Video: "Pan Dulce" - The Lucky Band (World Premiere!)

When I talked about The Lucky Band’s brand new name and forthcoming album Buenos Diaz last week, I noted that “if [the song] ‘Pan Dulce’ doesn’t cause you to dance enough to burn off the calories gained by eating one of the Mexican pastries the song celebrates, I’ll be very surprised.”

Evidently I wasn’t the only one who could identify a breakout pop hit a mile away, because NPR’s Alt Latino also plucked out the track for inclusion on its latest Spotify playlist. (You can listen to the song directly here.)

But me? I’ve got the world premiere video for the song. A lyric video that features The Lucky Band’s Lucky Diaz and Alisha Gaddis playing a slick guitar and hamming it up while wearing the most silver-y of outfits. Guaranteed to bring you joy, I’m sure of it.

The Lucky Band - “Pan Dulce” [YouTube]

Video: "Zui Zui Zukkorobashi" - Elena Moon Park and Friends (World Premiere!)

It's been a while since Elena Moon Park released Rabbit Days and Dumplings, her all-ages album featuring East Asian songs from a variety of cultures and languages -- about six years, in fact.  I know, it surprised me, too!  It seems much more recent in my memory.

Like all of us, Park's been busy in the interim -- one of her current gigs is serving as the Artistic Director of Found Sound Nation -- but she's not done yet with her Rabbit Days music, as indicated by the existence of this Brand. New. Video!

The video is for "Zui Zui Zukkorobashi," a Japanese-language nonsense song featuring a very hungry mouse.  The animated lyric video from Jordan Young at Fort Psych captures the absurdity of the lyrics and the ever-increasing klezmer-with-a-touch-of-surf-guitar energy of the music.  (The latter comes courtesy of Joachim Badenhorst on clarinet and Dan Zanes on guitar.)

I still think of Rabbit Days and Dumplings fondly, glad of its existence, and I'm happy that Park is still finding ways to share its music with the world.  I'm also happy that we get to world-premiere the video here -- enjoy!

Elena Moon Park - "Zui Zui Zukkorobashi" [YouTube]

Video: "Paletero Man" - Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band

Made in L.A. album cover

There's nothing not to like about the first single from the brand-new Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band album Made in L.A.  "Paletero Man" is every bit as refreshing as the ice cream popsicles the paletero man sells to "todo los chiquillos."

The song's now got a snappy new lyric video featuring art from longtime Diaz collaborator Micah Player, one more reason for the song to lodge in your brain.

By the way, I know the album is called Made in L.A., but if you happen to find yourself in the Phoenix area, I definitely recommend Paletas Betty for all your paletas needs.

Anyway, enjoy!

Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band - "Paletero Man" [YouTube]

Video: "OK Toilet Bowl" - StevenSteven

I am Team Kids Music Is Generally Better When It's Not Educational.

But I am also Team StevenSteven.

So, when presented with "OK Toilet Bowl," from the duo's fine debut album Foreverywhere, I am conflicted.  On the one hand, it's a song encouraging kids to poop in the toilet -- there's little in terms of subject matter that could be more "educational for kids."

On the other hand... it's just such an awesome song.  And when the video features a cheesy '70s-style game show lyric video to go along with the cheesy vibe of the song, Steve Burns in a 'fro out to here, and its own dance move to rival the Macarena, I guess I'm sunk.  Team StevenSteven all the way, I guess.

StevenSteven - "OK Toilet Bowl" [YouTube]

Video: "Vegetables" - Rabbit!

The Golden Carrot album cover

It's been a case of long-time-no-hear for the band Rabbit!  They released the kid-friendly album Connect the Dots in 2010, another EP called The Hopscotch EP the next year along with a cute video for their song "Magic."  

They took a hiatus for a few years starting in 2012, but now they're back with a brand new EP called The Golden Carrot EP.  The 5-song EP is out on March 21st and for the most part, the music is hook-y, bubbly pop that nobody would think was "kids music" unless somebody put it in that box for them.

One track, though, definitely has a younger audience in mind, and that's "Vegetables."  While regular readers will know that I'm not a big fan of "educational" music, but just as a well-prepared dish of veggies will get kids to eat foods they need, if the song's catchy and has a sing-along chorus, you can sing about just about anything.  That's the case here, and with doctor/rapper ZDoggMD adding vocals and a cute lyric video bursting with color and energy, I think kids will want at least one serving.  Maybe more.

Rabbit! - "Vegetables" [YouTube]

Video: "Piñata Attack" - Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band

I don't think "Piñata Attack" was specifically written as a Halloween song, but between candy theme and Lucky Diaz' slinky surf guitar line, releasing a video for the song (from Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band's Adelante album) around Halloween seems... appropriate.

If it makes you feel any better, the fact that it's a lyric ("letra") video should give some substance to the empty candy calories, right?

Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band - "Piñata Attack" [YouTube]