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Hey, there's No School Today! Danny Weinkauf has been part of the music biz for years, and his kids' music debut will be released on Idlewild (TMBG's own record label) and Megaforce records, and distributed by Sony/Red. Weinkauf wrote and recorded all of the music for No School Today himself but several friends helped out along the way, including Kindie Rock star Laurie Berkner, Hank Green of the VlogBrothers, and Suzanne Luna, director for The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

The Artist

Danny Weinkauf is no stranger to the kindie rock world: the singer/songwriter is a member of They Might Be Giants' children's music studio and touring band, and has contributed the tunes "Where Do They Make Balloons?" "Number Two," and "I Am a Paleontologist" to the TMBG albums No!, Here Come the 123s, and Here Comes Science, respectively. In the grownup world, Weinkauf has created, performed, and produced music for many, many television shows and commercials, played bass with Fountains of Wayne, and, oh yeah, worked as a Pediatric Physical Therapist! You can read more about his body of work on the official Danny Weinkauf website.

The Music of No School Today

No School Today kicks off energetically with its own theme song of sorts, as the just-about instrumental tune "Hey!" gets everyone up and moving. TMBG fans loved Weinkauf's "I Am a Paleontologist" so much that he wrote "Archaeology" for his current album, echoing the pure pop of Rutles and Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band alumnus Neil Innes.

Kindie Rock star Laurie Berkner helps out on the tropical-sounding, ukulele-flavored "Our Love Fits," with lyrics courtesy Suzanne Luna. Weinkauf's son Kai takes over lead vocals on the power pop rocker "Champion of the Spelling Bee" (dig Weinkauf's melodic McCartney-esque bass gymnastics!), and "The Ballad of Ben" is Danny's piano-driven tribute to Ben Folds. "Marsupial," an anthemic ode to Australasian animals, could have been included on TMBG's Here Comes Science, and echoes the sound of Fountains of Wayne, for whom Weinkauf played bass on their self-titled 1996 debut album. Kai Weinkauf is "Ambivalent," or maybe not, on a brief and humorous tune, while the quietly poppy "Ice Cream (Healthy Eating)" extols the virtues of everyone's cold treat.

More Music from No School Today

The title track finds kids hoping there's "No School Today" via a tune Rivers Cuomo and his Weezer bandmates would have been proud to have written. The punk pop tune "The Moon is Made of Cheese," sung with a British accent (sure, why not?), refutes the entire NASA program, while the almost-instrumental "Whipped Cream" includes the recitation of more sweet treats over a funky rhythm. Kai is looking forward to being able to "Cast My Vote" as a responsible citizen, and the super poppy "Oh No, Oh Yeah" is another just-about-instrumental that could be a TV show theme song. "Together We Can Fly" seems to be looking for a place on Broadway, as the tune and lyrics are custom made for the next emotive hero or heroine to make a worldwide hit, while the music box tinklings of "Lullaby for Quinn" make for a brief, quiet, sweet end of the day. No School Today comes to a close with the bonus track "The Kidney that Lived in Four People," a track co-written with Hank Green of The VlogBrothers. The song is based on the true story of a donor whose organ was miraculously passed among multiple people, with a happy ending!

The Verdict

Knowing that Weinkauf's background is in soundtrack composition and production, it's no wonder most of these songs sound Nickelodeon- or Sprout-ready. This is pure pop shined to Saturday morning perfection. The only reservation I have is the inclusion of Weinkauf's son as lead singer on several of the tracks; Kai's vocal style warrants a project of its own, and No School Today could have been stronger if the tracks had been whittled down to those that featured Danny's voice. Nevertheless, Weinkauf's kids' music debut is a welcome addition to the Kindie Rock genre, and fans of powerpop tunes and cartoon theme songs will love No School Today.

Released April 29, 2014; Idlewild | Megaforce

Track Listing

1. "Hey!"
2. "Archaeology"
3. "Our Love Fits"
4. "Champion of the Spelling Bee"
5. "The Ballad of Ben"
6. "Marsupial"
7. "Ambivalent"
8. "Ice Cream (Healthy Eating)"
9. "No School Today"
10. "The Moon is Made of Cheese"
11. "Whipped Cream"
12. "Cast My Vote"
13. "Oh No, Oh Yeah"
14. "Together We Can Fly"
15. "Lullaby for Quinn"
16. "The Kidney that Lived in Four People"