Review: DVDs for Road Trips

I saw "for road trips" not because these are travel-themed but because there are seven of them. Seven seems like enough to get through at least a day or two of your drive across or through the country. Let's get to it, then. FieldTripsWithRecessMonkey5-8.jpgI don't think the guys in Seattle's Recess Monkey actually sleep. They already release more CDs than just about anybody else, and now they're cranking out a DVD a year, too. Like their first volume, Field Trips with Recess Monkey Episodes 5-8 features a combination of band "field trips" (Sirius-XM studios, Ella Childs at Spare the Rock, illustrator Jarrett Krosoczka), live shows, and their stellar videos. The videos are the highlight of the DVD ("The Teens" and "Sack Lunch" in particular) -- should episodes 9 through 12 be in the works (knowing the trio, they probably are), the band should consider creating a menu that'll allow viewers to just access the videos. Recommended. OrganicFarm.jpgThe Nields' Organic Farm DVD is, as you'd expect, an appealingly low-fi (dare I say "organic") affair. It's mostly a collection of tunes recorded in front of a live audience, and features the Nields singing a number of hits from their two family albums. As they were on record, the Nields sisters are joined by their father on a few songs. Among the non-live tracks are a couple songs showing how a parent or teacher might use a song as a simple teaching tool. It's a nice little bonus treat. Recommended.

Listen To This: "Look Both Ways" - Egg with Secret Agent 23 Skidoo (World Premiere)

LookBothWays.JPGThe 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. EggBandPhoto.JPGThe 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 stream download it (just send an e-mail to "lookbothways AT eggmusic DOT net," which is an autoreply address that'll get you the URL to download the track). Enjoy. Egg w/ Secret Agent 23 Skidoo - "Look Both Ways" (Note: I'm pretty sure "Look Both Ways" has been played before -- I just don't think it's this version...)

Share: "Welcome To Our School" - The Not-Its! (World Premiere)

A little bit crucnchy, a little bit sweet, they're sorta like those new pretzel-based M&Ms except they come from Seattle. It's the Not-Its!, and this is a world premiere from their upcoming album Time Out to Rock, out July 20. The song's "Welcome To Our School," and features no small amount of rock and no small amount of inclusiveness either. Stream or download it here, courtesy of the band... but just for the next week. Enjoy! [Ed: And the week's over...]

The Not-Its Give You A Four-Day Weekend

TimeOutToRock.jpgThe Not-Its have a new album coming out next month -- Time Out To Rock on July 20th, to be exact -- and they're making sure that everybody knows with a whole bunch of world premieres this weekend, starting tomorrow and stretching all the way into Monday. Friday, June 25 (tomorrow!): Pied Piper Radio - "Cheetah The Buffalo" Saturday, June 26: - Spare The Rock, Spoil the Child - "Green Light, Go!" - Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl - "First Kid In Outer Space" - Ages 3 and Up - "FANTASTIC" And that's not all. On Monday, June 28 you'll have the chance to download not one but two songs from the disk. Out With The Kids will offer up "First Kid In Outer Space" and I'll have "Welcome To Our School" for you. (And, yes, you'll want to check it out.) Track listing after the jump.

Video: "Welcome to Grammaropolis" - Doctor Noize

I know, Kids Place Live listeners are probably tired of this song, seeing as its been played there for months now, but for those who haven't heard this, it's an introductory song for Grammaropolis called "Welcome to Grammaropolis" (natch) and in addition to it being an amusing song it has an amusing video to match. (Unsurprising, considering it's a Doctor Noize joint, and Cory's pretty much the funniest guy in kids music, and that's saying something.) The song basically condenses American grammar into, like, 3 minutes. It's for people who like Schoolhouse Rock but couldn't be bothered with the whole half-hour it takes to play the Grammar Rock disk. (The lyrics can be found here should you need them.) For what it's worth, a full album covering the Grammaropolis concept -- which is actually the creation of Coert Voorhees -- is due out in 2011, but, really, why bother? Don't you and your kids know everything after watching this? Doctor Noize - "Welcome To Grammaropolis" [YouTube]

Please Release Me: June 2010 Edition

An update of last month's list of upcoming family music releases... Laurie Berkner Band: The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band (June 29) Putumayo Kids (Various Artists): Rock 'n' Roll Playground (June 29): Features Dan Zanes, Peter Himmelman, Uncle Rock, and Charity and the JAMband, among others. Conductor Jack and the Zinghoppers: Zinghoppers Live: A Dance Party Concert DVD (July 6) Billy Kelly: Is This Some Kind of Joke? (early July?) Dream Jam Band: Leave It In The Soup (July 13) The Not-Its: Time Out To Rock (July 20) Pete Seeger: Tomorrow's Children (July 27) The Okee Dokee Brothers: Take It Outside (Aug. 3) Various Artists: Many Hands: Family Music for Haiti (Aug. 10) "Doc" Dauer and others: The Body Rocks! (Aug. 17) David Tobocman: Lemonade School (mid-August) Secret Agent 23 Skidoo: Title TBA (very late summer) Oran Etkin: Wake Up Clarinet (fall) The Boogers: Title TBA (fall) Elizabeth Mitchell: Sunny Day (Oct. 5) Flannery Brothers The New Explorers Club (Oct. 19) Jim Cosgrove: Title TBA (Fall?) Jamie Broza: I Want a Dog (Oct. 12) Caspar Babypants: This Is Fun! (Nov. 2) Frances England: Mind of My Own (Nov. 9) David Weinstone: Title TBA (November) Others working on albums with potential 2010 releases? Lunch Money, Ella Jenkins, Big Don