Video: "Box of Crayons" - The Pop Ups

Radio Jungle album coverThe Pop Ups are primed to have a big April -- the follow-up to their stunning debut Outside Voices, Radio Jungle, is going to be released next Tuesday, April 3. In addition, the Kickstarter-funded follow-up to their live-action puppet extravaganza opens in Brooklyn on April 22. What else could they possibly do in April?

Well, nothing -- they're just too busy. Which explains why they're premiering their video for "Box of Crayons" today, at the end of March. On a disk with lots of radio-friendly hits, "Box of Crayons" -- '80s-inspired synths and soaring choruses with a touch of The Postal Service mixed up with a whole bunch of colors -- might just be the radio-friendliest (not to mention one of my favorites). It's matched up here with animation from Garrett Davis; Harold only had a single, purple crayon -- imagine how much more he could have done with a whole box.

Beyond that -- how would you like to win a copy of the new album? (Yes, yes you would.) Just comment below by 8 PM West Coast time Friday night (the 30th) with your favorite color, and I'll randomly pick a winner (one entry per person, please). Thanks, good luck, and enjoy...

The Pop Ups - "Box of Crayons" [YouTube]

KidVid Tournament 2012: Week 2 Summary

KidVid Tournament 2012It was an even more exciting second week of action in KidVid Tournament 2012, with brackets busted everywhere.  Week 3 promises more fun than you can shake a stick at, though why you'd shake a stick at fun is beyond me, because if I were fun I'd be scared of families shaking sticks at me.

Aaaanyway, Elite Eight matchups are as follows...

Woody Guthrie Region
#4 Princess Katie & Racer Steve - "Sand in My Sandwich" vs. #6 Imagination Movers - "Everybody Sing"

The winner of the Woody Guthrie Region meets the winner of the...

Ella Jenkins Region

#5 Gustafer Yellowgold "Pancake Smackdown" vs. #6 Todd McHatton - "I Think I'm a Bunny"

Leadbelly Region
#1 Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band - "Blue Bear" vs. #3 Rocknoceros - "Early Worm"

The winner of the Leadbelly Region will take on the winner of the...

Pete Seeger Region
#2 The Pop Ups - "Balloon" vs. #8 Suzi Shelton - "Tomboy in a Princess Dress"

As with last week's entries, this week's competition will place across teh Internets at many of these fine websites who can meet most if not all of your family's kids music needs.

• Ages 3 and Up!
• Dadnabbit
• Gooney Bird Kids
• Hilltown Families
• Out With the Kids
• Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl
• Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child
• Zooglobble

KidVid Tournament 2012: Week 1 Summary

It was an exciting first week of action in KidVid Tournament 2012 and week 2 will be even more exciting.  (I hope.)  Without any further ado, the 2nd Round matchups are as follows...

Woody Guthrie Region
#1 Elizabeth Mitchell - "Ong Tal Sam" vs. #4 Princess Katie & Racer Steve - "Sand in My Sandwich"
#2 Dog on Fleas - "Do You Wanna Know My New Dance Step?" vs. #6 Imagination Movers - "Everybody Sing"

The winner of the Woody Guthrie Region meets the winner of the...

Ella Jenkins Region

#1 Caspar Babypants - "Mister Rabbit" vs. #5 Gustafer Yellowgold "Pancake Smackdown"
#2 Renee & Jeremy - "Share" vs. #6 Todd McHatton - "I Think I'm a Bunny"

Leadbelly Region
#1 Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band - "Blue Bear" vs. #5 Beethoven's Wig - "My Little Chicken"
#2 The Not-Its! - "First Kid in Outer Space" vs. #3 Rocknoceros - "Early Worm"

The winner of the Leadbelly Region will take on the winner of the...

Pete Seeger Region
#4 Brady Rymer - "Love Me For Who I Am" vs. #8 Suzi Shelton - "Tomboy in a Princess Dress"
#2 The Pop Ups - "Balloon" vs. #3 Rabbit! - "Magic"

As with last week's entries, this week's competition will place across teh Internets at these fine locales.  Really, you should familiarize yourself with each and every one of 'em!

• Ages 3 and Up!
• Dadnabbit
• Gooney Bird Kids
• Hilltown Families
• Out With the Kids
• Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl
• Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child
• Zooglobble

Finally, I'd just like to say thanks to all of you for not entering the official tournament pool.  My faith in humanity -- for not entering a silly pool for a silly tournament -- is maintained.

Itty-Bitty Review: Kings & Queens of the Forest - Kira Willey

I really liked Kira Willey's first album of music for kids, Dance for the Sun.  It was one of those rare albums written with a specific purpose in mind -- in this case, yoga music for kids -- that not only served that purpose but also could be listened to outside of that context.  (It's an album that still gets played occasionally in our house.)

So of course I was eager to hear Willey's long-awaited follow-up, Kings & Queens of the Forest.  I'm happy to report that Willey retains her touch at crafting poppy kids music which which could please folks who don't know their downward dogs from hot dogs. There's an obvious bias toward songs that encourage movement -- the leadoff track "Roller Coaster" talks about going up, down, and to the side, for example -- but lyrics are sometimes subtle enough that the yoga origins aren't obvious.  "Let the Sun Shine In," for example, features Willey's brother Tom Shileds Jr. doing his bass vocal thing again in a jazzy song that could be about the sun salutation but is pretty much just a happy song.  And "The Mixing Bowl" happens to accompany a two-person yoga move, but is lovely no matter the time or place.

The songs here are most appropriate for kids ages 4 through 8.  You can listen to a handful of tracks from the new album at Willey's Soundcloud page.  As with its predecessor, the hour-plus album also features Willey leading the yoga poses for each song.

Kings & Queens of the Forest is a pleasant collection of pop songs for kids with jazz, surfer, country, and acoustic undertones.  Fans of Dance for the Sun will like this new one, and I would have difficulty picking a favorite between the two.  Kings & Queens would stand up fine on its own, but for families (and teachers) looking for an album to encouragement (yoga or otherwise), this will definitely fit the bill. Recommended.

[Disclosure: I was given a copy of the album for possible review.]