Tag Archives: seattle bands

Check this Out: The Happy Birthday EP – Kindiependent

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51KCYmcyWYL._SL500_AA280_The obsession and excitement with becoming a big kid is undeniable and quite a force to be reckoned with, especially in my daughter’s case. It just so happens that Em will be turning 5 in January and she has been planning her next birthday party since she turned 4. All that is left is the music which, in our family, is the icing on the cake. In the past, I have carefully curated party mixes that included all of our favorite songs. But, they always lacked an actual birthday themed song. Until now! This time, I am excited to incorporate Kindiependent‘s first album, The Happy Birthday EP, into the mix. This six song birthday-themed EP channels the energy of the Beatles’ “Birthday Song” and pours it into a series of rock solid birthday jams that are certain to bring the festivities to a whole new level.

Kindiependent is a collective of kindie giants from the Pacific Northwest (Recess Monkey, The Not-Its!, The Harmonica Pocket, Johnny Bregar, Caspar Babypants and The Board of Education). Members of the collective meet regularly to share ideas, collaborate and hone their already finely tuned skills through creative exercises, such as the one that produced The Happy Birthday EP.

Co-written by members of Recess Monkey, The Not-Its!, The Harmonica Pocket and Johnny Bregar, The Happy Birthday EP was recorded at Bregar’s Brickyard Studio. Earlier this year, the groups engaged in a creative exercise where they drew names out of a hat to determine songwriting teams. Over the course of two days, the teams cranked out some pumped up party tunes. And, in true birthday party fashion, there was pizza to help fuel the creative fires of these talented kindie folk.

The Happy Birthday EP is packed with party fun for everyone. Parents will get a kick out of “Beautiful Mess” as it captures the chaos of a full throttle kiddie bash. Kids will get excited to add another candle on their birthday cakes as Sarah Shannon sings about becoming a big kid in “Four Candles.” Although, some parents may get a little teary-eyed (ah-hem) with the nostalgic references to earlier days of baby and toddlerhood (“When I was a baby I was really small/ I couldn’t even walk and I could barely crawl/ Mushy peas and carrots cause I didn’t have teeth/ Little tiny socks on the tips of my feet/ I had none/ I had one/ Then had two/ Then there’s three/ I’ve got four candles on my cake I’m a big kid now”). “Don’t Forget About My Birthday” sympathizes with birthdays that occur on or near major holidays while “Cupcake Revolution,” “Birthday Wish” and “Rock and Roll Birthday” may just spawn a kiddie mosh pit with their energetic power pop/punk elements. These three are the ones you’ll want to tie in with the cake eating portion of the party for sure!

Whether you are celebrating your own child’s birthday, a friend’s birthday, a pet’s birthday or even an unbirthday, The Happy Birthday EP is the perfect soundtrack to make your party a big success. It would also make a great addition to a goodie bag (although, you might just ignite a rock n’ roll birthday revolution). Highly recommended for ages 3 – 8.

Songs featured on The Happy Birthday EP can be requested on SiriusXM’s Kid’s Place Live and are available for digital download at numerous stores including iTunes, Amazon and CD Baby.

Check this Out: The Not-Its – KidQuake!

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kidQuakeCover

The Not-Its are back with another musically sound and sonically charged album filled with raw, kinetic energy. As the name implies, KidQuake! contains properties that will invoke lots of sudden movement. In other words, get ready to body rock!

In addition to being a part of the wildly talented Kindiependent collective, The Not-Its are made up of veteran indie musicians (lead singer, Sarah Shannon was the former singer of 90’s Sub Pop band Velocity Girl), Danny Adamson (rhythm guitar), Tom Baisden (lead guitar), Jennie Helman (bass player) and Michael Welke (former drummer of Harvey Danger) who channel their rock/pop/punk sensibilities into making rockin’ kid tunes. They also happen to be experienced parents, with a total of 10 children amongst themselves, ranging from ages 2 through 9, which makes for highly relatable topics the whole family will enjoy!

Kicking off the album is the title track, “Kidquake!” a thunderous tune which gives meaning to the driving force behind the frenetic energy that emanates from little bodies. As the lyrics proclaim “we may be small but we are strong” and “there’s an energy/we gotta set it free/come on every boy and girl,” “KidQuake!” could very well be the new “kid power” anthem. Or perhaps a call for a kiddie flash mob?

Parents will get a kick out of “Temper Tantrum,” which pretty much speaks for itself and “Busy,” a ska jam that reaches out to parents, acknowledging that life can be hectic while offering the suggestion that sometimes we need to slow down. Resounding horns add a nice touch throughout the song and act as alarm clocks in the video.

The Not-Its encourage staying active with “Let’s Skateboard,” a song that lists out all kinds of skateboarding tricks, and “Walk or Ride,” a song that encourages taking in the beauty of Mother Nature by using our feet to get from place to place.

What Miss Em and I like to rock out to the most is “Tarantula Funeral,” in which The Not-Its so appropriately bid a righteous farewell to a beloved classroom pet. The song has an extremely catchy chorus with blending harmonies and smart lyrics. In fact, because of Bob the Tarantula’s biological misfortune, and the curious mind of my spider loving 4 year old, we were able to bond while learning some science.

“Operation Cooperation” is a motivational song with a good message about teamwork and getting along with new friends in school while “Participation Trophy” celebrates hard work and trying your best even if it means scoring for the other team or winning 27th place in chess club.

Listeners will also enjoy songs about games with songs like “Full Tilt,” which refers to pinball mastery and “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” a perfect theme song for the classic childhood game as the lyrics exclaim “One for the money/ Two for the show/ Three pumps to get ready/ You go now throw!”

Wrapping up the album is the endearing tune, “The Not-Its Love You,” a reassuring message of love and a reminder that The Not-Its’ produce music from the heart, while uplifting the spirits of their audience.

The Not-Its take their music and their image seriously and deliver on both. Between the colorful artworkJump1
by Grammy-nominated Invisible Creature (Target, Nike, Nickelodeon) and the ladies’ vibrant pink tutus, you can immediately guess that you are about to have some serious fun! KidQuake! is another success for The Not-Its and one that every family deserves to hear. It really just rocks! Highly recommended for ages 3 and up! Tutus suggested, but not required.

KidQuake! is available through The Not-Its store , as well as Amazon and iTunes.

You can also listen to clips from the album through the Bandcamp widget below.


Tarantula_High-ResBelow is a video for “Tarantula Funeral,” which was made by guitarist, Tom Baisden’s, elementary school class. In addition to being an awesome musician, Baisden is also an elementary school teacher for children with special needs.

[Video courtesy of The Not-Its via YouTube]