About Us

“Ratboy Jr. is rocking silly fun and among the best kindie songwriters today.”  -Kids Corner /WXPN

“If Calvin & Hobbes had a soundtrack, Ratboy Jr. would be it.”  -Boston Children's Music review

“Ratboy Jr. is the kind of music you'll want on the days when the world stops making sense, and your family needs a little absurdity to get through the day.”  -Parents Choice Award 

 

Ratboy Jr. is an award winning band from New Paltz, NY, a college town located in the beautiful Hudson Valley. They are a rocking duo for all ages, a band for the whole fam! They have a knack for blurring the lines between music for kids and music for adults, so that it becomes EVERYONE’S music.

Ratboy Jr. met in college after Timmy got off the road touring with the Ramones and Matty was playing the music of Frank Zappa! They formed their own band, started writing songs, and 24 years later they are still playing music together that's creative, clever and super fun!  John Burdick from Hudson Valley One said it best, “The only lesson this duo has ever pursued is: Yes. It’s allowed. You have permission. Be thyself. Get wild. Get weird. Get tender and sad. Harm none.”

They just released their fourth record, Lucky Foot and Sunny Moon. Timmy and Matty worked on this album with their best bud and super producer, Dean Jones at No Parking Studio in Rosendale, NY.  This new album also features artwork from Timmy’s late grandfather, Anton Refregier. He was a painter, WPA muralist, and more. The last band to use his artwork for an album cover was The Weavers in 1959.

A new album means new music videos. This past April,  Timmy, worked with Woodstock Travels and brought students on a service learning trip to Nepal and India. They spent two days at a school in a remote village in Nepal. While there, Timmy filmed a music video for the brand new Ratboy Jr. song, “Hey Face.”   

Their music has won many awards and appeared on some great “best of the year” lists. They have been on the top 10 list for several weeks on Kids Place Live (XM satellite) and on the Top Ten Kids Corner Countdown (WXPN). You can hear them on radio stations, blogs, podcasts, etc. across the country.

A Ratboy Jr live show is not to be missed and the audience is always party of the show. They perform their catchy (and often improvised) tunes with a side of onstage banter to break up the music. They’ve opened for folks like Levon Helm, Pete Seeger, Gene Ween, Dan Zanes, etc. and they have played at such festivals as Mountain Jam (NY), Top of the Park (MI), The Green River Festival (MA), The LEAF Festival (NC), and the Clearwater Festival (NY). In addition to festivals, Ratboy Jr can be found playing or leading workshops at schools, libraries, fairs, parties, and farmers markets.  

 

Stay tuned for lots of shows and music videos on the horizon.  Visit ratboyjr.com for more information. 

Ratboy Jr. has been very fortunate to receive a lot of recognition from the press including Scholastic Magazine. Here’s what others had to say: 

Timmy and Matty have jammed with biggies like the Ramones and Pete Seeger. Today the pint-size set can hear their infectious tunes about garbage men and banana stands.  Time out NY 

“Their easy, self-effacing rapport, along with the comedic-but-substantial arrangements, remind me quite a lot of Flight of the Conchords. Ratboy, Jr.’s take on kids’ rock has always been surreal and absurdist more than moralistic and didactic.” Almanac Weekly 

“Ratboy Jr. makes the kind of music that adults enjoy too. It’s creative, clever and it’s just good music.”  Kids Almanac 

“Ratboy Jr's Ween-esque, intergalactic folk music is paired with curious subject matter like eating clouds, high five-ing shadows, big-headed Mexican wrestling hopefuls, space fuzz, and guitar pickin' chickens.  This album is every bit as funny as it is fun.”  Out With The Kids 

“I've always appreciated the low-key offbeat humor of New York duo Ratboy Jr.  They sing songs that would remind you of Roald Dahl or Shel Silverstein if they were both gentler and perhaps a little less sentimental.”  Zooglobble 

“Ratboy Jr. at first sounds simple -- but once you listen a little, you realize that simplicity is deceptive.  Looping and good natured, it's goofy stuff that will make you smile and will probably make your kids crack up.”  Spare the Rock 

“Champions of the Universe is a goodie bag of fun filled with clever lyrics, creative storytelling, entertaining rhymes and humorous riddles. Each song invites listeners on a journey to explore artful and abstract scenarios that aim to nurture a child’s imagination.” Kids can Groove 

“Ratboy Jr. rocks it hard with the hip sensibilities of the coolest indie garage-influenced bands. To get a quick aural snapshot, imagine R.E.M., Lou Reed, Weezer, Cake, Beastie Boys, etc. singing about monsters, backyard camping, breakfast, upside down worlds, puppets, and eating clouds. Yeah, it’s pretty wild stuff!”  AXS 

"Charmingly ragged harmonies, warm brass, and a slightly jammy aesthetic all add up to a wonderfully down-to-earth listening experience that manages to feel as expansive as any Phish record while keeping every song under four minutes"  Dadnabbit 

"Ratboy Jr. should be the official Kindie rock summer soundtrack"  Nugget Island