There are plenty of artists who maintain that they make kids’ music the entire family can enjoy. Former Del Fuego Dan Zanes, They Might Be Giants, and Jason and the Scorchers frontman Jason Ringenberg all released records in the past couple years that claim to kick out the jams for little ones and grown-ups alike. But only the Sippy Cups sound like they’re swigging a very special kind of juice. “Our music really is geared just as much to the parents,” says keyboardist and singer Alison Faith Levy. “We’re not trying to teach kids any lesson.”

The Sippy Cups’ debut CD, Electric Storyland!, includes songs like “Drinking From the Sky” and “Magic Toast” that sound like something the Flaming Lips would concoct between bong hits. The Cups cover Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd and the Velvet Underground in concert. And their stage shows include giant furry animals and humongous puppets. “We don’t want to dip below the line that we think is cool,” says Levy. It helps that all six members of the San Francisco band are parents. Their children — who often help out with songwriting — range in age from 3 to 12. “It’s about engaging with the kids,” she says. “We’re bridging the gap.”
Sun., Aug. 5, 4 p.m.

This article appears in Aug 1-7, 2007.