Matt Clark Music

Dear Tooth Fairy – New Matt Clark song

Matt — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 01:50:13 +0000

It’s a new song in Matt Clark’s ever-expanding oeuvre. Dear Toothfairy

Nota bene: This has not happened in our household. At least, not yet.

Vulcan Haircut by Matt Clark

Matt — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 18:49:37 +0000

Well, folks. Here’s a new song from the Matt Clark catalog. It’s called Vulcan Haircut. My buddy, Sean Flora produced it. It was inspired by my sons, Quillan and Rowan who decided to cut Quillan’s bangs last summer.

I’ve got a Vulcan haircut. My mom will have a shock.

When she comes home from work to find I look like Mr. Spock.

To cut my hair and boldly go where no kid’s gone before.

I’ve got a Vulcan haircut and I’m barely even four.

The Alphabeticians’ CD Release Party for “Junior”

Matt — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 01:25:57 +0000

The Alphabeticians' Junior, their second kids' album

The Alphabeticians celebrated the release of their second kids album, Junior yesterday. I’m admittedly partial since The Alphabeticians are good buddies of mine and I played bass on several of the album’s songs, but Junior is a darn good album. Funny, intelligent, unpredictable.

I was psyched that they invited me to play bass at their CD release party at E.A.T. and even more psyched to have a chance to play a couple of my songs with them and guest drummer, Scott Crabtree. Here’s a link to the video of Cardboard Box.

Mr. Hoo and Mr. E rockin' out with "General Relativity," a song from Junior

The ABC Guys (in lab coats) with guest musicians, Matt Clark and Scott Crabtree

Feb. 28th — Win the Matt Clark Box Set on Deposit A Gift!

Matt — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 04:52:34 +0000

I’m very excited to be featured on Deposit A Gift’s Tuesday Giveaway. On February 28th only, you have a chance to win a set of Matt Clark CDs — the whole box set! And they’re autographed so someday you’ll be able to sell them on E-bay for billions of dollars. How to win ? Just visit the Deposit a Gift Blog.

Magic Cardboard Ride CDs have arrived – order here

Matt — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:26:06 +0000

Magic Cardboard Ride CDs are available through CD Baby now. Click here to order!

Matt Clark, “Magic Cardboard Ride” – Available digital download

Matt — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:23:05 +0000

Magic Cardboard Ride - Available for download

Well, folks, my third kids album (“Magic Cardboard Ride”) is hot off the press, and ready for digital download. Click here to download from bandcamp. The physical CDs will be ready in a couple of weeks so stayed tuned as to where to get your very own copy.

A sneak preview from my forthcoming album, Magic Cardboard Ride

Matt — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:43:50 +0000

Well, folks. It’s been a long radio silence while I’ve been working on my soon-to-be-released album, “Magic Cardboard Ride” (release date: 3/10/12). Here’s a sneak preview of the newest Matt Clark gem. It’s a kindie punk song called Spelling Lesson. Not for the faint-hearted. That’s Mr. Hoo of The Alphabeticians with a blistering guitar solo, and Yours Truly with the Johnny Rotten snarl (gentle snarl, this is kids music, after all). Enjoy!

P.s. As far as I can tell, Zooglobble coined the term, “kindie punk“. I love it.

Kris Kindie – Kids Music Christmas Compilation

Matt — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 16:26:51 +0000

Kris Kindie

I’m very pleased to have been included in Kris Kindie (my Beach Boys-esque track, Snow Day), along with two of the brightest stars in PDX Kindie’s celestial firmament, The Alphabeticians and Lori Henriques. What is Kris Kindie? It’s a holiday compilation album with 27 tracks from 27 different kids musicians. Kindie blogger extraordinaire Zooglobble coordinated the effort after getting the idea from a friend’s facebook post. Kindie blogger extraordinaire Jeff Bogle (OWTK) designed the album cover. And in less than a week since the idea was hatched, the album was done and available on bandcamp. (Do Zooglobble and OWTK ever sleep?)

So if you’re looking for a digital stocking stuffer, this is your album. Download it here. From pirates to robots, it runs the gamut of holiday-themed tunes. And the best part, the net proceeds (which are all purchases minus Bandcamp and PayPal processing fees) will go to KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to creating a place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Which is a pretty cool goal.

“Sugar Buzz” by Jeanie B! and the Jelly Beans – Kids Music Review

Matt — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:48:38 +0000

There’s a lot to like on Jeanie B! and the Jelly Beans’ new kids album, “Sugar Buzz” . The kick-off song, “When You Open a Book” has just about the most infectious “Na Na Nas” of any song since “Hey Jude”. Throughout the album, Jeanie’s vocals are warm and fresh – you can almost hear her voice smiling.

Jeanie B! and the Jelly Beans' new album, "Sugar Buzz"

The album’s title track “Sugar Buzz” is downright infectious. What I like most about it are the changes in dynamics. Jeanie’s throaty growl (soft growl) is, well, kind of what a sugar buzz feels like, and when she softens to a slightly mournful croon at the end, she evokes the sugar buzz aftermath.

I’m a sucker for the creative and unpredictable rhyme (a la The Alphabeticians), and “Sugar Buzz” has some great ones. Turbinado / tornado & sucralose / overdose are my faves. (Nota bene: My own suggestion for Jeanie’s rhyming extravaganza: “The come-down from a sugar buzz can kinda make you lachrymose”).

Topically, the album doesn’t take many chances, and sometimes is a bit too earnest for my taste (e.g. the importance of exercise, the joy of reading). I would have liked more off-beat songs like “Please Don’t Pick Your Nose” and “Five Pieces of Bubble Gum” (which my son, Rowan absolutely loves). But those are small quibbles with what is a very enjoyable and joyful album. Nice work, Jeanie B!

Oodle Vision – Van Oodles’ new television variety show

Matt — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 20:11:54 +0000

Drawing on his background as a former star of Japanese television, my buddy, Van Oodles has started producing his own TV variety show called Oodle Vision. It’s focused on his kids music. He’s producing it on a lunar cycle. Specifically, when the moon is waxing (I think I remember him saying that when I pressed him on it, but at the time, I was driving to work.)

Each Oodle Vision episode will include a video of one of his own songs as well as an artist shout-out, introducing another children’s songwriter or songwriters, as the case may be. Episode 2, released on August 10th, features ”The Veggie Burger Dance”. Nota bene: The video was filmed at Che Cafe on N. Williams Ave in PDX, which is right near my house and has the best (and hugest) black bean burger that I’ve ever sunk my fangs into.

The Veggie Burger Dance video has a host of googly-eyed condiments sitting on a piano keyboard and two Barbie dolls wearing veggie burger skirts. Veggie burger skirts look vaguely like hula skirts but are less grassy and more grainy. They look good on Barbie. At several points, the Barbie dolls appear with black eyebrows ala Groucho Marx, and near the end of the song, they start moshing. It’s a goofy video.

Episode 2′s artist shout-out is The Alphabeticians, Portland’s coolest ABC guys (probably even the world’s coolest ABC guys). I love watching these guys (Mr. E and Mr. Hoo) perform. They’ve been best friends for twenty five years and it shows. Watching them together actually makes me a bit envious. I rarely have the chance to play music with my own two best friends who live in Albany, NY and Charleston, SC, respectively. Boo hoo.

Anyway, I’d encourage you to tune into Oodle Vision. I dig it. It’s a fun, off-the-wall ten minutes, which doesn’t take itself too seriously.