(Early) Spring Kickstarter Update

Kickstarter logoThey're not monthly updates, these highlightings of Kickstarter and other other crowdsourcing efforts in the kids music world, but we pretty much could do that now.  Rarely does a week go by that a new family music project doesn't appear on Kickstarter, and I'm also hearing about new possibilities -- Koo Koo Kanga Roo (again) and Moona Luna are just a couple bands publicly mulling going the KS route.

First up, Bay Area band Orange Sherbet, who are Kickstarting for, well, just because they want to support their latest (and forthcoming) album Delicious. Besides offering copies of the music, of course, their project offers backers postcards, live music, and, yes, recipes.  Mmmm.... food.... 

Next up, Brooklyn band Astrograss is turning to the site to help fund their next kids' CD.  Their project offers backers unreleased music, t-shirts, posters, even lessons.  I've liked some of their previous work, so I'm totally serious when I say, "String bands for everyone!"

Staying in New York City, Tim and the Space Cadets are also using Kickstarter to push their new album, Anthems for Adventure, across the finish line.  Technically speaking, the monies raised by their project won't go to fund the two videos for the album (they're already shot), but I think I speak for everyone when I say that anything that helps produce a couple new Tim and the Space Cadets videos is a Good Thing.

Also of important note: Austin's Biscuit Brothers are Kickstarting once again.  Just go read the description and search my website for the band.  I think you know why this project is crucial.  Crucial!

Finally, a tip of the cap to Portland's The Alphabeticians and Alex and the Kaleidoscope Band.  Both the Alphabeticians' project and the Kaleidoscope Band's project were successfully funded.

Kickstarter Update: The Kindie Crowd-Funding Continues

Not sure why, but these Kickstarter kids music projects come in clumps. Another fine batch of kindie projects from Kickstarter and its kin, so let's hop to it.

First up is the Kickstarter project from New York's Shine and the Moonbeams. Anyone who saw them at Kindiefest last year knows just how awesome this album could be. Yes, it's a debut album, but with folks like Dan Zanes and Tor Hyams lending their support, it's gonna be pro all the way.

Baltimore's Milkshake's concept for their Kickstarter project features a bunch of music one minute (or so) in length.

Alex and the Kaleidoscope Band's Kickstarter project doesn't officially launch until Friday, but you can watch the preview video now. [And here it is!]Rather than raising money for the album itself (I'm So Glad! comes out April 3), Alex Mitnick and crew are raising money for videos for the album. As someone who likes videos, I say, woot!

Kickstarter doesn't have a monopoly on kids' music projects -- Athens, GA band Like Totally! are pitching their project on IndieGoGo. I've actually been following the band for a little while now and I'm curious to see what a focused producer does with their Elephant-Six-meets-The-Polyphonic-Spree-meets-Sesame-Street vibe.

Now, in the category of "just lettin' ya know," Ralph Covert, aka Ralph's World launched and successfully funded his Kickstarter project to film a pilot for a new TV show called Time Machine Guitar, which features, er, a guitar that allows Ralph to travel Back. In. Ti-ime.

Also, there will be puppets.

The whole project looks pretty cool, with some top-notch talent backing Ralph up to make the pilot really cool. So keep your eyes out for that.
Finally, I've been geeked for a couple weeks now because it looks like the long-discussed Luscious Jackson kids album will -- at some point -- finally make its way into this household. The band has turned to PledgeMusic to help fund its new album and while it has nothing to do with kids music, one of the rewards (beyond new music from LJ, which is also a Good Thing) is a copy of that 6-year-old (unreleased) kids' album, Baby DJ.

Kickstarter and Kids Music (A Series, Apparently)

Well, it was probably a series already, given my lengthy series of crowdfunding posts, but it's time for yet another roundup of intriguing-sounding kindie Kickstarter projects.

First up, The Pop Ups are turning their attention to their second album, the follow-up to their knock-it-out-of-the-park debut Outside Voices.It's got a title (Radio Jungle), guest artists (Shine from Shine and the Moonbeams, Oran Etkin), and, best of all, entirely-completed materials. That's right, folks, it's in the can. Or the hard drive, whatever. Anyway, the duo wants to tour the show associated with the new album (and the old album) and is looking for help to keep their puppets (and sets) in tip-top shape. Want the Pop Ups to write a song for you (or your kid)? For $500 it's yours. (But rest assured, those of you not needing recorded immortality have cheaper options.)

As much as I enjoyed seeing the puppets in the Pop Ups' Kickstarter video, Aaron Nigel Smith one-ups them by writing and performing an entire song about his Kickstarter campaign. It's for the launch of his One World Chorus CD project, which will feature over 100 kids from various programs Smith works with in New York City, Los Angeles, Portland (Oregon), and (in January 2012) the Cura Village Orphanage in Kenya. Besides feelings of warm fuzzies with your donation, you can also get copies of CDs and jeans. (Really.)

Finally, Chicago-area artist Istvan is turning to Kickstarter mostly just to make the physical product look really snazzy. (Ah, a man after my own heart.) The as-yet-untitled follow-up to his Things I Like EP has a tracklist and guaranteed production -- Istvan's already cleared his Kickstarter goal. All that without anybody taking advantage of the $75 pledge, which offers (among other things) a refrigerator drawer from Istvan's daughter Evie.

Kickstarter and Kids Music. Again.

The list of crowdfunding posts here is lengthy, and it's about to get even longer. It had seemed to me that the mania for family musicians to fund their projects through sites like Kickstarter had calmed somewhat, but it's started up again with a vengeance, with at least 5 projects worth your time to check out, several of them with hip-hop flair.

First up is Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, who's drumming up support for his third kid-hop album Make Believers. The project just launched, and at the higher funding levels you can get the shirt off Skidoo's back! (OK, not really. Just his coat. Or his hat.) Anyway, here's the video with Skidoo's whole family pitching in.

Kid-hop option #2 is from Boston-based artist RhymeZwell, and it's to fund the filming of a new video for the first single off his upcoming second album Robots on the Dance Floor. And while the implication in his promo video that there's nobody doing kid-hop is, erm, well, see above and below, we'll just chalk that up to the sales pitch. And judging by the concept video's production values (and the song itself), I think the final result may be pretty slick.. Rewards include copies of the album.

Kid-hop #3: Big Don (aka Don Robinson) is an Austin-based hip-hop artist who's raising funds to print and distribute Big Don's Brand New Beat, his second album for kids. (I remember getting a copy of his first album randomly placed in my hands at an Austin City Limits Festival a few years back; it was a lot better than most albums randomly placed in my hands.) As you might expect, rewards include copies of the new album.

Hip-hop not your family's thing? Well, there's more...
Slugs and Bugs -- the duo of Randall Goodgame and Andrew Peterson -- have released a couple albums of kids' albums with a Christian bent and are looking to release a third. Agnostics and athiests probably won't want to contribute, but families who don't mind the occasional worship song should definitely check it out. Given that ping pong balls were one of the reward categories (sorry, sold out), I think you can get the idea that it's got no small amount of goofiness to go along with its Godliness. And the project's just reached its Kickstarter goal, so you're guaranteed to get your selected reward.

Finally, Portland's Mo Phillips is recording his third family album with fellow Portland artist Johnny Keener and he's reeeeeallly close to hitting the 100%-funded level as well. This is probably my favorite Kickstarter video of all those listed here. Love Phillips' energy here.

The Ketchup Report, Vol. 8

Time once again for all the news that didn't fit into a separate post due to time, interest, contractual, or legal obligations -- it's your favorite pun-titled file folder of a blog post, the Ketchup Report! Yaaay! (Cue Kermit the Frog wild arm-flailing here...)

The World of Happiness single, the "We Are the World" of the kids' biz, "A World of Happiness," is here. Except your kids might actually want to listen to this new song when they become parents themselves. Sales of the single, produced by Tor Hyams and Joanie Leeds, benefit Autism Speaks. The single includes a whole host of folks besides Leeds and Hyams -- Molly Ledford (who gets the honor of leading off the track), Frances England, Ralph Covert... it just goes on and on. A bunch of the participants will be recording a concert later this month for broadcast on Sirius/XM Radio later on. Anyway, it's $1.29 well-spent right here.

I could probably start a whole separate post listing all the recent crowdfunding projects in the kids music world. Heck, it's almost getting to the point where I could start a blog listing all the recent crowdfunding projects in the kids music world. I've been partial to Kickstarter, of course. The two most recent projects have been a Professor Banjo and his successful second-album project and Ryan SanAngelo and his not-one-but-two-Kickstarter-projects. But other sites do the same basic thing. Van Oodles didn't quite succeed in making a video for a song of his, but LA indie-rockers Ellen and Matt and Chicago's Laura Doherty are both looking for funds for their next disks. Should you feel so inclined, help out Ellen and Matt here and Laura for her new album Shining Like a Star in the widget there to the side.

-- For a limited time, Doctor Noize's "Bananas" iWhatever app is free. Download the ever-so-slightly-educational app here. (Note: may no longer be free.)

-- Finally, with Earth Day coming up, a it's time for Earth Day-related tunes. Dan Zanes has a new, original tune, "Hail the Creatures" written by Zanes for a new exhibit at the Philadelphia Zoo. You don't need to be near Philly to enjoy the track, just near an iTunes-enabled gadget that can download this, with proceeds benefiting the Zoo. (More details on the tune and the Zoo's new exhibit here.)... Bill Harley is offering a free download of "Keep It Green" from his 1996 album Big Big World -- you can get it here... And finally, DARIA is offering a mini-CD of 6 "earth friendly" songs, free just for the price of an e-mail address (and an earth-friendly suggestion).