Once you have a child, you enter a whole new realm of reality. I probably should have known this intuitively 17 months ago when our daughter was first born, but somehow, elements of this basic realization escaped me at first. Case in point: children’s TV. Before Flannery came on the scene, I never watched Noggin/Nick Jr., Disney or anything having to do with Elmo or Sesame Street. Now however? Well I know the morning schedule of these stations by heart, Blue’s Clues theme song is tattooed on my brain, and I now sometimes dream of The Backyardigans and their mysterious mysteries. Actually, that last one hasn’t happened yet, but I’m just waiting.

Given all this time ensconced in kids’ media, I’ve come to a new appreciation for those shows/artists/concepts that somehow bridge the gap between a toddler whose brain is still figuring out how to function and a 20 or 30-something who’s just fighting the general cynicism of everyday life. Enter Yo Gabba Gabba. I’m not quite sure how the creators have managed to pull this off, but this show has not only bridged that gap, but they are pulling in new fans like crazy. If you haven’t seen the show yet, it follows a group of funny looking creatures as they discover the basics of living: sharing, playing, eating…general children’s show fodder. But the packaging of the show is fun, retro and somewhat kitschy. The creature designs are ever so slightly reminiscent of H. R. Pufnstuf and similar shows. And here’s one of the biggest hooks for parents watching the show with their kids: the music.

That music is obviously front and center here. The original show songs and soundtrack are poppy, catchy and often hilarious. Along with the original cuts, the show (and this CD) features a ton of great bands, playing new songs for the Yo Gabba Gabba audience. This record gives tracks from: The Shins, Money Mark, Biz Markie, The Roots, Chromeo, Mark Kozelek, and Of Montreal (among others). The songs themselves are on the shorter side, tailored for little brains with shorter attention spans. But they’re all solid and lots of fun.

All in all, this is a great release. If you have a kid who’s already hooked on Yo Gabba Gabba, then this is a no-brainer. Or if you’re a fan of one or more of the bands on this CD, it would be a fun thing to check out (and possibly preemptively fall in love with if you don’t have kids). In either case, I guarantee your head will be bopping along with the beat in no time.