Friday, April 22, 2011

Pressure? What Pressure?





Rob Smith Can’t Say No: The Hipwaders

I’ve been compelled by the rules of this column, as well by my own expanding tastes, to listen to a lot of kindie music in the last year. As I’ve explained previously, there’s a lot of the stuff out there—a veritable universe of artists addressing the whims and peculiar mindsets of kids, explaining to the rest of us what it’s like to see the world through their eyes, and setting those expressions to music that is, at its best, as good as anything I’ve heard from “hipper” artists of the day. Part of me wishes I’d been exposed to this stuff years ago; that’s the part of me that last year heard my 11-year-old son listening to Rihanna sing “Come here rude boy, boy, can you get it up? / Come here rude boy, boy, is you big enough?”
Prudish protectionist regrets aside, there are fine sounds to be exposed to in the genre, and it didn’t take long for me to find a favorite band out of the bunch. Renaissance art had Michelangelo; Romantic poetry had Keats; detective fiction had Chandler; swing had Sinatra; Metropolis had Superman. Kindie music has the Hipwaders, a California trio who specialize in perfectly written and performed anthems for the kiddies. Quite simply, they are a great power pop band that just happens to play music for children. Think Fountains of Wayne performing songs aimed at six-year-olds, instead of thirteen-year-olds.
These guys, to these ears, are the best. My love for them is immeasurable, my respect for them immense. The band—singer/songwriter/guitarist Tito Uquillas, drummer Nick Baca, and bassist DJ Kinville—observe three essential rules for making great entertainment for children:

Rule #1: Don’t Talk Down to Them
Whether they’re extolling the virtues of maternal units in “Always Mom” (from their 2008 EP Goodie Bag) or dissing budding assholes in “Stand Up to the Bully” (from their self-titled 2005 debut), the band treats its topics, as well as its audience, with respect. The chorus to “Bully” even gives some sage, empowering advice:

Don’t feel shame
You’re not to blame
Bullies act out

They need to stop

You need to walk

With your head held high

They can also tell a story in a manner that grooves as well as it narrates. “(The Work Song) Cinderella” provides the ages-old tale from the perspective of the downcast title character, with a beat straight out of Creedence’s “Fortunate Son.” Even original stories, like “Field Trip”—a song about the coolest thing you’d ever have to get a permission slip to do—are done with a palpable sense of joy. Who wouldn’t want to take an interstellar trip, play laser tag with Martians, pass into another dimension, and take a space walk—all on a school day? And who wouldn’t want to have a cool new-wavy guitar riff as the soundtrack for the day?
Rule #2: Give the Parents Some
That joy is part of why parents should love the Hipwaders’ music, but there’s also a bit of winking content for parents in their songs. Think of the first time you saw the first Shrek movie—how the film’s makers sprinkled their creation with knowing asides and pop culture references that flew over kids’ heads, but hit adults squarely in the noggin. Likewise, Uquillas (the band’s chief songwriter) tosses out lyrics and musical snippets that entertain the adults in the room (or the car, or the party) as well as their progeny. The title track of 2007′s Educated Kid has a simple riff and cool chorus harmonies, as well as lines like “Get scholarships, student loans, special grants, get schooled at home, uh-huh.” Your kindergartner won’t know why Mommy just shuddered over the mention of “student loans,” but there ain’t an educated ex-kid who wouldn’t. 
And if you’re anything like me (God help you), the Association-like bah-bah-bah vocals in “Valentine”—a love story, played out at recess—will seem like a setup for the second verse:

You had my heart when you tackled me
Violently

The recess monitor ended your assault

No, it’s not your fault

Cupid’s shot

Hit its mark

And drove you crazy

Ah, to be young again! Boy shows his affection by yanking Girl’s pigtail, and she showed hers by bloodying his nose. Assault and battery never again seems quite so lovely.

Rule #3: Play It Like You Mean It
Let me stress again that the Hipwaders are a terrific band, capable of moving from tempo-shifting toe-tappers (“Dewey Decimal System”) to a sea shanty about dinosaur-hunting pirates (“The Song of the Paleo Pirates”) to pure power pop goodness (“Yes It’s Christmas”). All the smart, funny lyrics in the world would be null and void without great melodies, singing, and playing to get them across to listeners, and the Hipwaders do that as well as any other pop or rock band you can name.

They have a new record coming out in July; I’m looking forward to hearing it as much as just about anything else on my wishlist of upcoming releases. Give the Hipwaders a shot, particularly if you have kids; I’m pretty certain you’ll become a fan, too.

Everything's Coming Up (Bread &) Roses!

We've been having some great shows lately.  I believe it's due to the re-newed energy we're feeling from making our new album.  We're very excited about it and it's giving us confidence in our performances.  Here's a review of a recent show we had for the non-profit benefit, Bread & Roses. The best part of the day for me was at the end of the show when a little girl asked me to write a song about "saving the planet".  When I found out her name was "Gaia" I was impressed and the next day quickly wrote a song about a girl named Gaia who's trying to save the planet.  "Thank you" to my young muse! 

The Hipwaders at Fairfax/San Anselmo Children’s Center *
Date: 4/5/2011
Host: Debbie Matson
 
Essence Story by Debbie Matson:
(With additional details from Lisa Starbird)

Today I walked into San Anselmo/Fairfax Children’s Center thinking I would be hosting a typical children’s show, which are usually great, but the attention span of the audience is usually around 30 minutes. Was I in for a big surprise today, as the Hipwaders lit up the room with electric excitement and tons of fun for all ages nonstop for over an hour. Their business card has a perfect description of what the band plays – “hip music for kids”. There was rock, pop, folk, reggae, and even disco songs performed for the enthusiastic crowd.  The band played both originals the kids could relate to like “The Messy Room Song” and covers of such favorites as the Sesame Street and Sponge Bob songs. One of the staff mentioned that they should be on the Disney channel. Every song was high energy, had a great beat, and fabulous singing.

When the band first started, the smallest children were up right away hopping and dancing with giant smiles on their faces and squeals of delight. As the music continued, the older children quickly joined in, but it did not stop there. Many of the adults, including teachers and even the head of the facility were up dancing and shaking their stuff right in the middle of the dance floor. Even the shy kids eventually got on their feet.

There were young girls up in the front the entire time that asked for autographs after the show. There were “cool kids” who started by tapping their toes, and next thing the “too cool for it kids” started a congo line that moved around the room and then wrapped itself onto the dance floor. Another boy had a big group around him imitating his every dance move and his hand movements - like the jerk, which went on for a few songs. And when one mother came to pick up her son, he said, “No way, I’m not going now.”

Something very special happened today in Fairfax, and I am grateful that I was able to be part of it!

Lisa Starbird
Bread & Roses
Program Assistant