KidVid Tournament 2012: Week 2 Summary

KidVid Tournament 2012It was an even more exciting second week of action in KidVid Tournament 2012, with brackets busted everywhere. Week 3 promises more fun than you can shake a stick at, though why you'd shake a stick at fun is beyond me, because if I were fun I'd be scared of families shaking sticks at me.

Aaaanyway, Elite Eight matchups are as follows...

Woody Guthrie Region
#4 Princess Katie & Racer Steve - "Sand in My Sandwich" vs. #6 Imagination Movers - "Everybody Sing"

The winner of the Woody Guthrie Region meets the winner of the...

Ella Jenkins Region

#5 Gustafer Yellowgold "Pancake Smackdown" vs. #6 Todd McHatton - "I Think I'm a Bunny"

Leadbelly Region
#1 Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band - "Blue Bear" vs. #3 Rocknoceros - "Early Worm"

The winner of the Leadbelly Region will take on the winner of the...

Pete Seeger Region
#2 The Pop Ups - "Balloon" vs. #8 Suzi Shelton - "Tomboy in a Princess Dress"

As with last week's entries, this week's competition will place across teh Internets at many of these fine websites who can meet most if not all of your family's kids music needs.

KidVid Tournament 2012: Week 1 Summary

It was an exciting first week of action in KidVid Tournament 2012 and week 2 will be even more exciting. (I hope.) Without any further ado, the 2nd Round matchups are as follows...

Woody Guthrie Region
#1 Elizabeth Mitchell - "Ong Tal Sam" vs. #4 Princess Katie & Racer Steve - "Sand in My Sandwich"
#2 Dog on Fleas - "Do You Wanna Know My New Dance Step?" vs. #6 Imagination Movers - "Everybody Sing"

The winner of the Woody Guthrie Region meets the winner of the...

Ella Jenkins Region

#1 Caspar Babypants - "Mister Rabbit" vs. #5 Gustafer Yellowgold "Pancake Smackdown"
#2 Renee & Jeremy - "Share" vs. #6 Todd McHatton - "I Think I'm a Bunny"

Leadbelly Region
#1 Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band - "Blue Bear" vs. #5 Beethoven's Wig - "My Little Chicken"
#2 The Not-Its! - "First Kid in Outer Space" vs. #3 Rocknoceros - "Early Worm"

The winner of the Leadbelly Region will take on the winner of the...

Pete Seeger Region
#4 Brady Rymer - "Love Me For Who I Am" vs. #8 Suzi Shelton - "Tomboy in a Princess Dress"
#2 The Pop Ups - "Balloon" vs. #3 Rabbit! - "Magic"

As with last week's entries, this week's competition will place across teh Internets at these fine locales. Really, you should familiarize yourself with each and every one of 'em!

Finally, I'd just like to say thanks to all of you for not entering the official tournament pool. My faith in humanity -- for not entering a silly pool for a silly tournament -- is maintained.

A Brief Comparison of Kids Music Videos Featuring Ninjas

In one corner, the Imagination Movers. The other, Koo Koo Kanga Roo. They will fight each other to the death.

Or... maybe not.

In any case, the Imagination Movers recently released their second video off their Rock-O-Matic disk (and DVD), for the song "Dance Kung Fu." Let's compare it to Koo Koo Kanga Roo's "Ninja Training" off the band's 2011 Midnight Slushie EP.

Itty-Bitty Review: Rock-O-Matic - Imagination Movers

It took me a little while to appreciate the Imagination Movers -- in their early, pre-Disney years, I didn't hear anything particularly special in their music. Not bad, by any means, just nothing... noteworthy. But writing songs for your TV show -- constantly -- and playing live shows -- constantly -- will hone your songwriting chops, and their new, post-Disney album Rock-O-Matic bears the fruit of all that hard work. There are some kids musicians who attempt to map out the interior life of a child. The Imagination Movers are not those musicians. They instead write silly songs about goofy dance moves ("Dance Kung Fu," the album opener) or shiny pop-rockers about going to outer space ("Blast Off"). Or perhaps they write songs that will sound good when they play in front of audiences of 1,500 people or more (the dancehall of "Everybody Sing" or the Queen stomp of the title track). There are plenty of songs here that sound pretty good coming out of the minivan speakers and will sound even better in concert. (A couple more favorites: "Rain Rain," which neatly weaves "Rain rain go away" into a Movers original tune, and "Little Red Wagon".) For the most part the 43-minute album will resonate with kids ages 4 through 7 (though a couple songs, like "Buckle Me In" aim at a younger crowd). In addition to the CD, the album also comes packaged with a 30-minute DVD that mixes silly comedic interludes (a la Monty Python or The Muppet Show, though nowhere near as brilliant) in between videos, some of which ("Little Red Wagon," "Blast Off") are very, very good. Longtime Imagination Movers fans will certainly not be disappointed by Rock-O-Matic, the band's best album yet. But even families who spend their kids music time in independent waters should find quite a bit to enjoy on the disk. The Movers have earned their success with a keen eye (and ear) toward pleasing family audiences of all ages and Rock-O-Matic offers willing listeners a generous portion of kid-pop confections. Recommended. Disclosure: I received a copy of the album for possible review. I also was asked to World Premiere the band's video for "Everybody Sing."

Video: "Everybody Sing" - Imagination Movers (World Premiere)

“Reach high, think big, work hard, have fun!” This is probably imprinted in the brains of probably millions of kids and their parents. It's the motto of New Orleans' Imagination Movers, and as mottoes (and band jingles) go, it's a pretty darn good one. The band's popularity is due in no small part to their Disney Junior series (and, yes, new episodes are coming in 2012), but anybody's who seem 'em live (even folks like me who weren't in their target audience) will testify to the fact that they're going to have a career long after they stop making music and video for the Mouse. In fact, in 2011, they signed a deal with Razor & Tie, and next month -- February 14, to be exact -- Razor + Tie will release the band's new CD/DVD Rock-O-Matic. I've listened to a lot of the album, and I can guarantee a few tracks will be concert favorites. Luckily, the band's embarking on an 80-date concert tour starting in early March (details here) so you'll have plenty of opportunities to put my guarantee to the test. The album was made available for pre-orders yesterday; besides the CD, it also includes a DVD, which the Movers promise includes "skits that recall old-school Movers comedy heroes like Monty Python and the Monkees" and more. But perhaps you'd like to hear one of those new songs before February 14? Well, then, I'm proud to present the world premiere of one of those instant concert classics, "Everybody Sing." I apologize in advance for getting this stuck in your brain for the rest of the day. Imagination Movers - "Everybody Sing" [YouTube]

Photo credit: Adams Photography

Interview: Dave Poche (Imagination Movers)

Ever since the Louisiana band Imagination Movers has had their own show on Disney (the favorite show of the Official Nephew of Zooglobble, I might add), the visibility of the high-energy jumpsuited band has grown exponentially. While up to now they've been producing the series in Louisiana, this fall they're embarking on their first national tour, helping to solve idea emergencies in a city near you. We had the chance to catch up with red-hatted bassist Dave Poche as he was getting breakfast while on tour in Paducah, Kentucky. We talked about his musical influences, the genesis of the band, the status of lunches with his wife during filming of the TV show, and the one bad thing about being on tour. Zooglobble: What were your early musical memories growing up? Dave Poche: When I was very young, I had a Credence Clearwater Revival cassette, and of course a Beatles tape -- that was the first of my own music. I also liked Schoolhouse Rock. And I was really part of the early MTV generation. As for when I was older... Rich had been involved in music for a long time and Scott sang in college. But I only had picked up the bass when I was 20 or 21. And when we formed the band, we needed somebody to play bass, so I started again. This project sparked a lot of creativity. My father was in the LSU marching band, so I guess it just took thirty years to tap into [that creativity]. What was the spark for starting the Movers?