The world of children’s music and television doesn’t have a reputation for being particularly cutting-edge, and that’s something that new, former-hipster parents hear frequently from their childless, still-cool friends. And they’re not entirely wrong: Save for the odd appearance by, say, Feist on Sesame Street, first-time parents once faced the unenviable task of trading in their Arcade Fire or The National CDs for irritating, singalong drivel (unless they made the bold, and somewhat callous decision to ban children’s music from their homes and minivans altogether). Then, Yo Gabba Gabba came along.

For those not in the know, Yo Gabba Gabba might be the coolest kids’ show ever made for mainstream television. Debuting in 2006 on the American cable channel Nick Jr. (and eventually finding its way to Canada by way of the toddler-friendly cable network Treehouse), Yo Gabba Gabba began as the brainchild of Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz, two former California indie rock scenesters. Hosted by the orange jumpsuit-clad DJ Lance Rock, the show’s cast of crazy-costumed characters and gorgeously trippy animation is bolstered by musical contributions from the likes of The Shins, Of Montreal, [1] Mates of State, Vancouver acts Hot Hot Heat and The Salteens and Calgary’s Chad Van Gaalen, amongst dozens of others.

Still, the show’s key audience is the under-six preschool set, and the kids tend to gravitate to the cuddly characters. But the high-quality musical selections give reprieve to parents who can’t stomach the thought of listening to another verse of “Wheels on the Bus.”

Sean Palmerston, publicist at Sonic Unyon Records in Hamilton, Ont., watches the show with his two sons — in particular, it’s a favourite of his three-year-old, Spencer. The boys own a CD compilation of the show’s greatest hits, which is on regular rotation in their house.

“It’s a nice change from the Barenaked Ladies children’s album, which they also like,” Palmerston says. “There’s a lot of imagination to it, which I think works well. The fact that they’re taking a music context and updating it to an indie pop or indie rock thing is really cool.”

And he’s not kidding. The show’s imagination was awarded with two Daytime Emmy nominations in 2008 and 2009, but its music has won over plenty adult fans, too. In fact, Yo Gabba Gabba might have been the oddest performance at this year’s Coachella festival, where it lined up alongside indie heavyweights such as Pavement, Grizzly Bear and Vampire Weekend.

And while its toddler-aged audience might not be opting for skinny jeans and Wayfarers just yet, they’re certainly not too young to appreciate the show’s solid musical cast.

“I find with Spencer, it’s sort of opening up his musical palate a little bit more," says Palmerston. "[My wife] really likes Mates of States, which he now equates with Yo Gabba Gabba when she plays it at home.”

Like most children’s programming, the Yo Gabba Gabba experience isn’t restricted to the confines of your television. The live version of the show will feature all of its characters, including the real DJ Lance Rock, along with special guests for the performance’s Dancey Dance and Super Music Friends segment. And while the guests’ identities are always kept secret, past participants have included Sarah Silverman, Snoop Dogg, the Roots and Devendra Banhart. One thing, however, is for certain: No big purple dinosaurs will be showing up.