Franklin Avenue Travels to Gabbaland

As promised, a recount of our trip to Yo Gabba Gabba. Last month, I managed to secure a visit to the top-secret set, where shooting for season two was winding down. Evan, clutching his Brobee doll, and cousin Jordan, grabbing a Plex toy, joined me on the trip (providing a good alibi — uh, yeah, I’m visiting the set purely for their enjoyment).

Once there, we were ushered in by Kelly Kimball, from “Gabba” producer Wildbrain, who showed us around.

The boys were a tad hesitant at first, but everyone went beyond the call to make us feel welcome. Visually, there was much to see: Gabbaland, countless props, costumes, and of course, DJ Lance and the Gabba characters.

Me and DJ Lance. Singing and dancing to music is awesome!

We smartly turned the kids’ heads as the actors in costume climbed in and out (didn’t want to destroy the illusion — to them, Brobee and Plex are as real as you and me) and we spent some time with DJ Lance, who couldn’t have been nicer to the kids.

Also, the boys are still talking about Christian Jacobs, the co-creator who happens to also be Aquabats lead singer MC Bat Commander. Evan seemed to get that Christian was an Aquabat, even out of character. I tried to get Evan to sing his rockin’ version of “Pool Party,” but shyness prevailed.

Toodee and Plex, deep in conversation.

And now, my report:

Plex, Muno, Brobee and Toodee. They like to dance and have fun.

Deep inside a massive warehouse off the busy 60 freeway in Industry, Calif., the hippest show ever to hit the juice box demo is winding down its three-month season two shoot.

Grabbing a microphone to amplify his voice inside the massive, converted stage (that once housed a dairy plant), “Yo Gabba Gabba” co-creator Christian Jacobs is helping guide host D.J. Lance through a song about an art show.

Lance, who has replaced his trademark fuzzy orange hat with a beret for the scene, is encouraging the “Gabba” characters – a green monster named Brobee, a cat/dragon named Toodee and the red Cyclops named Muno, among others – to display their art projects, via song. Toodee’s entry isn’t, well, all that good – but Lance still cheers her work.

Foofa and Brobee strike a pose.

That’s the underlying theme of the Nick Jr. series: Keep trying, don’t give up, play hard, share with others, hugs are fun… and “don’t, don’t, don’t bite your friends.”

The messages aren’t that different from Mr. Rogers or “Romper Room” (well, except maybe for that biting one). But the delivery sure is.

Foofa, Plex and Brobee.

“Yo Gabba Gabba” attracted hipster parents and their Ramones T-shirt-wearing offspring last year by mixing life lessons (Brobee scarfs down green beans and sings about the party in his tummy) with indie rock (The Shins, Cornelius), cutting-edge animation and cuddly, off-beat characters – all set to a dance beat. (Wildbrain, which is behind another Evan fave, “Higglytown Heroes,” produces, along with The Magic Store.)

Decked in large Run DMC glasses, a striped jumpsuit and that oversized cap, host DJ Lance begins each episode by opening up a colorful boombox and bringing the shows character’s to life. In between songs about sharing and being nice to everyone, segments range from Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh demonstrating how to draw and rapper Biz Markie demonstrating his beat box skills.

Muno and Foofa : Future “Dancing with the Stars” contestants?

The brainchild of Jacobs (also known as Aquabats frontman “MC Bat Commander”) and Scott Schultz, “Yo Gabba Gabba” was named one of 2007’s top ten new series by Time magazine and has earned Emmy and TV Critics Assn. award noms. Of course, the show’s campy, frantic antics haven’t won over everyone.

My name is Muno, muh-Muno, Muh-muh-muh-muh-muh-Muno!

“Our goal has been working to really connect with both parents and their kids,” Jacobs says. “But my favorite is the one parent out of ten who finds out what I do — and you see their face drop, as if to say, ‘Oh, you make that show? I want to kill you.’”

But for the generation of Gen X parents raised on “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” and Krofft puppets, “Gabba” has also developed a cult following – and oh yeah, their kids are watching (and humming along) too. The show’s even a hit among teens and college-age kids who aren’t exactly in the Nick Jr. demo.

At this summer’s ComiCon – not a popular toddler hangout — DJ Lance was mobbed by teens and adults.

For season two, set to bow in September, Jacobs and Schultz have attracted a who’s who of hip celebs and bands to visit Gabbaland: Jack Black, Andy Samberg, the Roots, MGMT, The Ting Tings and “The Office’s” Melora Hardin (who teaches the “Gabba” gang how to conga) stop by.

In one recurring segment, “30 Rock’s” Jack McBrayer will offer up a joke of the day, while in one episode, Amy Sedaris plays the tooth fairy.

“We’re really trying to outdo season one,” Schultz says. Adds Jacobs, “We went a little crazy this season and had less time to do it in. It’s just been a whirlwind and we’re coming up for air. Plus, there’s no air conditioning here, so it’s like a battle in the desert.”

At least it’s most colorful desert ever, complete with a skateboard ramp, empty costumes (is that Muno’s extended family sitting over there?) and production assistants wandering around, passing out red velvet cupcakes. DJ Lance is right – Gabbaland is awesome.

As we mentioned earlier this month, YGG! merchandise is starting to make its way to Target, Toys R Us, Walmart and other retailers. Party party!

This Is What The Summer Brings

YES! The Yo Gabba Gabba toys have started arriving in stores. We spotted a big selection this weekend at the Burbank Target — plush dolls of Brobee, Muno and Toodee; Plex’s car; a YGG! guitar; and, above, a Brobee microphone.

I bought the microphone. For (ahem) the Kid FKABT, of course. (Maybe we’ll share.) Nontoxic reviews has more info on the new toys here, or read about it at the official YGG! production blog.

And stay tuned… we’ll recount our super-secret visit to Gabbaland later this week! (Seriously!)

Grab A Slice: Choice Cuts Volume 6

There’s no excuse. In 2004, I was able to put together an end of year Choice Cuts even though we’d just had a baby. In 2006, we were busy finishing up our house addition, and yet I still had time.

This year, well, I guess we’ve both been busy. Maria with her freelancing, and me with all sorts of things. Plus, let’s face it, in some ways a rambunctious 3 year-old requires more attention and energy than a newborn.

So that’s my way of noting that, hi, it’s the end of May, and I’m only now posting my 2007 Choice Cuts round up. Better late than never, yes? It’s a fun mix, a lot of poppy stuff, plenty of electronic beats, several local entrants and… yes, two songs from TV shows, including one from a hip series geared toward preschoolers.

I popped it in the other day, and I didn’t feel as bad — I still like the mix, even if I put it together six months ago. Here it is, my sixth annual Choice Cuts CD, “Grab A Slice”:

1. CITY OF ANGELS — Ozomatli: Gotta start off with a Los Angeles-centric track, of course, and there are few better suited for an ode to the City of Angels than Ozomatli. The group is L.A. : Multi-ethnic, offering up a melting pot of hip-hop, rock and Spanish influences. Ozomatli’s one of the few groups that sound at home on KROQ, Power 106 or Super Estrella.

2. A GOOD START — Maria Taylor: What can I say, I’m in love with Maria Taylor’s ethereal voice. Both Taylor and her old group, Azure Ray, have made frequent appearances on the year-end list. This one comes from her most recent CD, “14:59.” Thanks to Franklin Avenue reader and former Nettwerk exec JT, I was able to check out Taylor last year at the Echo. Great show.

3. MAN OVERBOARD — Kristoffer Ragnstam: Catchy pop from Sweden’s Kristoffer Ragnstam, whose music doesn’t sound at all like he hails from Sweden . What can I say, I’m still enjoying the 80s influenced electro pop, as several tracks here can attest to.

4. GOOD LIFE — Kanye West feat. T-Pain: I know, I know, going ultra mainstream with this pick. But I figured Kanye would whine if I didn’t include him. Plus, I’m a sucker for a good sample, and “Good Life’s” use of Michael Jackson’s “PYT” is so damn infectious, I can’t resist it.

5. FALLING SLOWLY — The Frames: You know the version of this song from the movie “Once,” the duet featuring Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. Hansard also fronts The Frames; I kinda like this version better.

6. GET UP GET OUT — The Rosebuds: The blog You Ain’t No Picasso writes: “The intro and chorus of Get Up Get Out” answer that age old question: What would it sound like if ABBA wrote music for the Final Fantasy video games? This is a delightfully poppy work that’s destined for glimpses of dancefloor glory.”

7. HOME — Great Northern: Los Angeles’ own Great Northern had a great 2007. Not only did they become the year’s local indie darlings, but they scored big time national exposure thanks to a Nissan commercial, which used “Home” as musical accompaniment.

8. AGAIN & AGAIN — The Bird and the Bee: I guess I’m a sucker for duos made up of producers and chanteuses. I loved Frou Frou, and I’m digging Bird and the Bee. Inara George, whose solo work you probably remember from the early part of the decade, has paired with producer/keyboardist Greg Kurstin to make up Bird and the Bee. Dare you not to get sucked in by “Again & Again’s” chorus.

9. PRESSURE SUIT — Aqualung: The sweeping sound of Aqualung – also known as Matt Hales – makes another appearance on our end-of-year recap.

10. FLY PAPER — K-OS: OK, remember how I said I was a sucker for a sample? The use of Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved?” guitar riff was good enough for entry on this song. And the maddeningly catchy hook kept me.

11. THE ERASER — Thom Yorke: Reverb. The way Thom Yorke says “E – rase.” That final “ooh.” Like a rainy afternoon in New York .

12. POOL PARTY (YO GABBA GABBA! Mix) — The Aquabats: Could a quirky Nick Jr. TV show geared toward pre-schoolers be the best new program of 2007? If you’re the parent of a toddler, the answer is yes. Evan’s introduction to indie rock has come via “Yo Gabba Gabba,” which was created by Aquabats frontman Christian Jacobs (with Scott Schultz). The ‘Bats have appeared on the show several times, and performed a kid-friendly version of their track “Pool Party” — a song that Evan now knows all the words to. I actually kinda like the YGG! version better than the original, believe it or not, as it’s more uptempo.

13. BUSINESS TIME — Flight of the Conchords: Maria and I are finally going to see Bret and Jemaine live next weekend, and we can’t wait — talk about a reason for getting a sitter! I had a hard time choosing which FOTC song to put in the end-of-year wrap… but how can I deny “Business Time?” You know when I’m down to just my socks it’s time for business that’s why they call them business socks!

14. LAST OF DAYS — A Fine Frenzy: Singer/pianist Alison Sudol has seen several of her songs score TV airplay; she even guested last year on “CSI: Miami.” Her “Almost Lover” was the big hit (well, “big hit” is a relative term), but I kinda like the gravity of “Last of Days” instead.

15. UMBRELLA (Remix) — Rihanna feat. Chris Brown: Here’s another pick inspired in part by the Kid Formerly Known As Blogger Toddler. A year ago, he and I would frequently sing “Umbrella” in the car — and indeed, hearing a two-year-old croon “-ella, ella, ella, ella” is as cute as it sounds. This was obviously the song of the summer in 2007. Here, I’ve thrown on the reworked version featuring Chris Brown. Yes, his take on it — “Cinderella -ella-ella-ella” is pretty damn cheesy. And yet, it’s nearly as catchy.

16. ELEPHANT GUN — Beirut: Zach Condon may be from New Mexico, but his voice and musical choices are as haunting and melancholy as the under-seige city from which he’s taken his performing name. “Elephant Gun”

17. IT’S ALL TRUE — Tracey Thorn: How great was it to see Tracey Thorn finally re-emerge with a new CD? One-half of Everything But the Girl, Thorn had been quiet in recent years, as hubby/partner Ben Watt continued to explore his DJ side.

18. TAP-TAP, CLICK-CLICK — Division Day: Like many of you, we’d actually had “Beartrap Island” in our hands back in 2006, but the CD was re-released by Eenie Meenie in 2007. Much like Silversun Pickups before them, Division Day began to see it all come into fruition by the end of 2007. This is my favorite track off the CD.

19. VALERIE (REMIX) — Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse: Here’s another case where I think the remix is stronger than the original. Just as crazy, messed up Amy Winehouse is much more interesting.

20. PAPER PLANES — MIA: I still remember the first time I heard this track. Wait, are those gun shots? And is that a cash register? Even Indie was too wussy to play the gun shots, muffling the sound effect. 2007 felt like the year of MIA, and it felt like a natural way to wrap up this year’s “Choice Cuts.”

Happy Moustache March!

We’re still lovin’ the Yo Gabba Gabba here at Franklin Avenue HQ — and now the U.K. is about to join the fun. “Yo Gabba Gabba” launches there this month — but Brobee, Foofa, Plex and company are sporting British accents. Trippy! Check it out for yourself at the Nick Jr. UK site, and be sure to play the Brobee “Party in My Tummy” game!

The New York Times Weighs In On "Yo Gabba Gabba"

The New York Times picks up on the Yo Gabba Gabba phenomenon, taking particular attention at how quickly the toddler-targeted show has turned into a franchise:

While “Gabba” is a TV show — one of the 10 best of 2007, according to Time magazine — the idea of simply creating “a show” is antiquated. What is created now is a property, a platform, a brand, a multimedia idea, which obviously has to be Big on the Internet. And indeed, Advertising Age recently pointed out that “Yo Gabba Gabba!” clips have attracted 17.8 million streams from Nickelodeon’s Web site, compared with about 4.4 million viewers of a typical episode of the actual program…

Back in 2006, (producer) Wildbrain acquired a majority interest in Kidrobot, which makes and sells high-end “designer toys” and apparel that appeal to fashionable young adults (who may or may not be parents). Thus “Gabba”-related products arrived in exclusive retail settings much faster than usual, demonstrating consumer demand to other merchandise partners. By the time the word came that the show was being picked up for a second season, deals were in place for DVDs, CDs, toys, bedding and other items.

Blogger Toddler still can’t get enough of “Yo Gabba Gabba.” Two original episodes remain of the current season, including one featuring The Shins.

Maria’s Thursday Three

1. Gabba Love: I found this Yo Gabba Gabba Puppet Project online and took it a step further by making them into little softies for Evan. Just print them out on iron-on sheets, iron them on to white cotton fabric and sew together. I filled mine with dried beans for the weight and throwaround factor. They all went into Evan’s Christmas stocking — and an extra Brobee found its way into Mike’s stocking as well, so a fight will not break out.

2. Pasadena’s Holly Street: The block on Holly between N. Fair Oaks and Raymond is filled with cool stores and restaurants worth exploring. For starters, we want to try the Tibetan or Thai restaurant, and then check out the surrounding stores, which include Silver Me Jewelry, Dream of Tibet, and Lula Mae. The Majestical Roof store is a bit hidden around the corner but the courtyard where it’s at seems magical, while the store offers one-of-a-kind items from local artists. Lastly, I guess you’d have to try something yummy from >Violet’s Cakes after all that walking around.

3. Baked or Fried: My friend and I found ourselves at a McDonald’s reminiscing about how their apple pies used to be so good because they were fried. The manager overheard us and insisted that they were always baked. We retorted, “Oh no, young man, they used to be fried.” He walked away a little bemused. Then, as we were eating, he came by with two fried apple pies — on the house. (He apparently threw the pies into the deep fryer. Not quite the same as the old McDonald’s pies — these were the modern, baked pies simply fried up. But a nice effort.) All I could manage was a couple of bites after all the grease but it was GOOD.

"Yo Gabba Gabba" To Return; Franklin Avenue Gets The Scoop

I’ve been raving for months to the folks at Nickelodeon about “Yo Gabba Gabba,” and pushed for the exclusive when they finally picked up season two. Monday, it finally happened — and I got the scoop.

“Yo Gabba Gabba” — just named one of Time magazine’s top ten new TV series of 2007 — returns next year with 20 new episodes. I spoke to “YGG!” creators (and Aquabats members) Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz on Monday to get the scoop:

The producers have also drawn up a list of potential guest stars to approach, while many more have contacted them about appearing.

“Yo Gabba Gabba!” will then start shooting the segs in April and wrap by the start of summer — with an airdate soon thereafter.

“We always believed that the show would be amazing, but all the accolades and the great press have been pretty unbelievable,” Jacobs said. “The motivation has been to do make a show that we thought would be fun for our kids.”

Jacobs and Schultz (members of ska-rock cult fave the Aquabats) originally shot the “Yo Gabba Gabba!” pilot with their own money. After scenes were uploaded to the Internet, “Gabba” clips became an online phenom. The duo then partnered with production outfit Wildbrain (“Higglytown Heroes”) and brought the show to Nick Jr.

For season two, Jacobs and Schultz plan to lengthen some of the music numbers, as well as spend more time showcasing each character’s personality. Johnson said the channel is also doing focus group research with kids to get their take on what works on the show.

Meanwhile, merchandising will kick into high gear next year. Wildbrain has already released some “Yo Gabba Gabba!” apparel and figurines via its limited-edition toy and apparel subsid Kidrobot, but those higher-priced items were targeted more toward collectors.

The new batch includes 40 licenses in a wide range of categories, including homevideo (via Paramount), music (with Columbia Records), publishing (Simon & Schuster) and a master toy license (Spinmaster). Rivkin said items as diverse as bedding and home furnishings should hit stores by next Christmas.

Now, as a bonus, here’s a sneak preview of this Friday’s winter/Christmas episode. Click here if you’re a PC user, and here for Mac users.

Inka Inka For "Yo Gabba Gabba!"

The OC Weekly gives Yo Gabba Gabba! — Franklin Avenue’s current favorite TV show (well, the fave for two out of the three. Maria still prefers “Girlfriends” over the YGG!, but Evan and I are still working on that) — the front page treatment.

Describing the show, the OC Weekly notes “YGG!’s” “decidedly and weirdly retro—Atari 2600-like animation coupled with live-action characters and hipster music acts who told kids to eat their veggies, be polite, make their beds and dance, dance, dance. H.R. Pufnstuf meets Pee Wee’s Playhouse, part Muppets and part MTV, an unabashed celebration of being young.”

(Flickr pic by Mamadelic.)

I soo wish I could have made it to one of the annual Aquabats holiday shows… which this year included a set by DJ Lance Rock and the Aquabats! (above)

Inka Inka For "Yo Gabba Gabba!"

The OC Weekly gives Yo Gabba Gabba! — Franklin Avenue’s current favorite TV show (well, the fave for two out of the three. Maria still prefers “Girlfriends” over the YGG!, but Evan and I are still working on that) — the front page treatment.

Describing the show, the OC Weekly notes “YGG!’s” “decidedly and weirdly retro—Atari 2600-like animation coupled with live-action characters and hipster music acts who told kids to eat their veggies, be polite, make their beds and dance, dance, dance. H.R. Pufnstuf meets Pee Wee’s Playhouse, part Muppets and part MTV, an unabashed celebration of being young.”

(Flickr pic by Mamadelic.)

I soo wish I could have made it to one of the annual Aquabats holiday shows… which this year included a set by DJ Lance Rock and the Aquabats! (above)

Yo Gabba Gabba! Halloween Treat

Yo Gabba Gabba! has just launched its more elaborate website, which currently sports a Halloween theme. Games, pictures and video — including an exclusive online clip of Biz’s Halloween Beat of the Day (above) are all there. If you haven’t seen the episode yet, it’s being replayed tomorrow on Nick Jr. — just get a load of Plex’s beard and Muno’s cowboy moustache.