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Archive for the ‘Cats’ Category

Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm–Babymouse: Queen of the World! [#1] (2005)

Posted in All Songs Considered, Cats, Children's Books, Cocteau Twins, Cupcakes, Funny (ha ha), Graphic Novel, Jennifer L. Holm, Matthew Holm, Mice, Short Books, Wye Oak on July 12, 2011| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: WYE OAK: “The Alter” (2009).

NPR has introduced me to Wye Oak (with two concert downloads).  This is the official single from the recent album Civilian.

It is a cool swirly track which avoids being ethereal because of the rocking drums.  It feels a bit like the Cocteau Twins without being otherworldly.  And then there’s Jenn Wasner’s voice which is deep in a kind of Alison Moyet way.  This song features an awesome guitar swirl in the center which is sort of a guitar solo but isn’t.

The song builds over the course of the three minutes with more instruments and more voices layered over and over–there’s no real chorus.  Not bad for a duo.  Soon they’ll be some full concerts reviews of the band.

[READ: June 29, 2011] Babymouse: Queen of the World!

So this is the first Babymouse book: Queen of the World.  This one sets up the series and satisfies so many unanswered questions.  No, not really.

This first book has all of the trappings of the other two books that I read: fantasy sequences drawn in pink (good diversity here–a horror story, a space story, Cinderella), the same cast (including the arch-enemy Felicia Furrypaws), and more humorous interactions between Babymouse and the narrator (and a lot of Babymouse’s slogan: “typical.”) (more…)

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Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm–Babymouse: Our Hero [#2] (2005)

Posted in Cats, Children's Books, Cupcakes, Fears, Funny (ha ha), Graphic Novel, Jennifer L. Holm, Kids Corner, Matthew Holm, Mice, Set at School, Short Books, Superheroes, The Amoeba People, WXPN 88.5 FM--Philadelphia, PA on May 31, 2011| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: THE AMOEBA PEOPLE-“Cosmology, Your Futon and You” (2010).

I found out about The Amoeba People from the Kids Corner Top Ten Songs of 2010 list (this was number one).

The Amoeba People are a fun, weird kids band who write clever, often science-based songs.  This song has a wonderful bass line that opens the song.  There’s suitably weird space sounds (theremin) and a nice choral chorus).

Lyrically it’s a distorted spoken story full of clever word play.  It features a whole lot of facts about outer space (and jokes about futons).   And while you won’t get all the lyrics on the first try, it rewards repeated listens.

You can hear the track here.

[READ: April 16, 2011] Babymouse: Our Hero

This is the second Babymouse book (nope, I’m not reading these in order, which goes against a lot of my neuroses, but I think I can handle it).

As this story opens, Babymouse oversleeps and misses her bus.  And right from the start the fantasy/dream sequence kicks in.  The voices that try to wake her are not her bratty sister, but her adoring fans!  And when she misses the bus, the walk to school is really a trudge through the desert…will she survive???

It’s all quite funny, especially the “voiceover” which she can obviously hear, and with which she argues from time to time. (more…)

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Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm–Babymouse: Heartbreaker [#5] (2006)

Posted in Cats, Children's Books, Cupcakes, Funny (ha ha), Graphic Novel, Jennifer L. Holm, Matthew Holm, Mice, Short Books, Valentine's Day, WXPN 88.5 FM--Philadelphia, PA, Y Rock, Y-Not Radio.net on April 12, 2011| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: Y-Not Radio (2011).

I received an email recently from Josh Landow.  I know, who?  Well, he went on to tell me that he and some friends had started Y-Not Radio.

I’m still trying to piece together all the details, but Landow was a DJ for WXPN’s Y-Rock radio.  His email states that he and a bunch of other DJs left (or were asked to leave?) WXPN and started Y-Not Radio as Philly’s “real alternative.”  What they have going on is strangely impressive for a station that has only an online presence.  There’s also a disclaimer that (despite lifting and modifying the Y Rock logo) they are not affiliated with The U of Pa of WXPN.

The YRock Branch of WXPN is still operational.  And, looking at the music they still play, it’s not that radically different from the music of Y-Not Radio (in other words, it’s all great current indie rock and old school alternative music).  So, basically what we have is an embarrassment of riches from alternative radio online.  Of course, I don’t really like listening to the radio online (except at work).  I only wish I could get them both in on my actual radio.

It’s all a fascinating fight about indie rock and online radio.  Let’s see how it plays out!

[READ: March 12, 2011] Babymouse: Heartbreaker

The kids at the library love Babymouse.  And since I am greatly influenced by the opinions of fourth graders, I decided to read it as well.  This is the fifth book in the series (but relax, they don’t appear to have any kind of thread that makes it hard to follow).

The basic set up of the stories is that Babymouse is a mouse in school.  Her classmates are other animals.  It’ hard to determine very much about the school or even the setting of where Babymouse lives because this whole book is about Valentine’s Day.

The most fun aspect of the book for me was the dream sequences.  I’m not even entirely sure if the targeted audience would get all of the references, but I sure liked them.  For instance, while Babymouse is wondering if anyone will invite her to the dance, she has a Cinderella dream sequence and a Snow White Dream sequence (which goes astray) and, my favorite, a Dirty Dancing sequence (“Nobody puts Babymouse in the corner,”) complete with a Swayze quiff on the male mouse. (more…)

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