Video: "Think About Your Troubles" - Harry Nilsson (from The Point!)

Forty years ago today, ABC debuted The Point!, a cartoon with a story and music by Harry Nilsson. When the album was released later that year, it was arguably the first mid-career kids music album released by a major pop/rock musician. As an album, it still holds up many years later, everyone from the Barenaked Ladies to Adam Levy to Todd McHatton have cited Nilsson and The Point! as inspiration. The Asylum Street Spankers covered Nilsson on Mommy Says No!. And I think it's fitting we're celebrating that movie about someone making their way in a new world the same day we're world-premiering a video about someone making their way in a new world -- Gustafer Yellowgold is very much a spiritual heir to Oblio. So in honor of Harry, here are a couple songs from the cartoon... Harry Nilsson - "Think About Your Troubles" [YouTube]

Video: "Be Nice To Animals" - Salteens (from Yo Gabba Gabba!)

This video from Salteens, with animation for Yo Gabba Gabba! is so cute it makes me want to pinch its cheeks and say, "aaaaawwww, you're so cute! Yes, you are!" Maybe it wasn't quite the Salteens song fans wanted on the first YGG compilation, but the video is ten tons of awesome. (And if you think it starts out too cute, just give it a little time -- it finds a nice balance.) Salteens - "Be Nice To Animals" (from Yo Gabba Gabba!) [YouTube]

Pandora Likes Kids, Rock, Kid Rock, But Not Kids Rock

Though I've been a Pandora member for many years now, I've never particularly listened much to the music there. Part of that may be that I have enough music to listen to, family and otherwise. The other part is that I know other folks love the often surprising song selections -- but that's not me. I want my radio experience to be more guided than Pandora's been. 'Til now. Late last week, Pandora announced the creation of genre stations, and it includes 4 "family" stations -- "Lullaby," "Toddler," "Tween," and "Children's Folk Songs." The good news is, well, that there are 4 family radio stations on the popular service. And from skimming 3 of the stations (I didn't feel the need to spend my time with "Tween"), they've done a good job picking out songs that match the category. And they do have a mix of big-name (Sesame Street, Disney, Raffi, etc.) and indie (Elizabeth Mitchell, Frances England, Dean Jones). But what about those kids who need to rock? What about them, huh? Who'll think of the children?! [Edit: Jeff points out that Pandora's had a series of pre-programmed kids' stations for a couple months. The basic point, though -- that there's no kids rock genre on Pandora's station -- still remains.]

I Want My KTV!: Kidz Bop Launches Preschool Video On Demand Channel

I think it is safe to say that the opinion of Kidz Bop 'round these parts is one of -- at best -- tolerance. The half-sung/half-shouted re-workings of songs written for folks twice the age of Kidz Bop's audience have tended to annoy the adults in my audience. Even with all that, perhaps you should become a Kidz Bop fan. Why? Because it stands to have the biggest positive impact on independent kids music of anything TV-related since Jack's Big Music Show. For a couple years, the label's been partnering with Comcast to offer a Video on Demand channel (Cox is also now part of the partnership). Up to this point, the channel appears to have been nothing but Kidz Bop-related stuff targeted at the 6+age group, but starting this week, they've added "KB Preschool." It'll feature music videos, educational shows, live concerts and more from both signed and unsigned preschool/children artists (emphasis mine). This month, Ben Rudnick's “A Frog Named Sam," Lalaland's "Music in You," and Milkshake's "Jump" and "Blue Bird," among others, are debuting on the channel. In months to come, expect Justin Roberts, Debbie and Friends, Sugar Free Allstars, Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, Uncle Rock, and more. Kinda looks like a Zooglobble (or Jitterbug) playlist, no? If you're a Kidz Bop hater, why should you care? Well, Kidz Bop reports that Comcast and Cox reach about 30 million homes (as compared to Nickelodeon's 85 million cable households) and they get more than a million streams a month of their content on video-on-demand. Take into account the streams on their own Kidz Bop website and syndicated programming on KOL (AOL for Kids) and Yahoo! Kids, and the potential impact on those independent artists above is potentially huge. Even if you don't have Comcast or Cox (or are worried about what other videos might be interspersed between those listed above and therefore wouldn't let your kids watch it anyway), grabbing just 10% of those streams for independent music would be a pretty big deal. So, yeah, count me as a fan. I'm as surprised as anyone. And if you're actually in one of these households, let me know what you think of the channel (and what else I've missed)...

Video: "The Great Outdoors" - Ralph's World (Toot & Puddle)

I got pitched this video for "The Great Outdoors" in part as an "Earth Day"-related video. Considering I'm posting this after Earth Day has already passed on the East Coast, perhaps it would've been better if they'd pitched it to me (not to mention posted it), say, yesterday. So let's call this an early celebration for Friday -- the weekend, a time to travel. Also, this is one of the better songs from Ralph's World's new album All Around Ralph's World and features some nifty animation from the Nick Jr. show Toot and Puddle. I particularly dig the butterflies. Ralph's World - "The Great Outdoors" [YouTube]

When Will We Hear the Pied Piper Pledge Drive?

Move on over, Click and Clack -- here comes Pied Piper Radio. Amberly Warnke from Ages 3 and Up! has gone big time, developing a biweekly radio show for the Public Radio Exchange. The goal? Distribution to public radio stations across the country. And why should you care?