About ten years ago I had an idea to put together a band called The Hip Waders and do a series of unannounced gigs at bait shops. All band members would, of course, wear hip waders. I had a lot of free time on my hands back then.
Fortunately, the trio who performs as [tag]The Hipwaders[/tag] is not following my plan. Instead, this group has recorded a CD of songs, which at first glance appear to be for children. Now, I am sure You The Reader are thinking, ?Great ? one more Wiggles/Barney/Teletubbies/Raffi thing to make my kids scream ?I WANT! I WANT! I WANT!? (and for our Spanish-speaking readers, ?YO QUIERO! YO QUIERO! YO QUIERO!?)? ? but this CD is to children?s music what Bullwinkle is to children?s cartoons: not just for kids. This CD is one of the year?s most imaginative releases in any genre, it is hilarious, and it ROCKS!
With the opening notes to the first song, ?Come Along With Us,? I was hooked. (Hooked? Hip waders? Ah, never mind…) I thought I had mistakenly put a CD by The Rembrandts in my sound system. I kept waiting to hear the ?I?ll be there for you? chorus from the ?Friends? theme. This song would have fit just as well for that show and the band probably could have done a great job backing Phoebe on her ?Smelly Cat? song, similar to Dylan going electric at Newport in 1965. Maybe even better.
Every song on this recording is a keeper (Keeper? Another fishing reference? Enough already…). Highlights include ?It?s An Earthquake,? the ?Walk Don?t Run? for Generation Ritalin; ?Mr. Wiggly Jiggly Bones,? a blend of ?Spike?-era Elvis Costello with a ?hi-dee-hi-dee-hi-dee-ho? middle section straight out of ?Minnie The Moocher?; ?Twitchy? and its B-52s feel (it even has ?walk don?t run? as the chorus? lyrics); and the always-welcome howling in ?Howling At The Moon.? Stock up on Motrin now, mommies and daddies, that song is going to be a HUGE favorite. My personal favorite on the CD, though, is ?Silly Robot Dance.? If Talking Heads ever makes nice and reunites (please, Santa…), David Byrne HAS to sing this one on a future project of theirs. And wear The Big Coat from ?Stop Making Sense? while he?s singing it.
The Hipwaders is Tito Uquillas on vocals, guitar, and mandolin; Chris Blubaugh on vocals and bass; and JR Topasna on vocals and drums. I would imagine their combined music collection to include lots of Costello, T-Heads, Squeeze, REM, Beach Boys, Rembrandts, B-52s, and The Beatles? ?Revolver? as the centerpiece. Bits of those bands? music are present in The Hipwaders? songs, but as flavor and not as rehashed and tired ideas. The kids will love the songs, the parents will be playing the CD at their own parties. It?s that kind of recording. Nothing fishy about it.
For ordering and additional information, visit www.hipwaders.net.
CORRECTION: In a previous review for Tia Carroll?s eponymous CD (5/3/06), I identified her microphone as being in her right hand. The microphone is in her left hand and, yes, I DO know my left from my right, thanks for asking…
4 responses so far ↓
1 Tito Uquillas // Jul 10, 2006 at 2:55 pm
Wow! Thanks for the great review! However, our website address is:
http://www.hipwaders.net
Thanks, Tito
2 Brandy // Jul 11, 2006 at 9:40 pm
My daughter and I love the CD! I catch myself singing the songs just as much as she does. They’re also great to see live. Keep up the great work!
3 Allison Pruitt // Jul 11, 2006 at 10:50 pm
I’m an elementary school teacher and the Hipwaders came to perform for our first, second, and third graders….the kids were beside themselves with excitement and they’re still talking about it!!! Woo hoo!
4 Listen & Be Heard » Blog Archive » Speakout - July 12-18, 2006 // Jul 18, 2006 at 12:17 am
[...] Wow! Thanks for the great review! However, our website address is: http://www.hipwaders.net Thanks, Tito [...]
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