Leaping and Learning With Jumpin' Jamie

Being a kid can make you want to scream. Or bounce up and down. Or bang your head (into a pillow, let's not get carried away here). Jumpin' Jamie (Jamie Theurich) knows how your kids feel and conveys their sentiments with the hard-charging, power pop tunes on his latest collection, NEVER MIND THE BLOCKS, HERE'S JUMPIN' JAMIE. And yes, bonus points if you think "That cover looks familiar."


The album roars to a start with an audio clip of esteemed teen influencer Greta Thunberg, leading into "Greta Says," which sets the tone for fun and games with almond milk, cookies, and enlightenment, with a chorus of "Wake up, stop stealing our future! We haven't enough time! The planet's on the line!" The following track, "I Don't Wanna Dance" kicks out the jams for individuality and not being ashamed of how the music makes you move.

As an activist, Jamie wears many hats. The country-flavored "Same As You And Me" is about how cow's milk is for cows and there are plenty of dairy-free alternatives. I defy you to stand still during the straight-out raving "Honesty Is the Best Policy." He channels Devo and Men Without Hats on "Stand Up," quoting some Patti Smith "People Have The Power" at the end of the song. And "Whistleblower" indirectly addresses current Washington, DC

When something isn't right, blow that whistle blow
Let it out and fight the good fight, blow that whistle blow
You should just know there are consequences, blow that whistle blow
When you let it out, it's the only defenses, blow that whistle blow

Jamie continues the trend of promoting female role models. Joanie Leeds celebrated Ruth Bader Ginsburg on her 2020 release, ALL THE LADIES. Jamie sings the story of "Susan B. Anthony" and the women's voting suffragette movement. A big booster of free thinking and social justice, Jamie channels the rage of his punk and hard rock role models into messages of affirmation and personal growth. Kids will like Jumpin' Jamie because the music fun and loud and they can sing the hooks. There's an underlying dynamism that propels NEVER MIND THE BLOCKS to unanticipated, spirited heights. You're gonna rock out with your juice box out.

NEVER MIND THE BLOCKS, HERE'S JUMPIN' JAMIE is available from Jamie's website, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Here is the video for the debut single, "I Don't Wanna Dance":

Quick Hits: Ben Rudnick Attacks COVID, Dancing With Jumpin' Jamie

Ben Rudnick knows that kids can get stressed. And the best/worst time to stress is when the world is in disorder (a better kid-friendly term than chaos). To address those issues, he has released a new song called "Monster No." In this gentle acoustic tune, coronavirus becomes the monster who can be vanquished through hand washing, wearing a mask, and sheltering in place. You can stream (and purchase) the song through Soundcloud:



Individuality is celebrated by Jumpin' Jamie on his latest single, "I Don't Wanna Dance (Just Like Everyone)" from his upcoming release, NEVER MIND THE BLOCKS. You have your own special moves and 'tude on the dance floor? Then let's see some of your moves. Here's the video:

A Green Day for Jersey's Jumpin' Jamie

Children's music sounds so simple yet conversely it can be frustratingly difficult. As They Might Be Giants opined on Marc Maron's podcast recently, there's a lot of stuff out there that's not very good. Let me therefore state that Jumpin' Jamie has managed to traverse the difficult pathway between simple and difficult. His debut CD, KOOKIE, delivers power-pop, parody, and positivity in equal measure.


Jamie uses Green Day's iconic DOOKIE as a jumping-off point, with lots of hard rock guitars behind songs like "Back to the Future" (a recap of the film), "Words," and "A Ghost in My House." Contemporary pop artists utilize different co-writers and production teams behind virtually every track on their CDs. Somehow, Jamie has employed a similar technique on KOOKIE, with five producers, including Danny Weinkauf and Marty Bellar (TMBG).

There are also a stunning 40 (!) guest stars listed on the CD, although the vast majority appear on "I Wanna Be Healthy," such as Peter Tork (The Monkees), Patricia Quinn (Rocky Horror Picture Show), and a bevy of kid's music stars I won't offend by offering a partial listing. Yes, there's a dino song as well, "The Rise and Fall of Argentinosaurus" (put that one in your spell-check).

Children's music has the ability to offer messages about adults while winking at their kids. I've seen this done countless times in my decade-plus by too many artists to mention. Jamie attempts it as well, with mixed returns. "I Wanna Be Healthy" rests at the top end of the spectrum, while "Coffee" lands with a thunk:

Why do adults drink coffee?
They watch football and they place their bets.
They do unhealthy things like smoke cigarettes.
They loves taxes and more things that are bland.
I guess some things I just don't understand.

"Coffee" comes off more as a scold that an amusing fable. As the protagonist's parents smoke and gamble, the only thing they don't mix some booze in with their caffeine. Given a choice, I would recommend "The Coffee Song" by Ralph's World. Okay, point successfully beaten into the ground.

Jamie Theurich's "day job" is as dinosaur troubadour (yes, it's a thing) at New Jersey's popular Field Station: Dinosaurs theme park. As such, he's intimately familiar with what works in front of audiences comprised of, well, who knows what, for any given performance. That's not a bad jumping-off point. And Jamie is certainly jumpin' for greener pastures with KOOKIE.

KOOKIE is available on June 1 from Jumpin' Jamie's website, Amazon, and iTunes.

Here is the video for Jamie's song, "Back to the Future":

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Brighter Side – Gustafer Yellowgold
Astronauts Love –  Jumpin' Jamie
Little Bit of Time – Like Father Like Son
Ode To Bed – Mo Phillips
Kid Of The Week – The Not-Its!
Chewy to Your Han – Recess Monkey
Science of Sleep – The Pop Ups