The high point in my list of the best kids music of 2011 is this, my list of my favorite kids music albums of the year.

By "year," again, I mean albums with Nov. 1, 2010 through Oct. 31, 2011 release dates available to the general public. That means albums like Laura Veirs' Tumble Bee, with a Nov. 8, 2011 release date, have to wait another 12 months before appearing in this list. (I would be shocked -- albeit incredibly delighted -- if there were 25 albums better than that particular one in the next year.)

I do use the word "favorite" advisedly. I receive something approaching 300 family music albums every year. I review maybe 20% of those. Last year I picked out 20 albums, and cutting off this list this year at 20 just seemed cruel. But, as it turns out, increasing the number on the list to 25 didn't make things any easier. Albums from folks like Laura Doherty, Chip Taylor, Todd McHatton, and ScribbleMonster -- albums I genuinely liked -- didn't make the list. That's what happens when albums in the top 10% of everything I heard this year can't fit into the number of slots available; I had probably about 40 albums I was seriously considering for this list. So the difference between what goes in this list and what stays off is as much about personal preferences as it is about "objective" quality. (That's why I came up with the idea for Fids and Kamily, thinking that the personal preferences of many folks would be a much better approximation of "best.")

In any case, here are those 25 albums, ranked from most favorite to a little less most favorite, that I (and we) most appreciated this year. (As always, the top 10 reflects my Fids and Kamily ballot.)

1. Caspar Babypants
Sing Along!
[Review]
"I really, really like Sing Along! -- the Caspar Babypants disks have been favorites at our house for a long time, and I see no reason why this new album won't join its predecessors in heavy rotation. If he can keep it up, Chris Ballew might just create a body of work for preschoolers to rival Raffi's."

Continue reading "Best Kids Music 2011: Top 25 Albums" »

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Next up in my list of the best kids music of 2011 are my favorite songs. Now, seeing as I listen to literally thousands of kids songs every year, picking out 25 (less than 1%, probably) is very difficult, and if you asked me to make this list up next week I'm sure at least a couple of songs here would be replaced by others. Growing this list to 25 (last year's was 20) didn't make things any easier -- it just shifted the bubble.

But these 25 (listed alphabetically by song title) are definitely among the year's best recordings.

-- Bad Blue Jay - Caspar Babypants (Sing Along!)
-- Bonfire - The Jimmies (Practically Ridiculous)
Bonfire
-- Cooperate - Sugar Free Allstars & Secret Agent 23 Skidoo

-- The Crocodile Synchronised Swimming Team - Too Many Cookes (Down At The Zoo)
-- Dandelion - Steve Weeks (Dandelion)
-- Didn't Know What I Was Missing - Alastair Moock/Lori McKenna (Planting Seeds, These Are My Friends) -- listen here
-- Freeze Tag - The Not-Its (Tag, You're It!)

-- Garbage Man - Mr. Richard & The Pound Hounds (Backyard Astronauts) -- download free here
-- Henry (Hudson), How Ya Gonna Find a Way? - The Deedle Deedle Dees (Strange Dees, Indeed)

-- Hey, Josie - The Hipwaders (Golden State)
Hey, Josie!
-- Hey Pepito! - Key Wilde & Mr Clarke (Hey Pepito!) -- listen here
-- I Think I’m A Bunny - Todd McHatton (Galactic Champions of Joy)

-- John Kanakanaka - Dan Zanes and Friends (Little Nut Tree) (this is a solo performance below)

-- Let's Dance - Lucky Diaz And The Family Jam Band (Oh Lucky Day!)
-- Metaphor - The Alphabeticians (Rock)

-- Mushy Berry Pie - The Thinkers (Oh Zoooty!) -- listen here
-- A Piano Is Stuck In The Door - Beethoven's Wig Featuring Richard Perlmutter (Beethoven's Wig: Sing Along Piano Classics)

-- Place in My Heart - Frances England (Mind of My Own) -- listen here
-- Quarter Moon Shining - Chip Taylor & the Grandkids (Golden Kids Rules)

-- Please Don't Move (to Another Time Zone) - Lunch Money (Original Friend)
-- Skywriter - Baron Von Rumblebuss (Agreeably Loud!!)
-- Soft Things - Brady Rymer/Laurie Berkner (Love Me for Who I Am) -- listen here
-- Waters of March - Jamie Broza (I Want a Dog!)

-- Wisconsin Poncho - Gustafer Yellowgold (Gustafer Yellowgold's Infinity Sock)

-- Your Favorite Book - Recess Monkey (FLYING!)

Posted by SAShepherd at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was a little harder this year picking out 10 favorite album packages in my review of the best kids music of 2011. Not because design is getting worse, but because I am slowly entering the 21st century when it comes to reviewing music.

Which means accepting electronic versions of albums in lieu of the physical CD.

Now this isn't a case of asking you kids to get off my damn lawn. Really, I'm fine with it -- while I prefer the physical product (if only because I tend to listen to music sooner that way), I understand why mp3s are easier, especially for the artist. And while receiving the slim jackets that just consist of the front and back cover and the CD mean I don't get all of the lovely album art or have lyrics handy when listening, when you have something like 1,000 or CDs in boxes, there is a certain allure in having those slim packages.

And it should be noted that the primary focus, of course, is the music encoded in the mp3s or tucked away in those slim packages. Caspar Babypants CDs (which do feature cute cover art from Kate Endle) come in slim packages -- they could come wrapped in newspapers and I'd be overjoyed to get them to listen to the music inside. But an attractive package can sometimes help break down the barriers to listening to kids music for people new to the genre who think that it's still cheap and chintzy.

This list is also a little bit like Wheel of Fortune. (Hunh?) Remember how on the final bonus round puzzle the finalist used to get to choose a few letters which (if present) would be turned by Vanna? Yeah, well everybody ended up picking "E" and "T" and "S" and other common letters. So now they automatically show those letters (along with "R," "N," and "L") and the finalist picks other letters.

I sort of feel like Smithsonian Folkways and Putumayo and Dan Zanes are sort of like the "E" and "T" and "S" of album packaging -- you're always going to get quality work for them. I'd probably be better off just eliminating them from consideration and picking, say, a Top 5.

Maybe next year. Anyway, with the caveat that it feels weird not putting Dan Zanes or Putumayo on this list (I'm sure they were lovely as always, but we received "slim" packages this time around not that I'm in any way complaining, I swear), here are my 10 favorite kids music album packages of 2011, listed in alphabetical order.

Lori Henriques
Outside My Door
It's probably unfair that Henriques' brother is Joel Henriques, proprietor of the most excellent Made By Joel website, which shares arts and crafts projects for children. But, it's important to take advantage of the talents you have in your midst, and the packaging features cute line drawings, the lyrics (important for Henriques' wordy songs), and recycled paper.

That looks lovely... just as the rest of these disks do...

Continue reading "Best Kids Music 2011: Top 10 Album Packages" »

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ah, it's Grammy nominating time, and artists are doing as much lobbying as they can... in very subtle, non-obtrusive ways, because all that lobbying that movie folks do for Oscar votes is frowned upon by the Grammy folks.

South Carolina Lunch Money band is by no means the only artist to toot their horns (go here to stream another excellent album on the Grammy ballot), but their page letting you download the album for free is, like the album and the band itself, understated, witty, and generous. So go here and download Original Friend for free. And tell someone else about it, even if "Grammy" means "grandmother" to them. (Need more convincing? Read this.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Ketchup Report hits double digits!

It's summer, time for festival season, and I think it's safe to say that until a kindie act rocks the Pitchfork Festival (and maybe even after then), DidiPop has the coolest festival gig, playing a set for families at the Wilco-curated Solid Sound Festival at the MASS MoCA museum (yes, I know that's redundant) this upcoming weekend.

Attention, good people of Chattanooga, Tennessee and environs, Dave Loftin and the Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl radio are sponsoring a show with Lunch Money on Sunday, July 10. I'm a fan of radio folks putting on concert series, so I hope this does well. Plus, the show will be ten tons of fun. More details here.

I know, I'm a big fan of Kindiefest, but the Children's Music Network has been around for a long time, and if you attended Kindiefest, you might also get quite a bit out of attending their annual conference, which is in Cape Cod this year from September 16 through 18. Barry Louis Polisar, who has a lot of opinions about the current state of the genre and isn't afraid to share them, delivers the keynote. More details here.

Continue reading "The Ketchup Report, Vol. 10" »

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

Be it SXSW or Kindiefest, there are different reasons to see an artists' showcase at a music conference. You can see your favorite bands, or perhaps bands you're familiar with but are curious to see and hear them live. And sometimes you stumble upon a new favorite. The Kindiefest 2011 artists' showcase on Saturday night was for me a combination of all three, which suggests how well the lineup was put together. Now, I should note that though the lineup featured several artists I'd consider my favorites, I'd never actually seen any of them perform live. (That would have to wait for Sunday's public performance, for whom I'd seen half the lineup live.) But as someone who puts together shows here in the Phoenix area, that live aspect is important to me.

This summary is long, but I encourage you to skim the entire thing, you never know when you'll find your new favorite artist.

The lineup kicked off with Billy Kelly and the Blah Blah Blahs, faced with the unenviable task of starting the show while everybody filed back from dinner or a run to their hotel rooms. That and selecting from a bunch of great songs. They went meta ("This Is The First Song" -- they should close with that one day), sweet ("Family Garden"), doubly sweet ("Pen Pal," duetting with Lunch Money's Molly Ledford), and classic ("The Legend of Johnny Box"). The last song featured none other than Johnny Box himself, played by... well, let's just say by someone very familiar to Zooglobble readers. Good stuff.

From there it was on to The Pop Ups, whose set was basically a very abbreviated version of their PASTA! musical. Were there puppets? Yes! Were there apes in capes? Yes! Was there lots of hand-clapping? Yes! Was there lots of pasta? Well, you'll just have to see the musical for yourself to see the answer. But it's hard not to see how the musical would be very popular with the 5-year-old set.

The Pop Ups - "Pasta" [YouTube]

But we were just getting started, with six more artists to go...

Continue reading "Kindiefest 2011: Artists' Showcase in Video and Pictures" »

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Time once again for all the news that didn't fit into a separate post due to time, interest, contractual, or legal obligations -- it's your favorite pun-titled file folder of a blog post, the Ketchup Report! Yaaay! (Cue Kermit the Frog wild arm-flailing here...)

The World of Happiness single, the "We Are the World" of the kids' biz, "A World of Happiness," is here. Except your kids might actually want to listen to this new song when they become parents themselves. Sales of the single, produced by Tor Hyams and Joanie Leeds, benefit Autism Speaks. The single includes a whole host of folks besides Leeds and Hyams -- Molly Ledford (who gets the honor of leading off the track), Frances England, Ralph Covert... it just goes on and on. A bunch of the participants will be recording a concert later this month for broadcast on Sirius/XM Radio later on. Anyway, it's $1.29 well-spent right here.

I could probably start a whole separate post listing all the recent crowdfunding projects in the kids music world. Heck, it's almost getting to the point where I could start a blog listing all the recent crowdfunding projects in the kids music world. I've been partial to Kickstarter, of course. The two most recent projects have been a Professor Banjo and his successful second-album project and Ryan SanAngelo and his not-one-but-two-Kickstarter-projects. But other sites do the same basic thing. Van Oodles didn't quite succeed in making a video for a song of his, but LA indie-rockers Ellen and Matt and Chicago's Laura Doherty are both looking for funds for their next disks. Should you feel so inclined, help out Ellen and Matt here and Laura for her new album Shining Like a Star in the widget there to the side.

-- For a limited time, Doctor Noize's "Bananas" iWhatever app is free. Download the ever-so-slightly-educational app here. (Note: may no longer be free.)

-- Finally, with Earth Day coming up, a it's time for Earth Day-related tunes. Dan Zanes has a new, original tune, "Hail the Creatures" written by Zanes for a new exhibit at the Philadelphia Zoo. You don't need to be near Philly to enjoy the track, just near an iTunes-enabled gadget that can download this, with proceeds benefiting the Zoo. (More details on the tune and the Zoo's new exhibit here.)... Bill Harley is offering a free download of "Keep It Green" from his 1996 album Big Big World -- you can get it here... And finally, DARIA is offering a mini-CD of 6 "earth friendly" songs, free just for the price of an e-mail address (and an earth-friendly suggestion).

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

Back with another list of random notes from around the kids music world...

-- I'm a fan of Symphony Space's Just Kidding series, even 3,000 miles away, but I don't typically talk about single shows in that or any series. Having said that, I have it on good authority that Elizabeth Mitchell is planning on attending the Lunch Money Just Kidding concert on Saturday, January 29 (at 11 AM) and make a "guest appearance" for some songs. NYC fans, I expect you to be there -- not to be missed, I'm telling you.

-- Continuing in the category of single shows meriting mention, if you're not tired out after the Lunch Money show (or if you're busy that morning), there's another show in NYC that afternoon. It's an event called "KIDS ROCK!" -- it's a big 'ol benefit concert for KIDS NEED A MELODY, which provides developmental music classes to young children living in the shelter system. It's also Saturday the 29th (from 1 to 4 PM) at Crash Mansion in the Bowery in NYC. It's hosted by Bob McGrath and will feature performances by Rebecca Frezza and Big Truck, Suzi Shelton with guitarist Steve Elliot, Jeremy Plays Guitar, The Fuzzy Lemons, Joanie Leeds, and Baze and His Silly Friends. Not bad, eh?

-- Moving out of the city (sort of), word from Florida's Mr. Richard that he's leading David Weinstone's Music For Aardvarks classes in Orlando. Mr. Richard isn't the first kindie musicians with his own career to participate in these types of classes. Audra Tsanos has done MFA classes in NYC for years, Rebecca Frezza got her start doing Music Together, and Enzo Garcia is another. But Mr. Richard, who's definitely on the shortlist for the title of hardest-working guy in kids music, may be the first to join those types of classes after starting his own, independent kindie career.

-- I noted this on Facebook yesterday, but the first video from Moona Luna is up. You can watch the currently exclusive video here (or just go straight to YouTube here).

-- Frances England has a whole bunch of creative resolutions (designed very, er, creatively of course) and not only that she's pulled in a bunch of creative resolutions from folks like Caspar Babypants, Drew from Recess Monkey, Joe from the Okee Dokee Brothers and lots, lots more. Worth a perusal.

-- Finally, in the category of self-promotion, Australian newspaper The Age dips its toes into the world of Australian kindie music and picks out the two best, Holly Throbsy and The Mudcakes. (It also cites this site, but not in a policeman-sort-of-way. The good way.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 04:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The music of the South Carolina band Lunch Money may be demure at times, but it's never been shy about wearing its anthropomorphized heart on its anthropomorphized sleeve. Which is one of its strengths -- a trio of thirty-somethings singing why they love their library might fail in the hands of lesser artists, but Lunch Money's giddy enthusiasm equal to that of kids thirty years younger makes the song work.

Original Friend is every bit as "open book" as its predecessor Dizzy, but this time around songwriter Molly Ledford's subject is friendship. Friendship temporarily lost and then regained (the strings-assisted 1-minute opener "Friends Again"); friends who are awesome (the title track, and a prototypical Lunch Money indie-pop song); friends willing to imagine with you (the pop-by-way-of-circus-music "Getaway Car"). This album isn't quite as extroverted as Dizzy was, but it features Ledford's strongest batch of songs yet. And while the dedication to Jennifer Jean Day, "who had the original friend donut" (and who Ledford is presumably singing about in the title track "What’s up today, Jennifer? / You say you’re writing a song? / Maybe I’ll try my hand at that for my whole life long.") might hint at some sadness, it's really a rather joyful record. Even songs about the possible interruption of friendship (the rocking "Please Don't Move (to Another Time Zone)") beat with a heart and with good humor.

That joy is due in no small measure to the large number of musicians who share the record with Molly, J.P., and Jay. Secret Agent 23 Skidoo turns in a great rap on "Welcome To My Dollhouse," Frances England offers her voice to "You and Me and a Bottle of Bubbles," and Dean Jones pitches in on "Getaway Car." And that's in addition to all the strings and horns, not to mention keys from producer Tor Hyams, who doesn't really tweak the Lunch Money sound, but just shares it with a few more folks.

The 34-minute album is most appropriate for kids ages 5 through 9. You can listen to samples here or pick up the mp3 of the title track here. Also: the illustrations by Brandon Reese -- the whole design really -- along with the off-kilter album credits (e.g., on "Picking Teams" -- "harmonica, forlorn yet upbeat - J.P. Stephens") make this an album that is so totally worth picking up in its physical format.

Because, of course, you do need to get Original Friend. Lunch Money offer up a tasty musical donut filled with lyrics that capture friendship, and, by extension, childhood in a way that is relatable to kids and recognizable to adults. Can I wear my heart on my sleeve? I love this band. Highly recommended.

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

Continuing Lunch Money Day, here's an early version of "You and Me and a Bottle of Bubbles" from Lunch Money chief songwriter/donut wrangler Molly Ledford. She actually posted this to her sweet songwriting blog way back in February. On Original Friend, the tune also features vocals from Frances England, and that version's lovely, but Ledford does this song quite nicely on her own.

Molly Ledford (Lunch Money) - "You and Me and a Bottle of Bubbles" [YouTube]

And while we're at it, how about one more song from the new album, or at least an early version, recorded more than a year-and-a-half ago...

Continue reading "Video: "You and Me and a Bottle of Bubbles" - Molly Ledford (Lunch Money)" »

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oh, what the heck, let's just call it Lunch Money Day in anticipation of tomorrow's release of Original Friend. And perhaps you're wondering what the spiffy album art designed by Brandon Reese looks like while streaming the 0s and 1s that make up the free mp3 of "Original Friend." Have no fear, as in the video below Reese himself thumbs through the album art. If you're worried about ruining the experience, trust me, reading the notes (which aren't really visible in the video) is an entirely different pleasure.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, I'm not sure how share-worthy this is, since Lunch Money's third album Original Friend is being released tomorrow, and you're probably gonna buy it anyway and the album art is great, but, hey, free mp3. It's the title track from the band I feel more original around. Go here and download that sucker... (And while you're at it, make a nifty EP out of it by grabbing some tracks from Dizzy and Silly Reflection. Though you probably have those albums, too.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 05:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A couple months ago, I premiered "You Are Here" by the South Carolina band Lunch Money. It was one of the many fine tracks on the Many Hands: Family Music for Haiti benefit disk released on Bill Childs' Spare the Rock Records.

And then about a week afterward, I received an odd e-mail -- a remix of the song by one Bil Hooper (known here as Grody), who described the result as "re-imagined as a cross between Neutral Milk Hotel and the Sundays." Yeah, he had that about right. I said it sounded pretty cool, and Hooper apologized for the low sound quality of the remix since he only had the actual mp3, not the individual tracks.

"You know, Molly [Ledford, Lunch Money songwriter extraordinaire] might be willing to share the original tracks with you," I said (essentially).

Which is how Bill world-premiered the remix below on his show this morning and why, with Bill and Molly's permission, you can stream it here. I still think it's pretty cool.

Posted by SAShepherd at 02:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

When I was given the opportunity to share with you a track from Many Hands: Family Music for Haiti, the hardest part was picking the track. There are lots of great songs on the compilation put together by Dog on Fleas and Bill Childs to benefit a variety of Haiti efforts, limiting myself to just one was hard work. (But in a good way.)

I picked this track from Lunch Money because in a couple ways it exemplifies the album as a whole -- 1) the benefit compilation itself is the first I can think of that consists primarily of family musicians performing (as opposed to adult artists performing kids' tracks), and 2) its theme of connecting with people elsewhere in the world fits well within the album's underlying intention to connect this part of the world with another part of the world -- nearby geographically, but far away in other ways.

Also, 3) it's just a really fun and sweet track.

Many Hands: Family Music from Haiti is officially released next week, Aug. 10. (You can preorder the album at Amazon, among other places.) Until then, courtesy of Dean and Bill and Lunch Money, stream this track.

[Ed: But only for a limited time. The album's out today...]

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Oh, sure, you can go check out Molly Ledford: Songs, the new song blog from Lunch Money songwriter extraordinaire Molly Ledford. 'Cuz, yeah, there are lots of cool songs there. But my favorite unreleased track from Molly thus far isn't even on the blog. It's called "Tap Dancer" -- you can watch and listen to it below. Molly notes that it won't be on the upcoming Lunch Money disk Original Friend but that "it will be on something eventually."

I really dig the bluesy turn the bridge takes. And I think more kids songs should use the word "Arabesque." I should use the word "Arabesque."

Molly Ledford (Lunch Money) - "Tap Dancer"

Tapdancer from Jay Barry on Vimeo.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

So I've talked a lot about Austin Kiddie Limits and the 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival generally. (Need proof? Here's Day 1, part 1, Day 1, part 2, Day 2, and Day 3.)

I thought I'd wrap up my coverage with a few final thoughts and suggestions for improvement about the AKL stage, plus add a few pictures.

1. The revised stage configuration of this year's AKL stage was an improvement. Less sound bleeding from the Xbox 360 stage next door meant that the AKL artists were never drowned out. Yay! And maybe it was just my imagination (or possibly the cooler weather), but the new layout seemed blessed with more shade.

2. It's still too loud between sets. Lord knows we're big fans of Romeo and his BBoy City crew (quite possibly Miss Mary Mack's favorite part of the festival this year), but they're forced to crank the volume to a point that it drives all the families away from the stage. Perhaps next year they can swap the dance stage and the pottery/kefia tents so that it's pretty close to the stage and the volume can be reduced.

3. There are probably points where the sound on the AKL stage during sets can be reduced -- I could hear 23 Skidoo's set close to half a mile away as we were crossing Lady Bird Lake.

4. Moving on to the weather -- I will gladly take a chance of (or actual) rain in return for cooler weather. I'm so glad that the festival's been gradually pushed back into October and am happy to see it further pushed back to the second week of October (Oct. 8-10, 2010) next year.

5. The guest sets have been really cool, and I'd love to see them used even more to drive families to see bands they wouldn't have seen otherwise. That was the case for me with K'Naan on Friday. I also got a chance to meet Ben Sollee backstage briefly on Sunday before heading back to Arizona, and based on this clip of Sollee covering "Wild World" later that day, I have a feeling that if I'd seen him at the AKL stage playing his cello, I'd have been sure to see him later that day on a bigger stage. (Though it should be noted, I did see him playing with Abigail Washburn the year before.)

6. The fact that the AKL stage hosted both K'Naan and Ben Sollee, both Mr. Leebot and Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, speaks to the fact that the stage can handle a fair amount of diversity, which is somewhat reflective of the ACL Festival as a whole. There's obviously only so much diversity you can have when you've got just 8-10 acts playing a set or two, but I encourage Tor to continue mixing it up as much as possible.

7. Can these festivals really be done with families? Well, it's definitely hard work, but if you're willing to sacrifice some of your own needs (sorry, Karen O, maybe next time), you can definitely see a lot. I'm conflicted because I have to balance my own musical tastes with that of my kids with my need to cover the festival (and the AKL stage in particular) on the press pass with the fact that my family lives in Austin and I want to see them, too. Sometimes I felt like I did none of those things well. But the AKL stage is situated about as well as it can be to serve as a base station for families exploring the festival. (And, hey, there's always babysitters.)

8. Finally, thanks to everyone at C3, particularly Tor, for making the AKL stage (and the press area) run so smoothly. Hope everyone reading got a good sense of the weekend of fun... Pictures after the jump...

Continue reading "Austin Kiddie Limits (ACL Fest) 2009: Final Thoughts" »

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I know, I know -- I was so diligent about posting my thoughts about Day 1 of the Austin City Limits Festival 2009 (or at least the Austin Kiddie Limits portion thereof).

And now it's a full 48 hours later after Saturday's Day 2 mudfest, and I still haven't posted my thoughts. So let's get moving, eh?

We did get an earlier start on Saturday morning, and found a parking spot fairly quickly, but even so, we pretty much only caught the last 2 songs of Mr. Leebot's AKL debut. Lee was energetic, trying to get the rained-upon crowd moving.

Did I forget to mention it was raining? That it rained for, oh, most of Saturday? That I would still prefer my music festivals rainy and cool than hot and dry? Well, I would.

Mr. Leebot - "Robot Dance"

As I noted to Lee later that weekend, although it was raining for his set, nobody was flinging mud at him a la Green Day circa Woodstock '94.

Then it was time to get lunch, so we moved out to the Food Court (mmmm... cones from Hudson's on the Bend) and, desirous to get out of the rain, after we ate we went to the Wildflower Center stage, which besides having a really good set of artists has a solid roof. We enjoyed 30 minutes of a (not literally) roof-raising set from the Gospel group the Soul Stirrers (Sam Cooke's old band), then made our way back to the AKL stage.

Walking back to the AKL stage from behind the stage, you would have been forgiven if you thought that it was a guest artist set. The music from Quinn Sullivan did not sound like it should be coming from someone who could have gotten in free with a paying adult. Not kids music, but pretty amazing. Packed crowd, and when Sullivan said, "This was cool -- I hope I get to do this next year," I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought, "Yeah, on one of the other, bigger stages."

Then we stuck around for Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, who I was eager to see. Skidoo brought a full compliment for the show including his daughter Saki, performing on stage and not fazed in the least by the crowd out there. Good set, though I'm wondering if maybe the bass was a bit loud -- as we left after the set early so that my wife and the kids could go home early with the Official Brother of Zooglobble, we could hear "Gotta Be Me"... from about a third of a mile away.

Secret Agent 23 Skidoo - "I Like Fruit"

Secret Agent 23 Skidoo - "Sleepover"

After I came back across the bridge after dropping off my family with my brother, I was hoping to see more, but Lunch Money's set had started late, and between that and the rain, traipsing off throughout the rest of the festival seemed more of a pain than was worthwhile considering I had to leave shortly for another engagement.

Lunch Money worked harder than probably any other band at working through the "this is what you do in this song to be interactive" motions. Here they solicited foods that did the kids wrong, right, and had never been tried. You sort of take for granted that people know how to act at concerts, but those are learned traits, and it's just as important to learn the rock show rules of the road than the children's theatre rules of the road.

Lunch Money - "Ate Too Much of My Favorite Food"

If I have one regret from the Lunch Money sets it's that I didn't hear them play many of their quieter songs. Having said that, live, the band rocks harder than on record. Watch out Rush, the band's looking to claim your power trio crown.

Sad to have missed Milkshake's second set (though I did hear a song as I dashed back at one point to collect our stuff) and Ralph's World first set. Not to worry, though, Ralph was playing Sunday....

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Day 1 of the 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival is in the books, and what did we learn? Apparently leaving a little later, great weather, and threats of rain for the rest of the weekend makes parking in downtown Austin a lot harder to find. As opposed to getting downtown around 11 AM, we got there around 12:30 PM, and it took us a good 20 minutes to find parking. By the time we actually found a spot, walked to Republic Park, took the shuttle, got our wristbands, and found our bearings in the media tent, it was 2:00 PM. So, sorry, Stoosh! Our bad, Paul Green School of Rock All Stars (I've seen you plenty, though)! And really sorry to have missed The Telephone Company. Maybe Sunday, guys!

But even with missing half of Friday's Austin Kiddie Limits stage, we still had a good time. They've changed the layout this year, so that the stage is on the east end of the area, facing (north)west, and the whole layout seems shadier. Or maybe it was just the 74-degree weather. Anyway, we got there in plenty of time to see Milkshake take the stage. They put on a good 25-minute-or-so set, mostly stuff from their new album Great Day, along with some older material.

One of the things I like about AKL (and ACL in general) is that artists do feel the need to step up their game a bit. So I don't know if Milkshake normally brings a couple dozen inflatable baseball beach balls for "Baseball" (they probably do), or if the band brings graying wigs for "When I'm Old," but it just shows the band's trying. Also, Milkshake in particular, with six folks in the band, sounds good live on stage. Kids on the ground seemed to enjoy it.

Milkshake - "When I'm Old" (Live)

Milkshake - "Enemies" (Live)

After Milkshake was a brief set from K'naan, which I couldn't pay full attention to because I was shuttling Little Boy Blue from activity to activity (including green punk hairdo), but I really liked.

K'naan - "Take a Minute" (Live) (for what it's worth, there were a fair number of kids, despite what the uploader says)

Then Lunch Money. It's OK, guys, you do indeed rock. Lots of dancing and a good-sized crowd (for AKL, anyway). They're also getting really good at incorporating crowd participation into their songs. Here's a new(-ish) song, with a couple more familiar ones to follow:

Lunch Money - "Spicy Kids" (Live)

Lunch Money - "Are You a Rabbit?" (Live)

Lunch Money - "Roller Coaster" (Live)

OK, there's more to talk about, but it's time to head back to Zilker Park before the skies open up.

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It has been a long, at times frustrating, day. New music from Lunch Money, a song that features the phrase "fortress of solitude," makes it ever so slightly less long and frustrating. (And I - duh! - forgot to mention that the video is Gwyneth's.)

Lunch Money - "Come Over To My Dollhouse" (Live at Sirius-XM)

Posted by SAShepherd at 03:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Everything I like about Molly Ledford and the awesome band she leads, Lunch Money, can be summed up, I think, in that photo to the left, which Molly titled "cookie eclipse of the head." The self-effacing nature, the humor, the goofiness, the well-thought out design -- all of which Lunch Money and that picture have in spades.

So without any further ado, here's Molly on the first time she was banned from singing something, her peppy song about a horror movie from the '70s, and why having fun (and looking like it) is an important part of being in Lunch Money. There is also some gauntlet-throwing, so please watch your heads.

Zooglobble: What music did you listen to growing up?
My parents always had records playing - Paul Simon, Roberta Flack, Neil Diamond, Billy Joel, Ray Charles, Kingston Trio, The Spinners, Vince Guaraldi. Most of it I enjoyed, except that I think I got subjected to Barbra Streisand's Guilty (the Barry Gibb collaboration) a few too many times on long trips to Pennsylvania. In the car, my brother and I would perk up when Glen Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy" would come on the radio. Or the chorus of British children singing in Pink Floyd's "The Wall." Or I even remember being delighted by Monty Python's "I Bet You They Won't Play This Song on the Radio" with all its funny sound effects. I think kids have always listened to their parents' music and panned for something they could relate to.

But one moment that truly rocked me was the night my dad blasted Meet the Beatles shortly after I had gone to bed (maybe he thought he had headphones plugged in? It was unusually loud....). I think I was about seven at the time. I came running out, enthralled. My parents would not let me play their copy on my own relatively crummy record player, but I luckily found one at my neighbor's garage sale for a quarter. It was totally scratched, and I listened to it over and over. So really I became way more familiar with my personal scratched copy. I could sing along to every skip. I also listened to Casey Kasem's Top 40 every weekend in my room on an old clock radio, and I remember falling into a happy trance when Olivia Newton-John's "Magic" came on the first time.

When did you first start getting interested in writing music (generally, not for kids)?
My mom got me a guitar when I was nine and I took some lessons, but I have to credit my ever-scheming friend around the corner with getting me started on songwriting. One day she said she was writing a song (she was always up to something), so I tried my hand at it too. I came up with something especially for us to perform at the school talent show (we were in 6th grade). For some reason my chorus contained the lines, "I run away and throw away these chains. It doesn't solve my problems, but it helps to ease the pain." But to my surprise, when I gave my mom a sneak peek at my talent show song, she forbade me to play it. So we ended up covering "Take It to the Limit" instead. In high school I really started writing songs (still with angst, this time only semi-imaginary) and have been in bands ever since.

Continue reading "Interview: Molly Ledford (Lunch Money)" »

Posted by SAShepherd at 08:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Lunch Money might have been the least-assuming of all the artists at this weekend's KindieFest (aka StinkFest 2009). Songwriter Molly Ledford spent a not small amount of time playing with the few kids while Jay Barry was pretty quiet (compared to a Chatty Cathy like me). And J.P. Stephens spent most of the day taking pictures. (He's not so talented that he can take pictures of the band while he's playing so all pictures here are mine.)

When they finally took the Jalopy stage, the last of the nine bands to play the showcase, Tor Hyams introduced the trio and pointed out that you can hear Ledford's smile when she sings, which goes a long way, I think, to explaining the band's appeal. The folks that had stuck around for this final set were rewarded with a setlist that featured both Lunch Money classics and new stuff. The band rocked, the crowd danced, and as Lunch Money played, Molly grinned.

On the video below, hear a new Lunch Money track, "I Want to Push Buttons." (Since I started recording in the middle of the banter, what Ledford is recounting is that when she was growing up she wanted to be one of two things...)

Lunch Money - "I Want To Push Buttons"

One more picture and one more video after the jump...

Continue reading "Live Video: Lunch Money" »

Posted by SAShepherd at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"I highly recommend having an established cookie policy and communicating it to your friends and loved ones."

Yes, the fine folks at Lunch Money have started up a blog. It's worth visiting just for the picture of Molly behind a cookie larger than her head.

Oh, I'd seen this video before, but could never find it literally on YouTube to embed for you, loyal readers. But check out the big brain on Stefan:

Lunch Money - "Roller Coaster," "Dizzy," "Tiny Dinosaurs" (Live at ImaginOn)

Check out more after the jump!

Continue reading "Lunch Money Blogs Every Bit As Well As They Write Songs" »

Posted by SAShepherd at 09:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, on Friday night I was on NPR.

Then on Saturday I saw Gustafer Yellowgold in concert, something I helped put on.

And I just got back from being Justin Roberts' roadie. (Seriously, unloading and setting up, then taking down and loading, the sound system.)

It's been a blast, and a great weekend of family music -- pictures and video to come -- but I'd like to rest now. I probably didn't need to have all that beer last night, either, but it went great with all that Iranian food I ate.

Posted by SAShepherd at 04:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Or, to be more specific, I love Lunch Money, and NPR is running my review of their album Dizzy on All Things Considered tonight.

If you're wondering how I could gush over the album and not, you know, actually review it, well, now you know. (At some point, I'll expand on it just a little bit more.)

And, for those listeners who might've stumbled here, I hope you'll stick around a bit here before visiting the band's website, Myspace page, or Facebook page. Order Dizzy here, here, or here (soon), among other places. (And their first album, Silly Reflection, is just as winning.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 02:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A while back, I suggested that preordering Dizzy, the second album from South Carolina's Lunch Money would be an excellent pre-order.

I have not wavered from that stance.

Of course, you need not pre-order any longer. And, even better, I've got a copy of the excellent new album to give away, courtesy of Molly and her crew.

Just list your favorite favorite food (note clever tie-in to the song "Ate Too Much of My Favorite Food" off the new album) in the comment section below. One entry per family, winner chosen at random, all entries due by 8 PM West Coast time Thursday night.

Thanks and good luck (and, really, go ahead and get that CD anyway...)

Posted by SAShepherd at 06:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

How about "snazzy"?

Check out Lunch Money's fancy new website.

More importantly, check out the availability of two more tracks from the fantastic Dizzy: "I Love My Library" (any song with a Nancy Drew reference works for me) and the title track.

It's an oasis of pleasantness in an In. Sane. day for me.

Go here to listen.

Posted by SAShepherd at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

... or a statue of a rabbit?

It's been four years (almost to the day) since Lunch Money released their first CD, Silly Reflection.

And now I've been spinning their latest album, Dizzy.

Totally worth the wait, y'all.

Seriously -- the preorder button was created for this album. (Which, uh, unfortunately doesn't have it yet.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Fids and Kamily voter told me that 2008 "might've been the best year yet for kids-music album art," and while I'm inclined to agree, 2009 looks like it might be even better.

I told you before about Brandon Reese and his nascent career as a kids music illustrator.

Well, it continues as he's posted all his artwork for the new album Dizzy (OK, they didn't take any of your suggestions), set for official release in January by Lunch Money.

Woo. Hoo.

The album cover is here (with Molly's permission.) Go here to see all the details -- sketches, etc.

And, yes, Brandon, you did do them right.

Track listing follows...

Continue reading "You'll Be Spinning (Lunch Money): "Dizzy" Track Listing" »

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lunch Money have helpfully posted a new picture on their Myspace profile illustrating exactly what a cookie as big as each of their heads would look like.

Oh, and they've posted the final version of the accompanying song. You've heard "Cookie As Big As My Head," "Dizzy," and "Tiny Dinosaurs" before, but there they are in all their final, mastered glory. Crisp production values, horns, and the tiniest bit of non-Molly lead vocals.

The new album (whose name I'm not yet at liberty to reveal) is out January 17.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Any day with an unreleased demo posted to Lunch Money's Myspace page is a good day.

Today (or, actually, yesterday) is a good day.

It's definitely a demo track, but it's still got all that Lunch Money-ey goodness.

Posted by SAShepherd at 06:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just a reminder, folks -- you can win a copy of Lunch Money's Silly Reflection album. All you have to do is go here by 9 PM west coast time tonight and suggest a name for Lunch Money's new album, scheduled to be released in January 2009.

What's that, you say? You already own the CD? Well, then, enter so you might win a copy for that friend of yours who isn't sure about this whole "kids' music" thing.

And if you don't already own the CD? You. Have. No. Excuse. Enter now.

Posted by SAShepherd at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If anticipation for a new album is represented by "E," awesomeness of most recent album is "A," and the amount of time since that most recent album is "T," then E = A * T.

And for me there is no "E" higher in the kids music world right now than for the next Lunch Money album. Their first album, Silly Reflection (review), is a classic, filled with tiny songwriting gems.

The album was released in late 2004, so when their new album is released on January 17, 2009, - the date they will appear on the band's website and first sell them at a show, according to the band - it will be a looong 4+ years between releases (and an entirely different kids' music landscape).

Molly Ledford told me their tentative name for the album, saying it "captures the kind of kid-generated fun we are trying to salute in our songs," (and I agree, it does) but says the name's "not official."

So here's where I -- or rather, you -- can provide Molly and the band some (unsolicited) help. And win a copy of their first album in the bargain.

Continue reading "Contest: Name The New Lunch Money Album!" »

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

I know I'm a little late on this, but wanted to point out that the fabulous Lunch Money now has ("have"? grammar people, help me out here) their own Myspace page. (About time!)

Even better, it's streaming a new recording of a track intended to appear on their next album. "Tiny Dinosaurs" encourages roaring, always a fun thing for kids to do. Who knew there was a dinosaur called "microceratops?" (Go here to see them performing this song live this past summer.)

Oh, and go ahead and listen to "Silly Reflection" and "Yes We Have Rhythm" from their debut CD at the Myspace page. You know you want to.

Posted by SAShepherd at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I was sort of sad when the Welcome to Ralph's World CD came out, and Giselle Potter didn't do the cover illustration. Not that the new cover was bad, but I always thought that Potter's drawings had a verve and quality that telegraphed the essential "this is not just thrown together" feel that helped the Ralph World CDs do well.

Well, perhaps the kids music genre finally has another illustrator it can call its own. North Carolina-based illustrator Brandon Reese has not just one but two kids-music-related projects for two very cool bands. The first project is the cover for the Jellydots' new CD, Changing Skies. It's my favorite CD cover of the year.

Beyond that, Reese also designed the new logo for Squirrel Mechanic Records, Lunch Money's homegrown label. Go here for a peek (scroll down about halfway). Very whimsical.

I know, I know, album art is probably on its way as everybody gets all down-loady, but I hope that doesn't happen for a long time...

Posted by SAShepherd at 02:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

When I posted that song from Lunch Money the other day, I knew that there was more good stuff on its way, and now it's here, courtesy of the Tricycle Music Fest's blog. Y'know, for a first year of a music festival, the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County done good.

The first track is another great uptempo track in the vein of "Cookie As Big As My Head," except this one features dinosaurs, so it's bound to be a massive hit.

Lunch Money - "Tiny Dinosaurs"

The other new track posted is a slower song featuring a "ribbit, ribbit" singalong chorus. It's more of a story song than I'm used to hearing from the band, but it's still a sweet listen.

Lunch Money - "Somehow a Frog Finds a Pond"

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

Another week, another piece of mine on Education.com. This time it's "Five Great Kids' CDs You've Probably Never Heard." Regular readers probably have heard all of these CDs (heck, a couple of the bands listed have been discussed here in the past couple weeks), but if your kids' music diet has been limited to intakes of Jack (the music show, not the bourbon), Disney, or NPR, or assorted award-giving sites, here are five CDs you should get to know ASAP. Go forth and enjoy.

Posted by SAShepherd at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There are a number of releases in the works for the rest of 2007, but none I am anticipating more than the second album of South Carolina-based trio Lunch Money. It's approaching three years since the release of their debut CD, the small gem Silly Reflection (review), and that's just way too long, y'know? Their lo-fi songs, slightly remiscent of Yo La Tengo or Spoon at its most minimalist, have stayed fresh after repeated listening...

So thanks to Gwyneth, who caught the band's set at Chicago's Summer on Southport Festival a couple weeks ago, and preserved this new track for the world (or at least the world with access to YouTube) to see. "Cookie As Big As My Head" is another instantly catchy melody (though the bass seems particularly high in this mix) married to sharp lyrics ("By the way, my cookie policy is / I'm a chocolate chip girl / We can [something] Pecans and walnuts / [something else] Is winter coming? / Are you trying to tell me that I look like a squirrel? / I want a cookie as big as my head...") OK, I'm sure the lyrics will be sharper on disk. [Note: Thanks to Lunch Money songwriter extraordinaire Molly Ledford for setting things straight in the comments.]

Posted by SAShepherd at 03:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Now, Kidzapalooza will rock Chicago August 3 through 5 (for more details, see here).

But the previous weekend is, well, pretty darn good in its own right if you'd rather fight local neighborhood throngs than fight the Pearl Jam and Ben Harper-obsessed throngs in Grant Park.

I've been waiting to post about the Summer on Southport festival on the 28th and 29th because I wanted to know the times, and I'm glad I did... check out the lineup.

Not only does it include Lunch Money... and ScribbleMonster... and Justin Roberts, it also includes, well, see for yourself:

Saturday
Lunch Money 10:00 am
Seussical the Musical 11:00 am
Scribble Monster noon
Little Nashville 12.30 pm
Girl Authority 2:00 pm
Justin Roberts 2:00 pm

Sunday
School of ROCK 11:30 am
Ralph’s World 2:00 pm

Girl Authority and Justin Roberts will be playing on different stages Saturday, though the '80s references on Roberts' classic Meltdown! might be a little bit up their alley.

Hey, Chicago, did I miss anybody?

Posted by SAShepherd at 04:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So here's the first installment of my quixotic attempt to produce a list of the Top 50 Kids Songs of All Time.

In general this list is supposed to produce a list of songs familiar to a wide range of kids, at least in English-speaking North America. (OK, I realize that's not quite so wide.) As we approach #1, the songs are more likely to be "classics," recorded multiple times, and familiar enough to people for them to join in singing spontaneously. Which is not to say that more recent and more recording-focused tunes won't make the list, just that they're probably more the exception than the rule.

And remember, if you haven't entered the contest to pick the top five, go do so now.

Without any further ado, then, here we go...

50. "Bicycle" - The Jellydots: Did I say this song wouldn't make this list? OK, I changed my mind. Of course, a lot of the Jellydots' tunes were written to help teacher guitar to kids, so maybe 20 years from now some 10-year-old kid will jam out on her own guitar to this. (Listen at the Jellydots' Myspace page.)

49. "Tricycle" - Lunch Money: "This tricycle / Was my brother's tricycle / And that's why it has / This dent in the fender." Lunch Money's debut Silly Reflection is a small gem of a CD and I could've picked any one of a half-dozen excellent songs here, but this one is the most accessible and relatable to kids and their parents. (Listen at Lunch Money's lyrics page for "Tricycle".)

48. "Car Car" - Woody Guthrie: Hard to believe this song is, what, 50 years old? Covered by Elizabeth Mitchell on You Are My Sunshine (with a "beep beep" that still makes us swivel our heads every time we listen to it in the car), it's still timely today. (Listen to a sample of Woody's version here.)

47. "Yellow Bus" - Justin Roberts: Roberts is one of the top 2 or 3 crafters of kids pop tunes working today. This track is a fine example of his folk-pop talent merged with his ample sense of humor -- kids and parents might not necessarily sing his music on their own all the time, but they'll definitely sing along. (Listen to a sample here.)

46. "Trot Ol' Joe" - traditional: An excellent example -- the first of many -- of songs that have been shaped through the years to fit slightly different melodies and lyrics. Also an excellent example of songs to combine with physical movements with toddlers. Love the "whoooooaaa, Joe" part.

Final note: Note the common thread here? Yes, all these songs deal with modes of transportation. No, the rest of the list will not be organized quite so neatly.

Posted by SAShepherd at 07:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Why, yes, yes it would. Frances England's got herself a spiffied-up website and a video and slideshow to boot. Now if only Lunch Money and the Jellydots would jump in with videos for their awesome three- and two-wheeled songs...

Posted by SAShepherd at 03:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Welcome to those of you finding us because of the Salon article on "kindie rockers". (Welcome also, as always, to people looking for downloads of and lyrics to "Great Big World," from Hoodwinked. I still can't help you with those, despite your insistent pleas.) Thanks, Salon, for the link, and for posting some fabulous mp3s from said rockers. (Scott Lamb's article is worth sitting through the Honda ad non-subscribers will have to watch in order to read the article -- it's a nice summing up of the current state of kids' music.)

If you're new to the site, I encourage you to look around -- links to other kids'-music-related blogs as well as to every full album review (including Justin Roberts, Dan Zanes, Laurie Berkner, and Milkshake) can be found on the right. If you're wondering what to get that 4-year-old nephew for his birthday, check out my page of album recommendations by age. I treat kids' music the way any parent who really likes music would -- with my own set of interests but with an understanding that perhaps not every song off Spoon's Gimme Fiction is going to appeal to my 5-year-old (let alone my 1-year-old).

There's so much great kids' music being made, and not just by the rockers mentioned in the article who have made their way to kids' TV screens. Dig in -- you're bound to find something you and the kids in your life will really like.

Saturday AM edit: You know, I could actually help readers "dig in" if I specifically mentioned a few artists and albums that readers might not be familiar with if they're only sticking to the TV/Noggin crowd. No disrespect meant to the Noggin crowd -- Zanes, Roberts, and TMBG, in particular, are all among my favorites kids' artists -- but these four albums are tremendous, too.
Silly Reflection, by Lunch Money (review)
If You Ever See An Owl, by the Terrible Twos (review)
Fascinating Creatures, by Francis England (review)
Gustafer Yellowgold's Wide Wild World DVD, by Morgan Taylor (review)

Posted by SAShepherd at 11:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

David Byrne recently posted a few thoughts on the past, present, and future of album art. Byrne's main point? We shouldn't necessarily mourn the loss of album art (which was often designed without the artist's input) with the rise of the iPod et al. Bryne posits a future in which recorded music is free while graphic designers develop ways to entice those listeners to pay for other stuff (merchandise, etc.) associated with the artist. (Thanks to Stereogum for the original reference.)

What does this have to do with children's music? I don't know whether many children's music artists spend much time considering album art. Even if they do (and they probably do), the results often doesn't show that. Raffi's early albums, while pretty darn good, could hardly be considered to have great album art. Those covers are pretty good compared to some I've seen. Aside from the Wiggles, who have very consistent art direction (THE WIGGLES! SMILING! FUN, BRIGHT COLORS!), there aren't a lot of kids' artists whose art direction I love. Dan Zanes is a conspicuous exception (it helps if your brother-in-law is an artist), and there are some other exceptions, too. (The packaging of Lunch Money's Silly Reflection is fabulous, for example. By the way, do you have that album yet? Why not? Go!)

I think much of children's music is trapped behind packaging that screams "you, the adult, will tolerate this and that's all." And I think that may explain partially why certain albums do or don't do well. Flipping through the small kids' music section at your local Borders... what are you going to choose? If you're trying to decide what to give as a gift for your niece's 4th birthday, what are you going to choose? How about looking at covers online? (Yes, I realize that, considering the current plainness of this website, this is a bit "pot-calling-the-kettle-black.")

While bad album art won't always win (Raffi's CDs are still very popular), it takes an awesome album to overcome that art. While Byrne may be right that album art in general may fall by the wayside, I think that day is further away for kids' music than for most music.

And just because I dig the Talking Heads, here's a page with some Talking Heads audio samples. The obvious choice for this site is "Stay Up Late," a funky tune from Little Creatures, but how can you not listen to something from Remain In Light? Go have fun.

What's your favorite children's music album cover/packaging?

Posted by SAShepherd at 09:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This week at Zooglobble, we're going from LA to New York (with a review of Dan Zanes' Catch That Train!) and back again. See -- we exhibit both East Coast and West Coast Bias! (I can do the Chicago thing -- Justin Roberts and Ralph's World -- only so often. Though there are more reviews coming from those two, too.)

Also, it's been just over a month since the NPR interview that sent many of you here. Thanks again to everyone who's read, commented, e-mailed, or linked here. Also, many thanks to all the artists who have sent me their CD or DVD. I'm still working my way through them all, and while I won't review all of them here, I've got a lot of reviews (and other things) lined up in the weeks ahead.

Finally, here are links to a few posts in case you missed 'em the first time around.

Frances England's Fascinating Creatures -- review, interview
Lunch Money's Silly Reflection -- review
Bruce Springsteen's We Shall Overcome (The Seeger Sessions) -- review
Gustafer Yellowgold's Wide Wild World DVD -- review
Anne Hathaway's "Great Big World", from the Hoodwinked Soundtrack -- review. Goodness, there are lots of people wanting lyrics and mp3s for that song. (Too bad I don't actually have the lyrics or mp3s.)

Thanks again for reading.

Posted by SAShepherd at 06:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I think the best way to introduce this review is by talking about how much stuff our daughter has. I'm not talking about massive amounts of overblown toys and games. I'm just talking about her stuffed animals, which almost crowd her out of her bed. Or her My Little Ponies, which she decorates with her ponytail holders. Kids' lives are defined as much by objects and things as they are by people -- favorite books, favorite clothes, favorite foods.

Children's music tends to focus on feelings (I'm happy! I'm sad!) or concepts (numbers, letters). But Silly Reflection, the late-2004 debut album from the South Carolina-based trio Lunch Money, draws its inspiration from kids' stuff. Trains ("Caboose"), roller coasters ("Roller Coaster," natch), umbrellas ("Umbrella") -- these are the things that fascinate kids because they've never seen such things before. Singer/songwriter Molly Ledford likes to use similes to describe these things in ways concrete ("I'd like to introduce the caboose / Last in line, red like a stop sign") and a little more abstract ("Umbrella, you're quite the little magic trick / You start off looking like a stick / But with a little rain / You bloom like a flower"). And here is a sampling of the words used on the album: "vamoose," "esprit," "ukulele," "amphibians," and the phrase "thick as thieves." These are not typical kids' music words.

But it's the music that I really dig -- it's very Kill The Moonlight-era Spoon with some Yo La Tengo and Shins mixed in. Wonderful melodies with the barest of instrumentation which make the small musical flourishes -- trumpet and double bass and fingersnaps and handclaps -- stand out that much more. It's hard for me to pick out a favorite song, but I love the way the wistful melody and harmonizing in "I Want A Dog" mixes with the longing lyrics of a child wanting a dog before getting too old (and constantly changing her mind as to the dog's name). All that, and it's wryly amusing, too. ("I look at the paper, but it's really not up to me / I'll just have to hope and look longingly.")

At 22 minutes long, Silly Reflection is short but sweet -- there isn't a bad song on the album. Lyrically, it will hit home most for kids age 3 through 7. But it really is one of those children's music albums you will find yourself playing when the kids aren't around. You can listen to three songs off the album here -- they're fairly representative of the CD, so if you like those, you'll like the rest of the album. You can buy the CD from Lunch Money direct or from the usual online suspects. Highly recommended.

Posted by SAShepherd at 10:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lunch Money is a band based in South Carolina. They play lo-fi children's rock and the songs of theirs I've heard create moments of ear-to-ear grins. So do other things, I suppose, but most of those are the result of family joy and not necessarily from children's music.

Their song "Tricycle" creates a lot of grins for me. It's a very simple song, musically -- guitar, drums, and a surfeit of handclaps. It matches an eminently hummable tune with words that have meaning to both the 3-year-old and their 33-year-old parents. "This tricycle was my brother’s tricycle / and that’s why it has this dent in the fender." It's a goofy little song, but it's sooooo much fun.

Listen to three songs off their first album Silly Reflection here.

For another song with handclaps from a band with an occasionally lo-fi aesthetic, listen to the Shins' "Kissing the Lipless" here.

(Hat tip to Bill from Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child for the Lunch Money advocacy.)

Posted by SAShepherd at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)