... and if you want to see it, you'll have to head over to Zooglobble's new Myspace page.
I think you'll agree that I have no future as a graphic designer.
I'd been thinking for a while about setting up a page (because, hey, I think this social networking trend might have staying power), so last month I created the account and have been slowly adding "friends," or, as I like to call them, "kids' musicians and associates I am or am not familiar with". I really don't know what I'll use the page for -- I still expect to post all the good stuff here -- but maybe I'll put that mp3 player there to good use. (And by the way, I can also host mp3s here, too.)
The number of kids' musicians on Myspace has really grown over the past year, even though, as Scribble Monster puts it, "MySpace IS NO PLACE FOR A KID! RUN TO A SAFE PLACE LIKE ScribbleTown!" Just another sign of how parents are taking a greater interest in kids' music. (Or maybe how 6-year-olds are way ahead of me when it comes to social networking.)
That Bar's Getting Longer...
Time I expanded the sidebar links. You're probably familiar with many of these, but if not, explore a bit...
Maybe you're familiar with the Fids and Kamily Awards? (OK, yeah, you probably are.) Anyway, there's a new link there. I've been tallying votes, and I'm really excited about the list.
Kids Music Sites: I've added Eric Herman's fine Cool Tunes for Kids website, on which he wears a reviewers' hat and a musician's outfit, or some other mixed metaphor like that.
Radio Shows: Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child will always be the #1 radio show around here, but in case you need a kids' music fix during the week, you can listen to Gooney Bird Kids or Loopy Moose Radio as well. I've also updated the Greasy Kid Stuff link to note their new playlist location.
Stores: Amazon and CD Baby you know about. If you're looking for a more selective list, the Land of Nod has a decent selection of kids' music online (and has the occasional podcast from artists like Justin Roberts and Dan Zanes), while the Pokey Pup has a good selection.
KidLit: You think it's hard listening to all sorts of new kids and family music from across the country? Imagine the amount of stuff that people who review literature for kids have to wade through. There are tons of sites out there, so start with Big A little a, A Fuse #8 Production, and Book Buds and start from there.
(Oh, and did you know they've got an end-of-the-year award process, too? See the Cybils for more.)
Other Stuff of General Parental Interest: I like the writing at Cynical Dad, Daddy Types, Family Man Online, and Neal Pollack's The Maelstrom. I just felt like I should goose their Google numbers ever so slightly.
Land of Dan Zodcast...
Or, rather, a new Land of Nod Nodcast Podcast, this time with Dan Zanes. The 20-minute podcast includes a new podcast theme song (Bill, why stop at They Might Be Giants?), Dan's vote for "Best Barbara Brousal Song" and "Best Instrument To Start A Family Band With," and sound effects galore.
"Part Yellow, Part Gold, All Gustafer"
News that Gustafer Yellowgold, or at least his nifty creator Morgan Taylor, has been signed to V2's new kids' imprint Little Monster Records comes amid changes at Gustafer's Myspace page.
That's right, folks, he now has 710 friends, the most important of which seem to be from "Sesame Street," primarily.
Oh, and there are a couple new tracks streaming there for your listening pleasure. "Cooler World" is sort of an introductory song, OK, but nothing special. "Birds," however, is a blast of Beatles-ian (or, if you're younger and/or hipper, XTC-ian) pop confection. ("Rocket Shoes" is also new, but has been streaming on the site for many months now.) Could "Mellow Fever" be the working title for the next DVD or CD following the rerelease of Wide Wild World?
In addition, there's an amusing video promo for Gustafer which includes news that Taylor's working on the next DVD (Have You (N)ever Been Yellow) -- which I think I knew, or maybe that was just a falling-on-cake-inspired reverie -- and an illustrated book (natch) called The Inifinity Sock, which was news to me. (Love that title, in spite of or perhaps because it makes no sense whatsoever.)
But the best part is that the first half of the video is done as if it were a preview for some awful Michael Bay flick.
"Part yellow, part gold... all Gustafer." I'm still chuckling.
In Case Justin Roberts Is Looking For Album Ideas...
Eric Herman's blog has been both consistent and consistently entertaining since its inception. All that's missing is mp3 sound clips.
Oh, wait, now he's taken care of that, too.
Eric's recent post on where ideas for some of his songs came from was a particularly fun read. The music geek in me likes to read about the process of songwriting and being a musician, and the post has that in spades (plus lots of sound clips).
If that weren't enough, the post has, without a doubt, the best Photoshop creation I'm likely to see on a kids' music-related website this year. Go there just to see the picture (and read the whole thing to figure out what it's supposed to be).
If 2005-2006 was the year of the "Wolf" bands, 2007 should be the year of the Sock album. Go for it, Eric.
Laboring To Finish This Post...
It's late, and thanks to a monsoon thunderstorm wreaking havoc with the internet connection, it's later than I wanted this to be, so I'll be brief...
First, I have two posts coming up early this week that I'm very excited about. One involves virtually no work on my part (no, that's not why I'm excited about it) and is a sequel of sorts to a prior post. The other involves quite a bit of work on my part and, well, I don't want to spoil it. Just don't miss it.
Second, I wanted to make sure I highlighted some stuff around the web I've been meaning to link to...
1. Reader Gwyneth has started a Kids in Atlanta website highlighting kids-related musical events in Atlanta. It's very thorough, and I think it's a great example of what people can do to make it easy for the public to find out about kids' musicians.
2. Reader Suzanne (I thiiiiink) Gwyneth also is now operating a "Live365" radio station entitled "Gooney Bird Radio" , playing some artists familiar to this website, along with the occasional foreign language and poetry.
3. Thanks to The Lovely Mrs. Davis, who mentioned this site to Christopher Noxon, author of Rejuvenile and its associated blog, and thanks to Noxon for noticing. (Go back to the old site, and you can find the reviews for Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang and Captain Bogg and Salty, both of which draw mention in Noxon's book. They'll get posted here soon, too. Really.) You can read Mrs. Davis' review of the book here.
And finally, thanks to both Charity and the JAMband and Joe McDermott, who both linked here recently. McDermott, incidentally, just won the Children's section of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest for "Great Big World" (no, not the Hoodwinked version) and will have a new album coming out soon.
OK, and really finally, Milkshake and Rebecca Frezza videos for PBS Kids here.
There. That oughta hold ya. Come back soon, though, I promise it'll be worth it.
