Share: Free Music from Caspar Babypants, Recess Monkey, The Not-Its (and more)

PlaysWellTogether.jpgBig props to Amazon for continuing to offer free kids' music. A couple months ago it was Justin Roberts and Bloodshot Records, among others -- this month it's Burnside Distribution, who's offering a free 7-song sampler of artists whose albums they distribute. Because Burnside's based in Portland, OR, it's no surprise that the sampler's got a big Pacific Northwest tilt -- Caspar Babypants ("I Wanna Be a Snowman"), Recess Monkey ("Flapjacks"), and the Not-Its ("I've Got a Goat") have songs from their latest album on the list. The album also includes The Verve Pipe's deservedly beloved and over-the-top "Cereal" and Kimya Dawson's dorky and lo-fi "Bobby-O" from Alphabutt. For those of you on the lookout for new music, the album does have a couple less-familiar tracks. One is "Tootsie" from Edukator Jr., a song with an Americana feel (which is a much different sound from the rest of the tracks on their Myspace page). No surprise, Greasy Kid Stuff was all over the album when it was first released a couple years ago. The other is "Things That Can't Be Pets" from a band called Snack Trap. The track sounds like The Postal Service (if the duo had invited a female singer along).

Concert Recap: Chuck Cheesman (Phoenix, October 2011)

IMG_6356_2.jpgSo, yeah, we had fun last weekend with Chuck Cheesman as part of the series at the Children's Museum of Phoenix. Chuck's had years of experience playing younguns at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music and around Arizona, so he's really good at getting the preschoolers and young elementary-aged kids up and moving around. The CMOP was no exception. Here he is playing the title track from his new album Dancing With No Shoes On... Chuck Cheesman - "Dancing With No Shoes On" (Live) [YouTube]

Video: "Butterfly Driving a Truck" - Chris Ballew

Check out the sharp new, er, Sharpies employed by Chris Ballew and his daughter Josie for his latest video. It's "Butterfly Driving a Truck" from Ballew's latest Caspar Babypants album SING ALONG! (that's an order, though a relatively easy one to comply with for that album). It's a simple video to go along with a simple song, but cute and well-presented -- very nice. Chris Ballew - "Butterfly Driving a Truck" [YouTube]

Share: Stream Laura Veirs' "Tumble Bee" on NPR

TumbleBee.jpgI think this is a first for NPR -- a children's music album streaming at their website. It's Laura Veirs' lovely album Tumble Bee, which is officially out next week. It's a half-hour of your time (and your kids' time) well-spent, maybe tomorrow or the rest of the week -- think of it as the antidote to the sugar rush they might just be on. Go here to stream the album. (By the way, go here to sign up via Facebook for a free download of the title track.)

The Five Best Halloween Kids Music Videos... Ever?

Well, of course not. I mean, I'm sure a Halloween kids music video will come out next year that will knock number 5 below out of the list. [Ed.: Heck, I forgot one already, added as #6, that should've been in the top 5.] But they're five videos six worth your family's 15 minutes or so. 5. John Hadfield - "Robot Monkey Head" [YouTube] OK, technically speaking this isn't a Halloween video. But it darn well should be. The list continues...

Even More Halloween Songs and Videos

Like all good (or is it bad) scary movies, my original Halloween music post for 2011 spawned not just one sequel, but has, with this post, become a full-on trilogy. Chuck Cheesman has offered up his Halloween song "Halloween Freak Out!" from his latest album Dancing With No Shoes On as a free download for the next few days (and, really, who would want to listen to it on, say, Nov. 2nd?). Note: actual freaking out during the song is minimal. The download is available at the the top of this page. ScareMeScareYou.jpgBaze and His Silly Friends are offering up a free download of their 2009 song "Scare Me, Scare You." Number of times "scary" is in the title = 2. Actual level of scariness = 0.1 (but that's OK!) Download the track here or via the widget below.