Zooglobble

For those tuning in late...

Songs 41 through 45
Songs 46 through 50

Contest

On to the songs...

40. "The More We Get Together" - traditional: "Traditional," but when the single most influential kids music artist of all time starts his very first album off with this song, it's forever owned by Raffi. (Listen to a cheesy government-funded instrumental version here. Shudder. Or another version here. I'm not even gonna try it. Clear out your brains with a 30-second sample of the classic version here.)

39. "Mr. Rabbit" - traditional: "Mr. Rabbit, Mr. Rabbit / You've been in my cabbage patch / Yes, my friend / And I ain't never comin' back / Every little soul must / Shine shine shine." Excuse me? What? That's, like, 3 non-sequiturs of a lyric. And somehow it's still catch and popular. (Sorry, no links. Johnny Keener's got a nice version on Elephants Over The Fence.)

38. "Rainbow Connection" - Kenny Ascher and Paul Williams: This would be a lot higher on the list, but I tell ya, that key change halfway through is just a difficult one to handle. Kermit's version is classic, of course, but almost too banjo-y, if such a thing can be said to exist. I think I actually prefer the Dixie Chicks' version on Mary Had A Little Amp. (Watch Kermit on YouTube.)

37. "My Hair Had a Party Last Night" - Trout Fishing in America: They've had a bunch of good songs ("Alien in my Nose" came close to making this list), but this is the one that's been covered a number of times already. "It started out friendly but there must've been a fight." (Listen to a sample of a live version here.)

36. "Pig on Her Head" - Laurie Berkner: One great thing about Laurie Berkner is that she writes kids songs that parents can actually sing. Admittedly, she's writing for toddlers, so that's on purpose, but we still sing this song with our youngest and occasionally oldest kids. Great imagery. (Imagery illustrated by the Noggin video, which can be accessed on this page.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I lived in Minnesota for a portion of my "tween" years (though they didn't call them that then), and not only do I still have the Minnesota-shaped cutting board from my seventh-grade woodworking class to prove it, I still remember spending a portion of fifth grade learning all about Minnesota.

Now, I don't know if in these testing-crazed times states still spend time learning about their own states' geography and history, but in case the schoolchildren of Michigan no longer get class time to do so for their state, might I recommend A Curious Glimpse of Michigan? (See also here.)

Based on the book by Kevin and Stephanie Kammeraad and Ryan Hipp, the album features 49 tracks from a lots of musicians including Hipp, the Kammeraads, ScribbleMonster, and Danny Adlerman. As you might suspect with so many tracks and so many musicians, the music here is all over the map stylistically and enjoyably. In spirit, it reminded me a little bit of They Might Be Giants albums, especially Apollo 18, which included a series of brief song snippets which could be played together as "Fingertips" or played randomly throughout the CD.

Truth be told, the album might almost be worth the price just for ScribbleMonster's "I Wish I Lived In Michigan," 2 1/2 minutes of family-friendly power pop that, six months after I first heard it, I still haven't tired of. Almost makes me wish I lived in Michigan, just so I could say I lived in a state that inspired that song. (Wow, that song and Sufjan Stevens. Not bad, Michigan, not bad at all.) But beyond that, there are some other sweet tracks -- the funky "Over 635 Cities" channels Mike Doughty from Soul Coughing while Dany Adlerman & Friends' contribution "Cousin Jacks" sounds simultaneously early 20th and early 21st century. As for ScribbleMonster's "The Fur Trade?," they answer their own question ("Fur! Fur! Fur!"). And I liked the Schoolhouse Rock! blatant ripoff loving homage of "Capital City, Capitol Building."

At over 61 minutes in length, the album is a bit too much to absorb in one sitting. Not that any of it's bad, it's just... long. But it (like the book itself) is a fun thing to dip into here and there.

I think kids ages 4 through 10 will most enjoy the album. You can here samples of each and every 49 tracks at the album's CDBaby page or 4 complete tracks (including "I Wish I Lived In Michigan" and "The Fur Trade?") at ScribbleMonster's Myspace page.

A Curious Glimpse of Michigan is a hoot to listen to, and -- dare I say it -- a little educational. It's fun regardless whether you live in Michigan, wish you lived there, or have only had a brief layover in Detroit. Recommended.

(Note: Bill at Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child may still have a copy or two to give away.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Just as a reminder, the deadline to enter the contest to win the latest album from Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang, Get Up & Dance!, is tonight, Tuesday night. You and your farm animal friends will thank you.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Did you fall in love with "Major Deegan" by the Deedle Deedle Dees off the Park Slope Parents Album?

Are you a teacher?

Well, then, the band's new blog is for you. It will be "a resource for teachers who would like to use the music of the Deedle Deedle Dees in their classrooms. Lesson plans, background notes, activity and coloring sheets, and reading lists will all be here for you to use."

And regardless whether you're a teacher or just a payer of property taxes to your local school district, you can hear four songs from their upcoming March 3 release Freedom in a Box at their Myspace page. The mixture of their history songs with their toddler movement songs seems a bit awkward over the space of just four songs, but they're definitely interesting. "Henry Box Brown" has got the banjo thing down pat, and "Nellie Bly" would be what you'd get if The Band ever decided to write a song about, well, Nellie Bly...

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

I've randomly selected a winner from all our fine applicants in the Ralph's World contest, and that winner is Lynn, who in her entry said:

My dream would be to see Ralph in San Francisco at the Fillmore because, well, just because it would be almost historic. But since we are actually lucky enough to be here in Ralph's home town of Chicago our real pick is the House of Blues in Chicago. It's impossible to choose just 3 songs, but here goes: 1. Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum because the kids have such a blast dancing to it; 2. Riding With No Hands because it captures both childhood and parenthood so well; and 3. Honey for the Bears because it is just fun.

Many, many thanks to all the entrants. Even if you didn't win (heck, even if you did win, Lynn), you can order tickets for the tour by clicking on the link below.

Thanks again to Ralph for the tickets!

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Portland-based artist Johnny Keener released Elephants Over the Fence, but there are strong echoes of South Carolina, Seattle, and Brooklyn in the CD.

The South Carolina echo has to do with the musicians on the CD. Backed by Emily Vidal on bass and Jason Greene (their alter ego is Yoyodyne, an adult pop group), Keener generally plays guitar reminiscent of Buddy Holly or Johnny Cash records. Hmmm... a trio reconfiguring itself to play kids music? Where have I heard that before? But there's no complaint as the trio gets a lot of mileage out of the mixture of traditional kids, originals, and offbeat covers here.

The Seattle echo is from the leadoff track, "Miss Mary Mack," which, just as on Johnny Bregar's Hootenanny! CD, starts with the voice of a young girl singing the song, though here young Zella sings for a full 30 seconds before the band and a chorus of preschool kids join in.

And the Brooklyn echo? None other than Dan Zanes, an obvious inspiration for Keener. While Keener clearly doesn't have the star power of Zanes (there's no Sheryl Crow on this version of "Polly Wolly Doodle"), Keener likes singing with kids and integrates them nicely on a few tracks.

The best cut here is the cover of Woody Guthrie's "Bling Blang," which features guitar work by Keener accompanying a swinging piano by Yascha Noonberg. The two originals aren't too bad (I liked "It's Too Hot!," all about going to the local swimming pool), but the two songs that are most intriguing are the covers of Jonathan Richman ("Here Come the Martian Martians") and They Might Be Giants ("Robot Parade"). The Richman cover is pretty good and just goes to show that a compilation of kids artists doing Jonathan Richman songs is long overdue. Keener also acquits himself nicely on the TMBG track, slowing the tempo a bit to a more stately parade-like pace, and adding some robot-like spoken-word interludes.

The 25-minute album is most appropriate for kids ages 2 through 7. Tracks may be available soon at Keener's website, but here, with Keener's permission, are two tracks for your immediate enjoyment:

Johnny Keener - Polly Wolly Doodle

Johnny Keener - It's Too Hot!

There is no wheel-reinventing going on here, but Elephants Over the Fence is an enjoyable listen, a smart-sounding CD with a loose energy appealing to kids and parents alike. Recommended.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I really liked Recess Monkey's album Aminal House, but was curious what role the kids in the Seattle UCDS summer music camp played in the album.

So I asked singer and guitarist Drew Holloway for more details.

"It was a week-long camp but the three of us did a fair share of tracking in the weeks before and after camp. Jack [Forman, bass & piano] did the massive job of mixing the cd which we then had professionally mastered.

The camp was made up of over 80 kids. 30 of the kids were 3-6 years old and spent the bulk of the day in a separate camp on site. In the morning, however, those children joined the other group, 6-11 years old, for a "gig" [group sing-along] and some big group recording [like in "Aquarium" and "Fred"].

Each afternoon consisted of three sessions [songwriting, recording, and artwork]. We divided the 50 kids into three groups [land, water, and air] and they rotated through each activity.

I worked with the songwriting group. For the most part I was the Elton John and they were the Bernie Taupins. Sometimes small musical snippets made their ways into songs ["Squirrels" was based on a camper-generated bass line]. The kids worked mostly in pairs and small groups to draw and write stories. When it worked we combined ideas like in "Chicken" and other times we voted for favorites "Pet Shark."

Daron [Henry, drums] led the art contigent. Kids created animal-letter typography and foot-high self-portraits. The portraits were used in an installation that later, through the magic of photoshop, became the cover.

Jack was the captain of the recording booth. He taught the kids about basic engineering and multi-track recording [We used protools]. In the studio, campers laid down vocal and percussion tracks. Their favorite part was always listening back.

We ended the day by singing some songs and doing a guitar solo overdub in front of the whole group. What a blast."

Holloway also reports that they'll be doing two weeks of the camp this year, maybe with a video/DVD component.

Others have wondered in the comments, and I agree -- why don't more artists try this? You'd certainly have to have a certain patience to deal with dozens of elementary school students, but a lot of kids' musicians have at least some familiarity with teaching kids.

A (summer) school of rock (or folk or pop or whatever) would be pretty awesome for a lot of kids.

Posted by SAShepherd at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

British dance/electronica band Saint Etienne released their album Tales from Turnpike House in 2005. Although Turnpike House was definitely an album for the adults, some English copies of the album also included a six-song EP called Up the Wooden Hills that was definitely for the kids.

The basic question here is whether a 16-minute six-song EP is worth the $20 or more it'll cost you to import the album, especially an album that was essentially released as a teaser or preview of a full-length album whose release has been rumored almost since the EP's release.

It's a tough call, which isn't to say it's not a good EP. Three uptempo songs -- "You Can Count on Me" (numbers, natch), "Let's Build a Zoo" (animals and alliteration), and the electronica blues of "Excitation" (nonsense) -- are great kids' tracks. The other three tracks are a mixed bag -- "Barnyard Brouhaha" is a silly electronic trifle that gets tiring before the end of its sub-minute runtime. "Bedfordshire" is a down-tempo piece with spoken-word interlude that's pleasant enough but depends on the listener really giving their attention to the piece for 4 minutes; "Night Owl" is a nice lullaby with a string quartet.

The album is probably best for kids ages 3 through 7. You can find the album on major Internet retailers such as Amazon, though they don't have sound clips.

In the end, I'd probably come down on the side of not recommending this except to all the most diehard (or affluent) of kids music families and aficianados -- $25 is a lot to spend for 3 or 4 pretty good songs. Still, based on what's on the Up the Wooden Hills EP, if and when the full-length ever does get released, it'll be well-worth the preorder.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

First Colours Are Brighter, now this:

"This month brings the release of Songs for the Young at Heart, an album chiefly of cover versions of children's songs by different artists, curated by Stuart Staples and David Boulter of the indie band Tindersticks."

Aside from the curious British use of the verb "curated," of note is the participation of Jarvis Cocker, Kurt Wagner (from Lambchop), and Stuart Murdoch (from Belle and Sebastian).

The article says the album was released in England on Monday, January 22nd, but the V2 album page suggests Feb. 26th. Amazon.co.uk suggests both are correct. I know, it's confusing. Life is so not black and white, eh?

Tracklisting:
1.Theme For The Young At Heart (Stuart Staples)
2. Uncle Sigmund’s Clockwork Storybook – Sung by Robert Forster (The Triffids)
Originally by The Spinners in 1967
3. Florence’s Sad Song – Sung by Stuart Murdoch (Belle & Sebastian)
From “Dougal & The Blue Cat” – 1972
4. White Horses – Sung by Cerys Mathews
Originally by Jacky Lee in 1968
5.The Lion & Albert – Told by Jarvis Cocker
Original monologue by Marriott Edgar
6. Robinson Crusoe – Performed by The Tindersticks
Theme from the television programme from 1965
7. Hushabye Mountain – Sung by Stuart Staples
From Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – 1965
8. Morningtown Ride – Sung by Suzanne Osbourne
9. Inch Worm – Sung by Kurt Wagner (Lambchop)
Hans Christian Anderson soundtrack 1952
10. Mary, Mungo & Midge – performed by The Tindersticks
From the BBC TV series 1969
11. The Three Sneezes – Told by Martin Wallace
12. Puff, The Magic Dragon – Sung by ‘Bonnie’ Price Billy and Red
Originally by Peter, Paul & Mary in 1963
13. Hey, Don’t You Cry – (Stuart Staples) sung by Stuart Staples

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

More music from Little Monster Records recording artists Ralph & Ralph, this time at their new Myspace site.

Four songs, one for each member of Ralph & Ralph.

Yeah, that's what I said.

There are actually 4 members of the band, two of 'em women.

In any case, while I really like "Ralph and Ralph's Song" (previously available), "Supposed to Cry" is also pretty good.

All sorts of crazy instruments from that band. "Sounds like: nothin' else!"

Indeed. Can't wait to hear the full-length CD.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you weren't convinced by the cover that Aminal House (yes, that's spelled correctly) had some Beatles influences, the liner notes, which thank, among others, Billy Shears, would seal the deal.

So what about the album itself -- is it worthy of such blatant Beatles homages?

Well, yes.

Aminal House (late 2006) is the second album from Seattle-based band Recess Monkey and whereas The Sippy Cups sort of tap the psychedelic part of '60s and '70s rock for their sound, Recess Monkey sticks more closely to the Beatles for their sound and inspiration. Which isn't to say that they sound like the Beatles -- they often sound more like Beatles-inspired bands such as Crowded House. At they very least, they, like the Beatles, are willing to explore a wide range of rock sounds, from the funk of the opening, title track to the singalong chorus of "Aquarium" to the Elton John-like piano ballad "Grey Zebra." (They're fine with more direct homages, too, pulling out a very "Blackbird"-like acoustic guitar figure for "Butterfly," for example.) One of my favorite tracks is "Cookie," a '60s rocker with a hint of Motown about a very nervous pointer dog ("Cookie don't crumble now / Cookie don't fall apart"). Musically, the group is tight; singer Drew Holloway uses the occasional falsetto to good effect, too.

Thematically, the songs are all animal-related, treating animals as characters with personality. The album also has a few sketches which are mostly amusing and very reminiscent in spirit (and somewhat in vocal characterizations) of SteveSongs' Marevlous Day! album. (And, hey, it's not every day you listen to a kids' album that makes a John Vanderslice reference, and a funny one at that.) At 54 minutes in length, it runs on a bit too long, but at least they're experimenting to the end.

The album is most appropriate for kids ages 5 through 9, which isn't surprising since the album includes kids voices on some tracks and their ideas from a summer camp led by the band in summer 2006. You can hear the album's first five tracks here and purchase the album here.

Aminal House is an album that must have been a blast to make, chock-full of creativity. The album is never less than interesting, and always a melodious spin. Definitely recommended.

(More details on the process of recording the album can be found here.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Compilations are notoriously hard things to compile. Any fool can put together a CD of good or popular songs, but their appeal as a single entity often fades after time. (Really, who listens to those Now! CDs, like, six months later?) The key is finding some loosely unifying theme or spirit to guide the collection.

Park Slope Parents The Album (Vol. 1) has just enough theme to carry the day. The 17-track collection plucks chooses songs old and new, released and not, from mainly New York City artists. There are a few tracks that deal with life in New York City -- David Weinstone (Music for Aardvarks) contributes his simple "Subway" ("Bing bong / the doors open on the train / bing bong / All the people pile in") while Michael Leyden has a more rocking take in "I Hear a Train."

Any compilation should also be measured by how well it does in helping you to discover new artists, rediscover chestnuts from old artists, and getting new tracks from your favorite artists. In terms of discovering new artists, Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel's "The Season Song" is a perfect pop tune from an adult band (whose members both teach in schools) writing a kids' song (specifically for this album). Dan Zanes contributes the "The Monkey's Wedding" from his Parades and Panoramas disk while Daniel Schorr's "Good Boy with a Bad Reputation" (off his first album) is a great example of his countryfied Dwight Yoakam-esque rock.

And the new tracks. These, my friends, are why you should get yourself on the CDBaby waiting list and order the disk. Smack dab in the middle of the disk are two great new cuts. The Deedle Deedle Dees contribute their ode to New York City roadways (had to balance out the public transportation songs, I suppose) with "Major Deegan," which was recorded for their upcoming album. The loping song sounds timeless, especially with those "whoo-whoo's". And The Quiet Two continue their surreal attack on kids' music with the loopy and giddy "When I Dream." AudraRox's reggae song of tolerance "Moms & Dads" and the sometimes-out-of-control (in a good way) "Drunken Sailor" contributed by Astrograss (with backing vocals from AudraRox's Audra and Jen) are just as good.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the sweetest track, the album closer "Fools Will Try." Somehow these Brooklyn parents got Ralph Covert to contribute a track from his 1997 album Birthday, and it's nothing less than some of the best advice you can give to a child. This is one of those songs that should appear on a lot of new parents' mix CDs...

The album is probably most appropriate for kids 3 through 8 (who probably don't care less about the appropriateness of a compilation and who just care whether a CD has good songs, which this one does in spades). The album is a fundraiser for Park Slope Parents, an informational website for parents in Park Slope, Brooklyn. For those of you who don't live in New York City, I'd recommend the CDBaby page, where you can hear samples. (The cover, by the way, is by children's author and illustrator Mo Willems, who contributes drawings that are more "Knuffle Bunny" than "Pigeon.")

Though collected for kids living in New York City, Park Slope Parents The Album (Vol. 1) is appropriate for families visiting New York City, learning about New York City, oh, heck, lovers of good music. It's a great collection of music and it's definitely recommended.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The latest album from Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang, Get Up & Dance!, was released last week, and we've got a copy with your name on it.

Well, technically speaking, it doesn't really have your name on it. I mean, that would imply that the fix is in for this contest and that every single reader is a winner, which isn't true.

Oh, I mean, you're all winners in the very global sense of being worthwhile people. But in another, more real sense, one of you (whose name, I would re-emphasize, is not yet known to me) is a winner, and the rest of you, while not exactly losers, are non-winners. Winning-challenged. Left holding a bag devoid of winning.

But, yes, thanks to Gwendolyn herself, not only do we have a copy of the new album, we also have a copy of their live concert DVD, Live in Grandma's Living Room. We're giving this combo away to one lucky reader. (If you're not familiar with the GTG music, get yourself on over to their music page and click on any one of their three albums to listen to streaming samples. You want to enter.)

What do you need to do? Post in the comments the name of the hairdo Gwendolyn wears and your favorite person (real or fictional) who also sports a similar hairdo. I will randomly select one winner from all entries. All entries are due by 8 PM MST Tuesday, January 30. Good luck!

(Photo courtesy Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang)

Posted by SAShepherd at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (21)

Not only does The Lovely Mrs. Davis continue her romp through the nation's media (this time in the Toledo Blade), Warren Truitt gets some print time in Tennessee.

Oh, and some random guy helps inspire a column in the San Jose Mercury News.

(Thanks to Gwyneth for the heads up.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A couple months ago, I mentioned that Doug Snyder of The Jellydots would be sitting in with Enzo Garcia at one of Enzo's Saturday morning "Breakfast With Enzo" shows in January.

Well, loyal reader Deb in SF sent in this photo from this past weekend's confab. That's Enzo on the left playing saw on Doug's "My Blanket."

Sounds like a grand time was had by all...

(Photo courtesy Deb Evans Braun)

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I know Mrs. Davis already posted this, but I've been waiting for somebody to get Steve Burns' and Steven Drozd's "I Hog (The Ground)" to YouTube, because, hey, this might be the kids' music song of the year, and it's only January.

So I don't care that I was time-crunched and didn't get around to posting this until tonight (like Amy, I searched for this daily), and this rocks.

The version below is even better than the version on the Jack's preview disk, because it includes the occasional pop-up comment from Jack. The only thing better than seeing kids jump around playing air guitar is having Jack pop-up and shout "Air guitar!"

The song sounds like a Dinosaur Jr. cut, and it'll send the parents into air guitar and (in my case) air drumming fits just like the kids.

Kinda funny that Burns spends all this time breaking free of kids television, and with this one cut, he's created a song that's an instant kids music classic.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I spent the weekend playing in the snow, but it's time to get caught up on some stuff. I've got reviews of some great new stuff, plus lots more.

And if you haven't thrown your hat into the ring for the four Free Ralph's World tickets, you have until Thursday night to do so. Go ahead -- make me jealous there's not a House of Blues location near Phoenix.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Never Mind the Rain is the debut album from DC-area musician Tracey Eldridge, but she's been making kids music for a couple decades now.

Perhaps that helps explain the evident care and craft that's gone into the CD, a collection of kids' pop originals that traverses many musical styles, from the big band sounds of "Tommy Builds a Band / Tommy's Big Parade" (which mixes in snippets of "When the Saints Go Marching In") to the boogie woogie of "Buzzy Bumblebee."

Eldridge will occasionally include spoken-word intros to songs, and on some songs she's clearly try to teach something about the world at large. It's all well-done, but not everybody will groove to that approach, so that's my warning for ya. Personally, I preferred the slightly more offbeat and less message-oriented songs, like the goofy "Corn Chips" (a tribute to the very goofy Slim Gaillard, known for his song "Potato Chips," among others), "Oh, Zydeco" (on which Eldridge channels fellow DC-area musician Mary Chapin Carpenter), or "Beware of the Wily 'Ol Crocodile," where Eldridge cedes lead vocals on a very Grinchian track to her producer and musical partner Mookie Siegel.

The songs are most appropriate for kids ages 3 through 7. You can hear samples at Eldridge's website or the album's CDBaby page.

I know my audience well enough to know that this album won't be the favorite of every family looking for new music. But Never Mind the Rain is a collection of, well, sunny, positive, and occasionally educational kids music of every genre and there will be a few families that find that combination wonderful.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Sure, you've had your chance to win tickets for the upcoming Ralph's World tour of House of Blues venues across the United States.

But you haven't had a chance to provide Ralph suggestions as to what he should play during this, the first tour of a kids music artist in House of Blues venues (including San Francisco's Fillmore and Portland's Aladdin Theatre). Kinda cool, no?

So, here are the rules. By 8 PM MST Thursday, January 25, in the comments below list which city you'd like to see Ralph's World in and the three songs your family would like to see the band play. (If you want to explain why, go ahead!)

The winner will be picked at random and notified at the e-mail address you provide when you make the comment. The winner will receive 4 tickets to the concert of his or her choice on the tour below. Four tickets! Sweet!

If you don't win (or even if you do), you can get more info on the tour and order tickets by clicking on the link below.

2/3/2007 House of Blues Anaheim, CA
2/4/2007 Fillmore San Francisco,CA
2/10/2007 House of Blues San Diego, CA
2/11/2007 Aladdin Theatre Portland,OR
2/17/2007 House of Blues West Hollywood,CA
2/18/2007 Moore Theatre Seattle,WA
2/24/2007 House of Blues Las Vegas,NV
2/25/2007 Boulder Theater Boulder, CO
3/3/2007 House of Blues Chicago, IL
3/4/2007 Somerville Theatre Somerville,MA
3/10/2007 House of Blues Cleveland,OH
3/11/2007 Theatre of Living Arts Philadelphia,PA
3/17/2007 House of Blues - Orlando Lake Buena Vista, FL
3/18/2007 Variety Playhouse Atlanta, GA
3/24/2007 House of Blues - Music Hall New Orleans,LA
3/25/2007 The Pageant St. Louis, MO

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Nearly ten years ago, New York City musician (and parent) David Weinstone, dissatisfied with assorted kids music programs, decides to start one of his own. The result, Music For Aardvarks and Other Mammals, became a popular program in its own right in New York City, even expanding beyond New York City.

Over those nearly ten, Weinstone's put together 10 CDs of original material to accompany the classes. This week sees the release of Taxi, one of three compilations of material from the first 10 CDs. (It reflects favorites of both Weinstone and class attendees.)

I decided deliberately to listen to Taxi without finding out more about how the songs were used in MFA classes because I think the purpose of these CDs is to introduce the music to a much wider audience -- people like me who've never stepped foot inside a MFA class. So the question becomes, how does this hold up as an album?

And the answer is, pretty good. Weinstone is definitely willing to write directly to kids' interests -- getting candy at the end of a doctor's visit in "Lollipop Doc" or the eternal fascination of the belly button in "Belly Button Song". But that wouldn't mean much if he weren't able to wrap those topics in appealing lyrics and a diverse range of musical styles. "Dirt," for example, folds lines such as "I like dirt. / Dirt's what I dig. / I like pokin' around, / with a big old twig" into a loping, brass-band march. "Have You Seen My Nose?" mixes silly lyrics about discovering one's nose (and mouth) with a laid-back Brazilian melody. "Big Boom Whacker" is a nonsensical synth-heavy tune that survives an Ah-nuld reference. My favorite track, "Ruby's Friends," is a folky waltz about pretending. (And I haven't even mentioned the Santana riff.)

This isn't to say you can't tell the album's music class origins. Songs such as "Big Old Tree" and "Tango" have class participation and movement written all over them. And the "Hello" and "Goodbye" songs -- required for any kids music class -- are here, too. (They're perfectly fine to listen to.) But they don't overwhelm the album -- you could listen to them having never attended an MFA class and not feel puzzled.

I think the album's most appropriate for kids ages 2 through 7. You can hear snippets of all the songs at the album's CDBaby page.

While there are no songs here that absolutely stand out as immediate kids' songs classics, Taxi is a strong collection of kid-appropriate and parent-friendly songs. Whether you're hearing these repeatedly between MFA classes or occasionally in the CD changer, you'll probably find them worth your family's time. Recommended.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This entry has nothing to do with kids music. No Laurie, no Barney, no Wiggles, no Ralph. (Really, I tried to think of a way to tie them in, and nothing clicked, short of using song titles that were a particular stretch.)

So click below only if you want to read about, well, you'll just have to find out...

Early last year I decided to run a marathon.

Of course, if I knew that the Sunday morning I would be running the marathon would be coldest morning in Phoenix in more than sixteen years, I might have reconsidered my decision, but who expected freezing temperatures in Phoenix? "Average Race Day Temp.," the website says -- 40 degrees Fahrenheit. And that, frankly, probably understated it by 3 or 4 degrees thanks to the urban heat island effect. Who knew it would hit 29 degrees?

I know, 29 degrees is not cold -- I've been outside in 29 degrees below zero -- but one is typically not expected to wear shorts in such weather.

But there I was with 11,000 other marathoners waiting for the sun to rise and for us to start running, which might actually help us warm up.

Once we took off, it was surprising how cold I didn't actually feel. It was certainly brisk, but I had a couple layers of shirts, a headband, gloves, and long pants on over my shorts. So I felt OK, which made for a bit of a shock when I passed a photography store temperature gauge which read 32 degrees. Oh, OK.

The first six miles went well. I saw my wife and kids, who had a few friends from the neighborhood (the route went right past it), and shedded more clothes than I'd originally anticipated. The second best part of the day for me, though I know it couldn't have been fun for people to stand in the same weather I was running in. The next six also went OK as I continued to run along streets I drive down weekly if not daily. Even the third six miles weren't too bad, though I began to slow down a bit.

And then I hit the wall. Now, I'd run a half-marathon before and had sort of hit a wall at the 10-mile point, but this was worse, where I simply had to stop running for a while. I was amused (darkly) by the people shouting "Looking good!" because however I looked (I was moving forward), "good" would have been about #5,693 on the list of words I'd've used to describe myself at the moment. Someone else (who was running, I think) shouted, "Pain is temporary, but the memory lasts forever," which is one of those aphorisms that sounds motivating before the race and consoling after the race but which sounds like a bunch of cow manure during the race. The pain might be temporary but at the moment it was, well, real.

Before the race I'd mentioned to a couple people that I thought it might be cool to run some big-city marathons to see parts of cities you might not see otherwise -- San Francisco, perhaps, or Chicago. Well, it was a good thing that I've been to Scottsdale and Tempe many, many times, because I didn't really see anything except the quarter-mile ahead of me (if I wasn't just staring at the ground).

As painful as it was, I think I was basically running 12-minute miles during those last 8 miles, as compared to the 9 1/2-10-minute miles I ran the first 2/3rds of the race. (Of course, that was a 12-minute mile when I was running. I walked every mile or so.)

And, then, before I knew it, I turned the corner, Sun Devil Stadium loomed above me, and the finish line was 500 feet away. I sprinted across the finish line, and it was over. Not that I was entirely coherent. After winding through all the lines you have to go through (medal, timing chip, picture, goodie bag, food), I saw someone I knew waiting for his wife at the exit area. He recognized me, and noted that I looked a bit dazed. I told him that Sun Devil Stadium could have been burning, and I would have simply nodded "OK. It's burning."

So that was my day Sunday. I'm glad I ran the marathon. I don't know if I'd ever train for another one, but I remember hearing somewhere that pain is temporary, but the memory lasts forever. That sounds nice, don't you think?

Posted by SAShepherd at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

A reader has sent me this request:

"As a kid my sister and I had many of Tom Glazer's records ("Music Ones and Twos", "Let's Sing Finger Plays" and a few others) but I have been unable to find any CDs by Tom Glazer for my twin daughters. I know he is dead now. But who owns the rights to his old recordings and are they available?"

I've ordered a couple of the disks off eBay, and got something which was, well, it didn't look like it was a fully authorized version. (Whether it did or did not pass intellectual property requirements I will leave to other, more qualified kids' music writers to determine.)

This guy may be able to help the reader, but how about you... any thoughts?

(Bonus link: Time magazine's recommendations for the best in kids' music... in 1960.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I will stop talking so much about Laurie Berkner soon, but The Lovely Mrs. Davis' post on Laurie and the reasons for her success couldn't go unresponded.

Typically Amy and I are pretty sympatico on our musical opinions, but we've never quite seen eye-to-eye on Berkner. (Though we've never actually "talked" about Laurie in any sense.) But I think the thing that tweaked me about Amy's post is twofold:
1. Laurie's not talented
2. Laurie's not "indie" (and that somehow is bad)

Amy's view is that there are "numerous other artists whose talent for writing and performing kids' music far surpass Laurie's." Taste is, of course, subjective, but I can't think of many artists for preschoolers who are better than Laurie -- she writes good melodies, lyrics, and has one heck of a voice (if you think she can't sing a "regular" song, check out her duet on "Happy Trails" with Buck Howdy on his Giddyup! album). In her videos (don't know about her concerts), she has an engaging personality. (OK, her albums are a bit underproduced, I'll grant you that.)

Her focus is a bit narrower than other artists who might try to hit the elementary school crowd, and I wouldn't play her albums for myself like I might with some other kids' music artists, but Laurie is very, very good at what she does and I'm not sure who'd rank above Laurie for the preschool set. Raffi, perhaps.

As for the "indie" argument, I've always found that argument rather tired. "Indie" has always meant more than the source of the music -- it's meant the approach. But, taking the argument at face value, is it true?

First off, Razor and Tie would qualify as an "indie" label for most people ("New York-based Razor & Tie is one of the fastest growing independent entertainment companies in the United States." -- from Razor and Tie's website). If it's somehow not an independent label, that means such artists as Elizabeth Mitchell (Smithsonian Folkways), the Terrible Twos (Vagrant/Paquito), Gustafer Yellowgold (Little Monster), or Peter Himmelman (Rounder) don't count as "indie," either. "Doing their own marketing" isn't a good way of describing "indie," either, as artists such as Justin Roberts, Dan Zanes, and Brady Rymer all have talented publicity people working for them.

Even if you disagree with my definitions and think Razor and Tie is not "indie", the simple fact is that Berkner is recording her albums on her own dime -- she's just using Razor and Tie for the "production and distribution" of her Two Tomatoes albums. She's like 99% of kids' artists out there -- just with a far, far better distribution arrangement, and one that I guarantee most would take. It's sort of like the Wiggles discussion...

Amy does bring up a good point regarding marketing to kids, and I have no disagreement there.

So I still think Amy's fabulous and lovely. But in this case, I'm gonna have to disagree. Thoughts?

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Let's be upfront and say that the songs on Songs for the Coolest Kids, the debut album from New York-based Princess Katie and Racer Steve, are geared directly at kids ages 4 through 8. Would you listen to these songs on your own, without your kids around? Probably not. Why not? The subject matter and directness of the lyrics aren't written with you in mind. On "Tell the Truth," for example, the chorus goes "Tell the truth! / Nobody likes a lie / Tell the truth / It's okay to cry." Other songs talk about returning lost objects to their rightful owner and how important it is to just try. This is straight-up telling you what's right and what's wrong (or "emotional development," to use Katie and Steve's phrase), and it's great for 5-year-olds (most of the time), and a little dull for their parents.

Having said that, there aren't many albums taking this approach that are as tuneful as this one. The songs here are a collection of well-done pop-rock. "Tell Them How You Feel" has a lo-fi sixties rock feel, replete with handclaps, while "Tell the Truth" sounds like 10,000 Maniacs (not least of which because Princess Katie sounds just like Natalie Merchant (and I know I'm not the first to make the comparison). If some of the tunes sound a lot like other songs ("Kings & Princesses" has a very .38 Special sound, while "Miracle Lullaby" is seems to be thisclose to infringing on the copyright to "Killing Me Softly"), at least the borrowing is judicious, and the kids won't mind.

If you want to listen, you can go to the Princess Katie and Racer Steve website and listen to the "radio" there. You probably won't find yourself sneaking a listen when your kids are gone, but it's an appealing enough spin when they're around.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I know someone who says it should be a goal to learn something new every day.

So, in that spirit, and thanks to the Laurie Berkner/"Farm Song"-related clarifications of Deb in SF and Katy L, here you go (thanks, Wikipedia!):

Bongo drum: Percussion instrument made up of two small drums attached to each other

Conga: Tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum of African origin, probably derived from the Congolese Makuta drums.

This is my favorite factoid: "Someone who plays the bongos is called a bongocero." "Bongocero" sounds cooler than "conguero."

Bongocero. It's my new favorite word.

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

When I review a CD that I'm not enamored of, it's often because I hear something that somebody else might appreciate or because I think the artist shows promise.

So let me begin by saying that I think Pittsburgh-based Greg Loop shows a gift for lyrics on his 2006 album, Stories from Duke Puddintown. Take this lyric in "Rhythm Time," for example:

Spills and chills make for little thrills / In the pond live fish with gills / They double bubble, rubble bump / underneath a hickory stump

That's some fun wordplay, and it's repeated often on this 27-minute disk.

What's less compelling is the music. The music in general, garage-folk-rock, is OK -- a bit repetitive, perhaps, over the course of the disk, but it has an agreeable lo-fi sound. Loop's voice, however, is not supple and melodious. While it's too far off the mark to say that his melodies are writing checks that his voice can't cash, it is fair to say that his melodies range too far for his voice. (And perhaps I'm a vocal snob, but you should be used to that by now.) Given those comments, it's not surprising that my favorite track here is "Butterflies," a virtual instrumental showing off Loop's guitar work that sounds quite unlike the rest of the album.

The album will be of most interest to kids ages 3 through 7. You can hear samples here. And while I'm not really a fan of Stories from Duke Puddintown, there are enough good things here to make me want to hear Loop's next attempt.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If it doesn't quite have the propulsive energy of last year's "Walk Along the River," Laurie Berkner's new song "Farm Song" does have farm animal noises and Berkner's sweet voice.

Not at the same time, luckily.

It's 2 minutes and 30 seconds of animal noises, mad bongo conga drum skillz, and tons of kids' animal costumes. (Jack evidently has a very large costuming budget.) An appealing enough video and a song that'll probably end up on a Laurie "greatest hits" CD someday in the future.

View the video here. Read a profile in the New York Times here. (Who knew therapy could produce a popular kids' tune?)

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

There are many reasons why the Phoenix area is not a hotbed for children's and family music and to delineate them all would require a long essay filled with suppositions, sarcasm, and half-truths. And while I am no stranger to any of those, it seems a fairly negative topic for so early in the year.

So let us turn our attention to Chuck Cheesman, an honest-to-goodness Arizona kids and family musician. In a time-honored Arizona tradition, we can claim Chuck as an Arizona musician because we got him to move here from someplace else. Chuck lived in Chicago, taught at the Old Town School of Folk Music and even sang on three tracks on their Wiggleworms Love You CD until the call of the beautiful pines of Northern Arizona drew him and his family to Flagstaff.

This weekend, Chuck made his first foray to Phoenix for some kids' shows (he'd been here before, I believe, for his more adult-oriented folk shows), and my daughter and I caught him at a local bookstore. Cheesman played mostly traditional kids songs, accompanying himself on guitar. He clearly had many years of practice entertaining the small fry, memorizing the kids' names and trying to draw them into the performance. (I liked the hand motions Cheesman's family, who was in attendance, had for "Bling Blang.")

My daughter, who can be shy in new situations, spent most of the performance sitting behind one of the bookshelves. But she listened, sometimes singing to herself, and I enjoyed watching her peer between the shelves trying to catch a glimpse of something new Cheesman was doing.

Cheesman has a voice slightly reminiscent of James Taylor, clear and sweet. His first family release, A Family Songbook (2003), has a nice mix of Wiggleworms standards with newer songs (a fun "Rubber Duckie," a very bluesy "Big Blue Dog"). He's by no means reinventing any family music wheel on the CD, but it's a very well-done CD with the occasional track filled out with additional instruments. (You can find out more about the CD here.)

Of course, in a bookstore, you can't bring more than a guitar, but Cheesman has an engaging performing personality. There weren't many kids in attendance, but he's blazing a trail down here. When he comes through again (hopefully with a new CD, still in the works), I'll spread the word here -- he should definitely have a lot more people listening and singing along.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Opening lines aren't quite so big a deal in songs as they are in novels, but the opening line in "Polar Bear," by The Quiet Two, is pretty cool:

"Straight to the point, I wanna be a polar bear."

Direct enough for kids, odd enough to pull in the parents.

And now that the song has its own video on the debut Season Two episode of Jack's Big Music Show, it's about to go huge. Just like the song itself, the video is direct enough for kids (kids jumping around in polar bear outfits) and odd enough for the parents (the goofy animal masks and facial expressions).

To see the video, go to the videoplayer at Jack's page. Want the lyrics or to singalong, karaoke-style? Go here. Want a snippet of the regular track? Go here.

(And if you're not familiar with Make Some Noise, their debut album, you really, really should be.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

It's Alan Lomax for the kiddos.

Released last year by the Alabama Folklife Association and given a new release this upcoming Tuesday, Bullfrog Jumped is a collection of folksongs sung by mothers, grandmothers, and other women in the summer of 1947, when they were recorded on front porchaes and in kitchens by Byron Arnold, a Professor of Music at the University of Alabama. There are some standards -- "Frog Went A-Counrting" and "Skip To My Lou," for example -- but many of these folksongs were new to me, or at least the melody or lyrics were. There are, for example, three different versions of "All The Pretty Little Horses," none of which quite sound like the wistful lullaby has become more than 50 years later. "Skip To My Lou" has about 10 verses, only 3 or 4 of which I'd heard before.

There are some stellar voices on the disk. Vera Hall, whose recording of "Troubled So Hard" was sampled by Moby on Play (and who was definitely familiar to Alan Lomax), has a great song, "Little Lap Dog," here. The voice that made me snap to attention every time I heard it was that of 17-year-old Mozella Longmire, who has 4 tracks on the disk, including "Little Sally Walker" and "Two Little Gentlemen From the Spring." Sixty years later, Mrs. Longmire is still singing in the choir at Mt. Triumph Baptist Church, and it seems to me someone needs to record an album of her singing folksongs. I'd buy it.

The songs are most appropriate for kids ages 0 through 6. You can hear four tracks here, two more here, and samples of all the tracks here.

With 42 tracks in about 36 minutes, sometimes the snippets of songs are just to short to be of much listening interest heard straight through. The a cappella nature of the album can also become a bit repetitive for an entire disk. But as a sampler and recording of songs familiar and much less so, the recording (which sounds great for a recording 60 years old) and the liner notes (of Smithsonian Folkways quality), should be in every library and preschool.

Posted by SAShepherd at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, how about this one?

At the same time that Bill and Amy and I were putting together the Fids and Kamily awards, our Pazz and Jop-inspired poll focusing on kids and family music, the masterminds behind Idolator were planning their own poll.

And despite the fact that I'm from Arizona, the state that spawned the New Times chain that took over the Village Voice, the New York newspaper that hosted Pazz & Jop for more than 30 years, then unceremoniously dumped Robert Christgau, who ran it all that time, I wangled myself an invitation to participate in the new poll. (See this NPR story for more info on the controversy.)

You can see my album votes -- which are the same as my F&K votes -- here. (I though about reordering my votes in order to vote for albums more likely to get support from the rest of the poll, but thought better of it.)

You can also see my Top 10 singles votes, which, since it was put together in about 3 minutes before deadline, probably needs some explaining. Not that those aren't great songs, but I think I need to put together a proper Top 20 list.

Frankly, the most surprising thing about the poll? I wasn't the only person to vote for kids' music:

-- Dan Zanes got two votes (though at the moment they're listed as Catch That Train! -- that would be my vote -- and Stop That Train!).
-- Paul Westerberg also got two votes for his work on the Open Season soundtrack.
-- Unsurprisingly, Bruce Springsteen placed high (#39) with his We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Session CD (Top 20 for me).
-- Uncle Rock got a vote for Plays Well With Others.
-- The Gothic Archies got a vote for The Tragic Treasury.
-- Other votes came for High School Musical, Spongebob Squarepants, Aly & AJ, Jack Johnson, and Smoosh.

You can also find some "kids music" listed in the Top Singles section.

Next year, we're asking Robert Christgau and Chuck Sasha Frere-Jones to participate in Fids & Kamily.

Posted by SAShepherd at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

... and Ralph loves her right back.

If you love Ralph, head on over here for your chance to win 4 Ralph's World concert tickets.

(And if you don't win there, stay tuned, because you might just have a chance at another website starting with the letter "Z.")

Posted by SAShepherd at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I can't remember if I've mentioned this before, but Bill Childs also has a gig writing about kids' music for Minnesota Parent. (Bill is Minnesotan and a parent, though not both simultaneously at the moment.) His latest column discusses half of his Fids and Kamily ballot. Find out all about Liam's favorites...

Posted by SAShepherd at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)