Continuing our look at the year's best in kids music, we finish up with videos. Now, unlike albums and songs, for which I've traditionally tried to adhere to the Fids and Kamily year (which is Oct. 1, 2013 through Sept. 30, 2014 this year), my best-of video selections have tended to run on more of a March through Feburary video fiscal year. I did that to kick off the very first KidVid Tournament, and I've sort of stuck with that ever since. (So nobody release an awesome video in the next 48 hours, OK?)
Here's my list of my favorite 30 kids music videos of "2014." Some are big-budget productions, some are small-budget productions, and some are virtually-no-budget productions. There are puppets, stop-action, hand-animation, computer animation, live action, and sometimes, more than one of those things.
Before I present the 30 videos, I should note that I wanted to limit an artist to no more than one video on the list. Which meant that artists like The Bazillions, Danny Weinkauf, and Caspar Babypants don't get their full due as artists that have fully committed to the art of the kids music video, each releasing several music videos that could have appeared on this list (if I wasn't limiting them to one video, they might have had a dozen or so between them).
Of particular note, Chris Ballew has done some amazing work, not only contracting out with a variety of animators for his Caspar Babypants videos but also producing videos on his own beautiful in their creativity and simplicity. For that reason, I'm giving him a Special Award for Awesomest Kids Music Video Guy of 2014. Now, if you don't mind, I've got to go find an MTV VMA statue on eBay so I modify it and give it to Ballew.
So while I'm doing that, here's the list in alphabetical order by artist. A YouTube playlist can be found at the very end if you'd like to while away an hour or two...
Dynamite - Alphabet Rockers (YouTube)
No Homework - The Bazillions (YouTube)
Bottle Caps - Laurie Berkner (YouTube)
Tiny Little Car - Johnny Bregar (YouTube)
The Creatures Under My Bed - Caspar Babypants (YouTube)
Grand March from Aida - Dog On Fleas (YouTube)
I'm a Little Fish - Laura Doherty (YouTube)
Hair - fleaBITE (YouTube)
I Can't Feel My Face - Gustafer Yellowgold (YouTube)
How Great Can This Day Be - Lori Henriques (YouTube)
November First (Jump, Run, Shake) - Eric Herman (YouTube)
Just Not Me - The Hipwaders (YouTube)
Did You Ever See a Lassie? - Charlie Hope (YouTube)
Snow Day - Josh and the Jamtones (YouTube)
Crew Cut - Randy Kaplan (YouTube)
Gingerbread Man - Lunch Money (YouTube)
I Love You More - Todd McHatton (YouTube)
Girls Wanna Dance - Milkshake (YouTube)
Call Me Mista Cookie Jar - Mista Cookie Jar (YouTube)
Haircut - The Not-Its (YouTube)
Walking With Spring - The Okee Dokee Brothers (YouTube)
All These Shapes - The Pop Ups (YouTube)
Love Bug - Raffi (YouTube)
Brick By Brick - Recess Monkey (YouTube)
Rattlesnake - Red Yarn (YouTube)
Los Colores - Andres Salguero (YouTube)
Pillow Fort Pillow Fight - Secret Agent 23 Skidoo (YouTube)
Ice Cream (Healthy Eating) - Danny Weinkauf (YouTube)
Sea Turtle - The Whizpops (YouTube)
Armando Armadillo - Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke (YouTube)
