Radio Jungle album coverThe Pop Ups are primed to have a big April -- the follow-up to their stunning debut Outside Voices, Radio Jungle, is going to be released next Tuesday, April 3. In addition, the Kickstarter-funded follow-up to their live-action puppet extravaganza opens in Brooklyn on April 22. What else could they possibly do in April?
Well, nothing -- they're just too busy. Which explains why they're premiering their video for "Box of Crayons" today, at the end of March. On a disk with lots of radio-friendly hits, "Box of Crayons" -- '80s-inspired synths and soaring choruses with a touch of The Postal Service mixed up with a whole bunch of colors -- might just be the radio-friendliest (not to mention one of my favorites). It's matched up here with animation from Garrett Davis; Harold only had a single, purple crayon -- imagine how much more he could have done with a whole box.
Beyond that -- how would you like to win a copy of the new album? (Yes, yes you would.) Just comment below by 8 PM West Coast time Friday night (the 30th) with your favorite color, and I'll randomly pick a winner (one entry per person, please). Thanks, good luck, and enjoy...
KidVid Tournament 2012It was an even more exciting second week of action in KidVid Tournament 2012, with brackets busted everywhere. Week 3 promises more fun than you can shake a stick at, though why you'd shake a stick at fun is beyond me, because if I were fun I'd be scared of families shaking sticks at me.
Aaaanyway, Elite Eight matchups are as follows...
Woody Guthrie Region #4 Princess Katie & Racer Steve - "Sand in My Sandwich" vs. #6 Imagination Movers - "Everybody Sing"
The winner of the Woody Guthrie Region meets the winner of the...
Ella Jenkins Region
#5 Gustafer Yellowgold "Pancake Smackdown" vs. #6 Todd McHatton - "I Think I'm a Bunny"
Leadbelly Region #1 Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band - "Blue Bear" vs. #3 Rocknoceros - "Early Worm"
The winner of the Leadbelly Region will take on the winner of the...
Pete Seeger Region #2 The Pop Ups - "Balloon" vs. #8 Suzi Shelton - "Tomboy in a Princess Dress"
As with last week's entries, this week's competition will place across teh Internets at many of these fine websites who can meet most if not all of your family's kids music needs.
Picking my favorite kids music videos gets harder every year. I've picked 25 here, but featured at least 3 times that number on the site (a figure which itself is a culling of many more videos). There are another half-dozen videos that easily could have made this list were I to make it, say, tomorrow.
You'll find lots of old standbys here, but also videos from new bands and bands who don't spend nearly as much time with their video editor.
Here, then, are my 25 favorite kids music videos from 2011 (2011 defined roughly as March 1, 2011 - February 29, 2012 -- I'm just assuming nothing else definitively worthy gets released in the next couple days or so). I'm offering up my (ranked) 10 favorite videos, with another 15 (unranked) honorable mentions. [The complete playlist can be viewed at the end of this post.]
Don't get me wrong -- I love's Chris Ballew's DIY videos, finding them models of the form. But his occasional (and ongoing) collaboration with New Zealand's Mukpuddy Animation has already produced a couple fine videos, including this, my favorite of the year.
2. Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band - "Blue Bear" [YouTube]
Another near-perfect melding of song and visual style.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 11:00PM 
Radio Jungle album coverThe Pop Ups are primed to have a big April -- the follow-up to their stunning debut Outside Voices, Radio Jungle, is going to be released next Tuesday, April 3. In addition, the Kickstarter-funded follow-up to their live-action puppet extravaganza opens in Brooklyn on April 22. What else could they possibly do in April?
