Newman Bros Presents – Camping Trip!
Camping Trip! is a reiteration of an interesting 2014 concept album by Newman Bros Presents, a funk-punk band from Ithaca. The album demonstrates creative storytelling with intricate musical accompaniments that spans a handful of genres. To say NBP is a multimedia project is an understatement – Camping Trip! will be released as an album, a play, an illustrated children’s book, and even a pinball game (including an accompanying iOS version)! To add, their friends at Well Worn Boot released some fan-fiction about this multimedia effort that can be read here.
The album starts off with “The Opening.” Here, we meet our main character, a camp counselor named Paul Blart Jr., and his pet monkey, Toto. An upright bass and horn ensemble play behind the narrator as Paul and Toto move through their morning routine. Paul’s voice is raspy and young-sounding – it’s comparable to the SpongeBob SquarePants opening theme in the most complimentary sort of way.
Next, we have the hard-to-deny surf rock tune, “Camping Trip.” Voices call out “Camping!” as the song bounces along thumpingly. Our main characters are now preparing for the trip itself by gathering food, water, and other important supplies. Paul exclaims “… [this will be] so much fun!” Again, the music harkens back to cartoons you may have watched as youngsters, vibrant and ebullient – perfect fodder for something that could be found in children’s literature.
Later on, there’s a more comedic song called “Pee Dance.” We’ve all been there: clenching our bladders because we didn’t go to the bathroom when our all-knowing parents told us we’d have to eventually… The drumbeat is jazzy, refined, and properly represents the tumultuous happenstance. “Pee Dance” showcases the talent of the musicians behind this project – all the instrumentation is exceptionally professional and ridden with pulse-raising funk.
“Bear Hug,” one of the latest releases from Newman Bros Presents, begins with cicadas, bear growls, and an unfortunate rainstorm. As Toto escapes in fear, Paul and the children are left to confront a bear attack. Fortunately, this bear is a pacifist – all he wants is a bear hug. The song itself is full of tasteful big band hits, rolling basslines, soaring horn sections, and several different vocalizations.
To close, the final few songs of Camping Trip! have the children, Paul, Toto, and the newly introduced Uncle Podunk, traveling to a candy shop. In “Bubblegum,” instead of Paul’s raspy tenor, we hear, presumably, Uncle Podunk, chirping like Les Claypool about the candy store’s tasty allure atop a bluesy soundtrack. The album closer, “Bye Bye Baby,” which is another brand new release, is a country tune with experienced saxophone and violin solos, along with a pretty slide guitar and steam engine percussion.
Camping Trip! by Newman Bros Presents would definitely be a fun-filled listen for any traveling family, intended for members of all ages. If you choose to purchase and/or download the album, you can also download a forty-page e-book that coincides with each track for free. For parents that enjoy Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band, and want a break from all the Cocomelon tracks on repeat, Camping Trip! might be your savior. One can listen to the Newman Bros Presents album here.
You can also donate to the project’s Kickstarter by following this link! Snag hard copies of the vinyl and/or hardcover copies of the book, as well as a bunch of camping-themed swag, available and sent out April 2026.
Categorised in: Album Reviews, New Music
This post was written by Jake Sessanna