SOUNDTRACK: LMFAO-“Party Rock Anthem” (2012).
My son doesn’t seem to care about music. It’s shocking to me since I love music so much. He really likes They Might be Giants’ Here Comes Science, but I think more for the words than the music (which makes me proud for other reasons). He likes the music from Kirby and Star Wars and he liked some Mogwai because it sounded like a soundtrack to a movie. When he sings to himself it’s always the tune from Christmas Carols. In fairness, I didn’t really appreciate music until I was 7 or 8, but so many young kids seem to really be into music (with amazingly bad taste), that I’m not sure what to think.
So the other day he was singing some words to this song. I was shocked. Where in the hell had he heard it anyhow? Then the other night his CD player didn’t work so I tuned in a random radio station and he heard this and wanted it on. So, he finally has a song that he likes. I hadn’t really listened to this song, so I figured I’d give it a try.
I don’t really have an opinion of it. It’s a dance song. It reminds me of Daft Punk and maybe early Prodigy. I’m a sucker for the keyboard riff that sounds kind of twisty (fake electronic music appeals to the sci-fi geek in me). Lyrically it’s innocuous enough I guess–it is a dance song after all (wait are they dissing The Beatles and Led Zeppelin?). The funny thing to me about songs like this is that they are all kind of interchangeable–each year or so someone comes out with a new dance theme that everyone can pogo to and do X to and “have a good time.” I think perhaps that this was even played at a recent Cub Scout function to the confusion of most of the adults.
Since my son doesn’t dance and would certainly never dance in public (I don’t even think he’d even “put his hands up”), I’m not quite sure what the appeal of this is to him (“other kids like it” is probably as far as it goes). But hey, maybe this is a gateway into his actually wanting to listen to his dad’s music. [And when does he ask me what LMFAO means? Probably never, because he has no idea that that’s the band’s name].
[READ: June 6, 2011] Squish: Brave New Pond
The second squish issue depends a bit on the first one. There are a number of references in the book to the first one (with a comment about half way through that says to just go and read the first one already).
In this one Squish, who is an amoeba, is reading a comic about Super Amoeba. He’s a superhero who helps everyone in Small Pond (including an amusing scene where a girl drops her ice cream and he flies to her rescue). But then he is asked to join The Protozoans, heroes who help the World, not just Small Pond. And Super Amoeba is thrilled and is soon off to join them (in their spiffy (and tight) uniforms).
This parallels to Squish’s own situation. It’s his first day of school. And he has decided to make some changes. Maybe he won’t hang out with his old friends so much, maybe he’ll try to become more popular, maybe he’ll even get picked for the kickball team, and maybe, just maybe, he’ll get to hang out with The Algae Brothers, the biggest, meanest, coolest kids in school. [This story line has striking parallels to Queen Bee, eh? Does anyone ever make stories from the POV of kids who are already popular?].
He has a hard time ditching his old friends (they’re so clingy). But it turns out that last year, when Squish stood up to Lynwood, the meanest amoeba in the pond, the Algae Brothers noticed. And when they recognize him, they invite him to hang with them (where nachos with cheese are actually delivered to their table at lunch!). He’s made it!
Being cool is pretty great. Sure he misses his old friends a bit, but everyone is in awe of his new found status. (more…)
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SOUNDTRACK: MATES OF STATE-“I am a Scientist” (2012).
This is a cover of Guided by Voices’ “I am a Scientist.” It appears on an all female 18-song charity compilation called Science Fair which is themed around and benefiting science and engineering education for girls.
I Just Read About That... 