Literally, hipwaders are fishing pants. Figuratively and rhetorically, how much fun can you have with hipwaders? Going by the musical model, Bay Area-based The Hipwaders provide a whole CD's worth of family fun with their fifth release, The Golden State.
Billed as a celebration of their home state, The Golden State illustrates the (many) charms and warmer climate on the West Coast. Most descriptively, in the verses and chorus of "Come to California:"
Just south of Monterey you’ll find Big Sur
Chaparral covered hills & Santa Lucia Fir
California Condors soar above
Sunsets over the ocean inspire love
Get your family on the road and leave tonight
Come to California kids take this advice
It’s not a TV show but real life
Come to California kids and kick it right
Led by Tito Uquillas, the Hipwaders have been recording and performing music for four years. In that time, they have also released four earlier CDs and been heard on SiriusXM's Kids Place and childrens' music shows such as Spare the Rock. As with many childrens' artists, our first exposure to the band was through the STR podcast. Ben enjoyed "Art Car" and "Bonobo Joe and the Voodoo Queen." His excitement was (slightly) diminished when I explained that, due to their West Coast home base, we would NOT be adding them to our live concert experiences any time soon. But he remained a big fan and continues to add their songs to his morning playlists.
You and your kids will rock with the Hipwaders. And what is it with the West Coast and harmonies? There's a Beach Boys style a capella break in the middle of "Hey, Josie!" as well as "bop bop" backup vocals in "Bubble Machine PSA." And the kids can learn a lesson while dancing to "Wrong Thing."
I've stated before that kids have pretty good BS barometers. The Hipwaders project a happy, healthy, unforced, kid-friendly attitude. You can enjoy the lyrics and melodies and trust that they came from - and succeed with - the best of intentions. I particularly enjoyed the apparent ode to new fatherhood, "So, You're A Boy:"
We know at first you’ll be unemployed
But it’s our job to care for you
And you’re tax deductible, too
That puts you right ahead of the cats
And even Mommy can’t quite match that
The Hipwaders celebrate the shared community that music creates, whether it's schoolmates or neighbors, but mainly with family. Grab yourself some Hipwaders and wade into the deep water. Whet your kids' appetite with some wholesome tunes. You might enjoy the trip to California...without having to go through a metal detector at the airport, too!
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