Hipwaders Book Trip to Sesame Street

The kindie (kids independent music) scene inspires lots of crossover.

Just looking at any of the recent spate of releases that I've reviewed show dozens of unexpectedly delightful collaborations – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo and Lunch Money, for instance.

Kindie musicians mine the mainstream for interesting selections to record, in kid-ified form. Not to mention "classic" tracks presented anew for this generation. Two CDs this year alone had different takes on "Free to Be...You and Me."

There are also the occasional cover versions of kindie songs by other artists. San Francisco's the Hipwaders are releasing a CD single featuring their take on Frances England's "The Books I Like to Read." Need another reason to buy a CD single? The "B" side is the theme from "Sesame Street."

Both tracks have been staples of the Hipwaders' live shows for several years, and now they have recorded them for posterity. It's a real treat to have them both in our possession. Matt (21 months old) immediately started singing along when he heard the opening notes of "Sesame" and did an unprompted dance. You may dance as well, if you have any child left inside.

The Hipdwaders do not play many shows on the East Coast. They were in New York for Kindiefest in 2010, but only the Saturday night "industry showcase." A part-time blogger like myself did not make the cut, alas. But we always keep our eyes on the venue calendars and who knows. The Hipwaders are worth the trip if they're appearing in your area.

The CD single will be available on October 2 through Amazon, CDBaby, iTunes, and other music retailers.