DVD/CD Review: Gustafer Yellowgold's Wide Wild World

Little Monster Records released Gustafer Yellowgold's Wide Wild World earlier this week. I originally reviewed the DVD nearly a year ago. I've updated the review below -- if you already have the earlier version of the DVD, go to the end of the review for my comments on this new version.

KidVid Tournament 2007: "I'm From The Sun" (2) vs. "I Hope My Mama Says YES!" (3)

Moving on to the second day of KidVid Tournament 2007, this matchup pits the #2 seed in the Pete Seeger Region, "I'm From The Sun" from Gustafer Yellowgold against the #3 seed, "I Hope My Mama Says YES!" from AudraRox. Vote in the comments below. Rules: Video with most votes wins. One vote per e-mail address, please. Votes due by Saturday noon-ish East Coast time. [Note: Sorry about just showing links instead of embedding the videos. I'm trying to keep the playing field relatively level here -- if I can't show both videos here (i.e., they're not both on YouTube and clearly placed there at the artists' request) I'm only going to show the links for both of 'em.] "I'm From the Sun" - Gustafer Yellowgold To view this video, click on the YouTubed version here. "I Hope My Mama Says YES!" - AudraRox To view this video, head to Jack's Big Music Show player. Roll over the picture of a red-hair-streaked Audra on the right, kid on the left.

Please Pass the Yellow(gold) Sippy Cups, Daddy(-A-Go-Go)

The tentative showcase list for the 2007 South by Southwest Music Festival has been posted, and a brief perusal of the 1,300 (yes, you read that right) bands indicates at least 3 artists whose primary medium is kids' music: Daddy-A-Go-Go, Gustafer Yellowgold, and The Sippy Cups. The Sippy Cups' newsletter from Tuesday night indicated that they'd be headlining a free family concert at Auditorium Shores, so I wonder if the three bands are on a (pretty cool) triple bill... Oh, and there might be a couple other bands in that list worth seeing.

How Do They Celebrate the New Year on the Sun?

Perhaps patrons of the Bowery Club on Dec. 31 will find out, as Gustafer Yellowgold will be opening up for the jazz musician Hayes Greenfield for an early New Year's Eve show, complete with noon ball drop. Two of New York's finer kids'-related artists teaming up -- should be awesome.

There Are Little Monsters Under My Bed!

"Well, then, pick up your CDs, dear." On the eve of Gustafer Yellowgold's and Robbert Bobbert's CMJ-related appearance at Joe's Pub on Saturday, I thought I'd note that their new label, Little Monster Records, has put together quite the diverse lineup of kids' releases. A Beatles tribute album, All Together Now, featuring members of the Bangles, Grandaddy, among others, will be released next week. A Medeski, Martin & Wood kids' album will be released next year along with Soulville, a collection of R&B and soul tunes that includes a kids chorus. (And then there are releases from Gustafer and Robbert Bobbert.) I can't imagine many families buying all 5 releases, but unless they're all awful, I can't imagine many families not finding something appealing in at least one of them. I've often thought that there was room for kids-focused boutique labels. Frankly, even with Little Monster's creation (along with a re-energized Kid Rhino and ever-expanding Rounder Records), I think there's room for even more. Maybe not labels in the traditional sense (in which the labels often own the recordings), but labels as management companies, serving as filters and helping with distribution, production, and promotion.

"Part Yellow, Part Gold, All Gustafer"

News that Gustafer Yellowgold, or at least his nifty creator Morgan Taylor, has been signed to V2's new kids' imprint Little Monster Records comes amid changes at Gustafer's Myspace page. That's right, folks, he now has 710 friends, the most important of which seem to be from "Sesame Street," primarily. Oh, and there are a couple new tracks streaming there for your listening pleasure. "Cooler World" is sort of an introductory song, OK, but nothing special. "Birds," however, is a blast of Beatles-ian (or, if you're younger and/or hipper, XTC-ian) pop confection. ("Rocket Shoes" is also new, but has been streaming on the site for many months now.) Could "Mellow Fever" be the working title for the next DVD or CD following the rerelease of Wide Wild World? In addition, there's an amusing video promo for Gustafer which includes news that Taylor's working on the next DVD (Have You (N)ever Been Yellow) -- which I think I knew, or maybe that was just a falling-on-cake-inspired reverie -- and an illustrated book (natch) called The Inifinity Sock, which was news to me. (Love that title, in spite of or perhaps because it makes no sense whatsoever.) But the best part is that the first half of the video is done as if it were a preview for some awful Michael Bay flick. "Part yellow, part gold... all Gustafer." I'm still chuckling.