How Much Would You Pay for the New Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke EP? How About a Buck?

Over the last 3 years or so, I'm not sure there's anyone who's been as big a fan of Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke as I. Go ahead -- look at the archives here, dating all the way back to April 2007, where I extolled the song "Favorite Names" and talked about sharing great kids music like that of the duo's with the world. I dig this band.

So when I was asked last week by Little Monster Records if I'd be interested in an exclusive offering of the new Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke EP Hello, Our Name Is Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke to you, my readers, at a super-low-are-they-crazy? price it didn't take me long to agree...

Really, the song "Favorite Names" is worth a dollar in and of itself, but, wait, there's more! (I've always wanted to say that and mean it.) If you click that "Get it Now" button you'll be able to buy that song, plus two more fun songs that aren't on their January 5th full album Rise & Shine plus the video for "I Had a Little Dog" plus the digital liner notes which include coloring pages.

For. A. Buck.

Now the only reason I thought about declining the offer is because I don't want to make it seem like my editorial integrity is being compromised. But I think I've made it clear over time how much I like the band. It seemed to me that trying this was an opportunity for experimentation regarding new distribution channels for kids music that I'd like to see more of. And you are welcome to stream the songs and video without buying. In any case, I won't make a single dime from doing this, either upfront or based on sales. All the money -- which won't be dramatic, because it's just $1, people! -- will go directly to Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke and Little Monster. Just click on "Get it Now" and you'll be able to purchase it in mere seconds. Instant gratification.

One final caveat -- this offer is only good through January 1, 2010. After that, the offer (and the digital EP and this stream) will disappear. Ed: And so it has...

You Are My Great Deal: Elizabeth Mitchell's Sunshine Just $2.99. Such A Deal.

Tomorrow, Elizabeth Mitchell's fabulous You Are My Sunshine goes where only Dan Zanes has gone before, kids-music-wise (I think), and that's Amazon's mp3 Deal of the Day. That's right, on Wednesday, December 10, you can download the entire mp3 album for just $2.99. Here's my original review (posted 4+ years ago, and written well before that, so forgive me the phrase "one of those albums you may find yourself putting on even when your kids aren't around." Even though it's still true.)

So if you don't have the album, hop to it. Tomorrow, anyway.

Was The Accordion In Existence 300 Years Ago?

Unless you're planning on being on the next space shuttle launch or in the middle of a massive migration of whales, you will not see anything cooler this week than the video below. I know that Antonio Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" has basically become aural wallpaper at this point, used for ads, film soundtracks, and snowy afternoons in front of the fire, but this rendition of "Summer" from Aleksandr Hrustevich makes you listen again with new ears. If you look away, you might not believe that all these sounds are coming from just one accordionist. It's a long way from "Mary Had a Little Lamb", that's for sure. (Hat tip: Alex Ross)

Aleksandr Hrustevich - "Summer," from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" [YouTube]

In Memoriam: Soupy Sales

I am too young to seriously appreciate Soupy Sales, so in lieu of words of my own, how about a few from Kathy O'Connell, host of the long-running Kids Corner radio show, who had this to say about her friend Soupy in an interview earlier this year:

You know Soupy Sales -- how did that come about and how's he doing?
Basically, my friends and I stalked him when we were kids. If you’ve ever seen the movies The World of Henry Orient and The King of Comedy, my teenage years were a combination of those two movies. A community of 50 or so regulars grew among the kids who came to see Soupy’s show on Channel 5 in the ‘60’s. In that simpler time, my mother let me take the train from Long Island to his shows in NYC regularly. After Soupy’s show ended, some of his “gang” continued to go to his appearances, hang out in front of his house, even go to the airport when he went out of town. A friend and I even went to Atlanta to see Soupy in the play “Finian’s Rainbow” in 1968! I spent my college money on that, which didn’t go over very well in my house. Given what I wound up doing for a living, I say to him all the time: “Thank God I’ve wasted my life on you.” I have two Peabody awards because I followed that man!

Condolences to Soupy's family, both immediate, close, and around the world...

Kids Music Goes Commercial

I was walking somewhere the other day and out of the corner of my eye - or whatever the audio equivalent of that is - I caught a TV ad with a familiar song. The song? Great Lake Swimmers' "See You on the Moon," being used to sell Honda Insights...

Of course, a 30-second clip can't adequately describe how awesome the song is, awesome enough that it became the title track of a decent kids-comp and then got repurposed for an even better kids-comp.

The Jellydots' "Bicycle" got picked up by Shimano for a bike ad last year, and Kira Willey's "Colors" got used for a Dell ad, too. And beyond that?
Ummm... nothing... Seems like there are a lot more opportunities.

It makes you realize how vastly untapped the kids music genre is as part of the broader media landscape. Sure, Justin Roberts' "Get Me Some Glasses" was featured in a World Series broadcast, but how long will it be before another Barry Louis Polisar hits the big time...

So, any suggestions for songs that are screaming for ad placement? I find it hard to believe that somebody can't find a good use for The Hipwaders' "Educated Kid" somewhere, for example. Whether or not the artists think that going commercial is a good idea, I'll leave it to them (and their fans) to decide.