We weren't that shocked to learn indie-pop darlings Belle & Sebastian were curating a children's CD. The band's name comes from an old TV show for kids, after all. Plus B&S keyboardist Chris "Beans" Geddes had previously played the Hammond on one of our all-time favorite kiddie songs (Michael Shelley's "That's Where the Plaque Is"). Even so, the prevailing silliness of this collection did come as something of a surprise, and a mighty pleasant one at that
Our favorite song so far, the one we can't get out of our heads, and actually don't even want to, is Belle & Sebastian's own contribution, "The Monkeys Are Breaking Out the Zoo," which piles on goofy sound effects like they're coming back in style (yet somehow still manages to sound like Belle & Sebastian). "Monkeys" was also the starting point for this album. Trumpet player Mick Cooke brought the song to his bandmates, and, not knowing what to do with it, they hit on the idea of "an album of lots of different bands playing their own songs for children."
The band proceeded to rope in fellow Scottish hit-makers Franz Ferdinand (who contribute a great new number, "Jackie Jackson") and Snow Patrol (with a nice remake of Ricki Wilde's "I Am an Astronaut"). They brought U.K. "It" band the Kooks onboard, poached a fun ditty from the late, great Ivor Cutler, and even nabbed exclusive tracks from U.S. originals like the Flaming Lips and Jonathan Richman. (Richman, as longtime listeners to our radio program will recall, is the "Patron Saint of Greasy Kid Stuff," one of our main inspirations when we started the show some 11 years back, and a hero to us still.)
So far Colours Are Brighter is only available as an import, and we don't know whether a domestic release is in the works. On the other hand, all profits and artist royalties from this CD go to charity, so you needn't feel too bad about spending the extra money.
Belinda Miller and Hova Najarian host the Greasy Kid Stuff radio show.
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