Video: "Sidekick" - Recess Monkey

It's less than a couple months until the release of Recess Monkey's latest album FLYING!, which means the band is starting to crank out another series of awesome low-budget videos for songs on the new album. The first one for the album is for the song "Sidekick" and it features Mayor Monkey, who I had just thought of as a band manager and talk show host. Oh, how wrong I was.

Bonus points if you can identify the other RM video Professor Schnoz -- if indeed that is his real name -- appeared in.

Recess Monkey - "Sidekick" [YouTube]

This Cover Art is FLYING!

Ah, Recess Monkey, look what you've done now. You've proven beyond all doubt that Mayor Monkey is indeed your secret weapon. Clearly the slightly bumbling and affable nature of Hizzoner is just a front, judging by the cover of the band's upcoming release FLYING!. That's a great photo, boys. (The rest of the album art is from Jarrett Krosoczka, creator of the Lunch Lady comics).

Tracklisting for the Tor Hyams-produced album, due out June 21 -- along with the listing of a gazillion guest stars -- is after the jump.

1. Flying
2. Day Job
3. Covered in Band Aids (Tor Hyams plays piano on this and several other tracks)
4. Sidekick (Chris Ballew aka Caspar Babypants plays the harmonica)
5. My Valentine (Dean Jones plays trombone, Johnny Bregar adds piano and Tom Baisden plays the trumpet)
6. Bravest Kid in the World
7. Your Favorite Book
8. Toolbox
9. Grandmom's House ("a retelling of 'over the river and through the woods,' now with a horn section! Features Chris Wiser from Sugar Free Allstars on organ and Tom Baisden from The Not-Its on trumpets)
10. Invisible Friend (Features Molly Ledford from Lunch Money)
11. Flapjacks (Features Justin Lansing from the Okee Dokee Brothers and Chris Ballew)
12. Bunk Bed
13. Super Stuffies
14. Flying (reprise)

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).

Big Changes Afoot in Two Kindie Bands

In a move that stunned many kindie music observers, late last night the popular family music bands Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players and Recess Monkey exchanged their bassists. Under the terms of the deal, Roberts' longtime bassist Jacqueline Schimmel will head west to join Recess Monkey while founding RM bassist Jack Forman will head to Chicago to join the NR4NP. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Neither Schimmel nor Forman were immediately available for comment; their bandmates did not respond to press requests, either. Sources indicate to Zooglobble, however, that the primary driver in the trade was that Schimmel's contract with the NR4NP was nearing an end, and rather than have Schimmel potentially leave due to free agency, Roberts was looking to retain some rhythm section value.
There had been rumors in recent days that Schimmel could be heading to another band, and many different names were surfaced. Schimmel is well-regarded by her fellow musicians, and many bands were reportedly interested in her services, particularly bands without regular bassists such as Rocknoceros, Sugar Free Allstars, or Renee & Jeremy. Another, sketchier rumor had Schimmel heading to South Carolina to make Lunch Money the first kindie band with two bassists. But in the end, Schimmel headed out west to Seattle to join the goofy pop trio. While financial terms were not disclosed, Schimmel is widely rumored to have secured a once-a-week DJ gig on influential Seattle radio station KEXP, which may have convinced Schimmel to take the leap.

As for Forman, he reportedly has a number of years left before reaching free agency, which may have made him attractive to the Not Ready for Naptime Players. The addition to the band of Forman helps maintain a NR4NP solid musical background as well as, in combination with trumpeter/keyboardist Dave Winer, a potent comedic team. One inside source notes to Zooglobble that Little Dave has already been lobbying internally to bring Little Jack on board.

Fellow Kindiependent associates of Recess Monkey were still trying to process the shocking development. One Kindiependent member, Johnny Bregar was quoted as saying, "But who's gonna digitally edit all of our videos?"

No source was willing to confirm the rumor that the two bassists were traded because it would be easy for their former bandmates to keep calling their newest bandmate Jack(ie).

The trade happened just before midnight on the 31st, the formal kindie music trading deadline. The deadline, known informally as the Flemsen Deadline, was first established in 1972 after the folk supergroup Peter, Paul & Mary traded Mary Travers in the midst of a less-than-stellar summer youth touring season for a young coffeeshop janitor named Bob Flemsen, deciding to tour as "Peter, Paul, & Bob." Recognizing that post-Memorial Day trades could wreak havoc on the touring business, the industry issued an April 1 deadline for any family musician-related trades. It was that impending deadline that Roberts and Recess Monkey just beat out.

KidVid Tournament 2011: Round 2 (Keller Williams vs. Recess Monkey)

I know, it's almost the end of the day, but I did want to highlight that the first day of second round voting for KidVid Tournament 2011 starts today with the matchup in the Pete Seeger Regional. It features Keller Williams and his #1 seeded video "Hula Hoop to Da Loop" up against #2 seed Recess Monkey and "Black Hole in My Room." All the action (OK, the videos and the poll) can be found over at Ages 3 and Up! right here.