Animal Farm-Friendly Formidable Vegetable (World Premiere Video)

Didya notice things have been kind of strange for the past year-plus? When the pandemic hit, Animal Farm decided to release a new video for their song "It Always Could Be Worse." Experts ascertained that COVID-19 was going to be bad, really bad. The Animal Farm guys felt the tune, from 2018's We Are One, hit just the right mark – reminding kids that their situations are rarely unique, and look inconsequential in the larger picture. The video (below) was directed by Charlie Malave of Chicago's Mucca Pazza and pitches the whimsical refrain, "Try an attitude of gratitude, it's really not that hard."

Whether or not the world ready for ecologically-friendly electro-funk and swing, it's already here. That distinctive sound is delivered by Australia's own Formidable Vegetable, the first band so environmentally-aware that they refused a slot at the Gastonbury Festival, concerned about their impact on the surrounding area. Their upcoming six-song EP, GARBAGE GUTS, is their first on the new children's music label 8 Pound Gorilla Records.

The self-proclaimed globetrotting troubadour Charlie Mgee realized a decade ago that music is one of the best tools for bringing about cultural change. Charlie dedication to "pop with purpose" has directed him to compose tunes on his ukulele that address climate change, food security, and regenerative sustainable living (got that?).

There's enough Fishbone in "Shoogieman" (about sweets and sugary snack foods) to offend vegans. "Fonky Food" signs the praises of fermentation. Their video and single “Get a Goat” is the dance-tastic "when animals rule the world" anthem. "There's No Such Thing As Waste" breaks down how "waste is stuff in the wrong place" and how people should all do their part as global citizens. “Our Street” gives a Dixieland tinge to the concept of a neighborhood fully invested in growing food, raising produce, and reusing and recycling, complete with some Cab Calloway scat singing:

Milk and honey, vegetables, so many tasty treats
It's all right here, growing on our street

I don't want to draw "ok boomer" chants – Formidable Vegetable has grown and sustained a well-earned fan base in 20 countries and seeks to bring the United States into the fold under the current EPA-friendly administration. Support their cause by downloading digitally and giving a green grin.

GARBAGE GUTS is available from Formidable Vegetable's website, Amazon, Spotify, Deezer, and Apple Music.

Here is the world premiere of the video for the new song, "There's No Such Thing As Waste":

There's No Harm to Fear, Animal Farm In Your Ears

Sometimes the teaching doesn't stop when the school bell rings. Among the children's music acts comprised of former or active schoolteachers is Chicago-based Animal Farm, who have released their second CD, WE ARE ONE.

The band played live for several years in the Boston area, only to see founding member Seth Adams move to Chicago in 2012. Cofounder David Ladon found himself in the Windy City the following year, fortuitously allowing the band to reform, regroup, and re-strategize with new management. With savvy boardwork by renowned producer Mike Hagler (Wilco), Animal Farm roams free range with its genre-jumping brand of kid's music.

Animal Farm's musical stylings cannot be criticized too harshly (their target audience tops out at 9 years old) and they are laser-focused on merging the concepts of fun, music, and animals. It's the third factor that gives them an individual identity but also pigeonholes Animal Farm – they are the kids' band that sings animal songs. Nice concept for a CD or two, but can they consistently generate engaging, affable, original music?

WE ARE ONE checks off all the boxes – creatures of all persuasions make their way the CD's 14 tracks. "Snow Bird" is about a traveling penguin. "Awesome Possum" is pretty self-explanatory. And the Broadway show tune "It Always Could Be Worse" opines "Don't complain about a sore throat, you could be a giraffe."

There are a few head-scratchers, although perhaps they work better during their live show. "Two-Headed Tortoise" is the odd tale of Pat and Mort, who learn(s?) to cooperate in less than three minutes of song. "Ear Worm" uses an actual shiver-inducing creature and turns it into a song, literally:

I woke up with a tickle in my ear
A squirmy melody that would not disappear 
And that itch won't be denied
I couldn't scratch it if I tried
I'll sing it for a day or three or four forever more

In these troubling times, our government threatens to devolve into an actual living, breathing animal farm. This more genial Animal Farm pledges to bring together man and mammal, vertebrates and inveterate MAGA hat-wearers. WE ARE ONE declares "we are part of one community, reaching far and wide." They may not want to admit it, but Animal Farm is tilling for democracy on WE ARE ONE.

WE ARE ONE is available on August 24 from Animal Farm's website, Soundcloud, and Bandcamp.

Here is the video for the band's song, "Slow Down":

Can't Keep 'em Down on Animal Farm

Teachers who make music. Where have I heard that concept before? It's practically a nationwide epidemic, although that might be the wrong word. I should probably say worldwide epidemic. It was only last month that I wrote about the Montana-based educators behind the Whizpops. And if you're into kindie music yet you don't know the backstory for the school teachers in Recess Monkey, please click on their link and come back in a few minutes. I'll wait.

Now comes RUN FREE, the debut CD from Animal Farm. The band played live for several years in the Boston area, only to see founding member Seth Adams move to Chicago in 2012. Cofounder David Ladon found himself in the Windy City the following year, fortuitously allowing the band to reform, regroup, and re-strategize with new management. With savvy boardwork by renowned producer Mike Hagler (Wilco),  Animal Farm is finally ready to roam free range with its genre-jumping brand of kid's music.

Animal Farm (insert your own George Orwell joke here) uses RUN FREE to bring eight initial songs to the spotlight. "When Pigs Fly" is a power-pop ballad complete with conditions from the air traffic controller. There's a countrified "Vegetarian Spider," a South African/world music-infused "The Hippo Song," and they use the metaphor of physical growing pains for the snake-infested "Shed Your Skin":

Everybody's got something they eventually outgrew,
Everybody gotta shed a skin or two.
Because it's out with the old and in with the new,
Everybody's gotta shed a skin or two.

I feel a certain kinship with Hagler, who worked as a parts manager at a car dealership before getting into music. With a day job at a software company, who knew that one day I would reviewing children's music at a prodigious clip? Many kindie acts find themselves in the same position – it starts as a side project or develops after putting together a simple act for a birthday party. it's fun, it's infectious, and to paraphrase the catchy Pringle's slogan, betcha can't do it just once.

Time will tell if distance will divide Animal Farm once more. Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke produced a stellar Animal Kingdom CD last year and numerous other artists circle the terrain. Geography works to their advantage, as I have yet to be inundated with CDs from other Chicago-area kindie musicians. You can play some samples for your kids here. Party down with your children like it's 1984 with Animal Farm (sorry, couldn't help myself).

RUN FREE is available on Animal Farm's website, BandCamp, and CDBABY.

Here is a live performance of the band playing their song, "Glitter Bug":