Zooglobble

Another week, another bluegrass-inflected album for kids from New York City.

Unlike Astrograss' more esoteric approach, Randy Kaplan folds in more traditional approaches to bluegrass on his first kids' CD, Five Cent Piece, released in November. Which isn't to say there isn't some oddness of other kinds on the album.

Kaplan has released five CDs for adults, but has also taught and played for kids often. His debut CD is a mix of well-chosen (and often reworked) covers and skewed originals. Artists covered include Jonathan Richman (the winsome "I'm A Little Dinosaur"), Arlo Guthrie ("Motorcycle Song"), and Elizabeth Cotton (the timeless "Freight Train") among others. One of the best tracks on the disk is "Grape Juice Hesitation Blues," his reworking of the traditional "Hesitation Blues," which features some great Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus-style interplay between Kaplan and a ragged chorus of kids.

The originals are a little odder, featuring songs about sharks in the bathtub (the spacy "Shampoo Me"), pesky mosquitos (the bluesy "Mosquito Song"), and, well, "Roaches," which features little squeally roachlike-sounds in the background.

For the most part, Kaplan plays it straight and lets the music do the talking -- indeed, one of the best things about the album is the terrific musicianship, especially when they're playing traditional songs such as "Freight Train" or "Over the Rainbow." But Kaplan likes to tell stories, and so a number of songs include spoken word portions including... wait for it... "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Yes, my friends, the Stones cut has been put on a kids and family album, a decision so shocking that my wife, whose interest in music doesn't quite match mine, sputtered, "But, but, that's a classic!" For those who are worried, don't be, Kaplan has crafted a 10-minute story using only the occasional chorus for punctuation.

As adventurous as the album is, it's not perfect. "Mostly Yellow (Big Bird's Song)" is a lovely but sad song about Big Bird's inner life that as amusing as it is for the parents, really doesn't fit on an album that regular (young) viewers of Sesame Street would listen to. And at a length of just under an hour, it's just too long -- the tracks aren't bad, but it's overwhelming when heard in one piece.

"Mostly Yellow" aside, this is a good album for kids ages 3 through 8. You can hear samples at the album's CD Baby page.

With his mixture of somewhat different arrangements traditional bluegrass and folk instrumentation, affinity for storytelling, and wide choice of covers, Randy Kaplan comes off as sort of a combination of Enzo Garcia, Bill Harley, and Elizabeth Mitchell. On Five Cent Piece, Kaplan has fashioned one of the more unusual kids and family albums of the year, good for chilly winter afternoons or late summer days. Recommended.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dennis Miller had a riff many years ago about dancers who take up too much room on the dance floor by acting out song lyrics to, for example, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." The riff ended with the great (though profane) punchline, "Hey, lady, ain't no [------] dance floor wide enough!"

I think our daughter may grow up to be that dancer.

We went to the latest Baby Loves Disco party in Scottsdale this weekend, my daughter and I. Despite the catchy name, we left our younger one -- the one who is actually in diapers -- at home.

When we got there, we saw they weren't kidding about bringing the nightclub experience to a whole new crowd -- yes, folks, there was a line at the door and a bouncer. Never too early to teach exclusion! Thankfully it was only because the ticket counter was just inside the door and they could only let a couple families in at a time to pay or get their names checked off the pre-paid list.

Once inside, we were greeted with quite possibly the most fabulous sight possible for my daughter -- huge bowls of pretzels and chips ready for the snacking. She was so overwhelmed that she completely missed the large pile of juice boxes, which probably would have pushed her over the edge had she seen them just then.

As we moved to the dancefloor, it was interesting to note the, well, relative lack of dancing going on. I mean, there were a number of people, old and young, on the floor, but my expectations of high levels of groove-thang-shaking were not met. I guess I just figured the kids would be dancing all over the place, but they weren't, really.

They were, however, amusing themselves with egg shakers, scarves, a few feather boas, and, joy of joys, hula hoops.

My daughter spent most of her time on the dancefloor hula-hooping, usually on the hips, sometimes on the neck. She is very good at this. But no matter how good you are, hula-hooping requires a... wide berth on the part of others. And let me tell you, the dancefloor wasn't some Billy Bob's mega-floor. It's amazing that some kid didn't get donked in the head with a spinning hoop. (Or, at least, didn't whine about it if he did.)

But she had a blast -- heck, she won a prize for best dancer ages 3 and up for her seriously devoted hula-hooping.

In the end, I think BLD's advertising ("Saturday afternoon is the new Saturday night") implies that parents can retain a level of sophistication that they probably can't. (I'd guess that 90% of the adult attendees' attire would be unacceptable at the club later that night.) Having said that, the whole experience was sorta like one of the best playdates ever. Chillout areas with books and toys, cookies and snacks wherever you turn, and a funky house. The music? The icing, not the cake.

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A former participant on the PBS show The Kids Zone, Illinois-based Thaddeus Rex now performs over 200 concerts each year, many of them for schools. On his second album for kids, We Wanna Rock!, released earlier this month, Thaddeus Rex tackles subjects of concern to elementary school students -- fear of moving, spending time with family, or getting dog poop stuck on the shoe (admittedly, probably not the most common concern of most people). The best songs speak straight to kids -- the palpable fear of moving to a new place in the pop-rock "I Don't Want to Go," or trying not to think about not going to sleep in "The Moon Is Rising."

Unfortunately, there are relatively few compelling musical backgrounds to the lyrics. Occasionally some interesting musical motifs occur -- the sinewy melody and bass line on the folk-rocker "Slimy Green & Kind of Funny" (with words from fifth-grader Lauren Walton) -- but they're the exception, not the rule. Thaddeus has a slightly odd singing voice that makes me think he's trapped between a rocker's voice and a Broadway voice, and whatever the case, I don't think the songs showcase his voice well.

The album's most appropriate for kids ages 5 through 8, and you can hear samples at Thaddeus Rex's website (click on "T-Rex's Jukebox").

There are lots of lesson plans available for T-Rex songs, and so your kids may find themselves enjoying the songs, should he perform in an assembly. But you, the parent, will probably take a pass on repeated spins.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm not sure what sort of world this is in which I get news about the Wiggles from Idolator, but they've alerted readers to this article in this morning's Melbourne's The Age newspaper, which reports that lead singer Greg Page (the one in yellow, natch) will be leaving the group due to increasing -- and unexplained -- bouts of fainting and lethargy.

I'm sure I could make a bad joke if I wanted to, but I really don't like to joke about unexplained medical problems.

So I'll just content myself to be amused with the headline in The Age: Wiggle tipped to ditch yellow skivvy.

Headline writing is a lost art, my friends.

(And get well soon, Greg.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Colorado-based musician Steve Weeks takes a decidedly different approach on his third kids' album, Rabbit Run, as he retells the classic 1960 novel by John Updike... for kids!

Uh, no.

Released earlier this month, Alphabet Songs Vol. 3 (Rabbit Run) is actually the final in Weeks' series of CDs drawing inspiration from the alphabet as its lyrical source. With 9 songs, one each for letters R through Z, Weeks adheres to the theme to varying degrees. The opening title track features Weeks' nifty bluegrass playing accompanying a story of how water flows from the smallest of tributaries (the "Rabbit Run") all the way to the ocean. The theme of interconnectedness is one that Weeks comes back to on other songs on the disk, such as Barenaked Ladies-styled-rap on "Someday" or the sweet mid-tempo folker "Yellowjacket," which had darn well better be on the next Putumayo Folk Playground collection, should one be in the works. (I also need to mention "Up!," another favorite of mind, a very positive slice of kids' folk-pop.)

Not every song works well. At 6 1/2 minutes long, "Take the Tinkertown Trolley" goes on too long, which wouldn't be bad if the musical accompaniment didn't sound a little cheesy. (Weeks plays every instrument by himself on the disk -- this song shows the potential limitations of such an approach. I tended to prefer his slightly simpler, more bluegrass-y tunes.) And while I give Weeks credit for going whole hog on "Xavier Xerxes Xenophane X," and certainly setting a record for most words starting with the "x" sound on a single song, it doesn't really hold up to repeated listenings. It's as if he decided that was it for the alphabet theme, as "Yellowjacket" and the African-accented "Zed and Zoey" have very few "Y's" and "Z's" in them.

The length and story-telling nature of many of the songs (what better way to get words starting with a desired letter than to create names?) makes the 42-minute CD most appropriate for kids ages 6 through 10. You can samples at the album's CD Baby page.

With a few less-than-perfect tracks, I don't think this will be quite the classic Rabbit, Run was as a novel. Still, there are enough strong tracks on Alphabet Songs Vol. 3 to make it a CD worth your investigation. And now that Weeks has completed his alpha-odyssey, he's hopefully figured what works best for him and is free to go wherever his muse leads. As the narrator sings at the end of "Zed and Zoey," "this is not the end." I hope not. Recommended.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was a busy Thanksgiving weekend that was extended thanks to an always fun illness (thank you, stomach virus / food poisoning!), but I'm past that and there's lots of new stuff ahead this week.

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

... with a little help from The Lovely Mrs. Davis.

Tammy La Gorce has YAKMA (Yet Another Kids Music Article) in the New York Times about the nurturing of musical taste in the under-5 set.

Amy provides thoughtful context for the rash of new music for kids -- you can decide for yourself whether that's "rash" in a good or a bad way.

If you're finding your way here thanks to Amy's kind linkage, feel free to look around. Plenty of reviews, another interview with Dan Zanes, info about Kevin Salem's and Kate Hyman's Little Monster Records, and lots of news.

Just one link you might not be familiar with -- my recent review of The Family Hootenanny, a collection of kid-friendly songs from Detroit artists. Check it out -- you won't be disappointed.

Posted by SAShepherd at 03:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My first review in a print magazine, and it's for the venerable Conde Nast empire. You can see my brief review of Wee Hairy Beasties' Animal Crackers in the December issue of Wired magazine here.

Now where's David Remnick's e-mail address? I've got a story idea for him...

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

And you thought "John Lee Supertaster" was just a song.

No, They Might Be Giants were on to something -- according to this article, 1 in 4 people are supertasters -- with many things either too bitter or too sweet.

How can you tell? According to the print version of the paper, drop a couple drops of blue food coloring on the tip of your tongue -- if it stays blue, no dice, but if it retains a significant pink hue, congratulations, They Might Be Giants can now write a song about you.

(In case you need to hear the song... try the links here.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Many of you may already be heading to other locales for Thanksgiving, but here are some items worth your time, either before you sit down at the table or while fighting off your desire to take a 3-hour nap after dinner.

Charity and the JAMband have a sweet song, Thank You, available for download here. It's from an upcoming book/CD set, The Birthday Suite, for which the band did the music.

As reported here previously, Laurie Berkner will appear on the Fisher-Price float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Look for her to reach Macy's Herald Square at about 10:11 AM Eastern time. Despite the fact that the occasion clearly demands her song "(I'm Gonna Eat on) Thanksgiving Day," they're apparently going to play "Bumblebee (Buzz Buzz)." That Laurie, tool of the honey industry.

And finally, Dan Zanes has recorded a special song and filmed a video for Heifer International. You can see the YouTube video (which includes a plea for the organization in the middle) here or go to iTunes for purchase. It lacks the star firepower of "Do They Know It's Christmastime," but it's a better song.

Wherever you are this weekend, I hope you are able to count your blessings and celebrate with people important to you. Thanks to you, readers, for reading and commenting, and thanks to all the artists that have helped us to share musical experiences with our families.

Posted by SAShepherd at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A few weeks, Bill and I had a debate whether Paul Westerberg's endorsement of a cheapo $159 guitar was a good or bad thing.

Prepare for Round 2.

A note on Dan Zanes' latest newsletter (currently posted here) noted that he was selling a "limited edition" lime green ukelele for, yes, $159. (I'm guessing the quality will be a llittle better than that of the guitar.)

Despite my ambivalence about the idea of plastering a name on an object and selling it, I quickly ordered one because a) it'll be a while before I can get the rehearsal space for the drum set I really want, and b) I noticed there were only 45 that were going to be made available and figured they would sell out very fast.

Sure enough, they're already sold out.

Now, can anybody sell me the Zanes-ian hair?

Posted by SAShepherd at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

This is not your father's bluegrass.

I mean, I don't know whether or not your father listened to bluegrass -- mine didn't -- but I know for sure that this wasn't it.

On its Astrograss For Kids EP (2006), the New York-based band Astrograss takes bluegrass as a jumping-off point for jazz-like improvisation. (It's safe to say that were they to record "Wabash Cannonball" it wouldn't sound like many versions committed to record.) Add to that the fact that they've decided to set their tunes to the lyrics of Shel Silverstein, and the EP is one of the more unusual kids' CDs released this year.

I think the adventurous nature of the songs fits Silverstein's slightly skewed sensibilities, with poems about "Hungry Mungry," who's so hungry he ends up eating the entire universe, or "The Dirtiest Man in the World," about, well, you can figure it out. Probably the easiest song for kids to grasp is "Hurk," with a motley (in the best way) kids' chorus shouting lines such as "I'd rather play tennis than go to the dentist" -- it's a simple melody, with not-so-complex improvisation. I actually thought "Hungry Mungry" might be too long or too complex, but I can see the band live possibly keeping kids' attention throughout the entire story song. "The Generals" is gorgeously arranged, though perhaps a bit too slow to keep the kiddos' attention. (Again, live, it might be a different story.)

I think Silverstein's poetry is targeted mostly at kids ages 5 and up, so that's what I'll peg the age range of the music. You can listen to "Hungry Mungry," which I should note might actually be my least favorite track, as well as their sprightly version of "Jump Up!" with Dan Zanes here.

Astrograss For Kids is probably not the first album you'd think of to start a kids' music collection -- it's not quite as accessible, perhaps, as other albums. But if you're looking for something different for your family's collection, for acoustic music with a definite modern sensibility, this album may be up your alley.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you're looking for a list of the best kids and family music from the past year, look no further than the 2006 Fids and Kamily Awards. The website is chock-full of reviews and essays, including a downloadable songbook. You can reach all the cool content from this post.

I'll be posting my list of the year's best albums soon, but in the meantime, here's my reviews of the top albums in the poll:

1. Meltdown! - Justin Roberts
2. You Are My Little Bird - Elizabeth Mitchell
2. Catch That Train! - Dan Zanes
4. Fascinating Creatures - Frances England
5. Animal Crackers - Wee Hairy Beasties
6. Electric Storyland - The Sippy Cups
7. Hey You Kids! - The Jellydots
8. Rock Your Socks Off - Charity and the JAMband
9. The Great Adventures of Mr. David - Mr. David
9. Celebrate the Difference - Terri Hendrix
11. Plays Well With Others - Uncle Rock
11. Colours Are Brighter - Various Artists
13. Macaroni Boy Eats at Chez Shooby Doo - Ginger Hendrix
14. Prelude to Mutiny - Captain Bogg & Salty (OK, I can't review everything...)
15. When I Get Little - Dog On Fleas
15. The Family Hootenanny - Various Artists

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Denizens of the fair city of San Francisco, what might be the most interesting live show of 2007 awaits you. On Saturday, January 20, Doug Snyder of the Jellydots will be joining Enzo Garcia for his Breakfast With Enzo show.

It's as if Matthew Sweet decided to join Tom Waits for a show. I don't know what it'll sound like, but I'd imagine that even the stuff that doesn't quite work will at least be interesting. Should be a hoot and a half.

Posted by SAShepherd at 06:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Let's get the song out of the way -- was there a better song this year that spoke to how kids and parents really interact than "Nerves?" The answer, in case you hadn't guessed, is no. And even though the hard-charging chorus is supposed to be the voice of the child narrator, most parents would probably admit they've felt that their children were getting on their nerves at some point during the week. (And the rest are lying.)

While "Nerves" is the song that stands out the most on Celebrate the Difference, the first kids album from Texas-based singer-songwriter Terri Hendrix, there are definitely other songs worth hearing. One of my favorites is the sweet, Tejano-styled "Lluvia de Estrellas," sung in English and Spanish (natch). But as shown by "Nerves," the angular techno-pop of "Invisible Friend," or the brass-band-accompanied "Yeah Yeah Yeah," Hendrix is willing to try out all sorts of song styles. (Sometimes the array of styles is almost dizzying.) Well-known Texas musician Lloyd Maines (who co-wrote many of the songs) accompanies her throughout, along with a number of other musicians making occasional appearances.

Lyrically, Hendrix's preaching of self-confidence in songs such as "Get Your Goat On," "First Place," and others tackles a subject that has been oddly left mostly untouched in kids' music. And as shown by "Nerves" and "I Want to be Your Friend" (a song about a new kid in the neighborhood), Hendrix can remember how kids think and feel.

While appropriate for all ages, I think kids ages 5 through 10 will be most receptive to the lyrics. You can listen to sound clips here.

Celebrate the Difference is at times almost too wide-ranging in its musical attack, so that as an album it's not as unified as others. But there are a number of great songs on here and the enthusiasm Hendrix brings to the material helps to underscore her messages of self-confidence. For that alone, the album is recommended.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Check out this nice interview between Dan and The Lovely Mrs. Davis.

And in case you missed it, go back and read my interview with Dan from earlier this year.

I think lots of people should get the chance to talk to Dan Zanes.

Posted by SAShepherd at 02:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

... and you do not want to miss the Fids and Kamily website over the next couple days. We'll be posting stuff from Christopher Noxon and Deb Evans Braun that by themselves make this whole endeavor worthwhile. Oh, and you won't want to miss the unveiling of the winners.

Posted by SAShepherd at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Remember the other day when I talked about Little Monster Records and wondered who the mysterious "Ralph & Ralph" were?

You don't? Really?

Oh, well, you're probably not getting enough sleep.

Anyway, I still don't know who they are, but maybe some of the eagle-eared readers out there can identify voices from the new Ralph & Ralph track posted on their "Sounds" page. "Ralph and Ralph's Song" is a slow, loping song that Randy Newman might write and includes the following couplet, which is either a 1) biting meta-commentary on the digital music distribution process or 2) feel-good life lesson.

"A record costs money / but a song is for free."

Indeed.

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Over the course of its two previous albums, the Baltimore-based band Milkshake has been content to mine a poppier seam of kids' music. While I wouldn't call them sentimental, their songs are usually sunny and optimistic -- there's little mischieviousness in their songs (at least lyrically.

On their third album Play!, released this week, Milkshake doesn't veer much from the approach on their previous albums, but does simultaneously broaden their musical palette while narrowing the topical scope a little bit. Play! is, loosely defined, a concept album about the different ways kids play. From the opening track "We've Got a Band" (playing musical instruments) to the '80s power-poppy title track, Mikel Gehl and Lisa Matthews sing about the fun of play. There are songs about make-believe play (the Beatlesque "Imagination Nation," "Pirates," "Home on the Rang") to go along with songs about playing sports ("Bowling with You," or "Baseball," with a Cal Ripkin cameo). What saves the lyrics from being cloying to adult ears is the specificity -- it's one thing to sing about how much fun it is to spend time with your family, it's another thing entirely to make that song about bowling. It grounds the song in a reality that, while it might not apply to your family, is certainly relatable.

Musically, Milkshake adds a few nice touches to their pop-rock approach. The Bacharach horns on "Okay to be Different," for example, or the sea chanty of "Pirates." While Milkshake's version of going wild ("Go Wild") is, well, more mild than wild, they don't completely abandon the rock -- the closing cut "My Best Friend," is a snappy slice of power-pop that starts at about 60 miles an hour, never lets up, and wraps up in less than 2 minutes. (In fact, I really like the last 5 tracks.)

I think the album's geared right at kids ages 4 through 8. You can hear samples of the tracks at the album's CD Baby page or hear full tracks at the band's homepage.

Milkshake is not everyone's cup of tea -- they're writing happy pop songs for happy kids. But they do this better than most of the kids' bands out there and Play! is their best album yet. Recommended, especially if you've enjoyed their other CDs.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I had low expectations when I started this website.

I wanted to share some music that was recorded with kids in mind that both kids and adults could find enjoyment in. But my bar for parental enjoyment was pretty low -- I was looking for music that wouldn't drive parents to rip the CD out of the minivan's player and drive over it repeatedly. My tagline -- "Music for kids that the parents won't hate" -- was a reflection of those low expectations.

Even though the tagline is still not a bad reflection of my concerns, I've never been particularly enamored of it. I don't like the word "hate," and there's something distinctly negative about it (something implicitly acknowledged in the headline for the NPR piece I was in -- "Music For Kids That Even Parents Might Love").

It's time to try out a new tagline.

Snakes on a plane!

OK, you're right, not good. So we're going with this:

Kids music worth sharing.

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

OK, let's get the cover out of the way. Yes, it's bizarre. No, I can't explain it. And, yes, the album inside is better.

Now that I've got that out of the way, let's get to the album itself. First Time for Everything is the debut kids' CD from the New York-based musician John Carlin. Carlin, like many kids' artists, had a career as a musician for adults, then started teaching music classes for kids. And, like many of those artists, his debut album is a very DIY affair, with Carlin playing every instrument. What distinguishes Everything from many other DIY albums are the flourishes of musical diversity within.

The album starts off with the guitar-pop of "Eliza" and "Run Around," the latter song about how good it feels just to, well, run around. "Bein' a Dog" borrows some of melodic riff from "Time Warp, while the title track is a sauntering number featuring loose raspy vocals from Carlin. While I liked the original cuts, perhaps the nicest touches are the reworkings of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" (featuring a musical interlude with acoustic guitar that's considerably different from, but very complimentary to, the original melody) and "This Little Light of Mine," which adds a small taste of a New Orleans brass band. The downside to the disk is that the production sometimes muddies the vocals (especially on Carlin's originals), making it difficult to understand them. It's something that certainly can be fixed on the next go-round.

I'm gonna peg the 35-minute album as best for kids ages 3 through 7. You can hear clips of the songs here.

By no means is First Time for Everything reinventing the kids' album. It's just an album with some nice new pop tunes with kid-appropriate lyrics and some old tunes presented with enough dash to make listening to the familiar melodies fresh. But if that's enough for you (and it's certainly enough for a lot of people), you could certainly do much worse. Recommended.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

... and if you want to see it, you'll have to head over to Zooglobble's new Myspace page.

I think you'll agree that I have no future as a graphic designer.

I'd been thinking for a while about setting up a page (because, hey, I think this social networking trend might have staying power), so last month I created the account and have been slowly adding "friends," or, as I like to call them, "kids' musicians and associates I am or am not familiar with". I really don't know what I'll use the page for -- I still expect to post all the good stuff here -- but maybe I'll put that mp3 player there to good use. (And by the way, I can also host mp3s here, too.)

The number of kids' musicians on Myspace has really grown over the past year, even though, as Scribble Monster puts it, "MySpace IS NO PLACE FOR A KID! RUN TO A SAFE PLACE LIKE ScribbleTown!" Just another sign of how parents are taking a greater interest in kids' music. (Or maybe how 6-year-olds are way ahead of me when it comes to social networking.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 04:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The new website for the Little Monster Records label isn't quite ready for prime time, with more "under construction" signs than Berlin in the 1990s. (Yes, I realize that Berlin wouldn't literally have "under construction" signs. Work with me here, folks -- I've never seen so many cranes in a city.)

But probably due to the low-key nature of this website, we don't really care as long as the content's good, and in this case, with mp3s from All Together Now (the recently-released Beatles tribute CD) and upcoming Little Monster releases from Robbert Bobbert, Gustafer Yellowgold, Soulville, and Medeski, Martin & Wood, the content's good. The Robbert Bobbert and Gustafer tracks can also be heard on their myspace pages, but the Soulville and MMW tracks are new to me. MMW's "Where's the Music?" is funky and amusing, and I like both Soulville tracks, too.

No, I have no idea who "Ralph & Ralph" are.

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I don't share many details about my life here. I never envisioned this as a "dadblog" -- there are way too many acute observers of either gender of parenting and family life on and off the Internet for me to feel like I could add anything significant to the conversation.

Having said that, at the risk of turning this into a Very Special Episode of Zooglobble, I think this post deserves a bit of an introduction.

On November 18, 2006 families across the United States will celebrate National Adoption Day.

For the first time, our family will be among those celebrating.

Although the day is specifically designed to raise awareness about adopting children from foster care, the day and month -- November is National Adoption Month -- are used to celebrate adoptions of all types.

Our family has two children -- one is a "bio" (short for "biological") child of ours, as the phrase goes in the adoption community, while the other came into our family via adoption. Both children are a blessing to us. Because we've experienced both ways of adding a child to our family, the notion of an "adoption" song is a little odd to me. I view it as a method, one with serious implications to be sure, but still a means to an end. But there are tons of songs about the birth of a child -- why shouldn't there be a few songs about the adoption journey?

Which brings up the point that everybody's adoption journey is a little bit different. A song that may perfectly capture the feelings of one family's adoption journey may be completely alien to another family. And, hey, that goes for childbirth, too.

Here, then, is a short list, which I've generally tried to restrict to very adoption-specific songs. I've cribbed from a few sources. If you're looking for more songs, try here or there. Many of the songs were certainly not written with adoption in mind and could just as easily be sung to a lover, but that's the beauty of music, isn't it? You never know what songs people will find strength in. I've also left off songs that are more about giving a child up for adoption. That's really for older kids, not the audience I'm aiming for here.

If you've got more, leave 'em in the comments.

"Happy Adoption Day," by John McCutheon (off his Family Garden CD or his Supper's on the Table... best-of)
"From God's Arms to My Arms to Yours," by Michael McLean
"The Red Thread," by Lucy Kaplansky, off the album of this same name
"Cartwheels and Somersaults," by Justin Roberts, off Meltdown! -- OK, this isn't really about adoption, but it is all about the joy of adding another child to a family and it spoke to our family's situation wonderfully.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The Lovely Mrs. Davis steps into the interview breach with her first interview, a nice chat with Uncle Rock. Check it out.

Posted by SAShepherd at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was rereading the "My Approach to Kids' Music" post and besides the amusing out-of-date comments regarding our kids' music collection -- nearly two dozen kids' records, can you believe it, folks? -- I also noticed the listing of my "adult" music preferences:

"I particularly enjoy the following artists, among others: Wilco, the Jayhawks, Spoon, REM, They Might Be Giants, Matthew Sweet, U2, Lyle Lovett, Kelly Willis, Patty Griffin, Miles Davis and most classical chamber music."

In looking at that list from two years ago (and, frankly, with the exception of Spoon, it's really almost 5 years old), I'm thinking I need to update the list slightly, splitting it into two components -- artists I have 4 or more CDs of and bands with less than 4 CDs that I really adore, which basically gives you the list of bands that have been part of my life for a long time (even if they're not really any more), and newer bands I'm looking forward to hearing for many years to come.

Artists with 4+ CDs in my collection, in rough order of # of CDs: They Might Be Giants, Ludwig van Beethoven (yeah, I know he's not a band in the traditional sense), R.E.M., Matthew Sweet, U2, Wilco, The Jayhawks, Talking Heads, Bruce Springsteen, Spoon, Fountains of Wayne, The Dixie Chicks, Lyle Lovett, Kelly Willis, W.A. Mozart

With the exception of R.E.M., I really haven't "abandoned" any of these artists. (I'll still listen to R.E.M., but only the old stuff. Yes, in this regard I'm the snob like everyone else.)

Artists with less than 4 CDs that I quite adore: The New Pornographers, The Shins, The Futureheads, Golden Smog (OK, I'm ignoring the On Golden Smog EP), My Morning Jacket (OK, I'm ignoring their earlier stuff), Kathleen Edwards

I'm sure I'm omitting artists with, like, one CD that's just fabulous (see Patty Griffin, whose 1000 Kisses is incredible and whose other albums are mostly "eh" to me). If I had to make this list a year from now I'm sure it'd be different. But now you know where I stand. (And you can guess how old I am.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Although it has signed very 21st century artists such as Gustafer Yellowgold and Robbert Bobbert (Robert Schneider), Little Monster Records, the new kids' music imprint from V2/Artemis Records has chosen to look back 40 years for its first release, All Together Now: Beatles Stuff For Kids of All Ages. If this first release is any indication, Little Monster releases will be designed to encourage parent-youth interaction.

The release comes packaged with a storybook illustrated with kids' drawings, poems that are meant complement the lyrics, and Beatles facts which are probably familiar to the adults but won't be, of course, for the young'uns.

And what exactly will you be sharing with those young'uns, musically? Thirty minutes of covers of well-chosen if familiar Beatles songs. Producer/guitarist Kevin Salem has assembled a talented backup band for the versions, which are sung by New York Doll Steve Conte along with some guest stars, including Marshall Crenshaw, Jason Lytle (ex-Grandaddy), and the Bangles (with Matthew Sweet joining Susanna Hoffs once more on a fun "Good Day Sunshine"). The songs also feature a chorus of kids who, refreshingly, are neither Broadway-trained nor pitch-corrected. They sound like, well, your elementary school or church choir, in a good way (see the simple "Love Me Do"). If you're going to put kids on record, this is the way to do it.

As well-done as the whole package is, there's really nothing new here. The versions hew very closely to the originals. I realize that the idea behind the CD -- introducing the Beatles to another generation -- doesn't lend itself to massive reinterpretations of classic recordings, but there's little reason why your copies of the original Beatles CDs won't do just fine.

Given the ages of kids singing (they sound like they might be in 2nd or 3rd grade, generally), I'm going to peg the age range here at ages 4 through 9, though obviously Beatles music is OK for just about any age. Three of the tracks are available here. For the moment, the CD is available only at Barnes & Noble, though that will end at some point next year.

All Together Now is a nicely-assembled collection of Beatles tunes, attractively packaged and with nice thought put into it. As good as it is, I don't see it as being of great interest to people who already have some Beatles tunes in their collection. But I can't wait to see and hear what the team behind this album has up their sleeves when they turn their attention to some original songs.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Based in Portland, Oregon Stephen Cohen has been making art of one sort or another for nearly 30 years. Creating music, musical instruments, and visual art, Cohen integrates these three into his performing career.

This is exactly the kind of person that should be making kids' music.

On his recently-released Here Comes The Band, Cohen gives reason to be optimistic for the future of music for families. A heady collection of multi-instrumental folk music, Cohen weaves together an album that flows seamlessly from start to finish. The opening title track serves as the prelude to the whole album, with a melody that pops up at least a couple more times later on in the album. It segues almost imperceptibly into "Give Me That Toy!," which, thankfully, doesn't tell the young listener to ask politely -- it's written from the child's perspective. And from there into the traditional children's rhyme "Mr. Knickerbocker," in which Cohen's distinctive voice (ever-so-slightly nasally and slightly-less-slightly raspy) repeats the phrase "bobbity, bobbity, bobbity-boo" until it gets lodged in your brain. Another favorite song of mine is "The Planetarium," which although is written from the point of the parent taking his son to the planetarium is written with the words of a child ("Then a baby cried and had to go outside / While we watched the lights / Stretch across the black dome sky.")

To talk about the lyrics is to miss the album's chief allure, which is its music. As noted above, some of the musical transitions are seamless. Which isn't to say this is an entirely low-key album. "There Goes the Band" lists 13 people playing or singing on the track. "The Elephant Walk" sounds not a little bit like Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk." The lullabies at the end of the album are sweet as well.

I can't review this album without noting the album packaging, which is one of the best I've seen this year. Lyrics, gorgeous illustrations by Christopher Shotola-Hardt, activities are in the liner notes, along with an explanation of what various people on the album (producer, engineer, visual artist) actually do.

The album is most appropriate for kids ages 3 through 9, though it may create fans of parents who are 39. You can hear samples of 5 songs at the album's CD Baby page and hear "Baseball, Baseball" here.

Stephen Cohen's album is a little bit like what might happen if Mr. David and Randy Newman decided to record a kids' album live on Prairie Home Companion. Here Comes the Band establishes a mood and a world that will draw in you and your kids. It may not be the album your family listens to every day for a month, but it will be one you listen to occasionally for many years. Recommended.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A tip of the hat to San Francisco's Sippy Cups, who got themselves a full-page article in the Los Angeles Times last week. It has a nice description of the spectacle of the Cups' stage show, which the band reports on its Myspace blog drew 750 people to LA's House of Blues.

All that in spite of the fact that their new bassist intrigued the band because he said he owned a cow suit. Or perhaps because of the fact that their new bassist intrigued the band because he said he owned a cow suit.

(For the unitiated, a review of the Electric Storyland CD here.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Time I expanded the sidebar links. You're probably familiar with many of these, but if not, explore a bit...

Maybe you're familiar with the Fids and Kamily Awards? (OK, yeah, you probably are.) Anyway, there's a new link there. I've been tallying votes, and I'm really excited about the list.

Kids Music Sites: I've added Eric Herman's fine Cool Tunes for Kids website, on which he wears a reviewers' hat and a musician's outfit, or some other mixed metaphor like that.

Radio Shows: Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child will always be the #1 radio show around here, but in case you need a kids' music fix during the week, you can listen to Gooney Bird Kids or Loopy Moose Radio as well. I've also updated the Greasy Kid Stuff link to note their new playlist location.

Stores: Amazon and CD Baby you know about. If you're looking for a more selective list, the Land of Nod has a decent selection of kids' music online (and has the occasional podcast from artists like Justin Roberts and Dan Zanes), while the Pokey Pup has a good selection.

KidLit: You think it's hard listening to all sorts of new kids and family music from across the country? Imagine the amount of stuff that people who review literature for kids have to wade through. There are tons of sites out there, so start with Big A little a, A Fuse #8 Production, and Book Buds and start from there.
(Oh, and did you know they've got an end-of-the-year award process, too? See the Cybils for more.)

Other Stuff of General Parental Interest: I like the writing at Cynical Dad, Daddy Types, Family Man Online, and Neal Pollack's The Maelstrom. I just felt like I should goose their Google numbers ever so slightly.

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

There are those who, upon hearing Rockin' In the Forest With Farmer Jason, the recently-released second album from Farmer Jason, might wonder: Could this be the very same Jason Ringenberg who fronted "Jason and the Scorchers"? It sounds so... so... different.

Those of us who have heard A Day at the Farm..., his first kids' album, know that it's definitely him.

The hard part for older listeners to get used to when listening to Rockin' In the Forest is the sheer exuberance of the whole thing -- shiny, gleaming horns on the poppy leadoff track "The Forest Oh!" or the modern country production of the slightly mournful melody of "Arrowhead." The wellspring of exuberance, however, is Farmer Jason himself, who is just so darn enthusiastic that it might drive some parents nuts. Except that he goes so far beyond the line that there's that glimmer of "yes, I know this is all a little too much, but your kids are eating this up, aren't they?, so just play along." I love the deadpan way he says he's going to "sing a song about a moose on the loose called... 'He's a Moose... on the Loose.'"

Ringenberg knows his way around a bunch of musical styles, from the spaghetti western stylings of "Ode to a Toad" to the Django Reinhardt violin noodlings of "A Butterfly Speaks" to smallest, simplest (and perhaps best) song on the whole disk, the virtually a cappella "Mrs. Mouse." He wraps the melodic nuggets around lyrics that introduce young listeners to different animals in the forest (natch). While the cover and liner note art suggest very anthropomorphized approaches (ugh -- did I just use the phrase "anthropomorphized approaches"?) to the subject, the actual lyrics play it straight for the most part.

Kids ages 3 through 8 are the ones most likely to appreciate Jason's enthusiastic approach and lyrical focus here. You can hear samples wherever fine kids' music is sold (on the Internet, anyway).

If you liked A Day at the Farm..., you'll also like this new album, as it's very similar in tone, maybe a little broader musically. I'm giving this album a "Recommended," but it's with the warning that you're going to have to detach that little parental "I'm too cool for this" monitor in your head -- if you can do that (your kids don't -- or shouldn't -- have one yet), you'll enjoy this just fine. Recommended.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[Suggested alternate, overused headline: "Rock 'N' Roll Preshool."]

I know I'm late with the news on these two releases, but enough time has passed with at least one to make another post worthwhile...

Baby Rock Records made a splash with news of their Roackabye Baby! series of lullaby renditions of hit songs from such well-known kids artists as Barney Radiohead and Metallica. Baby Rock has continued the series, with a Nirvana collection released last week. I've got my eye on the Pixies collection that's coming out Jan. 2nd. (They won't have to change "Wave of Mutilation" at all!)

Taking a different tack, you have Go-Kart Records, who on Nov. 21 are releasing Brats on the Beat, a 12-track collection of classic Ramones tracks with kids singing on the choruses and Actual Punk Musicians (from Pennywise, the Donnas and Queens of the Stone Age, among others) singing lead.

Of the two concepts, the lullaby album series intrigues me more because there are some great melodies, not just on the Pixies CD, but on just about every CD in the series. It doesn't interest me so much as a parent but as a fan of the music. A great re-interpretation (see the Easy Star All-Stars' reggae version of Radiohead's "Karma Police", for example) is just another way to appreciate a classic song. The Ramones album could be pretty good, but it essentially appears to be a Kidz Bop Punk album, albeit with higher street cred.

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Not For Kids Only, the 1993 album from David Grisman and Jerry Garcia, is great idea for a kids' album. Two stellar musicians playing songs meant for singing along with, as the liner notes ask the listener to imagine hearing Grisman and Garcia playing songs after a large dinner gathering. (Can I be invited? I make a killer cranberry sauce.)

In execution, this album meets the standard set by the idea. Grisman's and Garcia's mandolin and guitar playing, respectively, are sharp and they're backed by a set of rotating sidemen playing assorted percussion or other instruments. The song selection is a nice mixture of songs well-known ("Freight Train," "Teddy Bears' Picnic") and not-so-well-known ("Three Men Went A-Hunting" or "When First Unto This Country"). The songs are given primarily (though not exclusively) bluegrass/folk treatments -- appropriate, of course, for the material at hand.

And despite all that, after repeatedly listens, the album itself is unlikely to make much of an impact on you or your family. It's just too... pleasant. There's no grit here, it's all so darn genial that while it'll make great "quiet time" music for lazy afternoons, there's little that will make you say, "listen to this!, my kids love this song!" Some of the songs, like the gently peppy "Hopalong Peter" or the slow Dixieland swing of "Teddy Bears' Picnic" do break out of the mold (and mood) of the rest of the album. But they're the exception, not the rule.

I think kids ages 3 through 7 are most likely to enjoy the CD. The album itself is so old there's no website for it (can you believe it? do those albums even exist anymore?), so find yourself your favorite online retailer for music samples.

I do want to make clear that Not For Kids Only is not a bad album. The musicianship is top-notch and the very idea that people should go ahead and sing for their own families is what inspired artists such as Dan Zanes. But it's not likely to be the first disk you or your kids reach for when you or they want to hear something that moves them.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Phoenix might have just passed Philadelphia to become the nation's fifth-largest city and while I'm sure there can be plenty of trash-talk exchanged at such a time, one thing is clear -- Philly has Phoenix's kids-and-family music scene whupped.

Just check out the list of upcoming artists at World Cafe Live's Peanut Butter & Jams Series: Lunch Money, SteveSongs, Trout Fishing in America, They Might Be Giants, Gustafer Yellowgold, the Deedle Deedle Dees, AudraRox, Rebecca Frezza, Ernie & Neal, Uncle Rock, Justin Roberts, and Robbie Schaefer. Among others.

Whew. That's an impressive list, for whom much credit needs to go to Stephanie Mayers, who's moved on to do PR work for artists.

Did I mention that the golfing is excellent this time of year 'round here?

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This band will change your life.

Not to get all Natalie Portman on you, but like the Shins, the Austin-based band The Jellydots might just change a few families' lives, or at least their opinions on what kids' music can be.

I pick the Shins as a reference point deliberately because it was their skewed pop I kept thinking of while I listened to the Jellydots' first nationally-distributed CD, Hey You Kids!. The simple pop of the title track, a melding of delicate guitar work and percussion work sounds like the spare pop on the Shins' Oh Inverted World! CD while "I'm Not Ugly (You're Not Either)" has a propulsive melody and beat that sounds like "Fighting in a Sack" off Chutes Too Narrow.

Not all of the tracks have such a Shins vibe. The opening track "Bicycle" is a great power-pop tune that the Shins (or a hundred power-pop bands) would love to have written, while "Lake Rules" has a reggae beat and accompaniment reminiscent of Elvis Costello's "Watching The Detectives."

Lyrically the CD speaks straight to kids. The lyrics deal with subjects like bicycles, choosing to be positive, and self-esteem. I particularly appreciated the lyrics on "Quite Naturally" ("Yesterday I saw an ad on my TV screen / And all the people on the screen / Looked so happy to me / It seemed like they were living in a special fantasy / Where money, fun, and happiness all grow on plastic trees.") Over an entire album these messages of uplift might become repetitive were it not for the fact that they're wrapped in such sweet bonbons of melody. Parents aren't entirely ignored -- the best song on the disk is tucked near the end, the slow and beautiful "Captain Sleep," a nearly perfectly-constructed song which kids might be OK with but will resonate with the parents.

The 41-minute album will