Danny Weinkauf will soon be unleashing his first solo children’s album. Who is Danny Weinkauf you ask? Excellent question! Weinkauf is the bassist for a swell little band by the name of They Might Be Giants (“TMBG”). He is also a Grammy winning songwriter and responsible for writing one of our favorite TMBG songs, “I Am A Paleontologist.” With the upcoming release of No School Today, Weinkauf will continue to entertain listeners with stellar songwriting that includes clever wordplay, interesting facts and a great sense of humor. The rockstar marsupials featured on the album cover up there should give you a good idea of what’s in store.
No School Today will be released on April 29, 2014, so mark your calendars!
The video for “No School Today,” directed by the very talented high school student and artist, Ryan Hanrahan, cleverly depicts the lengths young’uns will go through to get out of just one day of school (even if you are a sock puppet!).
Parents of elementary school children: you will absolutely relate to the myriad of familiar excuses contained within this song and Danny wants to hear about it! Post your favorite/funniest “No School Today” excuses in the comments below to be shared with Mr. Weinkauf himself.
Want to hear more? Check out Weinkauf’s music page to sample songs from the album and learn about the inspiration behind them.
Do you know the difference between Sea Lions and Seals? I frequently get confused! Here in the Bay Area, there are a number of both. So when I holler out “Oh, look at that sea lion!” I always internally question whether it really is a sea lion or a seal. Now, thanks to Jason Didner and the Jungle Gym Jam‘s groovy tune “Five Sea Lions,” I have regained confidence! With the premiere of this playful video, Didner and the crew educate listeners on the differences between these sleek marine mammals.
As a bonus, “Five Sea Lions” doubles as a counting song which is always good fun for the youngest of listeners. Didner explains, “Pre-schoolers and toddlers are learning to count down from five, as they might with other songs like ‘Five Little Monkeys’ or ‘Five Freckled Frogs,’ while at the same time, grade schoolers are picking up a little marine biology and the differences between sea lions and seals. Later on in the song, we get into the reason for those differences.”
Didner and his wife Amy wrote the lyrics to this song as a gift for their now-three-year-old daughter based on the excitement of knowing that the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, their local zoo, was to open a new sea lion exhibit. “This news touched on a fond memory we have of our first trip to California together, where the sea lions were playing and barking on the pier at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf,” Amy added. “We were inspired.”
“Five Sea Lions” is the Jungle Gym Jam’s third video from their debut album Everyone’s Invited! and the band’s first animated video thanks to Glen Biltz (known for his work directing multiple live-action and animated videos for award winning kindie band Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights).
You can sample and purchase this song along with the rest of the album via CDBaby. Downloads of Everyone’s Invited! are also available at iTunes | Amazon MP3 | Google Play.
Lately, C.J. Pizarro, i.e. Mista Cookie Jar, has been making his way ’round the kindisphere, contributing colorful lyrical stylings to various recordings like Todd and Cookie and Jazzy Ash, for example. And now he’s got some stock of his own to share. “Call Me Mista Cookie Jar” is the 10th official music video by Mista Cookie Jar & The Chocolate Chips and the 5th video release from their album, “Ultramagnetic Universal Love Revolution.”
The video for “Call Me Mista Cookie Jar” contains lovely imagery thanks to the assistance of Mrs. Cookie Jar and their daughter, Miss Ava Flava. The project took just about a year to complete as the Cookie crew worked hard on the hand-drawn illustrations and placement of photographic and retro-style cut-outs that make this video so appealing. They even made their own paper and a Buster Keaton hat from scratch! When all the elements were in place, Pizarro began working on the visual effects including the silent film aspects and stop-motion animation. Their hard work definitely paid off here. In fact, I had to listen to the song a couple of times because I was so focused on all the awesome imagery!
Interesting tidbit: The song was originally written as answer for all the kids who have asked Pizarro why he calls himself Mista Cookie Jar. Now, those inquiring minds can check out Mista Cookie Jar’s Facebook Page which features the lyrics for “Call Me Mista Cookie Jar” and what “Mista” actually stands for.
From her debut album, Home, Jazzy Ash delivers a big, brassy dance party in honor of Mardi Gras. “Throw Me Something Mista” is a tribute to the the miscellaneous goodies typically thrown from floats in the New Orleans parade. Add Mista Cookie Jar to the mix and you’ve got a funky carnival celebration! Get ready to shout and laissez les bon temps rouler!
Andrés Salguero has released his first video from his upcoming album, ¡Uno, Dos, Tres con Andrés! “If I Had a Mariachi” was filmed at La Plaza Garibaldi (Mexico City’s traditional home of mariachi) and other Mexico City locations which gives it a nice authentic feel. Anyone who has been serenaded by a Mariachi band should know how much energy goes into one performance, whether it’s tableside at an amazing restaurant or out in a plaza. The video for “If I Had a Mariachi” definitely exemplifies the spirit of Salguero’s music while introducing kids to an important piece of Mexican culture.
In truth, I was sold simply based on the title of the song. Now, after watching the video, I want a mariachi! I love the introduction of the instruments, included with the spanish spelling of the words across the screen, and the kids’ faces as they are wowed by the beautiful display of mariachi instruments.
¡Uno, Dos, Tres con Andrés! will be released in April to honor El Día de los Niños so tay “tuned,” i.e. polish up your trompeta and tune your guitarras boys and girls./p>
Baby it’s cold outside and with each weather report comes the call of yet another battle against nature. Fear not, for Dog On Fleas has come to offer a reprieve! In their video for “Grand March from Aida,” a “triumphal march” takes place as a procession of creatures strut, scurry and float across the screen. There’s even a surprise guest in the mix (Gustafer Yellowgold fans, I’m looking at you)! And what would a triumphal march be without the right ensemble? Thanks to the Backyard Dorkestra, the animal parade is given some regality while being accompanied by a a melange of instruments, including an accordion, kazoo, bassoon, flugelhorn, violin, sousaphone and glockenspiel, to name a few.
“Grand March from Aida” was originally written by Giuseppe Verde for his opera, Aida, and can be found on the Fleas’ eighth album,Buy One Get One Flea, which officially releases today! While the song is completely instrumental, it stays with you, leaving you no choice but to grab a kazoo and create your own grand parade. So sound the alarms, raise a ruckus, stomp around, heat things up and join in the celebration!
Buy One Get One Flea is available for purchase via CdBaby.
For more Dog on Fleas goodness, don’t miss their one-hour Rumpus Room concert this weekend. Details below:
Todd McHatton has a new video for “Santa Flying In Your Sleigh” from his Christmas Songs album. I love this song because it echoes some of the curiosity and wonder kids have about Santa and Christmas. It’s as though McHatton was inspired by his own children’s questions when he wrote this song, which makes it so endearing and totally relatable. My daughter is approaching 5 and lately she has been asking the same kinds of questions that McHatton sings about here like “Santa Flying in your sleigh/ How do make it all the way/ Around the world? And Santa please tell me one more thing/ How do you know just what to bring/ Every boy and girl?”There is something about McHatton’s music that is so comforting. I frequently find myself thinking “yes, this is exactly the way music should sound.” And you are more than likely to feel exactly the same way.
As a special Christmas bonus, Todd McHatton is offering FREE downloadsof all his albums (even Marvy Monstone’s album is available for FREE!) through Dec 25. Make sure you grab them through McHatton’s Bandcamp site or via the Bandcamp widget below. This is a rare and special opportunity. Also, check out my post about giving merchandise in addition to music this year. The post features Mchatton’s book, Grass Stained Twilight, a collection of stories, songs, pictures, and poems that echoes the likes of Shel Silverstein. Download the album and grab a copy of the book for an excellent gift.
Lori Henriques and her brother, Joel Henriques of Made by Joel, put together an artful video for Lori’s new holiday track, “Another Good Year.” The video was filmed with Joel’s son and daughter drifting paper snowflakes around the screen. The slow movement of the snowflakes in combination with Lori’s bouncy piano and jazzy vocals creates a sense of joy and peace. And the DIY simplicity of this video will no doubt make you want to grab some scissors and start carving out a few snowflakes of your own. In anticipation of this crafty craving, Joel posted a how-to link on his blog which features easy snowflake making instructions for kids (and their grown-ups).
“Another Good Year” isn’t the first time that these two incredibly talented siblings have produced a masterpiece. Lori recently published a video, featuring live drawing by Joel, for her song “Dinosaur.” In this song, Lori’s voice has a certain tenderness that is simply heartwarming as she lovingly sings to the former free roaming reptile. “Dinosaur” is featured on Lori’s 2013 release, The World is a CuriousPlace, which is filled with curiosity and wonder.The album is available through Lori’s store, Amazon and iTunes.
You can learn more about the making of this video here, and grab templates to make your own Paper City Dinosaur set here.
Bonus: Made by Joel provides instructions and templates on his website for a variety of art, craft and handmade education projects. The site is extremely user friendly with easy navigation that directs you to crafts broken down by age, as well as free printable activities. Music + art = happiness! Check it out!
I posted this up on Facebook but also wanted to give it a shout out here because I dig the message in this song. I also love the colorful animation for this charming tale about a young pup wanting to be Santa’s little helper. Whether four-legged or not, I think all “young pups” will relate to wanting to be a part of Santa’s crew.
Debbie Cavalier of Debbie and Friends drew her inspiration from her friend’s dog, Baby (pictured here thanks to Beth Oram Photography), and the grooves of the Spin Doctors, which works nicely in this song.
You can also stream the song for free via the Soundcloud widget below:
Christmas is right around the corner! Hopefully things are starting to slow down a bit for many of you as Christmas shopping is nearing completion. Although this is still a hectic period for me, listening to holiday music seems to bring me back to what this time of year truly means. So, I have another little list of songs that captures the joy, peace and even humor of the season. Enjoy!
This song was featured in my Songs for the Season Part 1 holiday list last year but I didn’t have a video to post, until now. “Sunny Christmas” is the title track from a 6 song EP that Renee & Jeremy released last year. The EP is done in Renee & Jeremy’s soft, peaceful style. I believe I referred to their music as “comfort food for your soul.” In the video for “Sunny Christmas,” R&J reached out to fans to put together a beautiful montage that captures the harmony, love and togetherness of the holiday season. Sunny Christmas can be sampled and purchased through Renee & Jeremy’s site, CDBaby, iTunes and Amazon.
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Zak Morgan – “Snow Day”
Zak Morgan’s music is good, and that’s putting it mildly. Zak Morgan’s videos are reallllyyyyyy gooood! In many ways, it’s as if the two share a symbiotic relationship; The videos bring to life the spirit and wit of the songs. After last year’s awesome Halloween video for “The Case of the Dry Markers,” which featured Bootsy (“Bootzilla”) Collins, Morgan comes back with “Snow Day,” featuring a life-sized chicken, although that is just one of the many highlights of this video. “Snow Day” can be found on Morgan’s 2012 release Barber of the Beasts which is available through the Zak Morgan store, Amazon and iTunes.
Pointed Man Band – “All That Krampus Wants (is High-Fives! for the Holidays)”
From the Portland, Oregon band, a song about Krampus who has been misunderstood. Ready for redemption, all he wants is a high-five, fist bump or five fingered endorsement to set him on a good path for the holidays. That’s fair, right? Although this song is a little more indie than kindie, it (and Pointed Man Band) gets points for taking a clever approach to holiday music. It was released last year, but their full-length debut, Swordfish Tango, made it out this year. Both are definitely worth a listen. You can purchase this single and Swordfish Tango through the Bandcamp widget below.
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Poochamungas – “Santa’s Eating Pancakes”
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and Santa knows it. As he prepares to drive his sled, he’s eatin’ up some pancakes. Featuring vocals from the band Strain Busy Sky, Poochamungas celebrates Christmas in a charitable way as the proceeds from the sale of this track will go to the Ignite the Spirit Fund. Ignite the Spirit Fund aims to provide assistance, support and food for families of the Chicago Fire Department. You can purchase “Santa’s Eating Pancakes” from Amazon, CDBaby and iTunes.
Stacey Peasley – “Under the Tree” and “Frosty the Snowman” Stacey Peasley is a Boston-based musician who has over 15 years of professional singing experience. A teacher for ten years, Peasley channels her love of children and music into an engaging experience filled with catchy songs. Just in time for the holidays, Peasley has 2 singles for fans to enjoy. “Under the Tree,” is a bouncy, country tune that supports sibling love as one child writes to Santa telling him not to “forget about my brother/ even though he can be naughty/ he deserves some presents under the tree.” “Frosty the Snowman,” doesn’t stray too far from the original, but Peasley’s soaring vocals add depth along with a warm and cozy feeling. You can purchase these tracks from Amazon, CDBaby and iTunes.
Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke – “(Sing a Song of) Christmas Cheer”
This one is an oldie but goodie! From their 2011 release Sing Songs of Christmas Cheer, comes a video filled with Wilde’s quirky (but highly appealing) illustrations. Get ready to Fa La La all the way to the new year with this catchy song done in KWMC’s beloved alt-country style. It’s like the “Twelve Days of Christmas” but without the counting and a little more spunk. You can purchase this album through Amazon, CDBaby and iTunes.
The Treetop Sisters are a trio of girls ages 11 and under. In their video for “Nicki and the Crew,” they merrily sing about St. Nick (humorously referred to as “Nicki”) and his crew on the night before Christmas. It’s a party up in the North Pole! Backed by some jazzy, be-bop flair, the Treetop Sisters will have your family dancing ’round the Christmas tree for sure. You can purchase this song through Amazon, CDBaby and iTunes.
Kids Can Groove 