Minivan Rotation: The Hipwaders

The Hipwaders' new release, Educated Kid, has already been met with some rave reviews, and the title track has shot to number three on XMKids Radio. That's HUGE! (By the way, you can go there now to request "Educated Kid" and help the Hipwaders overpower Hannah Montana and High School Musical on the XM charts.)

I loved the Hipwaders' last album, and I've always felt a strong connection with many of their lyrics. Songs like "Little Baby Brother" capture so well the joys and frustrations of siblings:

Little baby brother / crawling on the rug / looking so cute / I want to give you a hug.
Please don't break my toys / and I'll love you forever...

As the album title implies, many of the songs on Educated Kid are, well, educational. But educational in a loose, fun way. A great deal of kids' music (and television) struggles with finding the right balance of artistry, education, and entertainment. Too often, education gets weighted far too heavily, entertainment is close second, and artistry is left behind altogether, leaving us with an "edutainment" product rather than a work of art.


The Hipwaders (like a handful of other kids' bands/artists who have taken an educational approach to their music) have magically kept artistry front and center, reminding us that good music -- in and of itself -- can be educational. Yet among the fabulous guitar riffs and power-pop sound, they manage to slip in some important information about things like evolution, the Dewey decimal system, and geometry.

On a personal note, this album deserves special props for helping me to make the long drive from Ohio to Georgia this summer with two kids. And even after many repeated plays on that trip, it's still in the minivan, and still getting the "can we hear that song again?" shout-out from the back seat.

Hear more tracks or order your own copy of Educated Kid at CDBaby, the Pokey Pup, or other online retailers.

Disclosures: I received a promo copy of The Hipwaders' Educated Kid.