Like Totally!

"We're Like Totally!, and it's party time!"
With this raucous cry begins Good Mews, the Kickstarter-funded debut album from the long-running local "kindie rock" outfit. What follows is 25 minutes of pathologically catchy, criminally ridiculous music, a straight-up silly set of songs ostensibly geared towards children but, also, as that somewhat awkward genre tag suggests, hip, discerning parent-approved.
And even if you're not a parent, chances are you'll find something to like here; this stuff is, by and large, irresistible. A lot of that has to do with the fact that, unlike most contemporary "adult" music, there is no irony involved in Like Totally!'s artistic approach. To listen to Good Mews is to realize how cynical you have become—you crabby old coot—but it is also to rediscover a certain youthful joy.
"I've always really loved animals, and happy things, and positive outlooks," says frontwoman and "Lady Scientist" Jenny Woodward. "Children's music is [about] being yourself, and finding happiness with your friends and your pets. I guess I'm just a kid at heart, too, so it comes naturally to me to write that kind of music."
Like Totally! was initially designed, way back in 2006, as a grown-up band, sort of. "I came up with the band name first," Woodward recalls, "and I was like, 'That's an awesome band name; so there we go.'"
Soon enough, she realized her true calling. "I wrote the song 'Dolphins, Unicorns and Bananas'—after I wrote it, I was reading [the lyrics], and I was like, 'I should probably stick to writing kids' music.'"
The cast of characters supporting Lady Scientist has changed since then (the band now includes Friendly Pirate, Unruly Cowboy, Magic Mac, Mrs. Berry Bear and Farmer Jones, along with a rotating cast of costumed backup dancers), but "Dolphins, Unicorns and Bananas" shows up on Good Mews, as do other literally titled tunes: "Millions of Things" (there are a lot of things in the world); "Things That Fly" (like rocketships, planes and birds); "Cookies" (which is, like many great works of art, both an ode to love and a cautionary tale).
For engineer Joel Hatstat, who recorded Good Mews while also working on a couple albums from heavy local rock bands, this unabashed earnestness was a welcome respite.
"Every person in that band has such absurd enthusiasm for what they [are] doing," he says. "They are [so] into what they're doing, and they're into being a band for kids. And the songs themselves—just the sheer jubilation and the sheer positive energy they're trying to put forth is something I can respect and relate to."
Indeed, what elevates Like Totally!'s tunes above most kiddie jams is the sense that Woodward and company really believe in what they're doing, like, totally.
"I love doing [kids' music]." Woodward says. "I definitely want to do it for the rest of my life."
And when they're not singing about unicorns, the music often exudes an adult-level depth. (See "Sail Baby Sail," a gorgeously ambiguous lullaby.) As a bonus, the band boasts an uncanny ability to maintain a super-straight face throughout, so that lyrics like "From these cookies/ A child cannot grow," delivered as they are with a dramatic, slow-mo flourish, feel far more deep and revelatory than is actually the case.
Then again, to a kid, everything is revelatory, and much of the album's charm comes from the vocal contributions of a lucky group of young Like Totally! fans, who pop up throughout, in choruses, inter-song skits and randomized explosions of cheering. (Hatstat recalls working with children in the studio, a first: "They just did two takes, and then it was snack time.")
With countless birthday parties and library performances under its belt, and now the album, the band's local presence continues to grow. Not only has it earned a cult-like following among a certain swath of Athens youth, but it's also converted quite a few parents in the process. It's not uncommon, at a Like Totally! gig, to see moms and dads joining their kids in joyous, impromptu dance sessions; you get the sense that they're losing themselves in the music more than they might care to admit.
The group celebrates the release of Good Mews with an afternoon show at the 40 Watt this Saturday—the theme for the performance is "Time Travel," and yes, costumes are encouraged. Then, Woodward says, the band dreams of landing a coveted slot at Brooklyn's Kindiefest. After that, the sky is the limit. Tour? Check. A public television show? Already in the works—at least in Woodward's mind.
"We have a couple things to figure out," she says. "Like, most of the band doesn't even have a car. We have to figure out transportation. But I'm sure that will come in time."
Kids of all ages, take note: positive thinking. After all, it's brought Like Totally! this far.
WHO: Like Totally!
WHERE: 40 Watt Club
WHEN: Saturday, January 12
HOW MUCH: $5 ($20 max for families with 4 or more) - Flagpole Magazine

Kickstarter doesn't have a monopoly on kids' music projects -- Athens, GA band Like Totally! are pitching their project on IndieGoGo. I've actually been following the band for a little while now and I'm curious to see what a focused producer does with their Elephant-Six-meets-The-Polyphonic-Spree-meets-Sesame-Street vibe. - Zooglobble

If you awoke Friday with blurred visions of glow sticks and dancing bananas in your head… don't worry. It wasn't the drink or the drugs; it was just the Flagpole Athens Music Awards.
On Thursday, June 21 the Morton Theater was filled with wild costumes, music and love as Athens came together to honor the best and brightest local talent. Like Totally! kicked things off with their quirky brand of kid-friendly pop, and their adorable dancers stuck around all night to give out awards. - Flagpole Magazine

Can't make it up to Brooklyn this weekend for Kindiefest? No worries; Athens' own purveyors of hip, family-friendly pop are throwing their own bash in our backyard. After a three-year hiatus, Jenny "Lady Scientist" Woodward (The Woodworks, Vestibules) reformed Like Totally! about a year ago and is making a real go of it in the kids' music world—her bi-monthly kids' dance parties at Flicker have become so popular that they'll soon be moving to a bigger venue, and Like Totally! has become the in-demand band for birthday parties. In the spirit of the newly dubbed "kindie" genre, Like Totally! offers parents blissful respite from the often tiresome world of children's music. Woodward keeps the lyrics sweet and silly without dumbing down the melodies, so kids of all ages can enjoy tunes about life's simple pleasures: pets, playtime and cookies (in moderation, of course).

#Joined by her backing band of costumed characters (The Friendly Pirate, Unruly Cowboy, Mailman Mack and more), plus a melange of backup dancers, Like Totally! shows have become increasingly theatrical, with interactive performances and scripted skits in between numbers. Woodward even fantasizes about having a Like Totally! TV show in the future.

#"I really want to write a 12-series pilot and get that out there," she says, "but right now the number-one priority is the album."

#The band is currently in the studio with producer Joel Hatstat working on its debut release, Good Mews, but additional funding is necessary to complete the project. You can support the group in its efforts by partying at Little Kings this weekend. The fun starts at 2 p.m., and Like Totally! hits the stage at 3 p.m. There will be face-painting, food carts and prizes, so bring the kids or just your inner-child for a good time. Admission is just $3 for little ones and $5 for adults. If you can't make it out, donations are also accepted online via www.indiegogo.com/Like-Totally-make-their-debut-Album-Good-Mews… but only an unruly cowboy would miss out on this kind of fun. - Flagpole Magazine

"All the best kids shows and movies throw in a few winks and nudges for the parents to enjoy, and Like Totally! offers that, too. If you have any love for whimsy, it's hard not to smile watching this colorful cast of costumed merry-makers sing songs about friendship and discovery." - Flagpole Magazine