Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Stars – Ants Ants Ants
Only One for Me – Danny Weinkauf
Relive This Song Again – Greg Lato
Truth (ft. Kelli Welli, Mo Phillips, Saul Paul) – Aaron Nigel Smith & Red Yarn
Superpowers – Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could
When February Comes – Justin Roberts
I'm an Optimist – Dog On Fleas

Ben's Playlist - Monday, June 27, 2022

Winter Bird / When Winter Comes – Paul McCartney
Lullaby for Quinn (Piano Version) – Danny Weinkauf
It Might Be Time – Tame Impala
Buenos Dias – The Lucky Band
Village d'Ãtoile – Dog On Fleas
Lazy Boy – Franz Ferdinand
Never Be Alone (ft. Rissi Palmer) – Aaron Nigel Smith, Red Yarn

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, June 21, 2022

The Kiss Of Venus – Paul McCartney
Jake and Shoogie – Danny Weinkauf
Village d'Ãtoile – Dog On Fleas
Park Song – The Zing Zangs
Mix It Up – Aaron Nigel Smith & Red Yarn
It's A Wonderful Life – Kepi Ghoulie
Lo/Hi – The Black Keys

Weinkauf Wakes Up With Lullabies

The return of live music has come with some unintended circumstances. They Might Be Giants' bassist Danny Weinkauf looked forward to the resumption of the band's delayed world tour, which finally got underway earlier this month. The tour lasted exactly one show – after which founding member John Flansburgh got into a car service for a ride home, and wound up in the hospital with multiple broken and fractured ribs. 

With the TMBG tour on hold, Weinkauf decided to expedite the release of LULLABIES, a seven-track EP featuring death metal... no, what do you think is in a children's music collection? The lush, laidback tracks include the father-to-child love song, "Reason For It All," which reminds us that "within your love, there's a reason for [everything]" and "Only One for Me" about wishing on a star.

Red Pants Band member Tina Kenny Jones provides vocals on the wistful "When We Fall Asleep (Anything Can Be)" and family members Michelle and Kai guest on  "Toy Town" and the Twin Peaks-esque "Counting Sheep," which sounds like an Angelo Badalamenti experiment. Sadness over a friend moving away is the main concern of the somber tone of "Toy Town," and there isn't much of a resolution. But kids are resilient and come to realize that there are times when we're just sad and that's the way things have to be.

LULLABIES constitutes a curio in the recording discography of Weinkauf (and his Red Pants Band compatriots). But it's an unexpected, dreamy pit stop in what must feel like a frustrating nightmare for an active musician about to embark on a full year's worth of live performances. Small wonder that Weinkauf wants to wake up in a brand new day – and take your kids along with him.

LULLABIES is available from Danny Weinkauf's website, Amazon, Apple Music, and Spotify.

Here is the video for his song, "Champion of the Spelling Bee":

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Counting Sheep – Danny Weinkauf
Shine A Little Light – The Black Keys
I Spy – Ants Ants Ants
It's a Miracle – Dog On Fleas
Taco Tuesday – The Lucky Band
Who, What, When, Where, Why – The Bazillions
Brothers & Sisters – Aaron Nigel Smith & Red Yarn

Dinosaurs, Danny Weinkauf at LICM This Weekend

Remember the Syd Hoff story, "Danny and the Dinosaur"? The kid would sure enjoy the Long Island Childrens' Museum's (LICM) new exhibit, "Age of the Dinosaurs," opening this weekend. 

To celebrate the event, the LICM in Garden City has invited Danny Weinkauf and his Red Pants Band for a pair of performances on Sunday, January 23 (11:30 am and 2 pm). Due to pandemic social distancing, advance tickets are advised. You can purchase them from LICM by clicking here.

If you're not familiar with Danny Weinkauf, he's the bassist for a bunch of newcomers called The Might Be Giants and has released a full hand's worth of his own CDs for kids. Expect to hear science-oriented tunes like "I Am A Paleontologist" and "Dinosaurs on Roller Skates" (which fits the theme but is not completely jurassic-truthful).

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

New Danny Weinkauf Video; Best of Sharon, Lois & Bram

Danny Weinkauf and the Red Pants Band have a new video for "Nouns," a song from their most recent collection, WORDS. Proper language and word usage is the theme of the CD, giving it cachet into the education system (which Danny first accomplished as the bassist for They Might Be Giants on their kid-friendly "Here Come..." series of releases). On "Nouns," Danny shares vocals with bandmate Tina Kenny Jones, his wife Michelle and son Kai. And yes, their names are all proper nouns, as explained in the tune. The video was directed and animated by David Cowles, who also designed the video with Richard Nickel (assisted by Jeremy Galante).

WORDS is available from Danny Weinkauf's website, Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music. 

Here is the video for "Nouns":

Americans had Mr. Rogers. Canadians had Sharon, Lois and Bram. Contemporary musician Josh Lovelace has cited their works as influential on his family recordings, as their first CBC kids' program "The Elephant Show" was carried on American television on Nickelodeon through 1996. A followup show, "Skinnamarink TV," also reached American shores on the Learning Channel until 1999.

The popular children's musical trio unfortunately became a duo in 2000 when Lois Lilenstein retired from full-time performing after the death of her husband. Sharon and Bram soldiered on, with Lois appearing occasionally. They are still active, even after Lois passed in 2015. Now the full trio is being revisited with a greatest hits collection called BEST OF THE BEST LIVE.

The CD is filled with chestnuts such as "Old King Cole," "The Hucklebuck" (familiar to most fans of the Honeymooners), and "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?" You also get a taste of some songs with what would be considered risque titles nowadays, for example "Dirty Old Bill," "I Am Slowly Going Crazy," and "Jack Was Every Inch a Sailor."

BEST OF THE BEST LIVE is a mellow beginner's introduction to Sharon, Lois, and Bram and a certain treat for nostalgia fans. Sharon now tours with her daughter, Randi Hampson (joined occasionally by Bram) and look forward to getting back on the road to entertain Canadian audiences.

BEST OF THE BEST LIVE is available through Sharon, Lois, and Bram's website, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Here is a video of the trio performing, "Skinnamarink":

Have Words With Weinkauf's Red Pants Band

Danny Weinkauf and the Red Pants Band would like to have a few words with you and your family. In fact, they'd like to share a whole album of WORDS. If Danny seems obsessed with the language, that stems from more than 20 years working with special needs children. Communication opens many doors and is an enormous challenge for children on the spectrum, which presented an educational opportunity for Danny and bandmates Tina Kenny Jones, Steve Plesnarski, and Russ Jones.

WORDS is the snappy sixth set from the sartorially selective syndicate. The previous sentence is a tongue twister, the subject of an infectious same-named tune on this collection from kids label 8 Pound Gorilla Records. Over the course of 11 tracks, the band also looks at the origins of words ("Etymology" featuring Danny's son Kai on vocals), using repetition of similar-sounding words ("Alliteration"), and why spelling is important ("Silent Letters"). Prime offenders in the lyrics include the "T" in tsunami and "P" in pterodactyl. 

On "Hyperbole," Danny demonstrates how exaggeration can emphasize your point but also blow things out of proportion from reality, such as the following examples:

My girlfriend’s name is Shelly she’s as sharp as a pin
She’s skinny as a toothpick and as fast as the wind
She lugs around her backpack - man, that thing weighs a ton
But reading Harry Potter makes her shine like the sun

Aside from his composing work, Danny has played bass for They Might Be Giants since 1998 (the longest band tenure other than the two founding Johns). TMBG dipped their toes into children's music (recording five CDs and winning one Grammy award). Danny's tracks on those albums motivated him to expand his presence in the genre, earning him and the Red Pants Band airplay on Spare the Rock (kid's music podcast) and SiriusXM's Kids Place Live.

Danny's dedication to increasing the art of communication led to the cultivation of the "Words Project,"  a collaboration of 25 animators across six countries sharing the common goal on showing the impact of words and how they affect the society around us, both locally and globally. WORDS is a bouncy, brisk journey that takes less than 30 minutes to complete, even with an updated version of "Champion of the Spelling Bee" featuring Tina on lead vocals. The video from the group (directed by Eric Kreidler and Mike Owens) recently made its debut (see below). Parents and educators alike may now sagely distribute their words as well as share jaunty, upbeat WORDS songs for young listeners.

WORDS is available from Danny Weinkauf's website, Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Here is the new video for "Hyperbole":

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, August 11, 2021

The Moment – Tame Impala
Now is the Moment – Alison Faith Levy
Plates Spinning – Jack Forman
One Of The Boys – Huey Lewis & The News
Super Bookman Dude – Danny Weinkauf and the Red Pants Band
Lo/Hi – The Black Keys

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, August 10, 2021

'Cause I'm A Man – Tame Impala
Have You Ever – Brandi Carlile
Remind Me Why I Love You Again – Huey Lewis & The News
The Gift – Alison Faith Levy
Loving & Kind – Aaron Nigel Smith
No Parking – Jack Forman
Speaking of Adverbs – Danny Weinkauf and the Red Pants Band

Ben's Playlist - Monday, August 9, 2021

I Am There For You – Huey Lewis & The News
My Song – Brandi Carlile
Canopy – Alison Faith Levy
Silent Letters – Danny Weinkauf and the Red Pants Band
White Whale – Kepi Ghoulie
It's a Mystery – Jack Forman

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, August 5, 2021

Reality In Motion – Tame Impala
Draw – Alison Faith Levy
Shine A Little Light – The Black Keys
Nouns – Danny Weinkauf and the Red Pants Band
Doppelganger – Dog On Fleas
El Corazon – The Lucky Band
Hanukktopus – Jack Forman

Ben's Playlist - Monday, August 2, 2021

The Story – Brandi Carlile
Hyperbole – Danny Weinkauf and the Red Pants Band
Putting It Back Together – Alison Faith Levy
Go – The Black Keys
Good Things – Jack Forman
Village d'Ãtoile – Dog On Fleas

Ben's Playlist - Monday, July 26, 2021

Helicopter Leaves – Ants Ants Ants
Finally – Franz Ferdinand
You Are Magic – Alison Faith Levy
Etymology – Danny Weinkauf and the Red Pants Band
I'm an Optimist – Dog On Fleas
Taco Tuesday – The Lucky Band
Goin For a Walk – Jack Forman

Itty Bitty Beats' Bubble Up, Red Pants Band's Worldly Words

Public funding for the arts was imperiled during the past few years in the United States, but it's still thriving in other countries such as New Zealand. The independent "NZ On Air" program provides government funding that allows performers such as the Itty Bitty Beats to deliver quality and diverse public media. The duo (Jenny Payne and Lucy Hiku) met at Jazz School in Christchurch in 2002 and started recording children's music four years ago after the birth of their children (Keeping things in the family, Jenny’s husband Rob Payne has produced all of their music). The Beats' have released music that reaches emotional highs (Christmas in July) and lows (Baby Loss Awareness).

Their new six-song ITTY BITTY BUBBLES EP received NZ on Air funding and it's filled with more froth and frolicking than you might think was ever possible. Working under the premise that bubbles are a fun, intensive sensory activity to share with youngsters, Jenny and Lucy deliver tunes that range from 60s pop ("Bubbles In My Bathtub" sounds like Herman's Hermit's "I'm Into Something Good") to show tunes ("Bubble Storm") to rockabilly ("Bubble Shop").

ITTY BITTY BUBBLES is available from the Itty Bitty Beats' website, Amazon, Apple Music, and Spotify.

Here is the lyric video for "Bubble Shop":

It's been awhile since Danny Weinkauf and the Red Pants Band released new music, but their new CD is coming on August 20 from 8 Lb Gorilla Records. In the meantime, Danny has released "Words," a new single featuring his family and lead vocals by bandmate Tina Kenny Jones. Danny is especially stoked about the accompanying video, which was created by 25 animators from six countries. The pop tune illustrates (literally) the power of words and the impact our individual words can have, both negative and positive. Grab the song from Danny's website, Amazon, Deezer, or Apple Music.

You can watch the video here:

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, June 20, 2021

Give Yourself a Present – Jack Forman
Buenos Dias – The Lucky Band
Winter Bird / When Winter Comes – Paul McCartney
Clown Shoes – Ratboy Jr.
Champion of the Spelling Bee (Acoustic) – Danny Weinkauf and the Red Pants Band
Turn Around – Alison Faith Levy

Ben's Playlist - Monday, July 19, 2021

The Less I Know The Better – Tame Impala
The Kiss Of Venus – Paul McCartney
Floating to Mars – Jack Forman
It's a Miracle – Dog On Fleas
Alliteration – Danny Weinkauf and the Red Pants Band
Roots & Branches – Alison Faith Levy
One Of The Boys 3:51 – Huey Lewis & The News

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, March 25, 2021

Manic Monday – Billie Joe Armstrong
You Can Get It If You Really Want – Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could
Clown Shoes – Ratboy Jr.
Cut the Cheese – Danny Weinkauf
New Pair Of Shoes – The Bazillions
People Watching – Dean Jones
Loving & Kind – Aaron Nigel Smith

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Love Dies Young - Foo Fighters
La Brea Tar Pits - Weezer
Blue Night - Story Pirates
Fanga Alafia - Aaron Nigel Smith
I Think We're Alone Now - Billie Joe Armstrong
I'm an Optimist - Dog On Fleas
Your Love is a Metaphor - Danny Weinkauf

Ben's Playlist - Monday, March 15, 2021

Helicopter Leaves – Ants Ants Ants
Reality In Motion – Tame Impala
Boy with a Hole in his Heart – Danny Weinkauf
Even When....  – Ratboy Jr.
Here Comes The Rain – Weezer
El Corazon – The Lucky Band
Inkpot – Kepi Ghoulie