Dan Zanes Releases, Celebrates Christmas in Concord

DZChristmasinConcordCoverArt.jpgNothing like news of a Dan Zanes Christmas album to make the season bright(er). Word from Brooklyn this week that Zanes will follow up his excellent fall release Little Nut Tree with Christmas in Concord. The 5-song EP will be available on iTunes starting on November 29. [The EP is now available here.]The five tunes (tracklisting below) are traditional Christian Christmas tunes. Zanes notes that those tunes were part of Christmases in his hometown of Concord growing up:
"I moved away from that narrow canon in the years since I left home as a seventeen year old in favor of more varied musical pastures, but this holiday season something pulled me back... I now realize that there were some very moving songs being sung year after year and I’m grateful for the memories of those parties and for the experience of gathering year after year with friends and neighbors to sing, eat, have a few laughs and eat some pickled herring.”
Zanes did indeed travel more broadly, musically (remember his Holiday House Party from 2008?), so this is definitely much more traditional. thumb-Dan_Zanes_Profile_HiRes.jpgIn addition to the EP, Zanes is also putting on a Christmas in Concord concert on Saturday afternoon, December 17 at City Winery in New York City. The concert is intended to be a celebration of the Antonsons' annual Christmas party - a seasonal highlight in Concord, NH from 1968 through 1989; sounds like it'll be much different from the House Parties of '08. Zanes promises "special guests! christmas music! songbooks! holiday spirit!," all of which I'd expect from Zanes (including the lowercase spelling). No word on the pickled herring, though. Sounds like a blast. If we were anywhere near NYC that weekend, we'd be there. EP tracklisting (and possible sneak preview) after the jump.

Kickstarter and Kids Music (A Series, Apparently)

250px-Kickstarter_logo.pngWell, it was probably a series already, given my lengthy series of crowdfunding posts, but it's time for yet another roundup of intriguing-sounding kindie Kickstarter projects. First up, The Pop Ups are turning their attention to their second album, the follow-up to their knock-it-out-of-the-park debut Outside Voices.It's got a title (Radio Jungle), guest artists (Shine from Shine and the Moonbeams, Oran Etkin), and, best of all, entirely-completed materials. That's right, folks, it's in the can. Or the hard drive, whatever. Anyway, the duo wants to tour the show associated with the new album (and the old album) and is looking for help to keep their puppets (and sets) in tip-top shape. Want the Pop Ups to write a song for you (or your kid)? For $500 it's yours. (But rest assured, those of you not needing recorded immortality have cheaper options.) As much as I enjoyed seeing the puppets in the Pop Ups' Kickstarter video, Aaron Nigel Smith one-ups them by writing and performing an entire song about his Kickstarter campaign. It's for the launch of his One World Chorus CD project, which will feature over 100 kids from various programs Smith works with in New York City, Los Angeles, Portland (Oregon), and (in January 2012) the Cura Village Orphanage in Kenya. Besides feelings of warm fuzzies with your donation, you can also get copies of CDs and jeans. (Really.) Finally, Chicago-area artist Istvan is turning to Kickstarter mostly just to make the physical product look really snazzy. (Ah, a man after my own heart.) The as-yet-untitled follow-up to his Things I Like EP has a tracklist and guaranteed production -- Istvan's already cleared his Kickstarter goal. All that without anybody taking advantage of the $75 pledge, which offers (among other things) a refrigerator drawer from Istvan's daughter Evie.

Please Release Me: November 2011 Edition

What's that? Another month has gone by? Then it's time again for an updated list of new and upcoming releases. (Last month's list is here.) Additions to the list are noted with a "++"; changes to previously-mentioned items are indicated with italics. As always, if I've listed you on here and gotten something wrong (or something not ready for primetime), let me know and I'll edit or delete it. And if you're not on here and think you should be, drop me a line, too, and I'll get you added for the next iteration. Laura Veirs: Tumble Bee: Laura Veirs Sings Folk Songs for Children (Nov. 8) ++ The Jimmies: Mama Said Nog You Out (Nov. 8) Rockabye Baby Lullaby Renditions of Van Halen (Nov. 15) ++ Melissa Green: Sweet Little One (Nov. 20) Coal Train Railroad: Coal Train Railroad Swings! (late November 2011) ++ Princess Katie and Racer Steve: Love, Cake & Monsters (Dec. 1) Maestro Classics: The Soldier’s Tale (Dec. 6) Central Services Board of Education: Binary [tentative] (December) Suzi Shelton: Title TBA (fall) The Good Ms. Padgett: ... Tells The Little Red Hen and Other Stories (fall) RhymeZwell: Robots on the Dance Floor (fall) Big Don: Big Don's Brand New Beat (fall) Riff Rockit: Riff Rockit (CD, DVD, Jan. 24, 2012) ++ Ellis Paul: The Hero in You (Jan. 2012) ++ The Bari Koral Family Rock Band: Anna And The Cupcakes (Feb. 14) ++ Tim and the Space Cadets: Title TBA (Feb. 2012) Randy Kaplan: Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie (2012) Mo Phillips: Title TBA (March 12, 2012) ++ Recess Music: La Bella Stella (March 27, 2012) Gustafer Yellowgold: Gustafer Yellowgold’s Year in The Day (April 3, 2012) Orange Sherbet: Delicious (May 1, 2012) ++ Caspar Babypants: HOT DOG! (May 15, 2012) Hope Harris: Picasso, That's Who (spring 2012) The Dirty Sock Funtime Band: Dirty Socks Come Clean (June 2012) ++ Charity and the JAMband: Family Values (July 3, 2012) Andy Z: The Grand Scream of Things (Halloween 2012) [produced by Tor Hyams] Other 2012 albums: Ah-Choo, Peter Apel, Funky Mamas, Ratboy, Jr., Sugar Free Allstars, Renee & Jeremy, Farmer Jason duets album, The Bramble Jam, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo (Make Believers), Bobby Susser (Wo ++), Eric Herman (2 albums: one music, one comedy skits ++). Also, Rockabye Baby for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

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.)

Please Release Me: October 2011 Edition

What's that? Another month has gone by? Then it's time again for an updated list of new and upcoming releases. (Last month's list is here.) Additions to the list are noted with a "++"; changes to previously-mentioned items are indicated with italics. As always, if I've listed you on here and gotten something wrong (or something not ready for primetime), let me know and I'll edit or delete it. And if you're not on here and think you should be, drop me a line, too, and I'll get you added for the next iteration. Chip Taylor & the Grandkids: Golden Kids Rules (Oct. 18) [next family release from Smithsonian Folkways] ++ Slugs & Bugs: Title TBA (Oct. 25) Recess Music (Various Artists): U R Some 1 (mid-October) The Secret Mountain: Songs from the Baobob (October) The Ohmies: Morning Wish Garden (October) [prodced by Tor Hyams] Jim Gill: Music Play for Kids of All Stripes (October) DidiPop: Everyday Adventures (Nov. 1) The Deedle Deedle Dees: Strange Dees, Indeed (Nov. 1) Laura Veirs: Tumble Bee: Laura Veirs Sings Folk Songs for Children (Nov. 8) Coal Train Railroad: Coal Train Railroad Swings! (late November 2011) Central Services Board of Education: Binary [tentative] (fall) Suzi Shelton: Title TBA (fall) ++ The Good Ms. Padgett: ... Tells The Little Red Hen and Other Stories (fall) ++ RhymeZwell: Robots on the Dance Floor (fall) ++ Big Don: Big Don's Brand New Beat (fall) ++ Renee & Jeremy: Title TBA (holiday singles, due fall/holidays) Maestro Classics: The Soldier’s Tale (Dec. 1) Riff Rockit: Title TBA (CD, DVD, January 2012) Randy Kaplan: Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie (2012) ++ Mo Phillips: Title TBA (March 12, 2012) ++ Gustafer Yellowgold: Gustafer Yellowgold’s Year in The Day (April 3, 2012) ++ Orange Sherbet: Delicious (May 1, 2012) Hope Harris: Picasso, That's Who (spring 2012) The Dirty Sock Funtime Band: Dirty Socks Come Clean (June 2012) Andy Z: The Grand Scream of Things (Halloween 2012) [produced by Tor Hyams] Other 2011/2012 albums: Ah-Choo, Peter Apel, Funky Mamas, Ratboy, Jr., Sugar Free Allstars ++, Renee & Jeremy ++, Farmer Jason duets album ++, The Bramble Jam ++, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo (Make Believers ++). Also, Rockabye Baby for Van Halen, The Police, Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Share: "Rollin' Baby" - Elizabeth Mitchell

YAMF1-Laura-Levine.jpgAhhhh... nothing like a little Elizabeth Mitchell track to take the edge off a cool, crisp fall morning. (What's that? I live in the Arizona desert and "cool, crisp" means about 75 degrees? Shhhh!) The track is called "Rollin' Baby," and it's a cover of a track from Mitchell's sister-in-law Anna Padgett, who records as The Good Ms. Padgett. "Rollin' Baby" will remind you a little bit of "Who's My Pretty Baby?," very simple and sweet. Even better, it's free for the price of an e-mail (use the widget below). Padgett, incidentally, has a new album, The Good Ms. Padgett Sings The Little Red Hen and Other Stories, this fall. Her first album had a vibe similar to that of her sister-in-law's, and I'm guessing her second will as well...
(Photo credit: Laura Levine)