My Favorite Kids Music Videos of 2013

It's been a couple years since I last tackled the kids music video world.  After years of organizing KidVid Tournaments, I think I just needed a break.  Plus I was organizing a talk on great kids music videos and my video curation energies went there last spring.

That doesn't mean, however, that I've lost interest in finding great videos to share with your family, friends, and strangers in line at the grocery store.  In fact, I went back and looked -- across the site, I featured nearly 100 new videos.

It's a new year now and with that I have a little extra energy to give you a brand new list -- my favorite kids music videos of 2013 (-ish).  Let's define the video year as I have in the past -- new videos featured on the site between March 1 of the prior year and February 28 of the current year.  (So, March 1, 2013 through February 1, 2014.)  Let's also say only one video per artist (though there were a handful of artists I considered breaking that rule for).  As always, I'm interested in visual creativity, a decent level of post-production values (which doesn't necessarily mean expensive), and a really good song.

PS: Miss the KidVid Tournament?  Then I might just have something up my sleeve for you.  Stay tuned.

Without further ado, then, in alphabetical order by artist, my 25 favorite kids music videos of 2013.  Whether this is the first time you've seen some or all of these, or the tenth, please enjoy.

"Similes and Metaphors" - The Bazillions

"Stump Hotel" - Caspar Babypants

"Thingamajig" - Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band

(Oddly enough, removed from YouTube for violating its Terms of Service.  I've had similar problems with YouTube regarding videos I've had specific permission to upload.  I can imagine how frustrating it is for an artist.)

"Bunny in the Moon" - DidiPop

"Palindrome" - Dog on Fleas / Readeez

"Brussels Sprout Shout" - Duke Otherwise

"Midnight Sun" - Elska

"Day You Were Born" - Frances England

"Cakenstein" - Gustafer Yellowgold

"How Big" - Eric Herman

"Dinosaur" - Lori Henriques

"From You" - Charlie Hope

"End of a Summer Storm" - Alison Krauss (via Sandra Boynton)

"Spicy Kid" - Lunch Money

"Cocodrilo" - Mister G

"When I Get Bald" - Alastair Moock

"Snow Day" - Zak Morgan

"Skateboard" - The Not-Its

"Tambourine Submarine" - Recess Monkey

"Recess" - Justin Roberts

"Bigga Bagga" - Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke

"Turn! Turn! Turn!" - Dan Zanes & Elizabeth Mitchell

Video: "Empty" - Andy Mason and Joshua Belter

I'm a sucker for well-executed videos that look hand-crafted in the best possible way.  So, yeah, when a mystery fan of this video from New Mexico musician Andy Mason and author Joshua Belter (AKA Fast Time Constant) made its way into my inbox and I watched it, I dug it quite a bit.  The video is for a song called "Empty," which is the official song based on the book The Story of a Box from Belter.  (Whew, that's a slightly complicated etymology.)

The song and the accompanying video created by Dusty Deen at Red Roadrunner Productions could be interpreted as a love song, but also as a gentle anti-bullying song that illustrates its point both musically and visually using little more than tiny boxes and pieces of paper and far more effectively than most attempts in the (sub-)genre.

Andy Mason and Joshua Belter - "Empty" [YouTube]

Video: "Walking with Spring" - The Okee Dokee Brothers

One of the most anticipated kindie albums of 2014 must be Through the Woods, the Okee Dokee Brothers' follow-up to their 2012 Grammy-winning album Can You Canoe?.  Rather than floating down the Mississippi River, this next album in their proposed-4-album "Adventure Series" sees Joe and Justin walking up the Appalachian Trail.

The first video for the album (and accompanying DVD), for "Walking with Spring," is out, and it follows the template of their Canoe videos -- gorgeously-shot scenes of their travels mixed with the occasional shot of the duo goofing off on their long journey.

Oh, yeah, and a lovely song.

(Bonus: Would you like to see some draft sketches of the album cover from cover artist -- and Zooglobble logo designer -- Brandon Reese?  I thought you might.)

The Okee Dokee Brothers - "Walking with Spring" [YouTube]

Radio Playlist: New Music March 2014

Since the February playlist was posted so early last month, this March new music playlist has a lot of stuff from February (see the actual February playlist here).  Never fear, though, that just means there's stuff from March to put on the April playlist.  As always, it's limited in that if an artist hasn't chosen to post a song on Spotify, I can't put it on the list, nor can I feature songs from as-yet-unreleased albums.  But I'm always keeping stuff in reserve for the next Spotify playlist.

Check out the list here or go right here if you're in Spotify.

**** New Music March 2014 (February 2014 March Playlist) ****

Nick Bayard – You Can't Learn It All On the Internet
StarFish – Black & Blue
Heidi Siegell – Sleepy Little One
Dog On Fleas – Hinterlands
Jazzy Ash – Throw Me Something Mista
Rainbow Beast & The Rock Band Land Rockers – Ice Girl (With Serpent Swimmers)
Laura Doherty – Drum Kit (feat. Glenn Kotche)
Freckles – Be My Friend
Stacey Peasley – Summer Day
Rhythm Child – Looking Over

Listen To This: The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like This - Rain for Roots

Now, I realize that there is probably a not insubstantial portion of my readership with a distinctly secular/humanist/athiest worldview, and probably another insubstantial portion of the Jewish faith.  If you find yourself in either of those categories, you can probably move on, check out the site tomorrow.

But if you have a Christian faith background, and you're reading a kindie music site, then you should probably know about Rain for Roots, a Nashville-based quartet of women writing and performing thoughtful songs from that Christian faith background.  (It includes Katy Bowser from the still-wonderful, and secular, kids' jazz group Coal Train Railroad.)  Their first album Big Stories for Little Ones was everything their teaser sampler suggested, and their forthcoming album The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like This is another collection of lovingly-arranged folk-rock for the Sunday School set.  This is for fans of Justin Roberts' Why Not Sea Monsters? disks and Elizabeth Mitchell's more mystical/religious sounds.  Many of the songs, however, explicitly reference God and Jesus, so your taste in this music will be bound by your religious preference.

Weekly Summary (3/10/14 - 3/16/14)