If you look past the cartoonish cover and the fact that Howdytoons is essentially a kids’ band with a billion or so YouTube streams, you’ll realize that Dinosaurs & Monsters also is one helluva a catchy rock record with progressive-metal leanings and features none other than Marco Minnemann of The Aristocrats and The Mute Gods on drums.
A little backstory is in order: Howdytoons is the brainchild of Toronto-based musician Mike Whitla, whose influences include Iron Maiden, Mastodon, Pink Floyd and Thelonius Monk. As a solo artist, he has nabbed numerous awards for his kids’ music, has scored high in the Great American Songwriting Competition and the International Songwriting Competition, and was nominated as “Best Children’s Entertainer" at the SiriusXM Indie Awards. Howdytoons debuted in 2011 with Dinostory: The Ultimate Dinosaur Rock Opera, which emerged out of Whitla’s overwhelming desire to write songs about prehistoric creatures, and the project spawned some crazy animated videos to go along with songs addressing such complex topics as belonging, loneliness and loss.
Dinosaurs & Monsters is part of the “Dinostory” series, and even though the album clocks in at about 30 minutes, it covers a lot of musical ground and boasts broad appeal. There’s metal (“Allosaurus,” “Brachiosaurus” and “The Kracken”), rock (“Dimetrodon” and “Kronosaurus”), pop (“I’m a Pterodactyl” and “Brontosaurus Is Back”) and even folk (“Stegosaurus Song”) and reggae (“Diplodocus”). The nine-song album can be streamed on all major services, and it’s a rewarding and entertaining listen.
Track Listing:
1. Allosaurus
2. Dimetroden
3. Brachiosaursus
4. Brontosaurus is Back
5. Diplodocus
6. Stegosaurus Song
7. I’m a Pterodactyl
8. The Kraken
9. Kronosaurus
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