Zooglobble

Lost amid all the talk of hootenannies lately is this crucial point:

They're not always all that interesting for the audience.

Sure, it can be a blast playing music with friends, challenging one another, exploring new music. Sometimes magic happens for musician and listener alike. But sometimes all you're left with is "Jazz Odyssey," of little interest to the people listening.

Tabletop People Vol. 1 & 2 (2005) is an album that grew out of a hootenanny and became a CD that many readers and families out there will absolutely love.

The core of Session Americana consists of six Boston-area musicians with many other gigs; the band itself is known for their roots-rock jams in increasingly large local venues. They recorded the album in the same way they play their shows -- gathered in a circle, with guests joining in. The band's long experience playing live shines through on the CD -- the music is accomplished but with a looseness that makes the joy (and, occasionally, sadness) stand out.

The album starts off with with an invigorating bluegrass take on "Boats Up the River," so propulsive that one of the band members shouts "Don't stop now!" midway through. And they don't, from a rootsy take on Jonathan Richman's "Party in the Woods" (led by former Richman bandmate Asa Brebner) to a gently swinging "Merzidotes" to the best version of "Froggy Went A-Courtin'" on record (emphasizing the "uh-HUH" part gives it a great singalong feel).

And that's just the first CD.

Yes, in the spirit of Wilco's great Being There album, this 59-minute album is split into two CDs. The second CD is listed as more introspective, a distinction that is somewhat hard to hear (there are introspective tracks on the first CD, too), but the split does make it easier to take just a 30-minute CD break. The second CD includes the languid indie-pop "Floppy Tulips," a rockin' alt-country' "Mr. Rabbit" (which, well, would have fit perfectly on Being There or A.M., musically at least), and the final two songs "Point of No Return" and "Trouble Wheel." These last two are not kids' songs by any stretch of the imagination -- they're the songs you hear at the end of the night when the kids, exhausted from dancing and playing around, are asleep in your lap just before you head home.

The album's appropriate for listeners age 2 and up, although there are going to be certain songs that the youngsters won't get -- not inappropriate, just not really geared for 'em. You can hear samples of all the tracks at the album's CD Baby page, but I'd recommend going to both their Myspace page as well as their own album page. Each have the same three (full tracks), but the former also includes "Mr. Rabbit" and the latter also includes "Boats in the River."

Fans of Dan Zanes, Dog on Fleas, and Elizabeth Mitchell will especially hold this album dear, but so will a bunch of other listeners. Sometimes hootenannies leave the listener a little flat, but at times they can be graced by magic. Tabletop People Vol. 1 & 2 falls in the latter category. Highly recommended.

Posted by SAShepherd at 06:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, spurred in part by my challenge to the West Coast to come up with some hootenannies and kids' music festivals of our own, at least two people have offered to organize something:

Eric Herman doesn't even live in Seattle and is offering to organize something for Northwest-area artists. (Live in Vancouver? Portland? If Eric can drive 4 hours, so can you!) If interested, drop Eric a line at ericATbutter-dogDOTcom (you'll obviously have to unSPAMify that e-mail address).

Loyal reader Deb in SF has also offered to organize an event in the Bay Area. If you're in the area, contact Deb at
debraunATsbcglobalDOTnet (again, unSPAMify that).

Are any of you interested in traveling out to Phoenix? You know how to reach me...

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Ted Williams was the last person to hit .400 for a baseball season, and now I'm duplicating the feat (using my own, very narrow, self-selected definition). 5 shows, 2 with our family's attendance...

-- Trout Fishing in America: They played here the weekend before last. I know that Trout's music appeals to all ages, but the fact that they played at the auditorium smack-dab in the community of Sun City -- which prohibits kids from living there -- amused me slightly. In any case, it's a long drive out there from our house, and since we were co-hosting a Chinese New Year's party that night, we took a pass. Hopefully next time...
-- Baby Loves Disco: All four of us attended the soiree in Scottsdale this weekend and had a fun time (again). I'll have more on this maybe next week.
-- The Terrible Twos: Argh. This show was schedule at the very last minute, so late that there was zero confirmation of the show except on the band's myspace page. We had guests visiting that afternoon, and shooing them out the door a little early so we could see a show that no human had actually confirmed seemed, well, my wife drew the line at that. And, yeah, that would have been bush-league. (So needless to say, I was a little disappointed when the venue's owner called up later that night and said that, yes, the show did indeed go on.) Hopefully next time...
-- Dan Zanes: Sunday, April 22nd, Tucson. We are there. I can't wait. I'm bringin' the uke.

-- Finally, some radio show's hootenanny in Brooklyn on March 24: Either that or the Park Slope Parents CD-release party on March 25th would be a lot of fun. It would also be terribly inconvenient, geographically (not to mention I'm already out of town that weekend).

So are you listening, West Coast? San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland -- I'm talking to you -- each of you have enough kids' artists that you could put together a pretty good hootenanny yourself. (Or if you all want to come out to Phoenix, let me know...) Don't let the East Coast Bias win!

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Yes, it's all about making punny headlines that don't really make sense in the context of the article around here.

Anyway, for those of you wondering what's next on the plate of San Jose-based Mr. David, he notes on his show page that his next album, Jump in the Jumpy House, will be released in June 2007. And for those of you wanting to hear songs off the new album, get on over to Technology Credit Union in San Jose next Tuesday, March 6th to see Mr. David in concert.

So... I'm wondering... is it "jumpy house" on the West Coast? Because we call 'em "bouncy houses" 'round these parts... Is this like a "cola"/"soda pop" thing here?

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Over the course of just a few years, San Francisco-based Enzo Garcia has released nine albums of original and occasionally quirky folk reworkings of traditional and original kids' songs.

The recently re-released Green is a good example of Garcia's work. One of the primary things I find so appealing about the series is the fact that electronic keyboards, which in many artists' hands is the great bane of children's music, are long absent. Instead, on tracks such as "What Do You Do?," Garcia employs a toy piano. I'm not necessarily a huge toy piano fan, but Garcia's fondness for using instruments you don't typically hear (on albums of any kind) means getting to hear familiar songs in unfamiliar ways. And so on "This Old Man," Garcia is joined by Tom Waits' occasional side man (and budding kids' musician in his own right) Ralph Carney on slide clarinet. Garcia and Carney also team up on a rousing "Drunken Sailor," which spares no lyrics in the tale of the punishments for the inebriated crewmate, Garcia's rolling of the "r's" on "rusty razor" echoing Carney's tenor sax.

There's no track on here that's quite as engrossing as "Hold My Hand" on his Pink CD, but the round on the traditional "My Paddle's Keen and Bright" comes close. (I also liked Garcia's "Dee Dee.") Even more than Pink, Green will be most enjoyed if you participate along with the music. The disks were created to accompany Garcia's weekly music classes, and so if you move around (or accompany with shakers and tambourines) the music here, you'll get the most out of the album.

The songs here are most appropriate for kids ages 1 through 6. You can hear samples at the album's CD Baby page.

Enzo Garcia is right in the middle of the great folk music tradition that encourages music-makers to take traditional tunes and make them their own. On Green, Garcia continues to help families hear old tunes in new ways (and maybe even start to make them their own). It's as good as any Garcia album to introduce you to his music. Recommended.

[Note: Bryan at The Pokey Pup notes that they're currently running a special offer where if you buy Green you can get LMNO (Red) for free. Easy-peasy. Click here for more...]

Posted by SAShepherd at 04:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Updating last week's update, here were few more sites I wanted to highlight...

First, I've been a fan of Josephine Cameron, so I wanted to make sure I pointed out her two new websites -- a cool website all about Songwriting For Kids and a more traditional blog entitled Please Come Flying. The latter isn't really kids-related, though I'm sure a lot of older kids would appreciate her links (she's been on a particularly big jazz-related kick this month).

As I've said for a long time, Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child is the Unofficial Radio Station of Zooglobble, and I'd say that even if I didn't have a guest DJ set on March 3rd. But variety is an important part of a healthy radio diet, so if you need more than one show, you'll probably also like The Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl. (But not live March 3rd. Then you want Spare the Rock.)

Finally, Yosi's blog's been linked here for awhile now, but if you haven't checked out his recent series of interviews with Neal Pollack, Kevin Kameraad, and others, you really should.

Posted by SAShepherd at 04:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What is in Seattle's water? Johnny Bregar, Recess Monkey, not to mention Eric Herman and Eric Ode... they're really approaching critical mass, kids-music-scene-wise.

And now there's Central Services Board of Education, an offshoot of the indie-pop band Central Services.

Go listen (and download, should you desire, and you likely will) their first four songs, which I'm going to describe as "Schoolhouse Rock!-meets-The-Shins." Or maybe "Ben-Folds-meets-Dr-Demento."

Or maybe "awesome."

With densely-packed wordplay and pop-cultural allusions, it's probably more for (or most appreciated by) kids ages 6 and older. My favorite track is "The Lonely Tomato," which somehow manages to be highly educational, metaphorical, and catchy all at the same time. All four tracks are worth checking out.

(And then go over to Central Services' myspace page while you're at it.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

And every audience is different and every audience, the vibe is different and influences what the show becomes and it's a marvelous dialogue because there is that push and pull. There are artists that stick to a set list, but to me that's missing half the fun. To me the fun of it is that if you're in tune with the audience, they help lead the artist.

Covert took some time out of his schedule a couple weeks ago to chat with me about his tour, performing, writing songs, and watching his daughter grow older. All that while worrying about a lost tour banner. (You'll have to read on...)

Zooglobble: Thank you for taking the time with me for a few minutes about this tour. So you just played the House of Blues and the Fillmore in San Francisco -- what was that like?

Ralph Covert: Oh my gosh, it was a blast. Both shows went great. The Fillmore, I mean, how cool does it get? It was really neat because one of the reasons we've tried so hard to do stuff like this tour where we've tried to keep the rock 'n' roll vibe in the Ralph's World show and bring it to these rock 'n' roll venues is so that parents and kids can have that shared experience. It's cool for the parents because it still has that authentic rock 'n' feel and it's cool for the kids because they get to go somewhere they never would get to go.

And at the Fillmore the parents were excited to be there and the kids were excited about having their first concert at the Fillmore, and the band's excited... One of the stage managers said he felt it was the best show they had there all year. Musically, it was great, but even more important than that, every audience member walked out with a smile and every staff member was grinning from ear to ear for the entire show.

Are you doing anything different on this tour? I know you've played some larger venues in the past (such as Ravinia and the Jamarama tour) but are you doing anything different since you're playing larger houses and more traditional rock venues?

Well, Jamarama tour was one of these packaged tours with a bunch of different acts with their little slot. Most of the other acts were pretty much more in the traditional kids' pop thing where they're playing the tracks. They're entertaining the kids but they're not doing it by playing real instruments and playing rock. There are some that are doing that and I think that's great -- that's part of the whole new wave we're part of.

But the Jamarama tour is very much about that other packaged thing. What we're doing, really at the heart of it, it's a rock concert experience for kids. To that end, it's exciting to take that kind of rock 'n' roll energy to a big venue, to a rock venue like the House of Blues, like the Fillmore, because we obviously know from many years of social and cultural experience that rock shows are pretty fun. [Laughs]

Is that a sociological statement there?

It is a sociological statement -- rock shows are fun.

You obviously play at times just for adults, adults-only shows, and then you do the Ralph's World thing. What is the hardest thing about playing for kids as opposed to playing the adult shows? The thing you really have to work at or is just hard for you to get through as a performer compared to playing for 35-year-olds?

I wouldn't say either is really hard. They're different audiences, but neither of them is hard per se. Kids' attentions... it's a little more like herding cats. It's really my responsibility as the band leader to keep them engaged. It's similar to a rock show, but maybe the pacing is a little quicker.

Do you play with a set play list?

With neither Bad Examples shows nor Ralph's World shows do I use a set list. We'll write a set list, but for me it's definitely a suggestion list. The guys that have played with me for years know that anything is liable to happen at any minute and they've learned after countless left turns and surprises to always be on their toes and to have faith that more often than not I've got a pretty good instinct about what will happen next.

If you're at a Ralph's World concert and the kids just don't seem to be getting into it are there particular songs that you'll turn to and say, "Let's do 'X' song next" and that never fails to get the kids energized and really focused on the show again?

Well, it really depends on what their needs are. There are times that the kids might be restless. You need to give them a bouncing or dancing song and they can get some blood flowing and get energized, so maybe a song like "Dinosaur Rumble" or "Fee Fi Fo Fum" might be great to put there. I need to make sure I balance in songs that keep the adults engaged and so if I've done some stuff that's more targeted toward the kids I follow up with "The Coffee Song" so the grownups can sing and have a smile. Songs like "We Are Ants" are always a favorite because when we ask "why are we marching?" we have the audience shout back "we are ants!"

Hold on just a second... [20-second pause]

I apologize. Talking rock 'n' roll logistics, we had the airline lose the 16' x 16' backdrop we put behind the stage and I needed to give him the right number.

Anyway, pumping the fists, shouting "we are ants!" gets everybody engaged. But it might be the kids are restless and need focus and I'll a song like "Me and My Animal Friends" because they listen very intently to that one. Sometimes you give them a listening song, sometimes a dancing or bouncing or physically energizing song, and sometimes, ironically, if you've put the audience through a lot of different things, sometimes they need a song they can listen to and just zone off on. Just kind of not sing, not dance, not clap, just a familiar song that doesn't require them to do much.

And the same thing happens at a Bad Examples show. There are times when you need to play a show that doesn't demand a lot of them and that's the lull before maybe you rev them up to the next level. And that's part of the fun of it with a live concert -- you're taking them on a journey. You're taking them to a bunch of different places.

You're trying to lead them places and that leads to emotions on the part of the parents and kids...

Yeah, that's part of the fun of live music, but they don't know where you're going, of course, and you're trying to surprise them and entertain them, but in a way, they're driving the bus because their needs are choosing where you're going on the journey. And every audience is different and every audience, the vibe is different and influences what the show becomes and it's a marvelous dialogue because there is that push and pull. There are artists that stick to a set list, but to me that's missing half the fun. To me the fun of it is that if you're in tune with the audience, they help lead the artist.

So do you like writing songs and recording them in the studio or do you prefer playing them live? If you could only do one... is it when you're playing live that the songs really become something to you or does recording have its own set of pleasures?

Well, you're absolutely right, playing live is a very unique and wonderful and awesome experience. Being in the studio, I love that equally, though it's a completely different process and experience. The one thing I love most of all that is at the heart of and the essence of what I do is the songwriting process, which is yet a third process completely different from recording and performing. It's the thing that if I had to choose one piece of it, it's the actual writing and creating of the songs. But I'm really happy I don't have to make that choice, because recording in the studio and playing live are both a blast.

I was reading a fan-written review of your recent Bad Examples show in Chicago and it mentioned you had even played some new songs there. One of the things that struck me about the review was that you played some new songs there. So clearly you're not only writing Ralph's World songs but also continuing to write songs for the Bad Examples. I know you've said before that you don't think of yourself as writing kids' songs but just as writing songs. But I'm wondering at what point in the process you decide this song would be great as a Bad Examples song or this song here is really not working as a Bad Examples song but would make a great Ralph's World song. There are some songs that you could play in both settings, but there are some songs that are clearly for one venue or the other and I'm wondering at what point you make the decision that this a song you're going to write for both audiences or for audience "x" or "y"?

Well, when the girl character in the song takes off her dress... [laughs] I don't stress about it really. When I'm writing songs, my goal is for the song to be all that song can be. I'm trying to shepherd that song into its becoming whatever it's supposed to be. You're right, there have been songs that I've written that have either played well in both venues or that I thought was writing in one venue and ended up in another. The song "Hideaway" off Green Gorilla was a Bad Examples and the guy who produced and engineered the Ralph's World stuff -- he and I had been working on a Bad Examples album together. Our record label (pre-Disney, indie label) wanted another upbeat rocker and they suggested a couple of cover songs... they begged me to do a cover version "Woolly Bully." And I said, "Love it. Don't get it in the context of Ralph's World."

So my producer remembered "Hideaway," which is a Bad Examples song. It was one of the ones we'd looked as we were going through demos for this record and he says, "I kinda feel like I'm robbing my brother to pay my sister, but what about doing "Hideaway" on the Ralph's World record instead of the Bad Examples record?" And I said, "Huh." I actually touches on pretty universal themes. A lot of things stay the same with Ralph's World and Bad Examples. Certainly melody is going to go either way, rhythm, emotional center is fine either way. Lyrics are stories and details... I feel like I'm not answering your question....

It sorta sounds like you write the song, let the chips fall where they may, and then say, is this something that seven-year-olds would be interested in listening to?

A lot songs I write where you know right off where the song is going. But because I'm trying to write them as pure songs, not kid songs... I wanted to write a kids' punk song, because there are fans that love punk music, and I love punk music, so on the Green Gorilla album there's a song called "I Don't Wanna." Energy-wise, emotion-wise, sound-recording-style, chordally, rhythmically, aggressively, it's as punk as you get...

You take away the lyrics, and you wouldn't know.

And, quite honestly, listening to the great classic punk songs, with the lyrics intact. That's one of the great things about the punk genre, they so often have their tongues planted so firmly in cheek. Look at a Clash song, "Lost in the Supermarket" -- that could be a kids' song.

Well, it is now a kids' song. Ben Folds recorded it for "Over the Hedge."

Well, there you go.

So are you working on a new album?

We are just beginning discussions on a new record. I'm very excited about that -- it'll be great to have the first all-new record with Disney. It's been really exciting to work with the great partners, with Disney, and with the tour with Rice Krispies and House of Blues and LiveNation. It's really exciting getting to work with great companies that really understand what they do and they're really committed to kids and rock and roll and finding a way to bridge a gap to make kids rock and roll an organic thing that encompasses both... By spring it'll be a juggling act between tour and album.

I recently heard the Park Slope Parents compilation -- I didn't know you were from Brooklyn. [laughs]

I'm not from Brooklyn but there are apparently enough Ralph's World fans in Brooklyn that they consider me one of their own...

The cut you contributed I really liked. It's actually a track on an album that's about ten years old; it's called "Fools Will Try." It's a great song. You probably wrote that at a time when your daughter was very and you probably wrote that with her in mind. I don't want to say that it's harder now that your daughter has entered double digits in age, but is it different now... I know you've said you're not thinking of kids when you're writing songs --

Oh, I am thinking of kids when I'm writing songs, but I'm not trying to write down to them...

How is it different now writing songs that kids will enjoy now that you've got a child who probably is no longer in the main target age of your audience.

Well, the first element of it is, ironically, the "Fools Will Try" song, which was written in some ways with Fiona in mind was not a kids song, of course. It was an adult song off an adult record. Obviously, the sentiment is one that was influenced by thinking about her. Certainly her childhood and her being a kid had an influence on my kids stuff, but I've always approached it as pure songwriting for songwriting's sake. I wasn't sitting in the room with her going, "OK, honey, I'm going to write you a song now because this is the way I'm going to parent you" --

I'm going to write you a song about zoos, do you like this?

Yeah, it was never that way. It is interesting with her growing older and out of the Ralph's World demographic, but the most interesting thing about that is she's grown up watching me create and write songs almost... it's a non-event that I do it. It's not a big deal, it's just what I do. You don't explain breathing, they breathe. It's interesting to watch her -- she writes songs. She's such a creative person, she just does it. So that's been the interesting thing about watching her grow out of the Ralph's World age, is swimming in the waters of music around her so long, just embrace and accept it that that's what you're supposed to do, is create.

So for me, I'm just continuing down my path of loving music, of writing songs, and record them, and being privileged enough to share them through CDs and concerts. My life is built around that. And sharing goes both ways -- they put me in their lives. You have the opportunity to give that gift and receive that gift, that is such a blessing. To see Fiona understand that and absorb it and create songs and write songs and add her voice.

That's just cool as a parent.

Awesome as a parent, awesome as an artist.

I've really enjoyed talking to you, but you've got to track down a banner.

We've got to track down a banner or our San Diego show will have no banner.

At least Stonehenge isn't two feet tall.

Exactly. [Laughs]

Again, I do very much appreciate you taking the time to talk to me today. Hopefully at some point the tour or you will come through Phoenix.

Oh, yes... I've got a bunch of friends in Phoenix, I want to come play!

OK, we'll let House of Blues know they need to establish a venue here.

Or a LiveNation spot. I'm gonna rattle some cages, tell them Phoenix is one of the markets we've gotta get to!

Best of luck on the rest of this tour, have fun recording the album.

Thank you so much.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

So with the collapse of V2 Records, one might be wondering what the future of Little Monster Records is.

I have word that Little Monster Records will be announcing a new home soon, which I'm very excited about, because even though I found their Beatles release underwhelming, I'm increasingly excited about the rest of their release schedule.

To wit: yesterday's WNYC Soundcheck, which included Little Monster's Kevin Salem. About 10 minutes in they play a portion of the title track to their upcoming Let's Go Everywhere CD, and it's nothing less than what would you get if you combined Johnny Cash (specifically "I've Been Everywhere") and jazz funk. In a good way. In an awesome way. Folks, John Lurie is performing on the album -- this is going to be interesting at the very least and could be great.

To wit, part deux: Well, sadly, I don't have a part deux, because Ralph and Ralph have deleted a blog post where they talked about their goals for the new album. But now it's gone (or they've deleted their old myspace page with the post) and I can't really say anything other than "I read it, and it made me excited to hear even more tracks than what's on their myspace page. Knew I should've posted it at the time...

Posted by SAShepherd at 06:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I know that bar on the right side of the main homepage is a bit on the long side, but it's time for some updates...

Planet KidVid is a new enterprise from longtime Friend of Zooglobble Monty Harper and kids' musician Mr. Billy. If they keep up with the posts, this could be a website that causes lots of families to go over their allocated "screen time."

The Harper family is evidently trying to take over the web as Monty's wife Lisa and her daughter Evalyn have established the Kids Music Planet podcast. What is slightly different about this podcast from many other kids' music radio shows is that they play multiple selections from a few albums. So if for some reason my review of an album isn't clear enough you can decide for yourself. ;-)

Belinda and Hova finally seem to have settled on a new internet location for their Greasy Kid Stuff playlists. If you go to their website, you can also find out all about their Mar. 18th "Grease Ball" with Captain Bogg & Salty, The Jellydots, and The Sprockettes. You can also hear They Might Be Giants' penned-just-for-Belinda-and-Hova "Greasy Kid Stuff."

I've also added Fred Koch's new children's music-related blog to the sidebar. Fred is another longtime listener and reviewer of kids music and I'm glad to see him start up a blog.

Regular readers will certainly be aware of Amy's appearance on WNYC's Soundcheck on Tuesday. Amy made a lot of excellent points (and ones I mostly agree with) and is to be commended for always sounding coherent, a not at all easy thing to do live on the air. Listen to the 20-minute segment here.

Finally, children's media publicist (and, well, fan) Beth Blenz-Clucas talked about a couple of her clients and other kids' musicians and topics on Vicky and Jen's Grammy-related podcast. The podcast also includes discussions with Richard Perlmutter (he's working on Beethoven's Wig 4, apparently), Dan Zanes, and Ezra Idlet from Trout Fishing in America. (Beth was also kind enough to mention this website as a good resource...)

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By the end of March those of us in Phoenix are typically slathering on sunscreen and complaining that summer and 110-degree weather can't be far away. The fading days of spring would be made considerably more tolerable if we had a few Elizabeth Mitchell concerts to attend.

Unfortunately for us, Mitchell lives in New York state and as a result those folks get some sweet music to go along with their March (and April) snowstorms.

To wit: Mitchell and Uncle Rock will be playing at Levon Helm's awesome Midnight Ramble series on March 31st. The good news for the kids is that it's not at midnight, but rather at 2 PM. The bad news is that it's already sold out. (Unless you have tickets, in which case I ask you not to lord it over us.)

But fear not, Mitchell fans, for she's also helping to organize a Family Concert Series at the High Meadow School. Besides the wonderful Hayes Greenfield doing his Jazz-A-Ma-Tazz program, the series also features Peter Schickele, creator of PDQ Bach. (Classical geek note: I once owned the PDQ Bach "autobiography." Hi-larious.)

Oh, and Mitchell's playing a show with Dog on Fleas on April 15th. That would be worth driving through a snowdrift of some sort, to be sure.

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Apparently yes.

Word from the California-based band The Squeegees that their song "Making Noises" will be included in the Tuesday, Feb. 20th episode of Gilmore Girls. One wonders if it will be played straight or if it will be the subject of some arch pop-cultural reference. (I was under the impression that a great deal of that show resulted in an arch pop-cultural reference, but perhaps I'm wrong.)

In any case, you can hear a sample of the track here. I think it's somewhat atypical of the band's self-titled debut (on which the song is found) -- the squeaky voice reminds me a little bit of those funky alien dolls from Toy Story and Toy Story 2.

[Update: Download the video here.]

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It is probably accurate, though way too simple, to characterize Peter Himmelman as a "singer-songwriter." Meaning, I've always thought of "person with a guitar singing very personal songs" when I think of "singer-songwriter," and while Himmelman does sing some very personal songs, "person with a guitar" is not at all a fair description of what Himmelman does musically.

One listen to My Green Kite, Himmelman's fourth album for kids and families, and his first for Rounder Records, will make that abundantly clear. The album, released tomorrow, continues Himmelman's wildly creative approach to both music and lyrics. But unlike, say, My Fabulous Plum, which had some strong songs, but was so all over the map that it was hard to get into the album, on Kite Himmelman has dialed back that anything-goes approach just enough to create an album of slightly-more-accessible songs. The result is fabulous.

More so than most kids' lyricists, Himmelman has a gift for putting a new frame on an old picture. On the opening track "Feet", for example, Himmelman creates a Sgt. Pepper's-like ode to, well, feet, encouraging the listener to consider their own feet. (In the liner notes, Himmelman says, "Sometimes people forget about their feet. They are so used to thinking about their eyes, or their ears, or their hair.") Himmelman asks the '80s-synth-pop question "Have You Every Really Looked At An Egg?" and, well, I probably haven't. (So thank you, Peter.)

Himmelman also tells fantastical and imaginative stories, such as on the great pop-rocker title track, about a kite that just keeps flying higher and higher. "Another Bite of Hay" is the best kids' song about that didn't make it on to Bruce Springsteen's early albums. (That it happens to feature a bull, a cow, and a mule seems incidental in nature.) But Himmelman doesn't ignore realistic lyrics either, nailing parental indecisiveness on the Van Morrison-like "Maybe Is A Bad Word" and penning a sweet tribute to his father on "My Father's An Accountant." (And the slow rap "Nothin' To Say" is just fun wordplay.)

I think kids ages 5-9 are most likely to respond to the song subjects and lyrics here. You can hear samples at any major internet retailer (it's good to have Rounder's distribution network!)

This is a fantastic album, chock-full of great tunes and production, with lyrics that sometimes speak directly to kids' daily lives and other times fire their imaginations. It'll make you smile and make you think. I know it's early in the year, but with My Green Kite Peter Himmelman has recorded an album on my short list of favorite albums for 2007. Highly recommended.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Want to hear the first three songs from The Terrible Twos' debut album If You Ever See An Owl? Well, I'm happy to introduce to the world this e-card, courtesy of Vagrant/Poquito Records.

The album, from The New Amsterdams getting all kids' music on us, is getting a national release on April 10 and the e-card lets you listen to the first three tracks from the CD, "Ladybug," "When I Get To Eleven," and "We Can All Get Along With Dinosaurs," in their entirety. Take a listen, and pass it on. Your friends and your friends' kids will thank you.

(And if you don't understand the fuss, read the review or listen to more songs here.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 06:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just in case you get into Austin early for the Saturday Town Lake Kids' Show (and, no, folks, "Mastodon" is most definitely not a kids-friendly band about dinosaurs), you can also hear Uncle Rock (or at least his real alter ego, Robert Burke Warren) on a panel discussing kids' music. Also on the panel, rock journalist Holly George-Warren (the panel's big draw, who has also written a kids' book on country music and happens to be Robert's wife), and a Razor & Tie label representative.

I do hope, at the very least, that at least the panelists will refrain from using the phrase "junior hipster."

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's fair to say that a lot of the attention trained on the "new" breed of kids' musicians has been on the rock/pop genre. (I use "new" advisedly, because we all know that there's no such thing as an overnight sensation, especially in kids' music.) Which is somewhat unfair to musicians like Massachusetts-based Ben Rudnick & Friends, who've spent most of the past decade playing rootsier music, spending as much time with, say, bluegrass as with pop.

Well, on their fifth and recently-released album Grace's Bell, Rudnick and the band show no signs of changing their approach. They continue playing songs that wander down the backroads of family-friendly music. From the opening track "My Name is Ben," which reworks "Old MacDonald" into a twangy band introduction to the uptempo clarinet-accented rendition of the classic "When the Saints Go Marching In," the album often sounds like it comes from a world untouched by American Idol or high-definition televsion.

The album's primary strength is Rudnick's band, a talented group of instrumentalists that give the songs a thoroughly professional (though definitely not overproduced) sheen. The band just sounds good, unsurprising given the band's live reputation. When married to good songs such as the poppy "Vowels" or the world/country "Cowgirl Song" (featuring some nifty pedal steel work from New Riders of the Purple Sage's Buddy Cage), the effect is thrilling. My favorite track is the loping "Tuba Tune," which features a full brass backing band, of course -- it seems like there might be room for it in a second line parade somewhere in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. If there was anything that kept me from completely being overwhelmed, it was that sometimes the band jammed on too long on songs that just weren't as strong as those mentioned above. "Chet's Fabulous Diner," for example, just doesn't earn the 5-plus minutes it's given here.

I'd peg the album as being most appropriate for kids ages 3 through 9. You can hear samples either at Rudnick's website or the album's CD Baby page.

With Grace's Bell, Ben Rudnick and Friends have recorded an album of traditional and band favorites in their rootsy Americana style. If you have any interest in these more traditional styles performed with vigor and energy, you'll definitely want to check this album out, and even those weaned on a more rock/pop diet will probably find enough tracks worth singing along or dancing to. Recommended.

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

Heard from certain sources this morning that Austin-raised band The Jellydots will also have a showcase at South By Southwest next month, joining at least 3 kids' bands and roughly a bajillion other bands. That's a pretty darn good mini-festival right there.

Assuming, of course, you can get a hotel room.

Which you can't.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Glenn Whipp, one of the few reviewers granted the privilege of running occasional kids' music reviews in a major daily newspaper, has a nice story on Ralph Covert this morning which also contains some praise for Covert's Ralph's World music from yours truly. (And, no, I did not ask for the adjective "excellent" to be appended to a description of this site.)

I like Glenn's reviews, if only because he's just as big a fan of "Cavemen!" as I am.

He also got a nice list from Covert of "adult" songs for kids, which include selections from Fountains of Wayne, Tally Hall, Kasey Chambers, and the Who.

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

In time for Valentine's Day (mostly), San Francisco-based Charity and the JAMband have posted a new mp3 on their website, the lullaby "Juggle the Stars." It's a good song, but different stylistically from the funky jams Charity's best known for. (Makes me wonder what their upcoming album will sound like.)

If you're looking for a more uptempo Valentine's Day song, try their song "No Doubt About It."

Both songs are available at the band's Songs page.

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

... are doing for kids literature.

The Cybils (The Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literature Awards) announced their 2006 winners today. If you and/or your kids like to read (and I imagine that covers a fairly high percentage of readers here), you should check out the list of winners and finalists.

As a coordinator of the Fids and Kamily Awards, I can only imagine how much work coordinating those awards must have been.

Posted by SAShepherd at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The New Jersey band Ernie & Neal have been playing kids rock for nearly 10 years now. On their recently-released fifth album Rock the House, the band plays a brand of rock that, really, can only be called "classic rock." Though their promo materials suggest Aerosmith as a reference point, the album brings to mind not so much Mr. Tyler and company so much as Bachman-Turner Overdrive and their song "Takin' Care of Business."

There are some strong songs here, most notably the leadoff track "This Whole Band," a tasty number which deftly melds "This Old Man" with nifty guitar riffs and a great horn section. "Monkey Dance" has a sinewy trumpet line. The ska sounds of "Hooligan" and the funky lament for the de-planeted "Pluto" are also highlights.

But the album at times feels like less than the sum of its parts as too many of the tracks begin to sound the same over the 44-minute runtime of the album. While Ernie & Neal have a good live reputation, and I can really see how these songs would be fun to hear in concert, stacked together on the CD it got a little repetitive, with some lyrics ("Every day a new day begins / every day a new day begins") bordering on classic-rock generic-ness. But I think the good songs (see above) break out of that mold -- they're also the more sprightly, fun songs on the album.

I think kids ages 4 through 9 are most likely to appreciate the songs here. You can hear samples at the album's CD Baby page or listen to Ernie & Neal's "radio" at their website.

Like I said, there are some really good songs on Rock the House. It's possible that the songs I didn't like were a matter of personal taste, so you may find the gaps between the really good songs easier to navigate than I did. As for me, I'm hoping Ernie & Neal are considering "Ska the House" as the title for their next CD.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The first video from New York musician Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could, for the peppy roots-rockin' "I Found It!," has been available on Rymer's website for a couple weeks now, but I was waiting for it to appear on YouTube.

Well, now I've found it! (Groan.)

I like the song, I like the way the backup singers appear everywhere, I like the general good-naturedness of the video. It's actually reminiscent of a lot of videos for adult bands. It's a concert video with a lot of happy fans, but it's that general good-naturedness -- the way Rymer sings about his '57 Gibson guitar -- that distinguishes it from what you might have seen on MTV 20 years ago.

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I live in Maricopa County, Arizona, which is about 9,200 square miles large, bigger than the states of New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island. Well, I may live in a larger county, but the residents of those fine states (and a few others) have the opportunity with just an hour or two's drive to see a pretty cool kids band. (OK, Delaware's probably three hours, but still.)

Bill over at Spare the Rock has some free tickets to give away for this Saturday's Terrible Twos NYC debut at The Livingroom. Go here to enter.

(And if you're wondering, why should I care?, read this review. The album's getting re-released in April.)

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

We have two (randomly-selected) winners for our contest to win tickets for the Feb. 24th Baby Loves Disco Scottsdale event.

Congratulations to Lisa L. ("We Are Family") and Angela A. ("Shake Your Bon Bon"), whose families will be shaking their collective booties (or, in Angela's case, bon bons) on the 24th.

Thanks to everyone who entered and to Baby Loves Disco for the ticket packs! (If you still want to join us, order your tickets for this and any other BLD event here.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The 49th Annual Grammy Awards are tonight and while I missed the Police reunion (I'm sure there will be 14 versions available on YouTube tomorrow), I am very happy that Dan Zanes won the award for Best Musical Album for Children for Catch That Train! (review here). Wow, I've interviewed a Grammy winner.

See a smiling Zanes and Father Goose during the ceremony here.

Congratulations also to Bill Harley, who won the award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children for his album Blah Blah Blah: Stories About Clams, Swamp Monsters, Pirates & Dogs.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I appreciate artists like Johnette Downing who have carved out careers making kids' music in genres other than the dominant rock and pop genres. Based in New Orleans, Downing understandably draws upon the rich musical gumbo of the region, using Cajun, Creole and Zydeco as her musical inspiration.

Released nationally this week, Downing's sixth kids album, Fins and Grins, is a fine example of Downing's musical approach. For subject matter, Downing looks to the sea, singing songs about penguins, stingrays, and (naturally) l'ecrevisse, more commonly known as the crawfish. Musically, the album is a great collection of melodies, supported by Downing's sweet voice and strong band. But the album has a strong interactive and educational component, and how you feel about the CD will depend in large part on how interactive and educational you like your CDs. Many preschoolers will like songs like the gently boogie-ing "Clamshell Clap," which encourages lots of clapping, natch, or the "Amazon ABC's," which lists Amazon animals well-known and not. If you're not looking for educational songs, you might appreciate the Zydeco of "L'ecrevisse" while not caring much for the lesson about the crawfish in the lyrics. Some songs do stand well on their own, the traditional folk song (with rewritten lyrics) "The Circle of Life" and the album closer (with a sweet fiddle accompaniment) "Turtles" being two prime examples.

I think kids ages 4 through 8 will most appreciate the lyrical content here (the musical content is definitely all-ages). You can hear samples at the album's CD Baby page or hear a couple tracks at Downing's music page.

In the end, despite the solid musical composition, the somewhat narrow lyrical focus and approach of Fins and Grins probably keeps it from being everyone's cup of tea. If, however, you are looking for a kid-friendly collection of New Orleans-flavored music or are a librarian or preschool/elementary school teacher looking for some aquatic-themed music as part of (or to lead) a lesson, then this album will make an excellent addition to your collection.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Don't forget, the deadline to win one of two family packs of tickets to the party that will be the February 24th Baby Loves Disco event in Scottsdale is tomorrow, Saturday the 10th.

Enter via this link.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, the taste-making juggernaut of Jack's Big Music Show continues with this video for "I Hope My Momma Says Yes!" from New York-based AudraRox (see the video at Jack's webpage).

Stylistically, this song isn't really like the rest of her fun debut album I Can Do It By Myself (review here), but the peppy bluegrass/country lends itself well to the madcap playing with the kids in the video. Plus, the band looks like they're having a blast. That's the difference, I guess, between kids music videos and adult music videos -- you rarely see a bunch of tormented kids pounding their hands against the wall in the rain.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Talk about double lives -- Los Angeles-area-based Gwendolyn Sanford spends some of her time scoring the second season of the Showtime series Weeds, while simultaneously performing music for preschoolers as the uni-monikered Gwendolyn in Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang.

It is very much to Gwendolyn's credit that her second album for kids, Get Up and Dance!, released late last month, is entirely irony-free. Somehow, though, the songs are eager without turning off the parents. For example, kids will enjoy her exhortation to "bounce and bounce and bounce" (ad nauseam) "around" on the leadoff title track, while parents will smile wanly at the recognition of the fact that this, yes, is exactly how their child moves. But somewhere in the course of the song, the music opens up, adding handclaps and becoming sonically interesting (without losing the kids). The rest of the album is like that, too -- the super funky "Eensy Weensy Spider," the disco freeze-dance of "Red Means Stop," and the best song never recorded for Grammar Rock!, "I Can Read." The listing of vegetables "Out in My Garden" is reminiscent -- in a good way -- of their debut album's "My Anatomy." I also appreciate the fact that the album doesn't end with a typical kids-album-closer slow song, but instead with the peppy "Sunny Day." It fits perfectly here.

She's having fun performing her songs, which are targeted right at 3- and 4-year-olds, and it shows here (you can almost hear the laughter on a couple of tracks). The band's sound has expanded since their self-titled debut album, and, like their Northern California counterparts The Sippy Cups, are especially mining the sounds of 30 to 40 years ago for inspiration. The band (which includes her Weeds scoring partner Brandon Jay) sounds great. Nowhere to be found are the "characters" from the first CD (which is A-OK by me), though Gwendolyn's high-pitched voice and occasional spoken-word intros may turn off a few exceedingly finicky listeners.

The 27-minute album is most appropriate for kids ages 2 through 6. You can hear samples either at Gwendolyn's Listen page or at the album's CDBaby page.

Save for a track or two, this is probably not an album you would listen to by yourself. But Get Up & Dance! will be one of those albums you'll be happy to pull out at your kids' request. They'll think it's great, and the energy and enthusiasm on the album will pull you in, too. Definitely recommended.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The tentative showcase list for the 2007 South by Southwest Music Festival has been posted, and a brief perusal of the 1,300 (yes, you read that right) bands indicates at least 3 artists whose primary medium is kids' music: Daddy-A-Go-Go, Gustafer Yellowgold, and The Sippy Cups. The Sippy Cups' newsletter from Tuesday night indicated that they'd be headlining a free family concert at Auditorium Shores, so I wonder if the three bands are on a (pretty cool) triple bill...

Oh, and there might be a couple other bands in that list worth seeing.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Eagle-eyed Mrs. Davis has noticed that Steve Burns' and Steven Drozd's "I Hog The Ground (Groundhog Song)" is no longer on YouTube. (So ignore my post, too.)

Never fear, however, dear readers, as Viacom hasn't completed gone over the edge -- the video is now available on their main webpage for Jack's Big Music Show. Huzzah! (I still prefer the YouTube version, though, because it had manic Jack comments interspersed throughout the video.)

What's that? You want more? Lyrics, perhaps? Well, Jack is obliging in this regard, providing two songbooks, including one with the lyrics for "I Hog". Steve's raised eyebrow when he sings "herbivore" is, sadly, not included.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Los Angeles-based musician Parker Bent makes his living as a preschool music teacher, which means he gets to hone his performing skills on a daily basis. It's those performing skills that get a workout on Charlie Davidson's Tricycle Club, his second CD, released earlier this month.

As an album, Charlie is a bit more coherent than Bent's debut, I Am Your New Music Teacher, which was all over the map in musical styles in its brief running time. Over the course of 37 minutes, many of the 14 tracks sound like they've been recovered from a long lost 1970's AM kids radio. On "Allow Me," a song about, well, boogers, Bent does his best Johnny Cash impersonation, while on "Scooch Back," he melds a Lynyrd Skynyrd-worthy riff with a topic dear to many kids' hearts -- crowding the TV. ("My Little Big Brother" also throws in a Southern rock sound, but not nearly so overt.)

Beyond adding musical wit to his melodies (such as the "neener-neener-neener" riff on the bluesy "Things I Like To Do (mom says I can't do no more)" or the effects-pedal-exuberance of "Old MacDonald Had A Farm"), Bent uses his vocals to draw smiles out of his youthful audience. The space opera "Spaceman Steve" has Bent playing multiple parts, while his live cover of the Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" teases his preschool audience in part by occasionally singing the wrong lyric -- you can hear the glee in the kids' voices as they correct him. The CD is even a little educational as a couple short "Notes/Chords" interludes teach the difference between the two. (Unfortunately, their placement in the sequence didn't make perfect sense to me as, for example, the snippet using the harmonica didn't come before a song using the harmonica. Good idea and well-executed, I'd've just put 'em elsewhere in the CD.)

I'm going to peg the CD as most appropriate for kids ages 3 through 7, though there's some wiggle room on either side of that. You can hear extended samples of several songs at the album's CDBaby page.

Charlie Davidson's Tricycle Club reflects the promise of Bent's debut CD. It's silly enough to keep kids' attention and definitely musical enough to satisfy not just the kids but their parents, too. Recommended.

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