Quick Hits: Kids Imagine Nation, Tom Mason & the Blue Buccaneers

I may not be as young as I once was, but I got tired just listening to Kids Imagine Nation's new CD, TWO. Comprised of former members of to SoCal ska band Suburban Legends, the group demonstrates unlimited energy on tracks like "Monkey See Monkey Do" and "See the Sun." Not to mention taking things to another level with "Exercise," which lis literally jumping jacks and other calisthenics set to music.

Of course, the tracks themselves are pre-recorded and live performances are another thing. But the super-charged fun zone doesn't let up, and between parties and dancing (including "Luau," which is Hawaiian partying), KIN keeps audiences on their feet, even when they're heading off to "Dreamland." It's all positive, fast-moving power pop, and it's like a Disney Junior party coming from your sound system. If your kids are up for a party soundtrack, Kids Imagine Nation has TWO thoughts for you.

TWO is available on September 14 from Amazon and Apple Music.

Here is their video for the song, "The Pirate Neighbor":



Speaking of pirates, Tom Mason and the Blue Buccaneers don't just talk the talk, they walk the plank. Well, at least they sing about it. The group isn't just singing about the pirate life – they do an entire dress performance that mixes history lessons and cultural references into what defined pirates past the stereotypes that have come to define them.

IF YOU WANT TO BE A PIRATE is 10 tracks that demonstrate the lives and times of the buccaneer lifestyle. Of course, it's mostly sanitized for impressionable young minds. And the ecological message is strongly emphasized, with "Treasure Through the Trash" and "Treasure the Sea" essentially making the same point:

We brought our shipload of detritus to dispose of on dry land
But as we neared the shore we only saw more rubbish on the beach’s sand
There was paper and plastic and styrofoam
there where the swimmers should be
So we took out our rakes to correct the mistakes
of messy humanity

I'm going to steer clear of seagoing-related puns [mostly]. Judging a group strictly on their music is the task at hand. Mason and company are accomplishing a commendable achievement, in bringing the era of sea roving plundering and peril to life. IF YOU WANT TO BE A PIRATE offers a cautionary tale of blowhard-y nostalgia and equates it to treachery in the era of technology. Lest ye be warned, as the parrot flies.

IF YOU WANT TO BE A PIRATE is available from Tom Mason's website, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Here is the video for the band's song, "Talk Like A Pirate Day":