... because I'm gonna be writing a lot about the Biscuit Brothers, the awesome PBS show out of Austin, Texas, this week. If I really had my act together, I'd have the interview I did with them back in September, but that'll have to wait and you'll just have to live with some reviews.
According to their Wikipedia entry, in addition to appearing on a bunch of Texas stations, they are airing (or have aired) in North Carolina, New York, Oklahoma, Florida, Utah, Georgia, and California. If you live in an area that gets the Biscuit Brothers, and you're not already watching them, you (and your kids) are missing a great little show. (And if your local PBS station isn't showing them, write them and tell them the show is free. Free. Isn't America great?)
Austin Kid's Day, A Recap
Ah, Austin, a city I've called home (or home-away-from-home, or home-away-from-home-away-from-home) for well over twenty years.
Which means that I'm entitled to feelings of "when-the-hey-did-they-build-this-thing?," even if I was just there a couple months ago. Driving from the airport to the Glenn at the Backyard, site of the first Austin Kid's Day, held this past Labor Day weekend, I was constantly amazed at the width of the freeways and the number of power centers I passed. (Of course, this being Austin, many of those power centers are tastefully tucked in behind some trees so they're not nearly so noticeable from the road.)
I take that brief detour (metaphorically) to suggest that Austin, while it might have been able to put together a music festival 20 years ago, it certainly wasn't at the point where it might have supported a long afternoon of quality kids' music.
Oh, I Like This Poster
Seriously, doesn't that look great? I'd think it was pretty cool even if my website's name wasn't on there.
Remember, the Family Music Meltdown will be Saturday, Sept. 15th, starting at 6 PM, at Ruta Maya in Austin, Texas. Great lineup (Deedle Deedle Dees, Joe McDermott, Laura Freeman, Telephone Company), cheap tickets, it will be lots of fun.
And many, many thanks to Jay from Lunch Money for designing the poster.Austin Kiddie Limits Schedule Set
Amy Winehouse won't be there, the Paul Green School of Rock will. The schedule was always set before, but the Austin City Limits Festival (Sept. 14-16) has added some more details regarding its 2007 Austin Kiddie Limits activities. Instruments to noodle on, tattoos, dance lessons, hip-hop lessons -- lots of stuff to do.
See the complete schedule here.
Let the rumors for the "Special Guest" each day from 3:15 to 3:30 begin!
(My suggestion? The Del McCoury Band finishes their set 2:30 Friday. I think they could do a little Little Mo McCoury stuff at 3:15, no? Jack White on Saturday? Jeff Tweedy Sunday?)
Our Little Evening of Music Now Has a Name
Remember I told you that Bill and I would be hosting a really cool kids' and family music show on Saturday, Sept. 15th in Austin?
Really, with the Deedle Deedle Dees, Joe McDermott, the Telephone Company, and Laura Freeman? How could you forget?
Anyway, we have a name for the evening of music, seeing as how "Austin Kiddie Limits" and "Kidzapalooza" were already taken: the Family Music Meltdown. The title comes courtesy of Austin-area musician Mr. Leebot. (Thanks!)
And if you're gonna be in Austin that weekend, you need to join us. Well, not "need" as in you "need" air to breathe, but, y'know, it'll be lots of fun.
CD Review: Old McDonald's EIEI Radio - The Biscuit Brothers
Like many people my age, I grew up on PBS shows. Sesame Street, Electric Company, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood -- all of them great. (And so was Scooby-Doo, but that's not relevant here.) So it's been a little weird to me that the great TV kids' music show of this generation -- Jack's Big Music Show -- has never been anywhere near PBS.
Which isn't to say that PBS doesn't have a show worthy of adulation right in its own backyard, if only it would share it with the world.
My friends, meet the Biscuit Brothers. Produced in the musical city of Austin, Texas (and appearing on a few PBS stations, mostly in Texas), this show centers around the titular brothers, Buford and Dusty Biscuit, who live on, yes, Old McDonald's farm. Along with their sister Buttermilk Biscuit and Tiny Scarecrow, the funniest muppet this side of Kermit, they explore different components of music -- tempo, melody, or emotion, for example.
Want to listen for yourself? Then try their second kids album, Old McDonald's EIEI Radio, released this spring.
Lest this sound somewhat dry, let me assure you that it's not. It's rarely didactic, and the show would much rather make its point through humor, as in the classic "Chickens Playing Bongos," which features many different instruments (ferrets playing french horns, for example). The skit "Traffic Report" demonstrates the importance of conducting by illustrating what can sometimes happen without a conductor helping to orchestrate musicians' entrances and exits.
The music is pretty darn good, too. Buford and Dusty (better known to friends in Austin as Allen Robertson and Jerome Schoolar) have some fabulous Americana roots arrangements of children's classics -- "Oh, Susanna!" and "I've Been Working on the Railroad" are particularly sharp. But they don't limit themselves to Americana. Their revisionist lyrics to Jacques Offenbach's classical "Can Can" (as a how-to entitled "The Can, Can!") are a hoot and a half, while The 'All Coming 'Round the Mountain' Music Block," shows how the same song can be arranged in many different ways (one of which is, apparently, lovingly ripping off the guitar riff from the Beatles' "Daytripper"). Some of the originals are classics (the aforementiond "Chickens Playing Bongos," the snappy "Make Your Shoes Move!," which includes Tiny Scarecow's classic, "Help! I'm being chased by bees... No, that's OK, they were just bees of the mind"), while I don't think the slow songs near the end worked quite as well. Maybe if there were visuals...
