Video: "Cousin Party" - Karen K (World Premiere!)

Karen K -- AKA Karen Kalafatas -- doesn't make a lot of videos, but when she does, they're slick and they're fun.  Consider "(I Woke Up) In a Firetruck," which delighted a bunch of firetruck-obsessed preschoolers and their families and, as a result, she won the 2014 KidVid Tournament.

While that song and video featured her band the Jitterbugs, for her next album, The Blue Bike Chronicles, she's going solo.  She's also pitching her songs at an older audience, the sometimes underserved-by-kindie pre-tween population.

Today I'm pleased to be world-premiering one of the songs and videos off the forthcoming album.  It's for "Cousin Party," which turns up the music full Nashville.  The video, too, is just as slick, and features lots of party mischief by a cavalcade of cousins.  Good, poppy stuff all around.

Karen K - "Cousin Party" [YouTube]

Video: "Spring Day" - Karen K and the Jitterbugs

I know, I already featured the stream of "Spring Day" from Karen K and the Jitterbugs, but since the Boston area is in the low 50s today, it's clear that they need all the spring-affirming good vibes in the song and video.

But clearly, any time you take out your frustrations on a homemade reproduction of Olaf from Frozen, as one kid does in the video, it's time for winter to end.

Karen K and the Jitterbugs - "Spring Day" [YouTube]

Listen To This: "Spring Day" - Karen K and the Jitterbugs

Karen K and the Jitterbugs' "Spring Day"

Karen K and the Jitterbugs' "Spring Day"

As a resident of Phoenix, Arizona, I am careful not to talk about how wonderful the weather is on social media because I don't want to seem like I'm taunting my friends in more northern climes in the winter months.  (Really!  I actually prefer the weather in northern climes!)

I say all that as a way of introducing "Spring Day," a brand new song from Karen K and the Jitterbugs.  From its opening guitar riff aping Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69" to the abundance of "la la las," it's a pure pop confection celebrating the arrival (please!) of spring days.  But as I look at weather forecasts of highs in the mid-90s this weekend, forgive me if I'm already dreaming of songs celebrating fall.  Stream the song below and pay what you'd like for the track.

Karen K and the Jitterbugs - "Spring Day" [Bandcamp]

Weekly Summary (4/7/14 - 4/13/14)

KidVid 2014 Tournament Champion: Karen K and the Jitterbugs - "(I Woke Up in a) Firetruck"

It went from my list of favorite kids music videos of 2013 to voting for the initial stage of the 2014 edition of the KidVid Tournament to voting in Semifinal #1 and Semifinal #2 to a championship match, but during the entire week, the eventual winner seemed to be pretty clear: Karen K and the Jitterbugs' "(I Woke Up in a) Firetruck."

The Boston-based band had the loudest (or click-iest) fans in this year's contest, supporting this sitcom-esque (in more ways than one) video featuring a firefighter-themed cumulative song.

So, congratulations, Karen K and the Jitterbugs!  Don't let your KidVid 2014 title go to your heads!

Karen K and the Jitterbugs - "(I Woke Up in a) Firetruck" [YouTube]

KidVid 2014 Tournament Final: Karen K and the Jitterbugs vs. Frances England

It went from my list of favorite kids music videos of 2013 to voting for the initial stage of the 2014 edition of the KidVid Tournament to voting in Semifinal #1 and Semifinal #2, and now we're at the final two: Karen K and the Jitterbugs and Frances England.

Karen K and the Jitterbugs' '70s-sitcom-aping video for "(I Woke Up in a) Firetruck " from Big Ol' Truck crushed (in a kindly, kindie way) Duke Otherwise on Friday.  That video faces off against Frances England's stop-motion collage video (from Antonina Clarke) for "Day You Were Born" from Blink of an Eye, which had to go to overtime to defeat Alison Krauss (singing a Sandra Boynton tune).

Well, why wait any longer to vote?  As always, the rules are brief and simple:

1) One vote per family.

2) Deadline to vote is 8 PM Monday night West Coast time.

3) Be nice, play fair, have fun, don't get obsessed with it.

With that, watch both videos and vote!

Frances England - "Day You Were Born" [YouTube]

Karen K and the Jitterbugs - "(I Woke Up in a) Firetruck" [YouTube]