Share: Free Music from Caspar Babypants, Recess Monkey, The Not-Its (and more)

Big props to Amazon for continuing to offer free kids' music. A couple months ago it was Justin Roberts and Bloodshot Records, among others -- this month it's Burnside Distribution, who's offering a free 7-song sampler of artists whose albums they distribute. Because Burnside's based in Portland, OR, it's no surprise that the sampler's got a big Pacific Northwest tilt -- Caspar Babypants ("I Wanna Be a Snowman"), Recess Monkey ("Flapjacks"), and the Not-Its ("I've Got a Goat") have songs from their latest album on the list. The album also includes The Verve Pipe's deservedly beloved and over-the-top "Cereal" and Kimya Dawson's dorky and lo-fi "Bobby-O" from Alphabutt.

For those of you on the lookout for new music, the album does have a couple less-familiar tracks. One is "Tootsie" from Edukator Jr., a song with an Americana feel (which is a much different sound from the rest of the tracks on their Myspace page). No surprise, Greasy Kid Stuff was all over the album when it was first released a couple years ago.

The other is "Things That Can't Be Pets" from a band called Snack Trap. The track sounds like The Postal Service (if the duo had invited a female singer along).

Interview: Brian Vander Ark & Donny Brown (The Verve Pipe)

The Verve Pipe made their name the first time riding the wave of alternative rock in the early-to-mid 1990s. Now they are making their name as enthusiastic performers of music for families. At the 2010 Austin City Limits Music Festival I chatted with guitarist Brian Vander Ark and drummer Donny Brown (that's them at top middle and top left), the two guys that have been in the band since the very beginning, talking station wagon music, upcoming plans, and differences between name-brand and generic cereal.

What are your earliest musical memories growing up?
Brian: Back seat of a station wagon with five kids, two parents, and Neil Diamond's "Song Sung Blue." When that song came on, it was the first time I paid attention to melody and singing along. It was... 1971?

It's a great song...
It is a great song.

And you?
Donny: I remember being in the car... I come from a family with seven kids. So we'd be in the station wagon where the last seat faced out toward the window. They wouldn't allow that now. And my ear was right next to the speaker on the right-hand side. And I remember "See You in September" from the Happenings... do you know that tune?

I don't, actually.
[Sings a bit of the song.]. It's a very much a Four Seasons ripoff.

I can hear that.
It's exactly like the Four Seasons without Frankie Valli, but from a band called the Happenings.

So you had a big career in the '90s and into the 21st century... You wrote a kids song for a compilation - was that the first attempt you made at writing songs for families, or had you written songs even if they were for your own...
Brian: No, that was it...

What was it about that song that made you think you'd want to do more of this?
Brian: Well, the first song we wrote was "Complimentary Love" and after that, well, I'd written a song called "Worrisome One" that wasn't really a kids song, but I changed some lyrics and made it more about a kid. And that was where I was really conscious of what I was doing at that point, writing kids' music. Then "Suppertime" came out, which is just silly lyrics and fun. "When One Became Two" was a little more serious.

Was doing the kids' album something where you'd seen the success of other bands that had done work for adults then work for kids, or was it more wanting to stretch songwriting skills in a slightly different area just to see how it went.
We didn't even really think about making a kids' record, it was more, "Can we do this?" and it'd be fun to get the band back together to make an album. Make it a kids' album and have fun with it.

The album is a lot of fun - was it more fun to make this album than it might have been to make your previous ones?
Donny: Yeah, it was more fun making this album than any album.

Was that just because the mood was more light-hearted or because people were just in a different place?
I think the songs dictated it in a lot of ways, but it also to do with us being older and being in a different place.

Brian: Also, with every other album we've made, we have a budget and we go somewhere for a couple months, and you're stuck there in unfamiliar surroundings. This wasn't like that. We made it in Michigan, near our homes, and Donny spent a lot of time in the studio basement with different musicians, in and out, playing different parts. It was really a much more open atmosphere.

As I was thinking of questions and watching your live show, I realized there was something I needed to know, and I talked a little bit with Gwyneth [Butera] after your set... where did you come up with the idea of actually putting the cereal in your guitar?
[Laughs.]. I honestly don't remember. We were just talking about that the other day.

Donny: I think we were talking about when we finished that song, played it for people, people were just sort astounded that we'd written this song about breakfast cereal as...

It's so over the top.
Donny: Exactly. It has this big ending. I can't remember where we were, but we were backstage at a gig and we were talking about it, and Brian said, "It makes me feel like I'm on-stage, singing for the Tony Awards and the end I'm going to spread my arms really wide and this cereal is going to rain down on me." And I said something about how we need to make a video where at the end a dumptruck just pours it all out on you, and Brian got a big smile on his face. Then he said, "What if at the end I just had this guitar full of cereal.

So what is your cereal of choice?
Brian: Fruity Pebbls. It's hard to find at gas stations -- you have to go to the more high-end places. It's very easy to find the generic fruit loops, not the real ones, the generic ones, but they're heavier, sharper. They'll poke you in the eye.

I'm impressed that you have a professional opinion on the merits of different cereals.
Donny: We've tried different brands and there were a couple of gigs where Brian was just shaking the guitar and you were thinkin', "come on out!" It doesn't work well with oatmeal.

[Laughs] Any venues get mad at you after the fact?
Donny: Oh yeah. We played a beautiful venue in the northeast -- it was really gorgeous -- and at the end of the set, the front of house manager, the sound guy, was a nice guy, we spent the whole day talking about music. And at the end of the kids' set, he came up to me and said, "You got cereal all over my stage." And I thought he was kinda joking because of this friendship I thought we had struck up, and, no, he wasn't joking at all. Very upset.

So it's definitely more of an asking for forgiveness than an asking for permission sort of thing.
Both: Yes.
Donny: Haven't kids figured that one out yet?

Shhhhh!... You've been able to fit in the family shows between the shows for adults, that's worked well for guys?
Brian: The kids songs go over well with the adults at the adult shows.
Donny: We just played a rock show in Battle Creek, Michigan. Battle Creek is the home of Kellogg's -- we had a guitar stuffed with Fruit Loops, but we got a rousing reaction from them.
Brian: We got chastised for stopping 6 minutes early, 'cuz we stopped to sweep.

You obviously had a lot of success with this album, so what's next?
Donny: Well, we just played Lollapalooza, and Brian and I sat down, found out what he's been working on, what I've been working on. I throw ideas at him for lyrics and he throws ideas at me for chord changes. And we've got maybe four or five of what we'd consider to be strong kids' songs.

We're light-hearted, but we're very serious about what we do musically. We don't want to make a kids' record that's just [scats in a very poor and dorky way]. We don't want to do that. We want to do something that has legs for us, that we can play and we can always enjoy. I personally feel we've set our own bar at a nice height and because of that, we want to see if the ideas blossom. We have five ideas for that.

We also have a bunch of demos for a rock and roll record. One idea was to book a place in Michigan where we've played before and do a few nights there, a few shows there, and record a live record. We've got a lot kids listening to our kids stuff -- we want to turn people on to our other stuff. I think it all really works well together when we play live.

Kindiefest 2011: Sunday Concert in Videos and Pictures

If Kindiefest's Saturday night showcase was about introducing new(-ish) names (and one longtime favorite) to a new crowd, the Sunday afternoon public concert was more about a lineup guaranteed to draw in, you know, the public.

There was indeed a nice crowd, both of conference attendees as well as local families. (It's not a coincidence that the conference is held in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope, famous (and perhaps occasionally reviled) for the sheer number of families who live around there. And unlike the showcase, with its brief 20-minute sets that may subconciously lead artists to forgo contemplation for excitement, the public concert, with 30-minute sets, and a more passive audience, allows for more variation in styles.

For example, the concert kicked off with a set from Oran Etkin, who tells stories (either more traditional stories or about the instruments themselves) via jazz. He was very engaging with his young audience. Most of his songs are originals, but here he is with a take on a piece Dizzy Gillespie made famous...

Oran Etkin - "Salt Peanuts" [YouTube]

Next up was the delightful Heidi Swedberg and the Sukey Jump Band. The Brooklyn iteration of the band included Phillippa Thompson (who sometimes plays with Elizabeth Mitchell) and multi-instrumentalist Dean Jones. The set was similar to the one she played here in Phoenix in January, but the more enclosed nature of the performance here led to something occasionally hushed. I spoke with Elizabeth Mitchell a little bit later and she, too, enjoyed it...

Heidi Swedberg and the Sukey Jump Band - "When You Get Old" [YouTube]

And that was just two down...
Next up was Aaron Nigel Smith. Smith was an artist who I've always felt was fine on record but who held no special interest to me. But his was a performance that reminded me -- I need continual reminding -- about the difference between recordings and live shows and how it's possible to hold different opinions about each. It was lots of fun, in part due to the chorus of kids he brought in to perform a few songs with him (as soon as I saw the kids walking backstage during Swedberg's set I knew we'd be in for a treat), but even more so due to his energy on stage, which even carried over to him being in the audience enjoying other artists' sets.

Aaron Nigel Smith - "Che Che Cole" [YouTube]

I missed the last part of Smith's set as well as the first part of Tim and the Space Cadets' set . The first rule of Kindiefest is that it's impossible to do everything you want to do at Kindiefest -- talk, learn, eat, listen, whatever. In any case, I am glad I caught the last three songs or so of the set. Tim Kubart wins the award for most energetic dancer/participant, Musician Division, at Kindiefest 2011, as he really got into others' performances throughout the weekend. There is a giddiness to his performing as well that serves him and his music well. They've already played Kidzapalooza, but I think their new album is going to bring them a lot more attention...

Tim and the Space Cadets - "Superhero" [YouTube]

Ah, Elizabeth Mitchell, how I do so enjoy your music. I saw her perform at Austin City Limits Festival last fall, and while those were fun sets, I think her music is best enjoyed in a setting without many distractions (or bizarre feedback from adjoining stages). The musicians off to the side were definitely engaged with Mitchell, singing along and doing the hand motions for a few songs. She brought in Heidi Swedberg and Dean Jones to sing "Shoo Lie Loo" and all in all, I felt like I'd now finally seen a true "Elizabeth Mitchell concert."

Elizabeth Mitchell and You Are My Flower "Little Liza Jane" [YouTube]

Hi, The Verve Pipe! Or, rather, bye, the Verve Pipe! I would have gladly stayed to see them perform, but I saw them twice at ACL last fall and, more importantly, the show was running slightly behind schedule and I had a train to JFK to catch. So I bid adieu to Littlefield. But here's another clip of the band performing a song with the guys from Recess Monkey a song not off their A Family Album disk.

The Verve Pipe (w/ Recess Monkey) - "You Can Write a Song" [YouTube]

KidVid Tournament 2011: Day 3 (Leadbelly Regional)

We've had an exciting weekend of KidVid Tournament 2011 action, but we're not done yet with the first round. Today's action moves down south as Gwyneth over at Gooney Bird Kids is hosting two matchups for the Leadbelly Regional:

-- Caspar Babypants, "$9.99" (1) vs. The Verve Pipe, "When One Became Two" (4)
-- Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke, "Big Pet Pig" (2) vs. Holly Throsby, "Fish & Mice" (3)

Don't forget -- if you're looking for commentary before or after you vote (today only!) Jeff Giles over at Dadnabbit is providing commentary on the whole bracket. Read his take on today's matchups here.

Austin Kiddie Limits (ACL Music Festival) 2010: Day 3 Report and Final Thoughts

Day 3s of music festivals, be it of the 2010 Austin City Limits Music Festival or something, tend to be be a little more laid back, if only because everybody's so d*** tired. Nothing against Day 1 and Day 2, of course, but being anywhere with 65,000 or more other folks for 8 hours at a time will tend to leave you a little tired.

In addition, because most of the acts at the AKL stage play two sets, if you've been there Friday and Saturday, you've seen most if not all of the acts perform once already. So you might be tempted to wander around a little bit more.

Unless, of course, your kids still want to play at the AKL stage. And, er, Elizabeth Mitchell is playing again. That was all perfectly fine by me. One of the advantages of Mitchell's comparatively deep catalog of music is that multiple sets don't have to be the same. She did play a couple new songs compared to her set on Saturday, and she also sang more in Spanish, certainly reflecting her excitement over her forthcoming album with Suni Paz. I also need to give special props to daughter Storey. During "School Days," you could hear another band's soundcheck coming through (presumably) the wireless mikes. It was totally odd and threw most of us in the audience for a loop. But Storey just kept on singing, seemingly unperturbed. It was interesting to me (as a parent) seeing her be so unflappable on stage and later on (and on Saturday) being like most other 9-year-olds, eagerly waiting her turn to sing at the video karaoke stage.
Next up were the Okee Dokee Brothers, who provided another energetic set. By Sunday, the AKL stage was drawing what might have been their best crowds ever aside from special guests, and I think that definitely helped bands like the Okee Dokees for whom crowd participation and dancing are a vital part of the experience. (That photo on the left from the Brothers' soundcheck, by the way, is courtesy of Little Boy Blue, who was the unofficial Zooglobble photographer on Sunday.)

A brief word on the Q Brothers (this is not them). I've been to AKL for 4 years now. I had zero reason to see them again, because they have, like, one album, and I've heard all the songs. I'd planned to leave during their set (Dawes was playing), but the schedule got rearranged a bit, and so I found myself watching them. So maybe it's just a low-expectations thing, but we dug 'em this time. The highlight was probably when they were asked to make up a couple raps based on suggestions thrown out by the crowd. One of them was "corn" and "Star Wars." The result, using the Star Wars theme as the basis for the chorus, was pretty close to inspired.

Frances England came back with another fun set, somewhat duplicating her Saturday set, but also with at least a couple new tracks. They brought out the red hats for Jacques Cousteau, they kept the crowd engaged, and it was fun. She also brought Elizabeth Mitchell (and Storey) onstage with her to perform "That's What Friends are For" from the Many Hands CD. Very sweet.

Robert Earl Keen was next up on the stage, and since it was a last-minute thing, it wasn't as packed perhaps as other guest sets have been. Unlike many of the AKL guest artists, he didn't treat it with respect for the sanctity of childhood. This was a refreshing thing after spending 3 days at AKL. Whereas other artists in the past sent beach balls or egg shakers into the crowd, Keen threw a whole bunch of beer koozies emblazoned with his name into the crowd. (I'm sorry, they were foam string can phone components.) Anyway, the three song set (including "Farm Fresh Onions," a very old song of his) was certainly a nice change of pace.

The Verve Pipe wrapped up the festival. To Tor Hyams' credit, he told the large crowd that had gathered (just like Friday) straight up that the band wasn't going to play their hits for adults. He pointed out that they'd done other shows for adults (like on Friday night) and this was a purely-for-kids set. That cleared out a healthy amount of curiosity gawkers, and some more folks gradually peeled away during their set, it was a more... pleasant experience than their set on Friday.

And, yeah, I know I'm spoiling the surprise by publishing this photo, but you don't know what song it's for, so I'm not totally ruining it.

Let's just say that Brian Vander Ark puts his all in performing his set...

And with that, it was time for our family to put an end to Austin Kiddie Limits 2010. Miss Mary Mack, Little Boy Blue, and I walked through Zilker Park to the shuttle line, headed back to Republic Square, and I went back home to an Austin suburb to have dinner with the Official Mom, Brother, and Nephew of Zooglobble, tired but happy.

Summary Thoughts and Suggestions

First, this edition of Austin Kiddie Limits was definitely the best we've attended. That's not specifically referring to the music, but rather to the experience as a whole. That's not to say the music wasn't excellent, but how do you compare Lunch Money, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, and Ralph's World to Elizabeth Mitchell, Frances England, and the Verve Pipe? It comes down to personal taste, I suppose, but top-to-bottom, the 2010 lineup was very solid.

But, as I said, it's the experience as a whole that matters, and for whatever reason, it definitely worked this year. There were more booths for the kids to try stuff out. Having the Remo drum stuff available throughout the day rather than just at the end of the day, was a good switch. The volume on the between-set music/dance stuff was further reduced so that families didn't feel like they had to leave the area to preserve their hearing. And while the folks at C3 can't be the sole reason for the increased crowds at the Kiddie Limits stage, the area had more energy this year, which made hanging around that much easier to do. So kudos to Tor and Sarah for putting together a top-quality experience.

When I was thinking about suggestions for improvements, I was struck by how trivial they were, which also goes to show how well the area worked this year. I mean, when you're suggesting that the H.E.B. snack area should have a protein-based snack so you don't have to walk around to the food court if you don't want, you know you've tackled the low-hanging fruit long ago. It would be nice if the family section of the beach area under the tent would once again have a view of the stage, I suppose. And a certain parent (OK, it was Bill) suggested -- and I agree -- that it might be nice to have a few minutes of silence between sets. I obviously don't know the logistical problems of extending the time AKL is "open," but squishing an extra 15 minutes of silence (or 10 minutes of silence, with an extra 5 minutes for music) between the 5 sets would only push the closing time back an hour, and I think families would stick around. (And while other folks complained about the crowds, I didn't really notice much of a difference compared to prior years, though keep in mind I spend far more time at AKL than most folks.)

The only other suggestion I have is one that I can do nothing about and that's the return to a mid-September weekend. The prospect of tromping around Zilker Park in mid-September heat is not a pleasant one in my mind.

But this particular October weekend was nice all around. If you find yourself in Texas next mid-September (and plan ahead) and you like music of just about any type, you could do much, much worse than enjoy music with your family (both at and away from) the Austin Kiddie Limits stage.

Disclosure notice: As in past years, I received a press pass to attend the festival. Transportation and lodging were, also as in past years, entirely my responsibility.