Another solid single from The Hipwaders‘ Year Round Sounds, “Gaia She Knows,” is a breezy tune encouraging conscious, green living and protection of Mother Earth. Originally released as a single, this track was inspired by a six-year-old named Gaia (named after the Earth Goddess). Gaia approached lead singer Tito Uquillas after a show, asking if The Hipwaders had any songs about saving the planet or avoiding the use of pesticides. Intrigued by the irony of it all, Uquillas was moved to create a song in honor of his earth-conscious fan.
I originally premiered this video for “Gaia She Knows” in 2013, and I am happy to kick off this week (leading up to Earth Day and Arbor Day) by featuring it again. Thanks to the talent of Janet Davies (design) and Planet Sunday (animation), this inspiring story is brought to life. It’s a great song to start a conversation about the many ways we can think locally and act globally.
“Gaia She Knows” is available for download as and purchase through Amazon and iTunes.
I am proud to present the video world premiere for “Just Not Me” by Bay Area kindie rockers, The Hipwaders.
What you will love about it: Like their songs, The Hipwaders create stellar videos, with high-quality animation that is engaging and relatable. These guys make excellent music and have serious fun while doing it. The band’s ability to be humorous and totally real (which is what our family absolutely loves about them) is in full effect here. Animated by Will Guy of Goopymart (goopymart.com), “Just Not Me” *depicts one kid’s protest against parental behests – in the name of free will! – complete with all-too-familiar body language, i.e. a bewildered/disapproving look, unattractive facial expressions, and the classic folded-arm refusal accompanied by a series of firm “no, no, nos,” and a qualifying “That’s just not me.”
(*Warning: visual representations of a child’s inner thoughts ahead)
“Just Not Me,” is a song for all seasons, but can also certainly apply to the holidays. With the madness of travel plans, variety of uncommon foods, and influx of grown-ups vying for just one more smile for the camera (or smartphone), it can be hard to maintain order and sanity. I even find myself wanting to disobey my own rules.
Does this video resonate with you?
As the parent of a spirited 6-year-old, I really related to many of the situations in this video! Though I try not to, I sometimes make requests that threaten my daughter’s autonomy, i.e. wearing a jacket when it’s cold out (and by cold I mean your breath is billowing like smoke from a chimney), taking a bath, or using dinner as an excuse to interrupt playtime. If my daughter were to choose a motto, “just not me” would be it, followed by Sinatra’s famous declaration, “I did it my way.” With this in mind, I found myself laughing out loud while watching this video.
Want to learn more? Of course you do! “Just Not Me” can be found on The Hipwaders’ recently released album, Year Round Sounds. You can purchase the single and the album from Amazon, iTunes and CDBaby.
Also check out other songs from Year Round Sounds covered on Kids Can Groove here and here. And, since we are heading into the Christmas season, check out a brief review and some videos from The Hipwaders’ A Kindie Christmas.
Today is a special day! 45 years ago the very first Sesame Street episode aired, launching a revolutionary change in educational television programming. Throughout the week I will bring you various treats in honor of this occasion starting with today’s FREE DOWNLOAD by The Hipwaders. Fans of the beloved show will absolutely enjoy singing along with one of the most well-known TV themes. Grab a copy of the “Sesame Street Theme” below.
I love Halloween and all the preparation, spooky tales, trick or treating adventures and the rest of the absurdity that goes along with it. Today’s post is the start of a few posts related to this holiday. We’ll start with some videos, round things up with a monster dance party, and end with a book suggestion and fun Halloween activity. The party is just getting started! Fill your treat bucket with a Halloween playlist full of fresh tunes that will lift your spirits!
The Hipwaders – “Pumpkinhead” – The legend of Pumpkinhead muhahaha… Actually, this is a fun, cautionary tale about the consequences of eating too much candy. The Hipwaders relay this tale with a smooth, reggae beat making it hip for Halloween. A great song and terrific video featuring a rotating set of vintage Halloween postcards. I want some of those in my pillowcase!
Mista Cookie Jar and the Chocolate Chips – “Halloween Every Night” – This haunt floats in with some surf-rock grooves as Mista Cookie Jar and the Chocolate Chips present a “spirited” video featuring a cast of spooky characters having fun together on Halloween night. There’s a bit of retro fancy in this video as well when the colorful crew takes to the “Spooky Movies” where they are presented with clips of classic freaks from the past (Frankenstein, Dracula, The Munsters even show up). Mystery Science Theater 3000 fans might feel a bit of nostalgia here as the monsters’ silhouettes are superimposed at the bottom of the scene in a similar fashion. The entire concept, drawing and animation was done by Mista Cookie Jar and family. Very cool.
Play Date – “Dance Like A Monster” – This is a classic and I encourage you and your family to “get your monster boogie on” with the rest of the Ghouligans in this video. There’s even a call to “let our your monster cry!” A perfect addition to a Halloween playlist and impromptu monster mash dance parties.
Additional Halloween Fun
When you’re through with dancing, check out “Glad Monster, Sad Monster” an awesome book that helps kids channel and communicate their emotions. This book goes through what makes each monster happy, glad, sad, mad, scared, etc, and then prompts kids to put on the monster masks and express their feelings in the same way. One of our favorites!
Tricycle Music Fest is chugging along nicely and has proven to be pretty awesome thus far. This weekend The Hipwaders, another beloved Bay Area band, will be joining this year’s exciting Kindie lineup.
This energetic trio has acquired quite a name for themselves in the Kindie music scene with their catchy power pop that speaks from a kids perspective. They take their music seriously and have created a series of videos that also prove their dedication to providing a wholly entertaining experience for audience members of all ages.
I recently had a chance to catch up with the lead singer, Tito Uquillas, who shared what inspired him to write his first kids’ song and some thoughts on the importance of making videos.
“As a kid, I was always drawing, painting or attempting some sort of three-dimensional sculpture or craft of some sort. As an adult (and father), I would always use the family camcorder with the mindset of “telling a story” while filming the kids at an outing or during holidays. The first time I actually set out to write a kids’ song was when I wrote, “Song of the Paleo Pirates.” I only wrote the song because I needed some music to go along with the video I wanted to make of my son’s dinosaur and pirate toys.”
Uquillas continues, “My kids have always enjoyed watching music videos and when opportunities have arose for [The Hipwaders] to have some made for us, we’ve jumped at the chance. We’ve had high school students make some of our videos and, of course, Planet Sunday has created some wonderful animated videos. I think it’s important for Kindie artists to create a visual component for kids when it comes to their music. Videos can enhance a story or concept that some kids can’t fully enjoy just by listening to the lyrics.”
You can enjoy a series of Hipwaders’ videos below, including the video for the song that inspired it all.
There are some spectacular family events happening throughout the Bay Area this weekend. I wish I could attend them all!
If you are in the Bay Area, rest assured that there is no shortage of movement, energy and creativity. So polish up those dancing shoes and consider your weekend planned!
1) Tricycle Music Fest! Coined as the Bay Area’s biggest little music fest on the west. Taking place every weekend in September, October and early November, the 5th annual Tricycle Music Fest will peddle its way through 28 libraries for a total of 29 FREE concerts featuring 9 award-winning performers (full schedule here). Think indie music– family style– and libraries and you have the essence of Tricycle Music Fest. Last week was a huge success with Seattle kid rockers, The Not-Its!. This weekend features San Francisco, indie pop darlings, The Corner Laughers.
What better way to capture the delight of a Bay Area music festival than with a band that sings about their passion for living in San Francisco. With lyrics like, “My heart’s in San Francisco/ The city by the bay,” San Fran’s, The Corner Laughers, bring sweet, dreamy vocals with a bit of a sparkle and a jangle. There’s a hint of Karen Carpenter in there, too. Noone puts baby in the corner with this group! In fact, get ready for baby to be up there dancing and laughing right along with the rest of the crowd.
Saturday, September 14 at 11 am, Parkside Branch Library
Saturday, September 14 at 2 pm, Portola Valley Library
Charity and the Jam Band will be playing the first-ever Saturday in the Park McLaren Festival (performing in the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater) produced by Friends of the AMP. Join them for a free 2-hour rock n’roll show in this beautiful and under-appreciated SF park. Bring a picnic and get ready to be a part of the show as Charity and her lead their audience through each song filled with movements and lots of energy.
3) Yerba Buena Family Day – Downtown San Francisco’s biggest free family block party is back for its sixth year! Yerba Buena Family Day is a non-stop day of free indoor/outdoor family fun with free admission to local museums (SF Moma, Contemporary Jewish Museum, MOAD – Museum of the African Diaspora, Children’s Creativity Museum and the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival). These events are open for all ages and will have hands-on art making activities for kids. Visitors get in FREE to participating institutions.
Alphabet Rockers will be bringing a high energy, movement intensive show filled with lots of dancing set to hip hop beats. Join them as they’ll have a very special show featuring Kaitlin + Tommy, DJ Wonway Posibul, and worldclass breakdancers Shinobi Jaxx (Mix’d Ingrdnts) and Brandon “Knowbody”. Dust off your old school dance moves and get ready to groove!
Story Pirates is a nationally respected education and media organization founded in 2003. They are made up of teachers, actors and comedians who perform skits based on stories written by children. Their shows are filled with music and improv. There may even be some solicitations from the audience.
If you don’t get a chance to catch the awesome Corner Laughers on Saturday, you can find a couple of them playing along with Alison Faith Levy at the Contemporary Jewish Museum on Sunday. Alison and her band will be performing 3 shows between 11am – 4p (more details here) accompanied by beautiful visual projections from the animated World of Wonder video by filmmaker Danny Plotnick.
Redwood City is proud to offer a new music series this year especially for kids!
The HipwadersSeptember 15, 2013 | 11:00 am – 1:00 pm with Andy Z emceeing and opening with a few tunes of his own!
Join Andy Z and The Hipwaders as they close out Redwood City’s first Kids Rock Series. Andy Z is a children’s performer and singer/songwriter who combines music, movement, storytelling and character puppets to create an experience that keeps kids engaged and adults entertained. His songs and albums have won national awardsand his performances earned rave reviews from educators, librarians, public figures, parents, and children alike.
The Hipwaders – The Hipwaders know how to bring a fun show filled with original tunes. As the SF Bay Times noted, “In the same spirit of completely wonderful, whimsical and musically gifted treats for the young set is the Bay Area-based Hipwaders, pulling off some brilliantly fun and surprisingly hip songs extolling touchstones of childlike glee including art cars and dinosaurs.” The Hipwaders are a highly versatile group who also delight their audience with familiar tunes including the Sesame Street theme song and the Scooby Doo theme song. They come equipped with bubbles and inflatable guitars and microphones for your little rockstar.
Summer may be quickly moving into Fall but the Bay Area is about to heat up as the most supreme family music festival hits the West Coast. Taking place every weekend in September, October and early November, the 5th annual Tricycle Music Fest will peddle its way through 28 libraries for a total of 29 FREE concerts featuring 9 award-winning performers (full schedule below). Think indie music– family style– and libraries and you have the essence of Tricycle Music Fest.
This year, Tricycle Music Fest makes its debut in San Mateo County as the San Francisco Public Library and the San Mateo County Library partner up to make this the biggest version of the festival to date. Christy Estrovitz, early literacy coordinator for San Francisco Public Library, says “Music unites us all. For young children, musical experiences, including singing and dancing, are essential to build early literacy skills. It’s thrilling to work with San Mateo County Library to engage even more families through music at the library.”
Because playing is just as important as singing in early childhood learning, there will be a raffle offering one tricycle to a lucky concertgoer at each event. All the more reason to skip the nap, grab your boogie shoes and catch a show!
The Not-Its! to open Tri Fest the weekend of September 7 and 8 with 4 shows!
Remember your first rock concert? Now your kids can too as Seattle’s most rockingest band, The Not-Its!, open this year’s Tri Fest with a bang! Armed with an energetic blend of power pop and serious rock n’ roll, this fashionable quintet puts the phrase “shake your sillies out” to shame. Curious? Get to know The Not-Its! in this clever video put together by the San Francisco Library and the San Mateo Library.
For more information on Tricycle Music Fest, please visit sfpl.org/tricycle and smcl.org/tricycle.
Also, stay tuned to this site for more updates, videos and music from each of these awesome bands.
Another solid single from The Hipwaders‘ Year Round Sounds, “Gaia She Knows,” is a breezy tune encouraging conscious, green living and protection of Mother Earth. Originally released as a single, this track was inspired by a six-year-old named Gaia (named after the Earth Goddess). Gaia approached lead singer Tito Uquillas after a show, asking if The Hipwaders had any songs about saving the planet or avoiding the use of pesticides. Intrigued by the irony of it all, Uquillas was moved to create a song in honor of his earth-conscious fan.
Kids Can Groove 