Justin Roberts played a show at Mississippi Studios in Portland, Oregon last weekend, and, against all odds, he and the Not Ready for Naptime Trio played "Stay At Home Dad." Wait, that's not unusual at all, seeing as he tours so much his motto may as well be "Hello, I Must Be Going."
... but seriously, folks, watch the video. Good rendition, and this post'll make a little more sense.
Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Trio - "Stay at Home Dad" (Live in Portland, Oregon) [YouTube]
P.S. - I love "Sussudio" and always have. There, I've said it publicly.
Mind of My Own: Frances England Gets Some Help
Ironically for an album called Mind of My Own, Frances England has pulled together a lot of musical talent to help her make her third kindie rock record. (It's true, her Kindiefest appearance was not a one-off, it's a much more rocking record than her first two.) She's got a full band behind her and Tor Hyams produced the record. Not to mention a whole host of guest musicians, including Doug Snyder from the Jellydots, make an appearance. And, yes, the rumors are true -- Mates of State make an appearance on "Place in Your Heart," with a joyful singalong chorus that's bound to make a lot of family music radio playlists. Luckily, England's handiwork hasn't change from her first, very DIY affair -- its still her papercut artwork gracing the cover.
Anyway, Mind of My Own is out November 9th. The tracklist is after the jump.Itty-Bitty Review: The Color Album - The Ditty Bops
I wouldn't expect a kids album from Los Angeles' Ditty Bops to be ordinary. The folk/cabaret/swing duo of Amanda Barrett and Abby DeWald, after all, might be best known for doing a cross-country tour on bike; the one song of theirs that previously got airplay on XM Kids (now Kids Place Live) was a repurposed song about slowing down off their debut album for adults.
Their recently released The Color Album doesn't disappoint in that regard. As you might gather from the album title (and cover), it takes its inspiration from colors, with 8 songs (pink not being part of most rainbows except those colored with marker). But this isn't an educational disk in the school-learnin' sense, aside from the songs being helpfully arranged in ROY G. BIV order (plus, er, pink). The colors here are just jumping off points for considerations of lemonade (the Tin Pan Alley-esque "Lemon Tree") and the general glory of pink ("Pink City," a particularly gleeful and zippy song), which is not for girls only as the song points out. But some songs are not quite targeted at your 3-year-old. The driving acoustic tune "Orange Sun" features the lyrics "Under the orange sun / there can be love / or there can be none / We can hold our hands / or our guns." In the context of the song, it's not really inappropriate (and it's one of the best songs on the album), but it's songs like that and "Blue I'm Blue" that make this kind of a unique disk -- some songs are more for the kids, some are more for the adults, and the band just trusts that each will get something out of every song.
Obviously, given that statement, it's hard to peg an age range for the 18-minute disk, but let's go with 3 through 7. You can hear some samples here here or spin a full copy of "Lemon Tree" here. (By the way, copies in CD format come with an album cover hand-colored by the band.) The Color Album is a brief but nifty little collection of tunes for your family's 4-year-old, 34-year-old, and maybe even 74-year-old. Even if the 3 of you don't agree on what your favorite song is here, you're each bound to find one. Recommended.
[Disclosure: I was provided an (electronic) copy of the album by the band for possible review.]Live Video: "Go Down Emmanuel Road" - Dan Zanes (Live at Lollapalooza/Kidzapalooza)
I tell you, when I was in youth symphony orchestras, not once did I get to play at a major rock festival, strumming my violin. Those Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra kids up there on stage at Lollapalooza with Dan Zanes got all the luck.
Dan Zanes and Friends (with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra) - "Go Down Emmanuel Road" (Live at Kidzapalooza) [YouTube]
Keller Williams' Kids Album Is For the, er, Kids
Nearly two years ago, I noted that jamband musician extraordinaire Keller Williams was joining the crowd of adult artists recording a family music album. And in my subsequent inquiries to Williams' folks, I'd hear that the album was finished, just not ready for release. Now comes word that the album is finally ready for the world.
On October 26, Williams will release Kids, his first foray into music for families. Call it peanut-butter-and-jam-band music. (That one's for free, folks.) See the cover there? It'd be way too cute if it weren't a nifty little joke. Immediately shoots to near the top of my most-anticipated albums list.Live Video: "Wake Up" - The Verve Pipe (Live at Lollapalooza/Kidzapalooza)
I'd be deficient if I didn't post Lollapalooza video of somebody who actually played a couple full sets at the Kidzapalooza stage last weekend. Here's The Verve Pipe playing in front of a sizable audience (wait for the camera to pan at the end of the clip), opening their set with -- what else? -- "Wake Up" from A Family Album.
The Verve Pipe - "Wake Up" (Live at Kidzapalooza) [YouTube]
