I've long been a fan of the TV show Pancake Mountain, which combines a subversive take on commercial culture with a whole bunch of cool musicians wrapped in a kid-friendly packaging and hosted by a goat puppet. (I love Rufus.)
Anyway, perhaps seeing the success of Yo Gabba Gabba! gave the creators of PM pause, because they've now started a Kickstarter campaign in hopes of raising enough funds to produce a proper pilot for shopping around to networks. (I always thought they were legit before, but I guess I'm a poor judge of that.)
It'll take a lot of coin -- $50,000, to be precise -- but I think they might just make it. Pledges get you DVDs, t-shirts, and at pledges of $250 or more, a "Little Rufus" hand puppet. Anyway, here's their pledge video. One more video of a fun musical performance (David Bowie, eat your heart out) after the jump.
Video: "The Kid with the Replaceable Head" - Richard Hell
Really, when you think about it, this might almost be the perfect Pancake Mountain song -- punk, with a kid-friendly-in-a-Roald-Dahl-sort-of-way narrative. The song's performed by Richard Hell (Television and a solo career, primarily), and although the song's pushing 30 years old at this point, I'm guessing this version is from his new Destiny Street Repaired release.
Really, though, it's about 10 months too late, as the animation (and song) is just about perfect for Halloween...
Richard Hell and the Voidoids - "The Kid with the Replaceable Head" [YouTube]
Video: "The Ballad of Daykitty" - Lou Barlow (Pancake Mountain)
It is now possible for folks to promote their album for adults by appearing on a show for kids. Exhibit A: Lou Barlow, who's got a new album, Goodnight Unknown, coming out October 6 and a bunch of videos on the cutely-titled LooTube. (Wonder how many hits they get from folks looking for bathrooms in England?)
But he also recently made an appearance on the venerable (if scrappy and underground) TV show Pancake Mountain and while this song is miles away from the bouncier, dancier stuff you normally hear on the show, the song, "The Ballad of Daykitty," from his album Emoh, works awesome for the young'uns. Rufus dug it, too.
Lou Barlow - "The Ballad of Daykitty" (Pancake Mountain) [YouTube]
Are Rufus Leaking and Meg White an Item?
I haven't spent nearly enough time talking about the inspired weirdness of Pancake Mountain, but for now, these YouTube videos will have to do.
And, frankly, with hipsters (The White Stripes, Wayne Coyne, Lily Allen, Lewis Black) at Bonnaroo, low-fi production values, and Rufus Leaking, the greatest goat this side of The Sound of Music, these clips pretty much tell you all you need to know.
Rufus and Meg don't exchange many words, but I think it's love...
Highlight on this one -- Wayne Coyne and friends singing "Daydream Believer"
Highlight here -- "John the Revelator" duet with the White Stripes and Rufus
(Thanks to Stereogum for the heads up.)
For what it's worth, the video below, the Mountain's first (going back a number of years), is -- all due respect to They Might Be Giants -- the best vowel song ever.
The Evens - "Vowel Movement"
I tell you, this idea of culturally cool stars on TV shows ostensibly for kids is such an invention of this generation of parents.
(Of course, at least we don't post Confederate flags in our music videos.)
