SOUNDTRACK: THE ZAMBONIS and JAMES KOCHALKA SUPERSTAR-“Hockey Monkey” (2005).
I once saw James Kochalka Superstar perform at a party in Vermont. He was a lot of fun and the kids in the audience really dug it too. This song is a perfect encapsulation of the JKSuperstar ethos–silly, irreverent, rocking, and more than a little off-kilter.
Kochalka’s voice is a little strainy and whiny which works perfectly for this kind of song. The backing band, The Zambonis, write exclusively hockey-based songs, so although JKS wrote this one, they are perfect for this song about a hockey monkey. And they rock through this simple, funny song with lyrics like:
all the scientists are running around
looking for the monkey but he can’t be found
cause he’s down by the pond playing hockey with the kidsand all the mothers are running around
looking for their children but they can’t be found
cause they’re down by the pond playing hockey with the monkeyand its 1..2..3.. the kids love the monkey and
4..5..6.. the monkey’s got a hockey stick
7..8..9.. havin a good time yeaaaa
In my mind, James Kochalka is more known for his books (done in the cool style of the album cover above), which are wild and very funny. And so is his music. Go on up to Vermont and check him out.
[READ: August 10, 2014] Odd, Weird and Little
Since we were on a Patrick Jenning’s kick, I decided to grab Odd Weird & Little. I didn’t realize it was his newest book, and I really liked it a lot. And so did the kids.
They both pointed out how the cover drawing looks like an owl and how the initial letters spell owl. Well, the chapter titles also spell O W L all the way down. It’s weird and funny. And so is the story.
As with Jenning’s other stories where mildly supernatural things happen, we never quite learn enough about this odd, weird, little character. His name is Toulouse Hulot (I loved that) and he comes from Quebec, Canada. He is definitely little, and definitely odd–he doesn’t take off his gloves or his hat in class (which the teacher allows because he is new). He barely speaks and he is so…proper. He wears a suit and has excellent penmanship. It’s weird.
Toulouse Hulot is not the only funny name in this book. The narrator’s name is Woodrow Schwette. And he tells us all about Toulouse, as they are in the same class. He relates how the two bullies are preparing to gang up on the new kid (which is okay with Woodrow as they usually gang up on him). But he feels sympathy for Toulouse, because he is so weird. And little. And, actually, kind of cool. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 