...and "13 O Clock", a surreal romp through a strange dream carnival, twisty enough to make Shel Silverstein proud from the great beyond, starring Mahira, Kimi, MC Fireworks, and Mr. 23, with carnival tricks by The Runaway Circus and juggling by 40 Fingers and a Chipped Tooth!

This illustrious position, last held by magician David Blaine, gives 23 Skidoo a chance to speak about the importance of literacy and reading, and about the magic of words.

As an unabashed word lover and practitioner of a musical form born in NYC, 23 Skidoo is honored by their choice.

Check it out!

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"TIME is on my side..."

Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
keeps the walls throbbing in
TIME MAGAZINE!

Parents! Are You Ready for Kindie Rock?
By Harriet Barovick

At a hot new club in Brooklyn, the walls are throbbing, rocked by a blaring hip-hop band, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, one of six acts in the day's lineup, which runs from punk to pop. If not for the high-pitched roar of the crowd — and the fact that many of the fans are under 4 ft. (120 cm) tall — this jamathon could easily be mistaken for any of the blissed-out shows I attended in my 20s.

I'm here with one of my 6-year-old twin sons at the second annual Kindiefest, a three-day national conference — complete with panels, keynote address and performances — to exchange ideas on how best to market, distribute and play independent music for kids. (The genre, called kindie music, is proudly distinct from the bubblegum stuff on Radio Disney.) In the past couple of years, as the mainstream music industry has struggled, family music has exploded. Parents immune to the charms of Barney or Raffi now have dozens of options for CDs and concerts that they can enjoy as much as their kids can. More bands are making money and vying for limited space at cool venues like Washington's 9:30 Club and Eddie's Attic in Decatur, Ga. And their records are being played on a growing number of kindie radio shows from Detroit to Albuquerque.

It's no longer seen as a sign of failure to be a performer for the 8-and-under set. Indie bands like Weezer and the Shins are showing up on the trippy kids' TV show Yo Gabba Gabba. Established musicians like Dan Zanes (formerly of the '80s band the Del Fuegos) and They Might Be Giants (which won a Grammy for the theme song for Fox's Malcolm in the Middle) are now better known for their kids' records. And some newer kindie artists who don't have grownup-music hits — or even children of their own — are recording and touring regularly as family performers. Recess Monkey, a trio of Seattle elementary-school teachers who performed at Kindiefest, started playing together just a few years ago. Now their intelligent, Beatlesesque sound is filling small venues in Chicago and on both coasts.

A key part of a band's success is theatrical, goofy performances, but another reason for the music's popularity is that it's good. So good, in fact, that — I'll say it loud and proud — I often listen to family bands when my sons aren't around. Without any sugarcoating or condescension, the songs address a range of topics, from bullies and new haircuts to death and divorce. And the artists approach this territory with sophisticated harmonies and themes.

"I was told when I started that a kids' song had to be sweet and repetitive, but I found that's not the case at all," says Justin Roberts, a brilliant crafter of power-pop songs who will release his seventh kindie CD, Jungle Gym, in June. "I write stuff that makes me feel something, and then I hope kids will like it too." Judging from the stage rushers at Kindiefest, the kids are finding it more than alright.

Alt-Rock, Family Style.

CSLP is a national collaborative of 49 states that work together to create materials for each state's public library summer reading program.

"These kids' songs are awesome!"

Kids' music is recession-proof. "Songs stay positive, no matter what's going on in the world," says Kathy O'Connell, host of Philadelphia's WXPN radio show Kids Corner. USA TODAY'sKorina Lopez talks to O'Connell and Mindy Thomas, program director for Sirius XM Radio's Kids Place Live, about favorite 2009 releases....

Easy (Koch)

Artist: Secret Agent 23 Skidoo

Suggested song:

Hot Lava

The consensus: "We have had a lot of CDs come through trying to do hip-hop, but this one is hands down the best," Thomas says. "The lyrics are em-powering without being too overt."

Read the whole story HERE

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