Stream The New Robbert Bobbert Albbum

Normally, I'd (attempt to) write something witty, but I'm crazy busy this week.

ABC News' Amplified, their weekly indie rock show (who knew?) is streaming the upcoming self-titled debut from Robert Schneider's Robbert Bobbert and the Bubble Machine.

Go here. Make sure you check out "We R Super Heroes" if nothing else.

Robbert Bobbert and the Bubble Machine is out Feb. 17 on Little Monster Records.

A Little Bit More About That New Robbert Bobbert CD...

I know, I told you just last week about how Robbert Bobbert -- aka Robert Schneider from Apples in Stereo -- is releasing his debut kids music CD Robbert Bobbert & The Bubble Machine on January 20th, 2009.

But I found some album art, and thought I needed to share. Todd Webb posted some album art from the book accompanying the album, and it's cute enough to merit the click-through.

Really, that Bob Schneider there in the center is a hoot.

Celebrate Inauguration Day With Robbert Bobbert

I don't know the political leanings of Robert Schneider of The Apples in Stereo, but Little Monster Records will be releasing his debut children's music album as Robbert Bobbert -- Robbert Bobbert & The Bubble Machine on January 20th, 2009. That's right, Inauguration Day.

No word if Barack Obama or John McCain (or, for those of you a little more third-party-ish, Bob Barr or Ralph Nader) will ask Schneider to play the inauguration balls, though perhaps "We R Super Heroes" (track 2) might be appropriate.

The album will also be available for the holidays via digital distribution on November 28, 2008, thereby making the "Fall 2008" claim reported earlier this year reasonably accurate.

Here's the tracklisting...
1. I Am A Clock
2. We R Super Heroes
3. Hey Little Puppy
4. Gravity
5. Fee Fi Fo, Fee Fi Fum
6. The Little Duck
7. Boom Boom
8. The Mighty Mighty Elephant
9. Ukele for Davy
10. Laughing
11. I Love The Animals
12. A Tiny Sheep

Puppies, Clocks, and Ducks: New Music from Robbert Bobbert (Robert Schneider)

It's been awhile since I've talked about Robbert Bobbert and the Bubble Machine, but that doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to the debut kids' CD from Apples in Stereo head honcho Robert Schneider. According to Little Monster Records, the Robbert Bobbert CD will drop in "fall 2008."

But we're into instant gratification here, so I'm here to show you how to instantly, er, gratify yourself. First, the quality -- you can listen to another album track at Little Monster's home page. "I Am A Clock" is a sing-songy sing-along ("Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong!") with some fun electronic squiggles thrown in for good measure. There's not much to the song, but those "Ding! Dong!"s are kinda catchy.

And for those of you who are a little more into quantity than quality...
Amberly over at Ages 3 and Up! introduced Schneider when he played a kids' set at WRFL's FreeKY Fest in late April. I think the songs lose something without the studio wizardry, because "I Am A Clock" (the second song in the first clip below) isn't nearly as fun live, solo, and acoustic as on the version above. (Also: Schneider's between-song banter -- totally manic.) But there are songs about puppies, clocks, and gravity here...

... and ducks and friends here.

I liked the last song best, but I'm looking forward to hearing the finished product.

There Are Little Monsters Under My Bed!

"Well, then, pick up your CDs, dear."

On the eve of Gustafer Yellowgold's and Robbert Bobbert's CMJ-related appearance at Joe's Pub on Saturday, I thought I'd note that their new label, Little Monster Records, has put together quite the diverse lineup of kids' releases. A Beatles tribute album, All Together Now, featuring members of the Bangles, Grandaddy, among others, will be released next week. A Medeski, Martin & Wood kids' album will be released next year along with Soulville, a collection of R&B and soul tunes that includes a kids chorus. (And then there are releases from Gustafer and Robbert Bobbert.) I can't imagine many families buying all 5 releases, but unless they're all awful, I can't imagine many families not finding something appealing in at least one of them.

I've often thought that there was room for kids-focused boutique labels. Frankly, even with Little Monster's creation (along with a re-energized Kid Rhino and ever-expanding Rounder Records), I think there's room for even more. Maybe not labels in the traditional sense (in which the labels often own the recordings), but labels as management companies, serving as filters and helping with distribution, production, and promotion.