Listen To This: "With a Smile (It's Christmastime)" - ScribbleMonster

New music from ScribbleMonster, even if it's a re-worked version of a previous release, even if it's holiday-themed and therefore has a somewhat limited shelf life, is always welcome. So get yourself over to the ScribbleStore and download the sweet "With a Smile (It's Christmastime)" for free -- I do so dig multiple singers singing multiple melodies. Photo credit: the band.

Listen To This: "Party Like a Twinkle Star" - Charity and the JAMband

New music from San Francisco's Charity and the JAMband and the best part is you can listen to the whole thing. Following in the steps of the Nields' Rock All Day, Rock All Night, Party Like a Twinkle Star features one up-tempo CD, one down-tempo CD. Or, as Charity puts it, "10 songs for rocking out... 10 songs for tucking in." You can download the (rocking out, sort of) song "We Are Stardust" for free here. Or just listen to the whole darn thing below. (Click on "Download" to purchase it for $20 from the band.)

Listen To This: "Halloween" - Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke

Some of you (like, er, me) haven't yet finished your Halloween kids music mix CD, but sometimes procrastination pays off. Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke put together a new track titled, simply, "Halloween," which features some mean surf guitar and has offered it to you, my readers, for your listening and downloading pleasure. It's a demo, but sounds pretty good anyway; I'd also note that the very littles may be slightly spooked by the track, but it's fine, really, for kids. And adults, too. By the way, that digital EP of theirs will be appearing "any day" now, according to Wilde. Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke - "Halloween" [mp3]

Stream Los Lobos Goes Disney

I've talked about it a lot, but Los Lobos' album of Disney covers, called Los Lobos Goes Disney (of course), is out today, October 27th, after being an Amazon exclusive since last month. Want to hear what one of the country's great bands does with one of the great American musical canons? OK. I'm proud to invite you to go here and join the listening party, courtesy of Disney. Even if you're not a big fan of Los Lobos or the Disney canon, just listen to the first track, the awesome cover of "Heigh Ho" - you won't be disappointed. [Too late: Limited time only, and all that jazz...]

Stream Sarah Lee Guthrie / Johnny Irion's "Go Waggaloo" For Free

You know the deal. I really like Go Waggaloo, the first kids' music album from Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, but, then again, I'm biased. Anyway, the Smithsonian Folkways album is officially released next week, but for the next two weeks (through Nov. 3rd) you can stream the album in its entirety here. Just click on the pop-up player. But hurry, it'll be gone on Nov. 3rd. (Also, for you Facebook folks, comment here and get a free song download code from Folkways.)

Listen To This: "Wake Up" - The Verve Pipe

I could have named two, three dozen bands who rose to national prominence in the early-to-mid-90s before mentioning The Verve Pipe as a band who I'd expect to do kids music, to come out with a family album. But they have. Literally. The band's just released A Family Album, and it's about as far from "The Freshmen" as you could possibly get. Just get on over here, listen to "Wake Up" -- the album opener, a happy bit of power-pop with the kitchen sink thrown in -- and tell me you don't have a bit of a grin on your face when its two minutes are up. (And if that doesn't do it, "Cereal" is a song for which the phrase "over the top" was invented.) Seriously, folks, I really think it's worth your time to check out; the whole album's available for streaming. Here's the tracklist...