L.A. musicians stay together for the kids


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First Karen O gathered together a group of elementary school-age kids to help record the soundtrack for longtime friend Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are.

Now, it seems that other independent artists are also acknowledging the (not-so-much-younger) youth.

826LA — the local branch of the nationwide nonprofit 826, which was created by novelist Dave Eggers in San Francisco with the mission of teaching both academic and creative writing to children — has integrated its diverse mix of students into the equally as diverse Los Angeles music scene with the upcoming compilation, Chickens in Love.

The tracks on Chickens in Love, 12 in total, were developed and written by children in 826LA’s very own workshop, Songwriting With the Submarines — led by the L.A.-based indie-pop duo John Dragonetti and Blake Hazard. Once the tracks were completed by such student bands as The Gummy Bears, Pig Power, The Taco Shells and Jennifer Lopez (the band, not Jenny-from-the-block), Los Angeles musicians She & Him, Dum Dum Girls, Crystal Antlers, Cold War Kids and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros covered the songs, forming the ultimate cross-town/age/cultural indie collaboration.

However, the love does not end at the full-length album. This 826LA fundraiser (all proceeds go to the organization so that it can maintain its free after-school tutoring and workshops) culminates in a one-day all-ages MINI Music Festival on March 6 at the Echoplex in the Echo Park section of Los Angeles. A completely L.A.-centric, D.I.Y. event, local favorites The Submarines, The Happy Hollows and The Growlers are among the performers scheduled for the day-long concert.

Chickens in Love is set to release in mid-April and will only be available for purchase at 826LA, Origami Vinyl, The Echo Park Time Travel Mart and the 826LA website. The album, as well as festival tickets, T-shirts and other merchandise, are currently available for pre-order online.

For more information about Chickens in Love and the MINI Music Festival, check out: http://826la.com/chickensinlove/