Video: "We All Live in Animal Park" - Mike Park

I mentioned last month the entry of former Skankin' Pickle musician Mike Park to the kids' music world with the release of his album SMILE. (You can still stream the album here.) But if you're a busy parent (or kid) and only have a minute, might I suggest this stop-motion animation? It's got a lovely DIY aesthetic (which is, well, kinda appropriate for the punk background of the record).

Mike Park - "Animal Park" [YouTube]

Listen To This: Smile - Mike Park

I got an e-mail the other day from Mike Park, who, with some understatement, introduced himself as a "longtime musician in the punk world." This would be somewhat akin to saying Tom Brady is a "longtime player in the football world." Even I, not very tuned into the punk scene, recognized one of the bands he once played in (Skankin' Pickle) and a few of the bands he releases records for on his Asian Man Records label, bands like the Alkaline Trio and Smoking Popes.

So I was pretty interested in hearing his new project, a kids' album called Smile. And you can hear it, too, over at Punk News. It's a short, sharp blast of punk married to preschool-friendly topics and lyrics. If you only have time to check out a track or two, I'd suggest perhaps "1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8... Drums" or "Everybody Loves to Jump."

And welcome to the kids' punk world, Mike.