THE SIPPY CUPS: Electric Storyland

The Sippy Cups

Electric Storyland

© 2006 The Sippy Cups, LLC (837101235570)

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Kids Music that Grownups Love like their own. Our roots are in early 70's pop like Beatles, Pink Floyd, Bowie, Velvet Underground. Imaginative, positive pop music for families that is rich, funny, intelligent and surprising.

notes

The Sippy Cups
Electric Storyland

Somewhere during the course of every Sippy Cups show, there is an epiphany -- a defining moment when a parent looks across a sea of twirling, air-guitaring kinder-rockers, meets the eye of another parent, and raises a pint glass in triumph.

It is a moment that says, “Dorothy, we’re not in Wiggles-land anymore.”

“I love that moment,” says Sippy Cups co-founder and lead vocalist Paul Godwin. “When I see dads faces lighting up, nodding in that sort of ‘yeah, man’ way rock fans in the ’70s used to acknowledge one another, I know we’re doing something right.”

A typical Sippy Cups show impeccably cool rock music, juggling virtuosity, comical stunts and characters, giant puppets, and plenty of audience participation.Combining a flower power pop-rock sensibility with lyrics that are both sly and wonder-filled, the Cups have managed to accomplish in two short years what few kid-rock bands do in a lifetime: create a sound and a scene that appeals as much to moms and dads as to their offspring.

With Electric Storyland, their new CD of original songs and sketches composed by all six band members, the Sippy Cups take “kids music” to a whole new level. Set in a circus-like dreamscape, the album transports audiences to a fantasyland of rockets and robots, trains and jellyfish, magic toast and sensitive superheroes.

Songs such as “Move Your Pants,” “Drinking from the Sky,” and “Springtime Fantastic” become jumping off (and jumping up) points for unexpected musical, visual, and dance-able flights of fancy. “Meet Major Minor” and “Superguy Returns” introduce the comic characters and plate-spinning antics of juggler extraordinaire Doug Nolan into the mix.

“Most kids music is rooted in the Ella Jenkins, Pete Seeger acoustic-guitar-and-a-singer mold,” says Godwin, an early-childhood music teacher who has composed award-winning scores for stage and film. “We’re part of a new movement of bands that are more in the indie-rock arena. It’s music for kids that parents would want to go see. We do play libraries and school benefits, but we also play matinees at cool nightclubs.”
The Sippy Cups were born in 2004 at a community fundraiser in a coastal town just south of San Francisco, when dads Godwin, Nolan, and guitarist Mark Verlander found themselves morphing Syd Barrett’s “Bike” into a freewheeling tricycle mash-up.

From there, it was a natural progression to gigs where they recast cult classics by the likes of Velvet Underground, T. Rex, the Kinks, the Beatles, and the Ramones as shout-out requests for the under-eight set.

Alison Faith Levy, an established Bay Area singer-songwriter and alum of indie band, The Loud Family, joined the group in 2005, along with bass player Rudy Trubitt, a noted sound designer and founding member of the Hawaiian punk band, The Squids, and veteran drummer Jozef Becker (Thin White Rope, The Loud Family).

With the help of producer Eric Drew Feldman (Polyphonic Spree, Frank Black, PJ Harvey), they released a CD of their two singles, “Magic Toast” and “Snail Song” in 2005.

Electric Storyland is their first original and completely collaborative full-length project. Guided by the motto “Milk, Music, and Mischief,” and shaped by a profound belief in the magic of nature and the aerobic benefits of rock-and-roll dancing, the band has created a land of imagination, where children delight in being different, where snails live in enchanted pails, and where dreaded “time outs” become joyous rock anthems.

Godwin and Levy teamed up for “Time Out World” and the CD’s title song. Guitarist Mark Verlander drew on his background as a graphic artist (he and wife, Susan Verlander, also design all the album art) for the colorful, kaleidoscope world of “Little House of Jello” and “I Am a Robot.” Trubitt brings to life a Bugaloos playscape in “Flower Tower.”

“We’re appealing to parents who are psyched to get back to the clubs and want to hear music they can connect to, and share with their children,” explains Verlander. “Meanwhile, we (the band members) are rediscovering music through the ears of our kids.”

Their philosophy has clearly resonated with audiences of all ages. Hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as “every parent’s favorite kid rock band and quite possibly the illegitimate offspring of The Cat in the Hat and Joey Ramone,” the Cups have been selling out hip clubs and concert halls, and doing brisk business on iTunes and CDBaby. "Magic Toast" recently hit the top ten charts on XM Kids Radio.

As Nolan sees it, “Basically, we’re providing a service to parents whose lighters may be a little rusty, but they still have a spark.”

reviews

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  • Sippy Cup Addicts
    author: Kim T

    My 2-1/2 year old is a true Sippy Cup junkie. Everynight on the way home from the babysitter's house, we listen to The Sippy Cups and I know all the words, too. We absolutely love this CD and can't wait to see them live next time they're in town.

  • We love the Sippy Cups!
    author: lorinda flanagan

    We have so much fun listening to this CD. We saw them in concert and now we relive that moment every day. My daughter loves the little conversations between songs. We can't wait to hear what will come next!

  • Excellent and enjoyable for parents and child.
    author: JC Hefren

    Fun, witty, intelligent and responsible. This CD is not just great fun for your children but it offers rockin' educational and environmentaly conscious songs that you will enjoy right along with them. We are looking forward to The Cups' next release.

  • The whole family loves this CD.
    author: Julie

    I originally bought this CD because I was so happy to finally find a hip kids group... and I was really pleased to find that the kids really like it too. My son (4 yrs old) tells all his friends about the new band that he discovered. He thinks it's pretty cool that they're called the Sippy Cups.

  • I like it
    author: Kelly the Librarian

    I think this CD is a bit stronger than Kids Rock for Peas...super fun, super energetic...and listenable for both kids and adults. I bought this for our public library and I'm positive the kids and their parents are going to love it!

  • THE SIPPY CUPS ROCK!!!
    author: Lisa

    What can I say, My husband and I don't have kids!!!, heard this cd and we loved it so we bought it for our neice and nephews!!! My sister and cousin both called and said the kids started dancing as soon as they put the cd in the player. I love the fact that musicians of our generation are making music for kids that isn't nonsensical and that expose them to different types of music than they normally would listen to. Music that we love to listen to! I hope you keep coming out with cd's, because I will keep buying them for all of the music lovers in our family. :-)

  • author: mother of 3-year old

    OK - for all of us pre-kids rock concert goers: life goes on with Sippy Cups!!! Rock on with your little ones - they love it. I teach toddler dance class - and every last one of my students, when given a choice of next dance, squeels for "Little Puffer". Great fun for all!

  • Something we can both listen to!
    author: Tiffany and Zoie

    My daughter loves all the songs. It only took her a week to learn all the words at age 4. We finally found something we both love!

  • Perfect CD for kids!
    author: Aaron

    I'm a former preschool teacher and now stay-at-home Dad. This CD is great! My daughter loves dancing to "Move Your Pants" and this is definately one of those 'kids cd's' that adults will like listening to! (in some ways it reminds me of the old School House Rock from when WE were kids). I almost wish I was still teaching because I would have loved to play this for my class!

  • Fun to dance to!
    author: Molly

    I'm 5 years old and I love the part when the guy who talks funny can't say Sippy Cups best!

  • I would love this music even if I weren't Sippy Rudy's mom!
    author: Anita Trubitt

    I would love this CD even if I wasn't Sippy Rudy's mom! At one of their performances, it was easy to see that grownups AND kids were equally excited. It is the kind of music that would appeal to both.

  • Even my 12 year old thinks it is cool!
    author: Britta

    FAMILY FAVORITE . . Three girls 4,8 and 12 love this CD . . great groove, great music, great lyrics, THIS CD is a MUST HAVE if you are looking for kids music . . EVERY song is great! See them live if possible, excellent entertainment for all

  • Great for kids *and* parents
    author: Georgia

    I must admit--I hate kids music. But we were Sippy Cups fans because they covered 'adult' songs like Bennie and the Jets, I Wanna Be Elated, Bike, and Dear Prudence. But they're original tunes on this CD are amazing! They hook you in so you'll turn it on whenever the kids demand it. And get to one of their concerts if you can, too. It's a great show with lots of kid action and interaction and they're a fabulous band live.

  • this cd rocks
    author: k barron

    the sippy cups are really on to a great groove for the whole family.

  • Excellent CD for adults that toddlers will love
    author: David

    Our 4.5 year old just loves the Sippy Cups! This new album had him rocking out and the adults love it too. Fun for the whole family! Much better than hearing about how boring most of our other "grownup" music is from the little musicologist!

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