Are Jellydots Greasy? Are You?

Austin's Jellydots have posted a new tour date on their Myspace page -- the mysteriously-named and possibly-incorrectly-spelled "Greasypaloosa" in Portland, Oregon on March 11, 2007.

Hmmmm.... could our friends Belinda and Hova have anything to do with this?

(And I think "Palooza" has now officially entered the lexicon as the arts' world's "-Gate.")

By the way, for those of you wanting to strum along at home to the fabulous songs on Hey You Kids!, song charts are now available here. Kinda appropriate, seeing how the songs were originally created to, uh, help teach kids how to play guitar. (Hey, how would they sound on ukelele?...)

The Top 50 Kids Songs of All Time: Songs 46-50

So here's the first installment of my quixotic attempt to produce a list of the Top 50 Kids Songs of All Time.

In general this list is supposed to produce a list of songs familiar to a wide range of kids, at least in English-speaking North America. (OK, I realize that's not quite so wide.) As we approach #1, the songs are more likely to be "classics," recorded multiple times, and familiar enough to people for them to join in singing spontaneously. Which is not to say that more recent and more recording-focused tunes won't make the list, just that they're probably more the exception than the rule.

And remember, if you haven't entered the contest to pick the top five, go do so now.

Without any further ado, then, here we go...

50. "Bicycle" - The Jellydots: Did I say this song wouldn't make this list? OK, I changed my mind. Of course, a lot of the Jellydots' tunes were written to help teacher guitar to kids, so maybe 20 years from now some 10-year-old kid will jam out on her own guitar to this. (Listen at the Jellydots' Myspace page.)

49. "Tricycle" - Lunch Money: "This tricycle / Was my brother's tricycle / And that's why it has / This dent in the fender." Lunch Money's debut Silly Reflection is a small gem of a CD and I could've picked any one of a half-dozen excellent songs here, but this one is the most accessible and relatable to kids and their parents. (Listen at Lunch Money's lyrics page for "Tricycle".)

48. "Car Car" - Woody Guthrie: Hard to believe this song is, what, 50 years old? Covered by Elizabeth Mitchell on You Are My Sunshine (with a "beep beep" that still makes us swivel our heads every time we listen to it in the car), it's still timely today. (Listen to a sample of Woody's version here.)

47. "Yellow Bus" - Justin Roberts: Roberts is one of the top 2 or 3 crafters of kids pop tunes working today. This track is a fine example of his folk-pop talent merged with his ample sense of humor -- kids and parents might not necessarily sing his music on their own all the time, but they'll definitely sing along. (Listen to a sample here.)

46. "Trot Ol' Joe" - traditional: An excellent example -- the first of many -- of songs that have been shaped through the years to fit slightly different melodies and lyrics. Also an excellent example of songs to combine with physical movements with toddlers. Love the "whoooooaaa, Joe" part.

Final note: Note the common thread here? Yes, all these songs deal with modes of transportation. No, the rest of the list will not be organized quite so neatly.

Wouldn't It Be Great If There Was A Video About Tricycles?

Why, yes, yes it would. Frances England's got herself a spiffied-up website and a video and slideshow to boot. Now if only Lunch Money and the Jellydots would jump in with videos for their awesome three- and two-wheeled songs...

I'd Like Jelly With My Breakfast, Please

Denizens of the fair city of San Francisco, what might be the most interesting live show of 2007 awaits you. On Saturday, January 20, Doug Snyder of the Jellydots will be joining Enzo Garcia for his Breakfast With Enzo show.

It's as if Matthew Sweet decided to join Tom Waits for a show. I don't know what it'll sound like, but I'd imagine that even the stuff that doesn't quite work will at least be interesting. Should be a hoot and a half.

Review: Hey You Kids! - The Jellydots

This band will change your life.

Not to get all Natalie Portman on you, but like the Shins, the Austin-based band The Jellydots might just change a few families' lives, or at least their opinions on what kids' music can be.

I pick the Shins as a reference point deliberately because it was their skewed pop I kept thinking of while I listened to the Jellydots' first nationally-distributed CD, Hey You Kids!. The simple pop of the title track, a melding of delicate guitar work and percussion work sounds like the spare pop on the Shins' Oh Inverted World! CD while "I'm Not Ugly (You're Not Either)" has a propulsive melody and beat that sounds like "Fighting in a Sack" off Chutes Too Narrow.

Not all of the tracks have such a Shins vibe. The opening track "Bicycle" is a great power-pop tune that the Shins (or a hundred power-pop bands) would love to have written, while "Lake Rules" has a reggae beat and accompaniment reminiscent of Elvis Costello's "Watching The Detectives."

Lyrically the CD speaks straight to kids. The lyrics deal with subjects like bicycles, choosing to be positive, and self-esteem. I particularly appreciated the lyrics on "Quite Naturally" ("Yesterday I saw an ad on my TV screen / And all the people on the screen / Looked so happy to me / It seemed like they were living in a special fantasy / Where money, fun, and happiness all grow on plastic trees.") Over an entire album these messages of uplift might become repetitive were it not for the fact that they're wrapped in such sweet bonbons of melody. Parents aren't entirely ignored -- the best song on the disk is tucked near the end, the slow and beautiful "Captain Sleep," a nearly perfectly-constructed song which kids might be OK with but will resonate with the parents.

The 41-minute album will be especially appreciated by kids ages 4 through 9, but the melodies will be enjoyed by those much older, too. You can hear samples of all the tracks at the album's CDBaby page or hear a few cuts at the band's Myspace page. The album will very soon be released in a physical format, but if you can't wait, you can order it now from iTunes.

Essentially a "Greatest Hits" collection of songs from albums previously only released in Austin, Hey You Kids! is a fine showcase for Doug Snyder's abundant songwriting skills and voice and the adept musicianship of the trio. If you have any affinity for power-pop and indie-pop, you need to check out this album. It's too good to let Austin have all the fun. It may not change your life, but it's definitely recommended.