Listen To This - "Just Another Finger" - Mista Cookie Jar [World Premiere!]

Sometimes people need some simple entertainment to take their minds off - ahem - more weighty topics. Those weighty topics are suuuuper important, but if we don’t take an opportunity to enjoy ourselves, even for 3 minutes at a time.

Or even just 2 minutes and 48 seconds. That’s the length of the latest release from the steadiest of kids’ musicians, Mista Cookie Jar. It’s a new-yet-old track from the SoCal troubadour — “Just Another Finger” was originally a Dog on Fleas track, but a few years ago MCJ and Dog on Fleas’ ringmaster Dean Jones combined to produce a most righteous mashup. In terms of social importance, an ode to the noble thumb might not be the highest on the list, but a little silliness can be just the trick, even if only for a little while. Dance a bit, if you can, to this release, out today on all the various digital places. Let your fingers (and/or your thumb) take you there…

Mista Cookie Jar - “Just Another Finger” [Bandcamp]

<a href="http://mistacookiejar.bandcamp.com/track/just-another-finger-2">Just Another Finger by Mista Cookie Jar</a>

Listen To This: "Halo-Halo" - Mista Cookie Jar feat. Little Miss Ann (World Premiere!)

Cover to “Halo-Halo” single by Mista Cookie Jar and Little Miss Ann

I am new to the world of Filipino ice cream, but I had some Magnolia guava ice cream a few months back and was so wowed that I threw in a gratuitous reference to halo-halo, a Filipino ice cream treat that’s like an ice cream sundae with ALL the toppings, into a post featuring a song by Mista Cookie Jar and Secret Agent 23 Skidoo.

Fast forward 6 months, Trader Joe’s briefly had some awesome ube ice cream in their stores, and so it feels appropriate that Mista Cookie Jar is back, teaming up with Little Miss Ann to give the world an entire song about halo-halo, the dessert treat commonly served with a scoop of ube ice cream on top.

Both artists have Filipino ancestry, and in talking about the song, they both mentioned excitement about being able to share the treat with their families as restaurants like Jollibee and more locally-based places make inroads into America.

Most tracks featuring Mista Cookie Jar don’t bother limiting themselves with one genre, and this track, written by both artists, has a gentle folk vibe with some hip-hop swirled into the mix. In its mellow, mixed-up way, it’s a little scoop of halo-halo for the ears. I’m super glad to be world-premiering the track here today. It’s available in all the places you get your digital music, including via the link below.

Little Miss Ann and Mista Cookie Jar - “Halo-Halo” [Bandcamp]

<a href="http://mistacookiejar.bandcamp.com/track/halo-halo">Halo-Halo by Mista Cookie Jar ft. Little Miss Ann</a>

Listen To This: "Rock This World (feat. Secret Agent 23 Skidoo)" [World Premiere!]

Wednesday is always a good day for new music, especially from Mista Cookie Jar. MCJ’s music blends all sorts of genres together and his first 2019 release shows that he’s not changing that approach now. “Rock This World” mixes some EDM, some trap (without the darker undertones), and Mista Cookie Jar’s characteristically revved-up optimism into a song perfect for celebrating anyone who needs a little celebrating. And if that’s not enough, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo throws in a verse, the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae (or the scoop of ube ice cream on top of the halo halo).

I’m happy to be world-premiering this track. Listen below or wherever you and your family jam to digital music.

Mista Cookie Jar (feat. Secret Agent 23 Skidoo) - “Rock This World” [Bandcamp]

<a href="http://mistacookiejar.bandcamp.com/track/rock-this-world-ft-secret-agent-23-skidoo">Rock This World (ft. Secret Agent 23 Skidoo) by Mista Cookie Jar</a>

Listen To This: "Free Bubbles" - Mista Cookie Jar (feat. Father Goose!)

Good to have Mista Cookie Jar back to offer us more kindie music from about 15 minutes in the future. This brand new track "Free Bubbles" might make you feel a little irie, thanks to two of the most positive kids musicians -- that's saying something in this genre. It's the L.A.-based MCJ himself, teaming up with his New York-based cross-country doppelganger Father Goose.

There's a little more (OK, a lot more) Auto-Tune on this track celebrating free bubbles (soap bubbles, but also more metaphorical bubbles) than Father Goose probably experiences when he plays with frequent collaborator Dan Zanes, but that's just the way that Mista Cookie Jar rolls.

Now, you may have already heard this song getting some airplay on your favorite radio/satellite radio/podcast, for a limited time, starting this first day of summer, you can download the track for name-your-own-price (including free!). Just follow the link below, and even if you stumble upon this later this summer or the midst of winter, give it a spin for more summertime vibes.

<a href="http://mistacookiejar.bandcamp.com/track/free-bubbles">Free Bubbles by Mista Cookie Jar (ft. Father Goose Music)</a>

Video: "The Quest for the Missing Polka-Dotted Pink Sock" - Mista Cookie Jar (World Premiere!)

It's a new video for Black Friday from Mista Cookie Jar! Now, I can hear you thinking, "Why would a song about a missing sock be the basis for a Black Friday-themed video?" Well, that's because the song got its first life as a premiere on K. Bell Socks. And not that I'm going to shill for socks, but socks are both stocking stuffers and stockings, so there is a certain seasonal appropriateness to the subject.

More importantly, like most of MCJ's work, it's great fun to listen to and dance to. And, in the case of this World Premiere, watch... to. Or something like that. Enjoy!

Mista Cookie Jar - "The Quest for the Missing Polka-Dotted Pink Sock" [YouTube]

Radio Playlist: New Music October 2017

With the onset of fall comes the close of a Grammy eligibility window, so there are usually a bunch of releases up through September 30, then a bit of radio silence (so to speak). I've got 35 minutes worth of that early fall rush of songs in this month's new music playlist. (Feel free to check out the September list here if you missed it.)

As always, these Spotify playlists are limited in that if an artist hasn't chosen to post a song on Spotify, I can't put it on the list, nor can I feature songs from as-yet-unreleased albums. But I'm always keeping stuff in reserve for the next Spotify playlist.

Check out the list here (or right here in you're in Spotify).

**** New Music October 2017 (October 2017 Kindie Playlist) ****

"Wake Up!" - Brendan Parker

"Daddy's Beard" - Josh Lovelace

"Don't Let the Boogah Bug You Out" - Lard Dog & the Band of Shy

"Elephant in My Room" - Phredd

"Telephone - Dance Remix" - "The Laurie Berkner Band

"Amor Es Lo Que Siento Por Ti (Para Mama') - Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer

"Taken Over by Robots" - The Dilly Dallies

"The Quest for the Missing Polka-Dotted Pink Sock" - Mista Cookie Jar

"Better Than You Know" - twinkle

"El Coqui / The Frog" - Mister G

"Go Well and Peace Be with You (Hambani Kahle)" - Ladysmith Black Mambazo