Ben's Playlist - Friday, December 14, 2018

Have You Ever Been Real – Dean Jones
Window – Gustafer Yellowgold
Peace Be To All – Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could
Tricycle – Danny Weinkauf
I've Been Everywhere In New York City – Hopalong Andrew
Handle With Care  – Like Father Like Son
Higher Higher  – Justin Timberlake

Ben's Playlist - Friday, October 12, 2018

It's A Beautiful World – Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Say Something – Justin Timberlake
Better With You – Jason Mraz
Big World Kid (Featuring Laurie Berkner) – Hot Peas 'n Butter
Handle With Care – Like Father Like Son
Paradise – George Ezra

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, October 10, 2018

The Only One – Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could
Holy Mountain – Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Man of the Woods – Justin Timberlake
The Art of Letting Go – Stone Temple Pilots
That's My Style – The Bazillions
Disco Hippo – Caspar Babypants

Ben's Playlist - Monday, July 16, 2018

It's A Beautiful World – Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Breeze Off the Pond – Justin Timberlake
Red Hot Lava – Purple Fox and the Heebie-Jeebies
Magnetic – Phillip Phillips
Stickin  Right by You – Recess Monkey
Electric Jellyfish Boogaloo – The Oot 'n Oots

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, June 21, 2018

Over and Over and Over – Jack White
Keep On Reaching – Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Higher Higher  – Justin Timberlake
Saviour – George Ezra
Handle With Care – Like Father Like Son
What Kind Of Fruit – Dean Jones

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, June 20, 2018

My Barn Door Is Open – Red Yarn
Little Bit of Time – Like Father Like Son
Meadow – Stone Temple Pilots
Saturday Sun – Vance Joy
Breeze Off the Pond – Justin Timberlake
Electric Jellyfish Boogaloo – The Oot 'n Oots

Ben's Playlist - Monday, June 11, 2018

To Raise a Barn – Red Yarn
Say Something – Justin Timberlake
Popsicle – Bob and Luc Schneider
Rock Island Line (Featuring Billy Bragg) – Dan Zanes & Friends
We're Going Home – Vance Joy
Have Some Fun Out There – David Tobocman

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Fly Like A Bird – Dean Jones
Loving & Kind – Aaron Nigel Smith
Who, What, When, Where, Why – The Bazillions
Man of the Woods – Justin Timberlake
Shadow – The Pop Ups
14 Like Father Like Son – Like Father Like Son

Raise Your Kids' IQ (and Dance Ratio) With the Pop-Ups

The boys are back! If Justin Bieber and Justin Timberlake got together to make a children's music CD with an informative theme, I'd bet it would sound a lot like The Pop-Ups' GIANTS OF SCIENCE. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) is one of those hot trending educational topics (Why do I seem to be leading with that sentiment so often recently). Brooklyn musicians Jason Rabinowitz and Jacob Stein continue their successful collaboration by getting PhDiggy with it.

When i went to college, I took a lot of notes. It's a definite 180 from learning from The Pop-Ups – it's really difficult to juggle a notebook while you're dancing. Light refraction is the subject for album-opener "Shadow." Guest star Secret Agent 23 Skidoo is on board to encourage listeners to "catch the light."

There's finger-snapping fun with "Time," which informs that "time is not so straight and narrow" with a slight reggae tinge. "Inventors" includes a shout-out to CRISPR. That's a first in any form of music I've heard, including children's music.

"Synthesizer" is self-explanatory, and as Ben put it, "sounds like Devo." As the boys ask, "Are we not synthesized men? Perhaps the most scientifically-grounded tune, "Cave of Wonders," is the furthest stretch, as they bring a "mica disco ball" into play.

I could visually almost imagine the choreography for "How Do We Know," about all the intriguing, sometimes off-color questions that children often ask. An "actual scientist," no really, Dr. Amanda Simson from the University of New Haven, provides a fact break (as opposed to a rap break). "The Science of Sleep" helps inquisitive young minds drift off to sleep (as every dance must come to an end). But when it slumber happens, it's one small step for little minds, one excellent freestyle boogie for the Pop-Ups.

GIANTS OF SCIENCE is available on May 18 from The Pop-Ups' website, Amazon, iTunes, Soundcloud, and Spotify.

Here is the Sesame Street video "Magic Letter Elevator" featuring music by the Pop-Ups:

Ben's Playlist - Friday, May 11, 2018

Brighter Side – Gustafer Yellowgold
Supermoon – Hullabaloo
Smile For Me – David Tobocman
Humans Are Still Evolving – Dean Jones
White Whale – Kepi Ghoulie
Say Something – Justin Timberlake

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, June 10, 2018

Higher Higher – Justin Timberlake
We're Going Home– Vance Joy
What's Done is Done– Jack White
Cloud Skateboard– Mo Phillips
Chewy to Your Han– Recess Monkey
Countin' On Me (Bison vers)– The Okee Dokee Brothers

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, June 9, 2018

I Love The Night – Gustafer Yellowgold
Man of the Woods – Justin Timberlake
Over and Over and Over – Jack White
My Barn Door Is Open – Red Yarn
Always Ascending – Franz Ferdinand
Keep On Reaching – Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, April 11, 2018

I Love The Night – Gustafer Yellowgold
Soar – Mo Phillips
Home – Spaghetti Eddie
Higher Higher – Justin Timberlake
Benjamin – 123 Andres
Kid Of The Week – The Not-Its!

Ben's Playlist - Friday, March 9, 2018

Calling All the Kids to the Yard – Cat Doorman
Who, What, When, Where, Why – The Bazillions
One Day By The Riverside – Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could
Free Couch – Caspar Babypants
Sunshine Sunny Sun Sunshine Day – Danny Weinkauf
Smile For Me – David Tobocman
Breeze Off the Pond –  Justin Timberlake
Window – Gustafer Yellowgold
Mystery – Dean Jones

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, March 8, 2018

Here Comes The Sun – Andrew & Polly
Peace Be To All – Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could
That's My Style – The Bazillions
Hey Jude  – Caspar Babypants
Rock Island Line (Featuring Billy Bragg) – Dan Zanes & Friends
Say Something – Justin Timberlake
People Watching – Dean Jones

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song) (Featuring Sonia De Los Santos, Elena Moon Park, & José Joaquin Garcia) – Dan Zanes & Friends
I Feel Better – Caspar Babypants
Thank You for the Box – Andrew & Polly
Holiday Jam – Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could
What Kind Of Fruit – Dean Jones
Into The Wild – Phillip Phillips
Higher Higher – Justin Timberlake

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, February 14, 2018

I Love The Night – Gustafer Yellowgold
The Man Who Built The Moon – Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Man of the Woods – Justin Timberlake
Ode To Bed – Mo Phillips
Happy – Spaghetti Eddie
Humans Are Still Evolving – Dean Jones

Ben's Playlist - Monday, October 27, 2014

Effervescing Elephant – Cat Doorman
You Got It On – Justin Timberlake
Till the Sun Goes Down – Poochamungas
Bigga Bagga – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke
Blink Of An Eye – Frances England
Sittin On A Cloud – The Whirlygigs
If Red Tastes Like Strawberry – The Whirlygigs
Midnight Memories – One Direction

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, September 25, 2014

Delicious – Orange Sherbert
You Got It On – Justin Timberlake
Robot Dance – The Pop Ups
Unwind – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Don't Fill Up On Chips – Randy Kaplan
It Suits You – Gustafer Yellowgold
I Got This! – Princess Katie & Racer

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Talkin' Bout Love – The Little Rockers Band
Till the Sun Goes Down – Poochamungas
Haircut – The Not-Its!
Dance 'Til I Drop – Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could
Music – Alex & The Kaleidoscope Band
Dancing Bear – Bari Koral Family Rock Band
Jam on Rye – Randy Kaplan
Take Back the Night – Justin Timberlake