Listen To This: "Le Grand K" - Pointed Man Band (World Premiere!)

“Le Grand K” single cover

Who’s in the mood for a jaunty song about the weight loss of a tiny Parisian cylinder made of platinum and iridium!?!?!

Believe it or not, YOU are.

That’s right, Dan Elliott and his allusion-dense chamber-pop-for-kids music of Pointed Man Band have a song for you based on this very topic. It is ten tons of fun, or, er, one kilogram of fun, or, er, ever so slightly less than one kilogram of fun.

Elliott wrote the song a number of years ago, around the time of Flight of the Blue Whale, but never recorded it. Now as he went into the studio to record new music earlier this year, he dug the song out and the result is the track “Le Grand K” below, a world premiere for you!

And, yes, there’s more new music from the Portland band on its way — Amongst the Tall Trees will get a release later this year, tentatively set for late spring. Until then, consider “Le Grand K” a bonus track for your edification and enjoyment.

Pointed Man Band - “Le Grand K” [Soundcloud]

Listen To This: "Where Do The Children Play? (feat. Ziggy Marley)" - Renee & Friends (World Premiere!)

Cover art for Renee & Friends album “Kindred”

A Renee & Friends release is cause for celebrating, or perhaps, more appropriately, settling into a comfy chair after running around all day.

So you can circle one month from today — April 12 — on your calendar, because that’s when Renee Stahl and cast of friends are releasing the next R&F album Kindred.

Like its predecessor Simpatico, Kindred features some of Stahl’s favorite artists in the kids music scene, including Elizabeth Mitchell, Lisa Loeb, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, Jennifer Paskow, and Ziggy Marley. (More from him below.) Stahl says the theme of this new album is “empowerment, community and compassion.” Fans of Simpatico will certainly warm to the new tracks as well, and those fans seeking a little more Renee & Jeremy music will also be pleased to hear Jeremy Toback joining Stahl on the album’s leadoff track “Kindness.”

While there are a lot of well-known names lending their voices, there are some some voices much closer to home, including Stahl’s two daughters. She cites producer Tom Rossi as being “wonderful in providing for an easygoing, fun vibe for them to shine with their sweet voices.” As for what it’s like to have your kids on your own album, she admits, “I do have to say it was a little easier when I wasn’t in the room.“

I get the lucky task today of premiering one of Kindred’s tracks, a duet between Stahl and Ziggy Marley on the Cat Stevens track “Where Do the Children Play?” It’s from Stevens’ classic album Tea for the Tillerman, an album which Rossi says he must have listened to “every day in high school.” The comparatively simple arrangement lets the voices take center stage, an immensely warm and pleasing sound the result. Perfect for timeouts, in a comfy chair or wherever.

Renee & Friends - “Where Do The Children Play? (featuring Ziggy Marley)” [Soundcloud]

Photo credit: Paul Dektor

Video: "Pan Dulce" - The Lucky Band (World Premiere!)

When I talked about The Lucky Band’s brand new name and forthcoming album Buenos Diaz last week, I noted that “if [the song] ‘Pan Dulce’ doesn’t cause you to dance enough to burn off the calories gained by eating one of the Mexican pastries the song celebrates, I’ll be very surprised.”

Evidently I wasn’t the only one who could identify a breakout pop hit a mile away, because NPR’s Alt Latino also plucked out the track for inclusion on its latest Spotify playlist. (You can listen to the song directly here.)

But me? I’ve got the world premiere video for the song. A lyric video that features The Lucky Band’s Lucky Diaz and Alisha Gaddis playing a slick guitar and hamming it up while wearing the most silver-y of outfits. Guaranteed to bring you joy, I’m sure of it.

The Lucky Band - “Pan Dulce” [YouTube]

New Name, Same Great Art and Music: The Lucky Band and Buenos Diaz

We are not alone in being big fans of Lucky Diaz, who, along with his wife Alisha Gaddis and others have been turning out earworm after earworm of kid-friendly music for a decade. We’ve known them as Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band, but now, it’s time for The Lucky Band.

On April 5, the Lucky Band releases their latest album, Buenos Diaz, and while the name is new, the irresistible urge dance remains the same. Eleven tracks of bilingual pop joy — if “Pan Dulce” doesn’t cause you to dance enough to burn off the calories gained by eating one of the Mexican pastries the song celebrates, I’ll be very surprised.

As for the refresh, Diaz says that after 10 years making music for kids, “it was time to make some change… All of the artists we admire — both musical and visual — change up their work from time to time. If we don’t change, then we might as well be bank tellers.”

Diaz cites his and Gaddis’ 3-year daughter Indiana Maven as an album inspiration. He says his now-15-year-old daughter Ella helped inspire the first albums, and now he’s again “inspired every day.” “We know [a song] works if she likes it.” And clearly life with a couple of natural performers has rubbed off on her — “We are raising a vaudevillian,” he says. “She has a massive bag of costumes, with many red dresses and now new shimmery silver clothes to go with our new look.”

Diaz also mentioned raising Indy (his daughter) bilingually, “constantly mixing [up] languages and code-switching.” Diaz also wrote some of the songs together with his mom — they, to, “switch back and forth from English to Spanish all the time.”

Finally, that cover — a world-premiere right here! — is courtesy of longtime Diaz collaborator Micah Player. Inspiration ideas include “outer space, with rocket ships, and The B-52 always.” Diaz goes to say, “I can’t even imagine creating an album without his involvement.” I think Lucky Diaz listeners will recognize their aesthetic immediately.

As for the photo below from Jeff Newton, Diaz says simply, “We were going for 'Jetsons meets Daft Punk,’ and I think we got there.”

I agree.

The Lucky Band. Photo by Jeff Newton

Photo by Jeff Newton.

Video: "Heading Home" - The Not-Its! (World Premiere!)

I am definitely all in favor of rave-ups from Seattle kid pop-punk masters The Not-Its!, but just like you sometimes want an apple instead of ice cream (or vice versa), the more tender songs on Not-Its albums are pleasant changes of pace. (Or tempo, sometimes.)

Album cover - Ready or Not!

That’s the case with this track, “Heading Home.” It’s off their latest album Ready or Not!, and it’s a tender, mostly acoustic, exploration of a kid’s experience flying in a plane without their adults around. It’s inspired by the experiences of the band members’ kids, and the wide-eyed innocence of the song’s narrator is matched by the openness of the animations from animators Chris Looney, Clyde Petersen and Rhys O'Brien. You might even feel a touch of recognition thinking about your own solo travels, though it’s been some time since I’ve received a plastic set of airplane wings…

Anyway, I’m pleased as punch to present the world premiere of this video.

The Not-Its! - “Heading Home” [YouTube]

Photo credit: Symphony Space

Listen To This: "Rock This World (feat. Secret Agent 23 Skidoo)" [World Premiere!]

“Rock This World” cover

Wednesday is always a good day for new music, especially from Mista Cookie Jar. MCJ’s music blends all sorts of genres together and his first 2019 release shows that he’s not changing that approach now. “Rock This World” mixes some EDM, some trap (without the darker undertones), and Mista Cookie Jar’s characteristically revved-up optimism into a song perfect for celebrating anyone who needs a little celebrating. And if that’s not enough, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo throws in a verse, the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae (or the scoop of ube ice cream on top of the halo halo).

I’m happy to be world-premiering this track. Listen below or wherever you and your family jam to digital music.

Mista Cookie Jar (feat. Secret Agent 23 Skidoo) - “Rock This World” [Bandcamp]