Video: "States and Capitals" - Musical Stew

I really enjoyed Musical Stew's song "States and Capitals" -- see, it's there on my radio station playlist from earlier this week. It's from their self-titled 2007 debut.

But this new video for the song takes it up to a whole 'nother level. The original video for the song is probably more useful from a rote learning perspective, but for sheer inventiveness, this new video has it beat. It's too late to sneak it into my list of the best videos of 2011, but I've got a good feeling about it and the 2012 list.

And all of a sudden, I appreciate much more fully the puppetry backgrounds of the members of musical stew, "Macho Nacho" and "Mouth Trumpet."

Musical Stew - "States and Capitals" [YouTube]

(Hat tip: The Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl)

After the jump, a bonus video from the band featuring the cutest electrical socket ever. I appreciate much more than I
Musical Stew - "When the Lights Go Out" [YouTube]

Itty-Bitty Review: Rock-O-Matic - Imagination Movers

It took me a little while to appreciate the Imagination Movers -- in their early, pre-Disney years, I didn't hear anything particularly special in their music. Not bad, by any means, just nothing... noteworthy. But writing songs for your TV show -- constantly -- and playing live shows -- constantly -- will hone your songwriting chops, and their new, post-Disney album Rock-O-Matic bears the fruit of all that hard work.

There are some kids musicians who attempt to map out the interior life of a child. The Imagination Movers are not those musicians. They instead write silly songs about goofy dance moves ("Dance Kung Fu," the album opener) or shiny pop-rockers about going to outer space ("Blast Off"). Or perhaps they write songs that will sound good when they play in front of audiences of 1,500 people or more (the dancehall of "Everybody Sing" or the Queen stomp of the title track). There are plenty of songs here that sound pretty good coming out of the minivan speakers and will sound even better in concert. (A couple more favorites: "Rain Rain," which neatly weaves "Rain rain go away" into a Movers original tune, and "Little Red Wagon".)

For the most part the 43-minute album will resonate with kids ages 4 through 7 (though a couple songs, like "Buckle Me In" aim at a younger crowd). In addition to the CD, the album also comes packaged with a 30-minute DVD that mixes silly comedic interludes (a la Monty Python or The Muppet Show, though nowhere near as brilliant) in between videos, some of which ("Little Red Wagon," "Blast Off") are very, very good.

Longtime Imagination Movers fans will certainly not be disappointed by Rock-O-Matic, the band's best album yet. But even families who spend their kids music time in independent waters should find quite a bit to enjoy on the disk. The Movers have earned their success with a keen eye (and ear) toward pleasing family audiences of all ages and Rock-O-Matic offers willing listeners a generous portion of kid-pop confections. Recommended.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the album for possible review. I also was asked to World Premiere the band's video for "Everybody Sing."

Video: "My Flea Has Dogs" - Caspar Babypants

Whew. It had been more than three months since the last video from Caspar Babypants. I was kinda getting worried.

But never fear, CB's back with a retro-styled video for "My Flea Has Dogs" from his latest album Sing Along!. Lots of dogs. And one flea.

Caspar Babypants - "My Flea Has Dogs" [YouTube]

Video: "Humpty Dumpty" - Groove Kid Nation

I'm posting this video from Music in Motion, the latest album from Groove Kid Nation (the creation of L.A. musician Rodney Lee) mostly for one reason: the stinky face.

The animation's OK (a bit static, but it'll do in a pinch), and the groove on this retelling of the story of Humpty Dumpty is pretty funky, but, like I said, it's all about the stinky face. How often do you get to learn about the stinky face in a musically-appropriate manner?

Groove Kid Nation - "Humpty Dumpty" [YouTube]

Monday Morning Smile: "Violet" - Jeremy Messersmith

Take one longtime fan of Twin Cities musician Jeremy Messersmith, mix in a video featuring kids having a snowball fight, and what you get is a "Monday Morning Smile."

The video's for "Violet," one of several great tracks off his great 2010 album The Reluctant Graveyard. And, yeah, a snowball fight is actually kinda thematically appropriate. Keep the video in mind for this year's "Storm of the Century."

Jeremy Messersmith - "Violet" [Vimeo]