Time Machine - The Sippy Cups CD

Product Description When San Franciscos kindie-rocksensation The Sippy Cups began writing the songs that would become their third full-length CD, THE TIME MACHINE, they noticed that they all seemed to be about growing up and changing. Even the music was becoming a bit more sophisticated and edgy. It became apparent to them that both their own children, and their audience, had grown up some since their last album, and the themes of these new songs subconsciously reflected that process. Their older fans could grow with the music, even as they greeted a new audience of the pre-schoolers the band has always played for. As the songs took shape, the overriding concept that became the albums title also began to take shape. After all, what kid doesnt love the idea of a time machine? But in the case of The Sippy Cups, the time machine they are referring to is not some tricked-out Delorean, but our own bodies, which are constantly growing and changing and moving us through time. They wanted to convey to children and parents how magical that journey through time can be, and how precious the milestones are along the way. The Sippy Cups were formed at a 2004 community fundraiser, just three musical dads playing kid-friendly takes on Nirvana and Syd Barrett tunes. Five years later, theyve performed their sophisticated (and cool-parent-approved) kids music at major concert halls and rock festivals, including the Austin City Limits Festival and Lollapalooza. The Sippy Cups have scored top-ten satellite radio hits and received accolades from Time, Newsweek, the New York Post, Billboard, Wired, the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post. In 2007, with Alternadad author Neal Pollack, they appeared in a feature on ABCs Nightline. And later that year, the band released their first-ever live concert DVD documenting their colorful, dynamic stage show: Electric Storyland: Live at the Great American Music Hall. The 13-track album is The Sippy Cups second collection of original songs, following 2006s Electric Storyland. THE TIME MACHINE was produced by Rudy Trubitt with The Sippy Cups, recorded by JJ Wiesler (Kelly Willis, Chuck Prophet, Jonathan Richman) at Decibelle in San Francisco. See below for a track listing. The current Sippy Cups lineup includes singer/keyboardist PAUL GODWIN, singer/keyboardist ALISON FAITH LEVY (Loud Family), singer/guitarist RUDY TRUBITT (The Squids), drummer JOZEF BECKER (Thin White Rope, The Loud Family), bassist ARIANE CAP and juggler/unicyclist/all-around character DOUG NOLAN. Review On the surface, The Time Machines blend of pop, folk and G-rated wordplay is aimed at children, who will likely delight in such screwball music. Beneath the layers of parent-approved songcraft, however, lurks something that parents themselves may also enjoy: a quirky, vaguely trippy approach to songs about loose teeth and math lessons. The Sippy Cups are solid musicians - far more competent than they need to be, given the bands target audience - and they attack this album with the same instrumental arsenal as an indie pop outfit, utilizing everything from bubbling keyboards and co-ed harmonies to electric guitars in the process. Refrains like Shake shake, wiggle wiggle, my loose tooth! are kid-approved and refreshingly free of rock & roll posturing, but they also share a common thread with 50s pop. If parents dont buy into that sort of happy-go-lucky fare (and its not for everyone, seeing as the album careens from horn-filled dance songs to sleepytime ballads with a vigor only matched by hyperactive toddlers), theyll at least be able to tolerate it. The Time Machine wields enough genuine musicality to put the album miles above other kid-targeted music, and it displays its hooks without losing its educational components. --All Music GuideThe Sippy Cups deliver another great album of psychedelic rock and roll for kids and their families. The Artist The Sippy Cups are a Bay-Area kids band made up of musicians and performers from various indie-rock outfits like The Loud Family, Thin White Rope, and The Squids. Regular members include singer/keyboardist Paul Godwin, singer/keyboardist Alison Faith Levy, juggler/unicyclist Doug Nolan, drummer Jozef Becker, and singer/guitarist Rudy Trubitt, who also produced The Time Machine, along with new bassist Ariane Cap. The Music The Time Machine is a concept album of sorts, but not about the time machines that immediately come to mind. No, The Time Machine is about us, kids, parents and families, as we get older, stronger, and hopefully, wiser. Songs like My Loose Tooth, One Day Soon, and My Angry Voice take on subjects like a kids growing self-confidence, taking pride in personal achievements, and getting a handle on self-control. The Polyphonic Spree-like Starry Morning cosmically kicks off the album, while Look On Up, a rockin tune about the oneness of everything, would fit right in the new version of Hair, and the title track sounds like something Phish might play if they made a kids album. See the drift? The Sippy Cups pulled together influences from Syd Barrett and Jimi Hendrix to current psychedelic rockers like The Flaming Lips, making an album for their fans who have passed from kindergarten to elementary school. The Time Machine is rounded out by the mind-bending math lesson of the poppy leadoff single Seven is the New 14, the freeze dance track Dont Remove the Groove, the very White Album-sounding Daddys Lucky Charm, and the slow-burning epic Awake. The Verdict The Sippy Cups brand of cosmic rock and roll has to be seen to be believed: The Time Machine is good, but you absolutely have to experience The Sippy Cups live to truly get what theyre all about. Not quite as superb as 2006s Electric Storyland, The Time Machine is still a great album for kids and their families who like rockin, retro, reflective, and fun music. --By Warren Truitt, AboutThe kids music resurgence has been relatively brief, and so we havent necessarily had the time to watch too many bands mature and change their sounds over time. An exception is the Bay Area band The Sippy Cups. They started out doing nothing but covers, primarily of 60s and 70s psychedelic tunes. They then moved to mostly original 60s and 70s-sounding psychedelic tunes. Its only been on their last couple albums that theyve developed a fuller sound (and added some skits to the mix). All of which has been to the good. Their latest album The Time Machine is at times both their most conventional-sounding and also their most adventurous. Although its not quite a concept album, there a number of songs about about growing up (hence the title). As a result, based on subject matter alone, this definitely their most typical kids album; Of course, I happen to like some of those songs the best. The power-poppy My Angry Voice describes anger in easily accessible phrases Breathing fast / My heart is racing / I wont look you in the eyes / Whats that sound? / Its someone shouting / That sounds like me / What a surprise) while Dont Remove the Groove ameliorates whatever preachiness a song about environmental warming might contain by being, well, groovy and turning it into a freeze dance song. Seven Is The New 14 will likely go over heads of the 14-, er, 7-year-olds the song is targeted at, but its amusing spin on age is nothing but a number will draw chuckles from the parents. For those of you originally drawn to the band for its original more psychedelic sounds wont be disappointed -- the title track and concluding track Awake (the latter clocking in at 6 minutes) are definitely couldve been recorded 35 or 40 years ago, while One Day Soon is an excellent pastiche of Sgt. Peppers-era Beatles. If theres a downside to the songwriting here its that at times I felt like they were relying too heavily on the metaphorical imagery to the detriment of more sharply describing the experience of growing up. The worst tracks here are still better than 60% of the songs in the genre, but their excellent songs make the just adequate ones stand out. (As for the skits, I like em, and I typically haaaate skits, but I realize that your mileage may vary.) The 44-minute album is most appropriate for kids ages 5 through 9. You can listen to some tracks here or samples at the albums CDBaby page. The Sippy Cups have developed into one of the most adventurous kids bands on todays scene. With a strong catalog of songs and an energetic live show, they seem set to be around making music for years to come. The Time Machine is, appropriately enough, evidence of their continuing evolution, and shows that growing up is usually a pretty good thing. Definitely recommended. --Zooglobble

Specifics

• Album: Time Machine
• Artist: The Sippy Cups
• Label: Not On Label
• Genre: Rock, Children's
• MPN: SD06

1. Starry Morning
2. The Time Machine
3. My Loose Tooth
4. Major Minor Math Lesson
5. Seven Is The New 14
6. One Day Soon
7. Hailstone Man
8. Don't Remove The Groove
9. Look On Up
10. Super Guy Saves The Dad
11. My Angry Voice
12. Daddy's Lucky Charm
13. Awake

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