Discover Hidden Gems: Music for Cartoons

Update: This newsletter was originally produced for the week of 4/17/2023, but it was never uploaded till now due to technical difficulties. Hope you enjoy!

Last week, Music Team built a music playlist and newsletter based on a location setting. This week, we consider the music for a TV genre: cartoons. This doesn't necessarily mean music that were featured in cartoons, but rather music we believe would theoretically fit in a cartoon's opening/ending, montage scene, or background soundtrack. For each of these picks, we rated them based on how well they would fit in a cartoon from 0📺 emojis to 5 📺 emojis.

FULL PLAYLIST

The Air-Conditioned Nightmare - Mr. Bungle

"The Air-Conditioned Nightmare" by Mr. Bungle is lost-media Hanna-Barbera cartoon on acid. At its most cartoonish moments brought about by organs, you could picture Scooby Doo being chasing after by a villain to the beat. It's just experimental enough to fit in something like an Adult Swim slot at 2 AM. While the different parts are too contrasting to fit a single cartoon scene, each part would individually match very well to a different beat in the episode. Just don't judge the book by its cover - the album art does look like a bad restaurant logo by Santa Monica's beach.      -J.L.

Notes -

• FCC safe
• Genre: Surf Rock, Experimental Rock

Rating: 8.5

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Endo - Strawberry Hospital

Texas producer Strawberry Hospital has been reaching underground cult status with their poignant and beautiful noisescapes. While "Endo" would not fit in any standard western cartoon, we can easily see it play in Anime opening for a show about a cool introverted boy who wears black that teenagers would idolize for years to come. The song itself mixes breakcore with trance, almost shoegaze-like (ceilinggaze?) textures, fitting into a late 2000s Frutiger Aero aesthetic.      -J.L.

Notes -

• FCC safe
• Genre: Trancecore

Rating: 8.5

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Time Today - Kero Kero Bonito

"The kid finally got the free time they yearned for and spends it with their newfound lobster friend, but eventually realizes they have more time than they know what to do with."

Kero Kero Bonito is the definitive titan of contemporary Twee, which naturally lands her on a list for Cartoon music. "Time Today" appears to be both joyous and ominous, fitting for a happy montage right before everything goes wrong. The song fits new age cartoons like Steven Universe, discussing emotional topics in a pastel wash.      -J.L.

Notes -

• FCC safe
• Genre: Twee Pop

Rating: 8

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Ocean Man - Ween

If you’d like to feel like you’re at a cartoon underwater beach in the 60’s, thinking about the good times you once had with your good pal, Ocean Man, you might want to give this Ween tune a listen. Written for the iconic cartoon Spongebob, this ditty is the perfect song to get you in the cartoon mood with a silly instrumental and pitched down vocals. Taking the classic Ween sound and bringing some new life into it with the inspiration of this children’s animation.                                                                                                                                -F.P.

Notes -

• FCC safe
• Genre: Pop Rock

Rating: 7.5

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HOW DOES IT FEEL - DOOPEES

From the xylophone to high-pitched vocals to the name of the fictious artist, this song screams music for children's show. Doopee Time is infamous for its mysterious lore, based on a concept of exploring grief from the perspective of a child. Just like the album's deceiving childishness, the song takes lounge music, which is usually perceived as simplistic, and imbues it with serious artistry. The music sounds like something that would play in an artsy European cartoon (or Doraemon!).  - J.L.

Notes -

• FCC safe
• Genre: Baroque Pop

Rating: 7.5

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Pod - Sn​õ​õ​per

"punchy in all the right ways"

In "Pod", Nashville punk band Snõõper channels the early 2000s with its punchy and exciting drums. The song is too humanoid to fit in every single cartoon, but it certainly has a spot as the opening to a show like Kids Next Door.    - J.L.

Notes -

• FCC safe
• Genre: Garage Punk

Rating: 7.5

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Decoy - Fievel Is Glauque

Close your eyes, and picture yourself enjoying a baguette on the beach in the south of France, hon hon!

"Decoy" by Fievel Is Glauque is a delightfully whimsical and playful song that will make you "feel like a little French boy", as described by a team member. The floaty and bouncy sound is reminiscent of a Stereolab track, with a touch of new wave croissant. The bass is fantastic, adding to the overall jazzy vibe of the song. Though jazz and classical instrumentals are commonplace in classic cartoons like Tom and Jerry, Decoy almost feels too chill and one note, fitting better as an intermission between episodes of cartoons or as an Adult Swim bumper.  - J.L.

Notes -

• FCC safe
• Genre: Bossa Nova, Jazz Pop

Rating: 7.5

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Come In - Weatherday

"Come In" by 5th wave emo rising star Weatherday packs a powerful punch, like the soundtrack to a boss fight at the finale of an action cartoon targeted towards teenagers (this song would probably scare 10-year-old me). The short progression gradually becoming more intense feels like an intro track, leading up to something big. Admittingly, music team had trouble deciding whether this is properly "cartoon music", as noise and raw, emotional vocals are unheard of in cartoons we are used to, but we can certainly imagine someone making an edgy cartoon that would perfectly compliment this.  - J.L.

Notes -

• FCC safe
• Genre: Emo

Rating: 7.5

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Scat - Mouse on Mars

Contrary to many of their peers in European experimental electronic music in the 90s, German electronic act Mouse on Mars' sounds were distinctly whimsical and goofy as opposed to cold and serious like Aphex Twin or Autechre. "Scat" uses a wide range of intricately designed novel sounds but still somehow makes you feel nostalgic and at-home. This song could play in a polygon-era PlayStation title or a modern, geometric styled animation.  - J.L.

Notes -

• FCC safe
• Genre: Braindance/IDM

Rating: 7

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Go! - Plumtree

"Go!" by Canadian Power Pop band Plumtree again takes us back to the early 2000s era of cartoons with its youthful upbeat energy, reminding us of Canadian cartoon 6Teen. This song was featured in a montage scene in Scott Pilgrim v.s. The World, which makes sense with the simplistic chanting lyrics, but also highlights that accentuated vocals feel very live-action-esque. For cartoons, we think "Go!" gives huge Kick Buttowski and Phineas and Ferb energy and the few other cartoons that feature rock music. The nice outro is the cherry on top, leaving us with a satisfying conclusion to the track.  - J.L.

Notes -

• FCC safe
• Genre: Pop Rock

Ratings: 7

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Huddle Formation - The Go! Team

The Go! Team masters the type of music that would play on Nickelodean, but perhaps it sounds too humanoid once again due to the recordings of cheering noises. At the end of the day, Huddle Formation sounds repetitive and incredibly fun, and we can see it playing in teen girl coming of age cartoon!  - J.L.

Notes -

• FCC safe
• Genre: Indie Rock, Indie Pop

Ratings: 7

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