Video: "Use Your Mind" - Ladytron (from Yo Gabba Gabba!)

The latest (as yet unreleased) Yo Gabba Gabba song is from Ladytron, who lend their electronica stylings to a little ditty I have named "Use Your Mind." That's a(n) (educated) guess of the title, because all the band says on their YouTube page is, "No it's not our song..." as if they wanted to wipe their hands of the thing. While it's not an instant classic, it's not half bad, either. As a dance-inspiring video, though, it's no Beyonce. [Update: That video was taken down, and posted on Nettwerk's page. No disparagement any more, but confirmation of the title.]

Ladytron - "Use Your Mind" [?] from Yo Gabba Gabba! - [YouTube]

Itty-Bitty Review: Music is... Awesome! (Yo Gabba Gabba!) - Various Artists

I am perhaps not the best person to judge a Yo Gabba Gabba compilation, as I've never seen a complete episode aside from the premiere I received on a screener DVD a few years back. (That's what a lack of cable will do.) A soundtrack album -- that's pitched at the true believers, not at the casual fans, right? So, if anything, I started listening expecting not to like it so much.

Wrong. Even if you've never watched an episode and don't know your Brobee from your Muno, you and your preschoolers could definitely enjoy their new compilation Music is... Awesome!. For the most part, the disk alternates songs from the series with those from a list of artists with serious street cred; often they're set up as pairs. So a basic YGG song like "I Like to Dance" is followed up by Beastie Boys collaborator Money Mark doing a cool "Robo Dancing," an angular dance tune with lots of bleeps and bloops. "Don't Be Afraid" is followed by I'm From Barcelona's swirly pop on "Just Because It's Different Doesn't Mean Its Scary." Generally, the best songs are from the guest artists -- the Roots' incredible "Lovely, Love My Family" or Chromeo's funky ode to handwashing "Nice 'N' Clean" or the sunny "Hey, Won't Somebody Come and Play" from The Little Ones (a song which is destined to find its way onto a lot of hipster mix CDs yet is somehow totally appropriate for the 3-year-old in your life). But there are a few decent songs from the YGG folks, even if you're not a fan of the show (the cute "Party in my Tummy," or the shiny pop of "You Can't Always Get What You Want," credited to the Yo Dazzlers, but really just another YGG tune).

You can find the 37-minute CD at the usual places, including Amazon and iTunes. Besides your hipster 30-year-old friend with the chunky eyeglass frames, the album's most appropriate for kids ages 2 through 5.

I'd love to say that Music is... Awesome! is awesome. Unfortunately I can't pull the trigger on that obvious pull quote as some of the YGG tunes are just too dry to enjoy apart from the visuals. But a lot of the music is indeed awesome, which makes it the kids music compilation of the year. Definitely recommended.

Video: "That's My Family" (from Yo Gabba Gabba!) - Apples in Stereo

Well, it's not family in particular, but there's only many family types you can describe in exactly 90 seconds. Or at least, in a bouncy pop tune. While it's not quite as incredibly awesome a tune as "We R Super Heroes," the animation for this video for "That's My Family" looks similar in places as the video for "We R Super Heroes." (Unsurprisingly, they share the same illustrator.) This tune's from Yo Gabba Gabba!, and, yeah, while it's an Apples in Stereo song, it sounds like a Robbert Bobbert outtake. Or vice versa.

The Apples in Stereo - "That's My Family" (from Yo Gabba Gabba!) - [YouTube]

Oh, and if you like Apples in Stereo...
Here's a stream of their recently-released album, #1 Hits Explosion

Yo Gabba Gabba! Gabba!: Season Two Ends Oct. 12th-16th

In advance of the Yo Gabba Gabba! album being released on Oct. 20th comes word that Season Three the last episodes of Season Two of the TV show will debut the week of October 12th. Musical guests that week include the Roots (yes! "Lovely, Love My Family" finally gets airtime in an actual episode), MGMT, Renee Oliver, Lady Tigra, and Little Ones. And of course Biz Markie and Mark Mothersbaugh return.

Beyond that, you've got Andy Samberg doing whatever it is he does. Gufffaws will ensue. Presumably.

A list of episodes (all episodes are at 1 PM Eastern time) and a behind-the-scenes video featuring MGMT after the jump.
Monday, Oct. 12 --“Family”
Tuesday, Oct. 13 -- “Art”
Wednesday, Oct. 14 -- “Boat”
Thursday, Oct. 15 – “Band”
Friday, Oct. 16– “Dress Up”

Yo Gabba Gabba on CD Is Awesome (Album Due Oct. 20)

We can have a long debate over the merits of Yo Gabba Gabba the TV show, but there's little doubt that it's exposed a bunch of preschoolers to a lot of artists that normally would have little exposure to a bunch of preschoolers. The Shins, Yo Gabba Gabba, Mates of State -- the list is long (and kinda cool). Now comes word (via Pitchfork) that Filter US will be releasing a Yo Gabba Gabba compilation entitled Music Is Awesome on October 20. It'll be both a CD and iTunes release. To some extent, it overlaps with the iTunes exclusive compilation released last year. But at 21 tracks in length, including stuff from Chromeo, Of Montreal, and the Shins that weren't on that release, there's a fair amount of new material. Track listing after the jump.
YO GABBA GABBA!: MUSIC IS AWESOME! Track listing:

1. YO GABBA GABBA! Theme
2. YO GABBA GABBA! - Party In My Tummy
-- 3. THE SHINS - It’s Okay, Try Again
4. YO GABBA GABBA! - I Like To Dance
-- 5. MONEY MARK - Robo Dancing
6. YO GABBA GABBA! - Get The Sillies Out
-- 7. BIZ MARKIE - Biz’s Beat Of The Day #1
-- 8. CHROMEO - Nice ‘N’ Clean
9. YO GABBA GABBA! - Try It, You’ll Like It
-- 10. THE ROOTS - Lovely, Love My Family
11. YO GABBA GABBA! - Don’t Be Afraid
-- 12. I’M FROM BARCELONA - Just Because It’s Different Doesn’t Mean Scary
13. YO GABBA GABBA! - Bubbles
-- 14. OF MONTREAL - Brush Brush Brush
15. YO GABBA GABBA! - Nice & Easy
-- 16. THE LITTLE ONES - Hey, Won’t Somebody Come And Play
-- 17. WEIRD SCIENCE - Go Crazy Remix
-- 18. YO DAZZLERS - You Can’t Always Get What You Want
-- 19. MARK KOZELEK - Bedtime Lullaby
20. YO GABBA GABBA! - Goodbye Song
21. YO GABBA GABBA! Closing THEME