Itty-Bitty Review: Agreeably Loud!! - Baron von Rumblebuss

AgreeablyLoud.jpgIt's taken a little while, but the second kids album from North Carolina's Tray Batson, AKA Baron von Rumblebuss, Agreeably Loud, was released this spring and... wait? IS THAT A LOLCAT ON THE ALBUM COVER? OK, I suppose I could probably simply write that, yes, this is the album that has the wildly popular "Did You See (Where the Cat Threw Up, Cuz the Cat Threw Up Again)?," the best song about cat vomit ever recorded. (Yes, wildly popular -- not many kids' songs get fan videos.) It's three minutes of jangle-pop perfection with a hint (OK, a lot) of juvenile attitude. But you probably want a little more in a review, so I'll comply... While it's the best song on the album, if you like that formula, there are some other tracks that might be up your 6-year-old's alley, particularly the power-poppy "(It Wuzza) Boo Boo." I can do without the skits, but that's just me, your kids may appreciate the dorky humor. As for the album as a whole, there probably isn't a more power-poppy kids album out right now -- fans of Matthew Sweet or Big Star who want to share those types of sounds with their kids will find songs like "Skywriter" or "Ooh La La (Play Me That Song)" very much up their alley. The album's going to resonate most with kids ages 4 through 8. You can hear a number of songs from the new album at BVR's Reverbnation page. On Agreeably Loud!!, Baron von Rumblebuss is not just agreeable and loud (if you want him to be), but also catchy and funny. That's plenty for a single album. Recommended.

Share: "Skywriter" (and more) - Baron Von Rumblebuss

baronvonrumblebuss.jpgIt's been awhile -- not quite light-years, but too long in any case -- since we in the rest of the solar system have heard new music from outer-space-via-Raleigh's space oddity Baron Von Rumblebuss, but it looks (and sounds) like that will change this year. The good rocker has posted three tracks for downloading at his Reverbnation page, including the dreamy "Skywriter" and the angular power-poppy "(It Wuzza) Boo-Boo." (There's also a P.S.A. called "Flush the Toilet." They're unmastered tracks from the Baron's upcoming album, and available for the price of an e-mail. (There are also 3 other tracks from the first BVR album available for streaming, which I highly recommend doing.) As for the new album, the Baron (who here on earth is also known as Tray Batson) reports that the new album will probably be out this summer. It'll be called Agreeably Loud (which is a pretty awesome kids music album title) and "will feature 'skits' and 'commercials' to mimic an intergalactic radio broadcast (the E- E- K)." Other tracks scheduled for inclusion on the album include "Helicopter," "Agreeably Loud", "(Ooh La, La) Play That Song," "I'm from Space," "Did You See Where the Cat Threw Up?", "Wait", "The Sound is the Thing, " and "Boulderboy." There's also another P.S.A called "Nobody Likes It When You Whine." Batson promises an "amp[ed] up... Python/SNL/Electric Co. stupid humor vibe on this one." Works for me.