Video: "Breakfast Club" - Tim Kubart (feat. Carly Ciarrocchi) (World Premiere!)

There are many things Tim Kubart is good at, but right near the top of that list is his ability around a kids music video.  From "Superhero" to "2nd Grade Show", Kubart's videos are engaging and produced with panache.

He's got a brand-new album out this week, the filled-with-hits Home, and one of those hits gets the honor of lead single and video.  The song "Breakfast Club" features an earworm of a melody, handclaps, and a slick guest rap from Kubart's Sprout co-star Carly Ciarrocchi -- it's a winner of a track all by itself.

But the video itself is no slouch, either.  It's not plot-based like those two videos mentioned above, but what it lacks in visual narrative drive, it gains in natural good humor.  As has been the case in his other videos -- and generously, given his visibility on TV -- Kubart plays a supporting role in the video.  The stars are the friends that sing around the breakfast table, and in this case, Kubart notes they're literally his friends and friends of friends.  He was the preschool teacher of some of the kids (though not of actor Kal Penn, who appears in the video with his nephew and family).  As a viewer, it's nice to see the range of kids and families who appear -- some who feel like they're ready for their closeup, and others who just seem bemused by the idea of filming.  (Also: can you spot the cameo appearances by stars of Kubart's previous videos?)

Kubart's got a few gigs lined up in October to celebrate the album's release -- several shows in and around Austin during the Austin City Limits Festival, plus Boston, Philadelphia, NYC, even Dayton, Ohio -- for more details, go here.

But, if you can't see him play live, his videos are always worth your family's time.  I'm pleased as punch to present the world premiere to "Breakfast Club."

Tim Kubart (feat. Carly Ciarrocchi) - "Breakfast Club" [YouTube]

Macaroni and Cruise: A Chat with the Mad Scientists Behind Kindie's First Family Cruise

When I first heard about Macaroni and Cruise, the concept, a small part of me was jealous I hadn't thought of it first.  There are an increasing number of musicians that have taken to the high seas to play gigs for their most devoted fans over the past few years, while family cruising remains popular as well.  Put them together, and it's like macaroni and cheese.

Or cruise.

In any case, it was man-of-many-kindie-hats Bill Childs who did come up with the idea first, curse and bless him.  He's working with Jonathan Coulton and Paul Sabourin and Greg "Storm" DiCostanzo (aka musical comedy duo Paul and Storm), whose fifth edition of the JoCo Cruise Crazy sets at the end of January, to develop a kid-friendly musical (and geeky) cruise for the whole family.

The inaugural Macaroni and Cruise sets sail on Norwegian Cruise Lines' Norwegian Sky liner from Miami on August 3, 2015, returning to port August 7 while stopping at Grand Bahama Island, Nassau, and Great Stirrup Cay along the way.  And while you're onboard, your family can enjoy music from Tim and the Space Cadets, Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, plus kindie-allegiant acts like Jonathan Coulton and the Doubleclicks, not to mention Lego activities featuring master builder Nathan Sawaya.

There is still an early booking discount available -- it's for the first 50 cabins and worth $200 per person, which'll go a long way towards offsetting any additional travel costs your family might incur in getting to Miami.  Click here if that appeals to you (it probably should).

I sent off some questions to Bill, and he, Paul, and Storm gave some further details behind the Macaroni and Cruise origin story and planning process, so enough of my yapping…

Zooglobble: How did the idea for Macaroni and Cruise (the cruise, not the name) originate?

Bill Childs: I (Bill) had read about the JoCo Cruise over the years and thought something like that might work for family music. I knew Jonathan through Many Hands and KindieFest, and he was kind enough to walk me through the basics. Independently, we came to the realization that maybe it would make sense to work together on it, since he and his partners have so much expertise on the cruise side of things, and on making an event like this into a community, not just a vacation.  We’ve built up the rest of it together.

What were you looking for in choosing acts for the cruise?

Bill, Paul Sabourin, Greg "Storm" DiConstanzo: Smart folks who appeal to kids and their grownups. A mix of acts that directly orient themselves towards kids and families, and "regular" acts that they'll love.  Basically, when we think about who to bring, we're figuring families who come on this cruise aren't looking for ordinary entertainment -GiantMegaEntertainmentCorp Consolidated can provide that. We're here for something different.

What is the biggest misconception people have when they think about going on a cruise versus the reality of going on a cruise?

Bill, Paul, Storm: There are so many types of cruises, and people sometimes take the worst things they hear and attribute it to all of them—especially if they’ve never been on one before. Our team has extensive experience with cruise lines and ships across the spectrum, and we can say with a lot of confidence that sailing with us on the Norwegian Sky will be terrific - there are many more young and active people than what people sometimes expect when you say “cruise”!  But beyond the mechanics of being on a ship for vacation, people may also be surprised at how much community can be built during those days. JoCo Cruise has fostered a lot of year-round friendships, and part of our evil plan with Macaroni and Cruise is to help forge similar, positive life-altering friendships.

Besides performances, what other activities are you planning for attendees?

Bill, Paul, Storm: We're still in the process of planning the "only on Macaroni and Cruise" activities beyond the music—but we can promise fun hands-on experiences that go beyond what you'd expect from either a music festival or a cruise. For example, we're going to have world-renowned lego brick artist Nathan Sawaya onboard to do some fun sessions with the kids. We're also planning to have tabletop gaming, dance parties, and more unique stuff that everyone will love. (And it's also worth mentioning that we'll have at least one parents-only performance with Jonathan and others, where the swears will come out.)

What's been the biggest surprise for you, Bill, as you've learned about the cruise industry from the booking side?

Bill: I've never been on a ship bigger than the pretend paddlewheel boat that hosted my high school reunion this summer, so it's pretty much all new to me. I had a general idea that the ships were pretty elaborate, but I really didn't know the extent. The other thing that's been great to learn more about is the terrific community that can form on a cruise when the right ingredients are there - that's clear from the JoCo Cruise, and I'm really looking forward to seeing that happen with this. (As an aside, I promise there will be far less Bon Jovi on this ship than on my high school reunion’s.)

What are you most looking forward to on the cruise?

Bill: A lot of what I've done in the family music world has been around building communities, and I cannot wait to see how the families on board form a community and, hopefully, lifelong friendships. I'm also excited to check out those islands! Paul & Storm sent some pictures from them and they look pretend, they're so gorgeous. (The islands, not Paul & Storm.)

Paul: Expanding on what Bill said: while we have many fun activities and events planned, one of the most fun aspects of working on the JoCo Cruise has been watching how the attendees have actively shaped the overall tenor and "feel" of the event. I look forward to seeing how the Macaroni and Cruise attendees similarly evolve and shape the event to make it uniquely their own.

Storm: Agreed with all that—it’ll be amazing to be there when everyone is meeting one another on the ship. Though to Bill’s last point, I like to think that Paul and I are at least a little bit gorgeous.

Concert Review: Raffi (New York City, April 2013)

First off, let's recap Kindiefest 2013.  I'd already got to sing with Ella Jenkins, Dan Zanes, and Elizabeth Mitchell.  I'd got to play a bunch of cool kids music videos.  I got to see the debut live performance of Underbirds.​  And I got to catch up some wonderful and interesting folks who make their living (or at least part of a living) making music for families.

So it had already been a pretty full weekend by the time Sunday rolled around.  ​And normally I would have been happy just to hang out at Kindiefest's Sunday public music festival listening to music from folks like Cat Doorman, Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band, the Terrible Twos, and more before heading to the airport to catch a flight home.

But I had an even better plan.​

​I'd get to sing with Raffi.

That's right, the venerable Canadian troubadour, the man whose 1976 album ​Singable Songs for the Very Young​ literally created the concept of the kids music genre, was performing on tour, his first significant tour in a number of years.

Now, I was never a #belugagrad, as Raffi hashtagged this tour.  I only have my #belugaGED, as someone who came to his music after having a child of my own.  And, indeed, the biggest regret I have from the show is that one or both of my kids weren't there to enjoy it with me.

Because there were lots of kids there, and they all seemed very happy to be there, even before the show started.  They were calling out "Raffi."  And, then after a brief medley of prerecorded songs, the man himself strode out onstage.

I wish I could say how long he performed; the most honest answer is that I forgot to keep track of it (though in retrospect, it was probably about 60-70 minutes).  The more poetic answer is that I just lost track, watching Raffi and his guitar (and occasional piped-in backing music) keep the audience highly entertained.  Part of that may have been his large back catalog, so that he was able to play almost nothing but familiar hits.

Part of that also had to do with Raffi's youthful nature and voice.  He looks a lot like he does from album covers -- a little older perhaps, but no 3-year-old would at all be confused by who was up there.​  And that voice!  Exactly​ like it sounded 35 years ago -- the best voice in kids music, certainly amongst the males, bar none.

I say that the kids were entertained, but for folks like me who spend a lot of time listening to kids music, I think we adults were entertained as well.  I sat next to Tim Kubart from Tim and the Space Cadets, and Taes and Nick from Splash'N Boots, and they were as thoroughly entertained as I was.​  (Even Tim's girlfriend, the non-kindie-obsessive amongst the five of us, enjoyed it.)

The tickets are not cheap and would easily run upwards of $100 for a family of four.  But if your family are big into Raffi, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to plunk down the cash if you can afford it.  The only way it could have been better would have been if he'd been able to bring Pete Seeger onstage (thereby making my weekend utterly complete, sing-along-wise).

I had the opportunity to meet Raffi after the show, but there was a long line of VIPs before us, and nervous about making my cross-country flight home, I had to miss my opportunity to thank him in person in order to catch a cab to the airport.  So consider this my public thanks to Raffi for his many years of making families laugh and sing together, at home and in concert.

Set List

The More We Get Together

Six Little Ducks

Sambalale

Apples and Bananas

Bananaphone

On Hockey Days

Yellow Submarine

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (sung by audience)

Brush Your Teeth

De Colores

Wheels on the Bus

Mister Sun

Peanut Butter and Jam (excerpt)

This Land Is Your Land

If I Had a Hammer

All I Really Need

Thanks a Lot

Baby Beluga

Shake My Sillies Out

Down by the Bay

This Little Light of Mine

Encore:

Our Home

If You’re Happy and You Know It

May There Always Be Sunshine

[Disclosure: I was provided a complimentary ticket to the show.]​

$9.99: Kindie Music Videos in the Age of YouTube

As some of you know, I recently traveled out to Brooklyn for the annual Kindiefest conference featuring kids musicians, reviewers, radio folks, and others who spend time in the world of making music for and with kids and families.  My purpose of traveling out to New York, aside from catching up in person with kindiefolk of all stripes, was to make a presentation titled "$9.99: Kindie Music Videos in the Age of YouTube."

So late Saturday afternoon, I stood in front of a very large screen and gave a very brief overview of the history of kids music videos.  I also talked a little bit about kindie music video styles and outlets.  I got to say "next slide" a lot.   (For what it's worth, you can see the Powerpoint slides here.)

But all that was really just a prelude to the opportunity to show 13 great kindie music videos from the past 5 or 6 years, videos that show the diversity of approaches, budgets, and styles available to kids music artists.  The one common denominator, I think, is that they all fully commit to telling a story, both about the song itself and the artist's overall vision.  Nobody would ever confuse Eric Herman's "The Elephant Song" and its video with Captain Bogg & Salty's "Pieces of 8ight" video, but nobody would ever say that either video isn't exactly perfect for its associated song.

I can't show you the 14th video we showed just yet -- it was the world premiere of the video for "Spicy Kid" from Lunch Money.  The video, which Molly Ledford described as being a cross between a Mentos ad and a scene from The Blues Brothers  (a spot-on description, by the way), isn't up for public consumption yet.  [Ed.: And now it is!]  Here they are.

Review: Anthems for Adventure - Tim and the Space Cadets

Tim Kubart, head of Tim and the Space Cadets, left the kindie band The Jimmies nearly years ago because he wanted to write and perform his own kids music.  Along with another Jimmies veteran, Matt Puckett, Kubart released an awesome video and 5-song EP in 2010 and slowly crafted the full-length debut, which gets released next week.

The result, Anthems for Adventure, is a big, sprawling, messy album.  I like to think of it as one of those big arena-ready albums you might have heard released in the '70s.  There are echoes of Elton John and the Eagles, mellow pop-rock for the kindie set, but there are some more indie sounds as well.  ("Bumblebee," for example, could be the shiniest song Clap Your Hands Say Yeah never wrote.)  Hand-claps and sing-along choruses (hi, there, "Superhero!"), it's an album whose songs are meant to be heard in concert.

When I say "messy," I don't mean sloppy.   I really liked the slow-building arrangement of "Endless Summer," about celebrating summer even in the midst of summer.  One of the standouts, "Upbeat/Downbeat," honors its theme of making music with a serious Motown-era groove.  And with more than a couple dozen different musicians making an appearance, there's a lot of musical firepower providing a miniature wall of sound.  My only warning is that the lyrics are very focused on the kids, celebrating their perspective (see, for example, "Double Knot," an emotional ode to an outsized pair of shoes).  Many folks will see this as an good thing -- and who could blame them? -- but if you prefer your kids music to take a more parent-inclusive approach lyrically, this probably isn't your first choice.

The album is most appropriate for kids ages 4 through 8.  You can hear some of the tracks at the band's website.  Anthems for Adventure might be the most apropos kindie album title of the year as it's filled with songs about explorations large and small, songs to be sung along with.  Tim and the Space Cadets wear their corduroy-patched heart on their sleeve; sympathetic adventurers will enjoy this spirited celebration.  Recommended.

[Disclosure: I received a copy of this album for possible review.]

Video: "2nd Grade Show" - Tim and the Space Cadets

I think most observers would agree that Tim and the Space Cadets' "Superhero" video was one of the most stunning debut videos in modern kids music -- excellent tune, great production values, fun video all around.

So I wondered whether or not the long-in-the-making second video from the band for their new song "2nd Grade Show" (off Anthems for Adventure, out January 29th) would even come close to the impact of the first video.

Question answered: yes, mostly.

I think I like "Superhero" the song more than "2nd Grade Show," but in terms of the video itself, its scope and shininess, it's every bit its predecessor's equal.  As someone who never watched the TV series Lost, I'm sure I missed 80% of the references to the show in the video, but I guess I'm proof that you (or your kids) can enjoy it even if you don't know your Hurley from your Smoke Monster.

Tim and the Space Cadets - "2nd Grade Show" [YouTube]