I know that girl and music we’ve been listening too since kindiefest…

Cover of American Profile. Diane Guthrie photo.

Anyone who reads this blog know of my trials and successes as a kindie musician.  To promote my next CD I have taken the next step of hiring the services of Publicist Elizabeth Waldman Frasier of Waldmania (very excited.)  So imagine my surprise when I see my daughter has garnered the photo in American Profile (a national publication) in an article titled Jiggle Jam by Carol Crupper.   Sure it’s an article about Jim Cosgrove, Dan Zanes, Frances England and the Okee Dokee Brothers but there on the front page is my daughter singing along with Jim! (she’s the tall redhead)  Now Jim is a great guy, friend and Jiggle Jam is a festival worth making the trip to if you get the chance.  Really the best family festival I have ever been to… Twice!  But I’m thinking maybe I hire my daughter to do the PR?  After all she just made the cover of a national publication…

It’s been three weeks since I attended Kindiefest and we have been working our way thru all the music we received while in attendance (By we I mean my two kids and I.)   A few CD’s have been really separating themselves from the rest.  First is The Hipwaders – Golden State.

One of our new Fav’s!

The hit on Kids Place Live (KPL) was a groovy cool sounding Hey Josie.   But The Ramble (been stuck in my head for a week in a good way) is my favorite.  If you like California surf guitar licks with a driving backbeat this CD is for you.  Next is Johnny Bregar – My Neighborhood.  I define this as American Music.  Rock, Blues, Country and all cool.  We

Rocking CD with flavors of blues, country and all cool.

were big fans of Polly’s Rain Dance  (played on KPL) and  the whole CD is just a continuation of great sounding music.  To call this kiddie music or label these CD’s as just for children is a disservice.  As we in Poochamungas land like to say.  Good Music Knows No Age.   The third CD which is not a “kids” CD (the band closed kindiefest.)  is David Wax Museum – Knock Knock Get up.  It’s defined as Mexo-Americana but WOW!  To try to categorize the music limits what this album really is.  While you can hear the Mexican and Americana influences the music is it’s own definition and it totally blew me away.

Amazing music.

The title song is amazing as is the rest of this wonderful music.  There is a very deep musical pool on this CD and I suggest you jump on in.   I shall be voting for them come Grammy Time (The other two artists CD’s released in 11′ and 12′ so no voting for them.)  I still have a few more CD’s to listen and will report as I do.  But these will all be in rotation for weeks to come.

Kindiefest! Days 2-4

Johnny Bregar and Danny Adamson

Bill Childs got his swag bag.

After a full night the day before I awoke at 7am looking at the ceiling.  No kids, no place to be till 10am and I awake at 7am!!!  I was not happy.  So I headed down to the lobby for breakfast that is offered by the hotel.   One of the better continental breakfasts I have ever seen. Not just scrambled eggs and sausage but make your own waffles and fresh Brooklyn bagels!!! So after a low carb breakfast of eggs, sausage, a couple of potatoes and water. I headed over to the treadmill to continue working on #alittlelessfat.  While the competition is over the battle is not yet won (I have a ways to go.)   So after 25 minutes on the hamster wheel, a trip to the new man machine I was off to kindiefest.  Arriving at BAM I realized what I had left in Chicago.  My kindiefest badge.  So after registering and getting a replacement my 3rd kindiefest was officially started!  I could go into the different panels I saw and didn’t see.  Or how I missed the Lion and the Bear during showcase because I forgot my wallet back at the hotel (a very big moment of panic).  The was also the feet so sore syndrome affecting many after hours of standing, talking, walking and laughing.  But mostly I came away with two things.  One was “find your own Mississippi River.”  Molly Ledford said this in a panel referring to the Okee Dokee Brothers Grammy winning album Can you Canoe? (we loved it too!)  Stefan Shepard talks about this in his blog better than I can.  Go read it here.   The other thing that I got was MAKE GREAT MUSIC.  This was repeated during a few panels and ties in with “find your own Mississippi River.”   The music has to inspire you before it inspires others.  Which is what I imagine most of us artists try to do.  I use my kids and my childhood to write my music.  This was mentioned on a few panels.  My motto for the band has become Good Music Knows No Age.  I don’t try to write age or kids specific songs.  I try to write good songs and hope kids like them.  Since I have two kids I tend to write about things they are interested or things from my childhood they can relate to.  So I could ramble on about all the great people I got to talk too, drinks shared, empanadas eaten and weary, weary feet.  I will not.  I will thank Melissa Levis and Bridget Rymer for sharing their piece of wall with me Friday night as I sat and rested weary feet.  A very enlightened conversation.

David Wax Museum were amazing!

The David Wax Museum for playing music that made me say wow during Sundays festival and the kindie community at large.  I know it goes without saying but the biggest fans of the kindie music are the artists themselves!  It is the generosity of others , their input and help and  makes it possible for me to do what I do.  So thanks to Bill. Tor, Mona and Stephanie for holding another festival.  The next post I will review some of the CD’s I garnered at the festival!

Stefan, a hidden Johnny,Jack and Ralph at the Empanadas truck for lunch.

Pre-Kindiefest – Day 1- 2013

Flying in on a beautiful NYC morning

My feet are finally feeling better.  Another whirlwind weekend in Brooklyn, NY will do that to them.  Walking to and from the hotel to venue (.6 miles) and talking to people while standing and more standing and talking and listening and standing and eating and standing.  Long day on the feet will do that to you.  But while you’re having fun you tend not to notice.  And fun I had!

Early morning transportation

Day one had nothing to do with the Kindiefest event except for checking in.  It started with me waking up at 4am to catch my 6:45am flight.  I grabbed a cab and off to O’Hare Airport.  After a quick, no frills, flight where we waited an extra ten minutes on the runway because of the sequester we headed off to NYC.  We then arrived ten minutes earlier than scheduled.  Moving fast were we.  I must say that air travel wise it was the easiest I have ever flown and I checked a bag both ways. (La Guardia Sunday night was 10 minutes from curb to gate, checked bag included!)  Upon arriving I called my friend and fellow Northeastern Illinois Alum Jennifer Tuttle (amazing actress and now college professor) who picked me up then off her place in Astoria.  I then met her husband Kip and we discussed making a Poochamungas video as he is a professional film director, editor, etc.  Very cool guy.  I am looking to working with him sometime this summer (as long as the planets align and our schedules allow).

Great guys in great hats who make great music and me!

Recording at KPL

Steve Songs, Kenny Curtis and Dean Jones.

We then had a great lunch at a Queens diner and then she dropped me at my hotel.  I had enough time to clean up, change my shoes, hook up with Jeff Bogle (Out With The Kids) and Dave (Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl) Loftin and take a subway to Manhattan  and Sirius/XM headquarters.  We were invited to the live taping of a future show involving many of my favorite kindie bands doing songs of other Kindie Bands.  (Mindy Thomas had an inspired idea for  show and talks about it here ).   I also handed out the first copies of the Poochamungas new CD Block Party!    In the building was a who’s who of kindie artists.  Recess Monkey, Lunch Money, Tim and the Space Cadets, Mista Cookie Jar, Charlie Hope, Sugar Free All Stars, The Pop-Ups, Dog on Fleas, Steve Songs, Okee Dokee Brothers, The Not-Its and Brady Rymer.  I had a great time and even got to sing backup on the big number at the end (Thanks Mindy!)  I’ll  be sure to report here when the show airs on Kids Place Live.

NFL Draft day as well!

After the show I joined Jeff and Dave for a dinner in Manhattan. I had no idea I was within a block of the NFL Draft headquarters as we walked by Radio City Music Hall on our way to meet the McHatton Clan along with Morgan Taylor.  The plan as outlined by the adventurous and technologically advanced Jeff Bogle was to have our paths intersect as we walked toward each other in NYC and the find a suitable eating place as well.  Well part A of the plan worked really well as Jeff and the McHattons did a great job of locating each other (technology is awesome).  Plan B took a bit longer but we finally did find a suitable place to eat for party of 10 as Mista Cookie Jar and the lovely Jenna joined us as well.  While the meal was OK it was great to talk with everyone at the table.  Lots of laughs and good conversation. Morgan explained to me the origin of Gustafer Yellowgold which was very cool ( My sons first concert other than Poochamungas was Gustafer. He’s a fan! You should check out The Underbirds as well.) Then it was back to the Subway and then bed somewhere around 1am after a very long but informational and enjoyable day.  Day two was only 9 hours away!

Kindiefest preview

Sitting in the airport recovering from Kindiefest. Will be writing a full summary this week.  Late nights, panels, great music and many laughs.  And I managed to learn a thing or two…

Mixed and Mastered!!!

My temporary waterfront property!

After such an incredulous week with Boston bombing and the Texas explosion not to mention a flooded Chicago, it’s nice to get some good news and spread it around.  We haven’t cured cancer or found the solution to world peace but rather the Poochamungas have finished our second CD.  We have recorded, tracked, overdubbed, added, subtracted, pondered, changed, mixed and finally mastered our upcoming album BLOCK PARTY!   It will be released in August.  Still a few things to do like Band Photos, Album Art, PR, booking gigs, liner notes, etc, etc, etc.  In other words lots of work to do.  Now it’s one step at a time and trying to put our best foot forward.  I think your going to like the results.  I’ll keep you posted here

Don’t let the hate win

Our prayer are with the victims and the first responders in Boston today.

My heart stops every time I read a headline like todays.  The senseless violence towards  innocents because of real or perceived injustices just needs to stop.  It won’t.  At least not in my lifetime.  Because of my job as a firefighter I’ve had plenty of opportunity to see the results of hatred toward ones fellow human beings.  Details I won’t go into but have been indelibly imbedded in my mind forever.  The evil today is doubly shameful because of what the Boston Marathon represents.  The struggle people go through just to run and finish such an event taken away by someone or a group who’s hatred has blinded them to the joy of such a day so much so that they wanted to impart their fear and hatred on the event.  Well don’t let them.  Let us shed tears for the victims and rejoice in their lives.  Let us hug our kids, tell our parents we love them and sing silly songs.  We should be diligent in our pursuit of justice and preventing those that do us harm from ever doing it again. But remember to keep joy in your heart and never, ever let the hate win.

No More Tracking… sniff.

 

No more NEVE or Kingsize Studios for awhile.

We did it.  We finished tracking the Block Party CD.  I didn’t think it was gonna happen.  Especially after the way we started.  It was as if nothing was going right.  We had an 11am start.  First we had problems getting the MIDI keyboard to work.  We solved that, decided not to got that route and the board power source for the main board started smoking a little.  So John Abbey(our fantastic sound guy) shuts it down, makes a call and we move to the other control room.  We get vocals done on a track in there but have to be out by 1pm because Johns partner needs the room.  So we finish one song, we’re two hours in and moving back to the original studio.  Johns  partner arrives, checks out the board we started on, declares it safe and after some setup we are off and running!  We got the vocals, the sax, more vocals, the acoustic guitar and done.  Frank Rose our sax player layed down some cool stuff, Alton and I sang on some tunes, John recorded it all and we are DONE TRACKING!  I feel relief and sadness.  But I think Poochamungas fans and any music fan is gonna like what we’ve been doing.  Now it lays in the hands of John Abbey who’s going to  mix it. Then Alton and I will give it a listen and go from there.  The four songs he’s finished so far sound great and I look forward to hearing the final 8.  The goal is Kindiefest and I think we’re doing pretty good.