, such as at the 92Y Tribeca in October, so if you want to catch 'em live (and live on the East Coast), you'll have a few more chances.
Alastair Moock with Anand Nayak - "Born to Dance" [YouTube]
A Small Nod from Small Magazine
There are times when I feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of music to listen to and develop opinions on -- these are the times when I search for a video featuring an animated cat to just move forward and create. So when the lovely magazine Small Magazine said they'd be featuring me in an upcoming issue and asked for 5 albums I'm digging right now, I was (a) flattered, and (b) eager to have a short, time-limited assignment.
So head here to find out about those five albums, three of which aren't even out yet, technically speaking. Of course, I should note that asking me to pick just five is very much a point in time snapshot, especially given the volume of music moving across my desk now -- if you asked me to make that list today, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't look the same. But these five (including one debut) are all quality disks.ACL Festival Austin Kiddie Limits 2011 Preview
Longtime readers will know that we're longtime attenders of the Austin City Limits Festival.
Well, our streak of attendance ends this year at four, but that doesn't mean we still won't be sad to miss the shows, both on the main stages (Stevie Wonder, Arcade Fire, Randy Newman, Alison Krauss) and, of course, the Austin Kiddie Limits stage.
Here are the details then on the AKL stage schedule and some tips:
Friday, Sept. 16
School of Rock: 11:30-11:55
Heidi Swedberg: 12:30-12:55
Mariana Iranzi: 1:30-1:55
Sara Hickman: 2:30-2:55
Special Guest: 3:15-3:30
Brady Rymer: 3:30-4:00
The School of Rock used to be known as "The Paul Green School of Rock Music," and they've played at AKL for many years. Teenagers playing songs written before they were born and, in some cases, before their parents were born. This will be the hardest music you hear from the Austin Kiddie Limits Stage all weekend. Here a band from the NYC outpost plays the Kindiefest showcase in 2009:
Yes, Heidi Swedberg used to play George Costanza's doomed fiance on Seinfeld. Now that we've got that out of the way, go not for the gawking factor, but because Swedberg has a hypnotic voice and a band that has a lot of fun backing up her ukulele tunes. Here's the band from this spring in NYC:
Women who know their way around a guitar solo are a popular thing these days, and Mariana Iranzi is kindie's contribution. (OK, yes, she plays the bass. Details, details.) She plays Spanish-language music that rocks. Again, from the 2009 Kindiefest:
