I yield to nobody in my admiration of "Trick or Treat," Justin Roberts' ode to Halloween trick or treating. Seriously -- I've got a long history praising the song. So if Roberts decides to post the song for streaming for this Halloween season, who am I not to let you know? Go here or just stream it below...
Trick or Treat SINGLE by JustinRoberts
Listen To This: "You Are Here" - Lunch Money (from Many Hands)
When I was given the opportunity to share with you a track from Many Hands: Family Music for Haiti, the hardest part was picking the track. There are lots of great songs on the compilation put together by Dog on Fleas and Bill Childs to benefit a variety of Haiti efforts, limiting myself to just one was hard work. (But in a good way.)
I picked this track from Lunch Money because in a couple ways it exemplifies the album as a whole -- 1) the benefit compilation itself is the first I can think of that consists primarily of family musicians performing (as opposed to adult artists performing kids' tracks), and 2) its theme of connecting with people elsewhere in the world fits well within the album's underlying intention to connect this part of the world with another part of the world -- nearby geographically, but far away in other ways.
Also, 3) it's just a really fun and sweet track.
Many Hands: Family Music from Haiti is officially released next week, Aug. 10. (You can preorder the album at Amazon, among other places.) Until then, courtesy of Dean and Bill and Lunch Money, stream this track.
[Ed: But only for a limited time. The album's out today...]
Moona Luna: Twice the Languages, Twice the Fun? (Hopefully Not Twice the Wait.)
There has been no shortage of bilingual Spanish-language family music released over the past couple years, not just traditional music, but also some with a bit of rock -- Dan Zanes is perhaps the best-known, but others like Mariana Iranzi also recording albums.
One that I've been waiting for since the beginning of the year is the debut from Moona Luna, the family music alter-ego of Latin-alternative band Pistolera. They've had a couple tracks on their website for awhile now, but now they've got three up in blogger-friendly Bandcamp form. The band, led by singer-songwriter (and new mother) Sandra Velasquez, is actually recording two albums simultaneously -- one as Pistolera, one as Moona Luna -- so that probably explains why it's taken so long. But based on the tracks they've released thus far, I think it might be worth the wait.
Listen To This: "Look Both Ways" - Egg with Secret Agent 23 Skidoo (World Premiere)
The last time the LA band of pop-rockers Egg hooked up with kid-hop star Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, the result was the very winning "I Like Fruit". Now the two of them are back together once more and it's just as fun, methinks. Egg brings the ska, Skidoo brings the hip-hop, and both parts will have the family bouncing, if not their whole bodies then at least their heads.
The genesis of the song? In return for Egg mastermind Jeff Fuller giving 23 Skidoo "I Like Fruit" to remix as he'd like, Skidoo gave Fuller an idea to write for Egg - "Look both ways. Not just at street corners but in life." Fuller returned the song back to Skidoo, which he cut up and used parts from for his upcoming single "Road Trip." That's collaboration. (And "Look Both Ways" will also end up on the next Egg disk as well.)
Anyway, however you, er, look at it, here for a limited time, courtesy of Egg, you can "The Body Rocks" In a Very Schoolhouse Rock-Like Way
Rounder Records sold off their Rounder Kids label a little while back, but just when they thought they were out, it keeps pulling them back in, because they've just announced the August 17 release of The Body Rocks on August 17. The album's a whole bunch of songs about functions of the human body. It's the creation of Marc "Doc" Dauer (musician, producer, and physician) and features performances by Liz Phair, Pete Yorn, Minnie Driver, Guster, and Dauer’s own three kids. (Insert joke here about appropriateness of Liz Phair performing on an album about bodily functions.)
The obvious reference here is Schoolhouse Rock, down to the familiar (but not in a legally infringing sense) album logo. However, based on the roots-pop songs at its Myspace pageMyspace page, I think some folks will find it a worthy successor so that there's no need for a Physiology Rock! version from the classic show. (And They Might Be Giants can probably cross Here Comes Anatomy off their to-do list.) Anyway, here's a video bio -- track listing is after the jump...
Listen To This: "Zora" (Live) - The Deedle Deedle Dees
I mentioned Lloyd Miller's thoughts on the "business" of kids music yesterday, but didn't want to leave it there, especially when there's new Deedle Deedle Dees music out there to listen to.
One of the interesting things the Dees did this spring was put on a monthly variety show at Brooklyn's famed Knitting Factory. It wrapped up a couple weeks ago with a show inspired by famed afrobeat musician Fela Kuti. (They performed Kuti's "Zombie" with preschoolers and also did an afrobeat original called "No Animal," which you can watch after the jump.) They also performed a new song called "Zora," inspired, you will not be surprised to hear, by author Zora Neale Hurston. Short and insistent, you'll be hearing this song later this summer, I can almost guarantee it...
The Deedle Deedle Dees - "Zora" [YouTube]
Two more new songs (including that afrobeat one) after the jump...
