Everybody's getting in their Happy Holiday greetings except for me (very soon, I hope), but in the meanwhile, here's one from Ralph Covert, better known to some (though not all) for Ralph's World.
Here he is singing (part of?) "That's What I Want for Christmas" from the musical Hansel and Gretel he co-wrote with G. Riley Mills. It's short, but still fun.
Ralph Covert - "That's What I Want for Christmas"
OK, not me. Next time, I hope. I can't help present every show. (Time for the unsubtle reminder that the Terrible Twos show, presented by, yes, Zooglobble, is next Wednesday, August 20th at 6 PM. Details here.)
But I am happy that Ralph Covert is heading down to Tucson with his band. That's right, on Saturday, November 8th, Tucson's Rialto Theatre will host Ralph's World in concert, doors at 10:30, show at 11:00, tickets $16 each. The show is being presented by Mrs. Tiggy Winkles, a Tucson toy store which carries a nice selection of kids music. Plus, they also have link for the bathroom.
And, apropos of nothing other than I saw the embedded video, which I'd somehow not seen before, for Ralph's wonderful "We Are Ants," here's a video.
Ralph's World - "We Are Ants"
Let me start this review by suggesting that, for all its sins real or imagined, Disney Music purveys more original music for kids and families than any other label. It is possible to avoid a fair amount of that if you don't actually watch cable TV on a regular basis, but they put out a lot of music on a regular basis, and for all age ranges. Not to mention a back catalog the envy of just about anybody. How much you actually enjoy it all depends in part on your age, but I've got three recent Disney releases here, and at least one of them is worth your time.
I admit it. I'm old. Not, like, Social Security old, but old enough that if I use the phrase "OMG" I mean it ironically. I am old enough, however, to have a kid who, though she isn't quite out of the "kids music" phase yet, will start listening to music I haven't introduced her to.
So I understand quite clearly that the soundtrack to Camp Rock, the latest Disney Channel original movie, premiering on a gazillion different channels this week, is Not For Me. It is for kids just a little older than my daughter. They'll spend their own allowances on it, or maybe their parents will get it for them. And what they'll get is an attempt to duplicate the High School Musical magic, except this time in a slightly more rock-oriented retelling of Cinderella. The album features some tracks with Joe Jonas solo (he's got a leading role in the movie) as well as a Jonas Brothers track. There are some songs by 16-year-old Demi Lovato, who has the lead female role and seems to be Disney's leading contender for a Miley Cyrus with a less pop and more rock edge.
The songs are fine enough, and most of the songs won't drive you to change the station if you hear them on Radio Disney (OK, maybe "Hasta La Vista," ugh), but you're not going to remember them 15 minutes after they're over. There's nothing as memorable as "Breaking Free" or "Fabulous" or "You Are the Music In Me," all of which are decent pop songs. In the end, it's not really for me, but it never really was.
The Disney Music Block Party Tour took for. freakin'. ever. to get their site up and running. I mean, news of the tour has been floating around for at least a couple months now, and it became almost amusing to see the "Full Site Launches May [insert date here]" change every couple days, but midday today they finally came through on their promise.
Dan Zanes, They Might Be Giants, Barenaked Ladies, Imagination Movers, and Choo Choo Soul is a pretty sweet lineup, though they won't all be appearing at each concert. $36 a person is a bit steep, though kids under the age of 3 are free, and some of the other activities (the PLAYSKOOL play areas, NAMM-sponsored areas with musical instruments for the kiddos) look nice. (I'm a little dubious about having a tent with nothing but Playhouse Disney TV -- just stay at home if you're gonna do that -- but, hey, don't tell me that place won't be packed after the kids have been there an hour or two.)
No, They Might Be Giants and Barenaked Ladies will not be playing at the same show. Value for money, the last show in the Nassau Coliseum is your best bet. As for you Canadians, the good news is that you get a show. The bad news? The Toronto show gets one less act than everyone else.
Aaaand, of course Phoenix (not to mention the entire country west of the Mississippi) doesn't get a single show.
Full details (dates, locations, hours) after the jump.
Continue reading "Disney Music Block Party Tour. Finally." »
Ralph Covert has few peers when it comes to kids' music songwriting -- Justin Roberts?, the guys from Recess Monkey?, Molly Ledford from Lunch Money? -- the list is short. Over the course of six original albums in his guise as Ralph's World, the Chicago-based Covert created a body of work that holds up against any other kids' musician, work that helped convince Disney to sign Covert to its label.
The Rhyming Circus, Covert's first collection of new material since signing to Disney, does not give any indication that his skill in putting together of kid-friendly pop tunes has waned at all. The leadoff title track is filled with a nifty little series of rhymes, of course ("Bats in hats wearing suits and spats / And cats on mats what do you think of that / Fats the rat juggling some gnats / They’re all stars in the Rhyming Circus"). "Gotta Be Good" is a sunny pop-rocker, "Edward the Tap-Dancing Elephant" has a 21st century Tin Pan Alley feel, and so on down the line. Beatles references are woven throughout ("Happy Not My Birthday," "Abby's Alphabet Soup" and the funky "Do The Math" among them, the latter closing with an emphatic final "Day in the Life" piano chord). Oddly enough, "Folsom Daycare Blues," with Covert reworking the Johnny Cash classic, is the weakest track on the album; it's sort of a cheap joke that the kids won't get at all.
For those of you more familiar with the Ralph's World oeuvre, I'd say The Rhyming Circus more in the Peggy's Pie Parlor camp than his two subsequent albums, which had a more rocking feel. I consider Green Gorilla, Monster & Me to be in the vicinity of the top 10 kids' albums of the past 10 years, so if I'm not as enthusiastic about this new album, it's not a reflection of the album's quality as much as it is a reflection of my personal musical taste. (And I know that there's a strong segment of Ralph's fanbase that adores Peggy's Pie Parlor, which I like, just not as much as the two albums that followed.)
One other comment, this directed at Disney. I know they know what they're doing, but there are few kids' artists that create as fanciful a story through song as Covert (especially on this album -- just listen to "Rodeo Peg" or "King of the Alphabet" for two examples). Why, then, do the videos for the new album (the title track is available as a bonus on the disk, and the first two can be seen here) just feature Covert in a live setting with bouncing kids? It's mostly forgettable, or at least undistinguishable from countless other kids' videos, albeit with higher production values. Disney is missing a major opportunity to create something memorable by not recruiting former Covert cover illustrator Giselle Potter to design a few videos.
The CD will be of most interest to kids ages 4 through 8. You can hear samples across the internet, while Covert's Myspace page has a few tracks available for streaming.
The Rhyming Circus is another collection of top-quality (in every way) kids' pop-rock. Ralph's World fans will not be disappointed with the release, and those who aren't fans already should certainly give Covert a shot in the stereo. Recommended.
Or, if they didn't literally see their favorite music star autograph something, would they know who it came from?
Well, those of you with varying levels of disposable income can find out, thanks to a couple auctions currently going on.
First up is an auction benefitting the Reading Reptile, a Kansas City (Missouri) children's bookstore which, if it's half as fun as their website, is probably about three times as fun as your regular life. They're having a Debt Reduction Day auction, which includes such Ralph's World items as an autographed Ralph Covert guitar and autographed copies of his new album The Rhyming Circus and his new book. Or, if you don't like that, have Bill Harley write you a song. (Or, if you don't like music, just go ahead and get that Kevin Henkes "Lilly" sketch.) You have 'til May 24 to find enough loose change in your couch.
And for those of you with more disposable income than I currently have and a tween girl, might I suggest the autographed Miley Cyrus guitar as part of the XM Kids Traveling Roadshow benefiting the Children's Miracle Network? Ralph's guitar is a lot cheaper right now, but Miley's guitar is a lot cooler...
Well, we've known about the title of the first Ralph's World album of all-new material for Disney Sound -- The Rhyming Circus -- for awhile now.
But now we have a date -- May 20th -- which, given that Dan Zanes is also releasing his new album on that date, makes it like the kids' music equivalent of Kanye and 50 Cent. Except I hope neither of them stops recording. (And I was just reminded that Frances England's new album drops that day, too. )
Anyway, the album will feature "rhymes such as wooly mammoth and sandwich, or squish and Lillian Gish." I also like a line mentioned from "Do The Math" -- “a new girl in class/Polly Hedron, a non-Euclidean lass”).
Tracklist after the jump.
Continue reading "New Ralph's World Album -- The Rhyming Circus -- Due May 20th" »
At one point more than a year Eric Herman interviewed Ralph Covert (listen here). It is solely on the basis on this connection that I'm combining these two bits of news.
First, Covert has announced that the title of his upcoming Disney Sound Ralph's World CD will be called The Rhyming Circus. Hmmm... wonder what rhymes with "elephant"...
And speaking of elephants, this is a little old, but Herman's announced that the name of his 2008 release (due out in the fall) will be What A Ride. If waiting, oh, 10 months or so is a bit too much for you, feel free to check out his latest video, for "Dance Like an Animal." Rudimentary, perhaps, but can your five-year-old animate a video like Eric's did? (Or, more to the point perhaps, can you?)
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?
... and say, hey, we all have an iTunes Essentials list!
That's right, there's now a Ralph's World Essentials list to go along with Zanes' and the Wiggles' lists. Since I, uh, compiled it, let me know which of your favorite RW songs I skipped. Not that it'll change the list at all, but you might feel better.
OK, I think I've given Ralph Covert enough Ralph's World web space over the past two or three weeks to last quite some time, but Bill points out that Covert will be on today's (Wednesday's) All Things Considered.
Update: From NPR's daily rundown highlighting a piece from the next show (that'd be today's) - "In Ralph Covert's world, songs about psychic cats and happy lemons co-exist with songs about grumpy parents. He talks about his latest children's CD and how he writes songs for kids, adults and himself."
Update #2: Based on today's rundown, listen at around 50 minutes past the hour (which one depends on when your local station picks up the show) to hear the interview with Michele Norris live. Or just go here at 7:30 Eastern time to listen to a Windows Media Player version of the show (along with 3 tracks which if you're reading this you almost certainly already have). Or e-mail the heck out of the story and eventually it'll end up on NPR's most e-mailed stories list and possibly show up on an iTunes podcast.
Parent Place, the Orlando Sentinel's parenting blog (and Friend-of-Zooglobble, Media Division) has posted an interview with Ralph Covert of Ralph's World.
It includes a quotation from Covert talking about "the vision of, it ain’t Barney and it ain’t Disturbed. It’s the sweet spot in the middle that actually pleases everybody."
Covert's offering a third way, and while I'd certainly take Ralph's World over either extreme he offers, it's an interesting parlor game:
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.Over the course of six Ralph's World albums, Ralph Covert has written more really good songs for kids and their families than probably any other artist. So it's not that much of a surprise that Disney recently signed Covert up to release those albums and his next album. It's also not much of a surprise that he's touring House of Blues venues and other classic rock venues this spring.
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.
Continue reading "Interview: Ralph Covert (Ralph's World)" »
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.
I've randomly selected a winner from all our fine applicants in the Ralph's World contest, and that winner is Lynn, who in her entry said:
My dream would be to see Ralph in San Francisco at the Fillmore because, well, just because it would be almost historic. But since we are actually lucky enough to be here in Ralph's home town of Chicago our real pick is the House of Blues in Chicago. It's impossible to choose just 3 songs, but here goes: 1. Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum because the kids have such a blast dancing to it; 2. Riding With No Hands because it captures both childhood and parenthood so well; and 3. Honey for the Bears because it is just fun.I hope Ralph is taking notes for his March 3rd show in Chicago...
Many, many thanks to all the entrants. Even if you didn't win (heck, even if you did win, Lynn), you can order tickets for the tour by clicking on the link below.
Thanks again to Ralph for the tickets!
Compilations are notoriously hard things to compile. Any fool can put together a CD of good or popular songs, but their appeal as a single entity often fades after time. (Really, who listens to those Now! CDs, like, six months later?) The key is finding some loosely unifying theme or spirit to guide the collection.
Park Slope Parents The Album (Vol. 1) has just enough theme to carry the day. The 17-track collection plucks chooses songs old and new, released and not, from mainly New York City artists. There are a few tracks that deal with life in New York City -- David Weinstone (Music for Aardvarks) contributes his simple "Subway" ("Bing bong / the doors open on the train / bing bong / All the people pile in") while Michael Leyden has a more rocking take in "I Hear a Train."
Any compilation should also be measured by how well it does in helping you to discover new artists, rediscover chestnuts from old artists, and getting new tracks from your favorite artists. In terms of discovering new artists, Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel's "The Season Song" is a perfect pop tune from an adult band (whose members both teach in schools) writing a kids' song (specifically for this album). Dan Zanes contributes the "The Monkey's Wedding" from his Parades and Panoramas disk while Daniel Schorr's "Good Boy with a Bad Reputation" (off his first album) is a great example of his countryfied Dwight Yoakam-esque rock.
And the new tracks. These, my friends, are why you should get yourself on the CDBaby waiting list and order the disk. Smack dab in the middle of the disk are two great new cuts. The Deedle Deedle Dees contribute their ode to New York City roadways (had to balance out the public transportation songs, I suppose) with "Major Deegan," which was recorded for their upcoming album. The loping song sounds timeless, especially with those "whoo-whoo's". And The Quiet Two continue their surreal attack on kids' music with the loopy and giddy "When I Dream." AudraRox's reggae song of tolerance "Moms & Dads" and the sometimes-out-of-control (in a good way) "Drunken Sailor" contributed by Astrograss (with backing vocals from AudraRox's Audra and Jen) are just as good.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the sweetest track, the album closer "Fools Will Try." Somehow these Brooklyn parents got Ralph Covert to contribute a track from his 1997 album Birthday, and it's nothing less than some of the best advice you can give to a child. This is one of those songs that should appear on a lot of new parents' mix CDs...
The album is probably most appropriate for kids 3 through 8 (who probably don't care less about the appropriateness of a compilation and who just care whether a CD has good songs, which this one does in spades). The album is a fundraiser for Park Slope Parents, an informational website for parents in Park Slope, Brooklyn. For those of you who don't live in New York City, I'd recommend the CDBaby page, where you can hear samples. (The cover, by the way, is by children's author and illustrator Mo Willems, who contributes drawings that are more "Knuffle Bunny" than "Pigeon.")
Though collected for kids living in New York City, Park Slope Parents The Album (Vol. 1) is appropriate for families visiting New York City, learning about New York City, oh, heck, lovers of good music. It's a great collection of music and it's definitely recommended.
Sure, you've had your chance to win tickets for the upcoming Ralph's World tour of House of Blues venues across the United States.
But you haven't had a chance to provide Ralph suggestions as to what he should play during this, the first tour of a kids music artist in House of Blues venues (including San Francisco's Fillmore and Portland's Aladdin Theatre). Kinda cool, no?
So, here are the rules. By 8 PM MST Thursday, January 25, in the comments below list which city you'd like to see Ralph's World in and the three songs your family would like to see the band play. (If you want to explain why, go ahead!)
The winner will be picked at random and notified at the e-mail address you provide when you make the comment. The winner will receive 4 tickets to the concert of his or her choice on the tour below. Four tickets! Sweet!
If you don't win (or even if you do), you can get more info on the tour and order tickets by clicking on the link below.
2/3/2007 House of Blues Anaheim, CA
2/4/2007 Fillmore San Francisco,CA
2/10/2007 House of Blues San Diego, CA
2/11/2007 Aladdin Theatre Portland,OR
2/17/2007 House of Blues West Hollywood,CA
2/18/2007 Moore Theatre Seattle,WA
2/24/2007 House of Blues Las Vegas,NV
2/25/2007 Boulder Theater Boulder, CO
3/3/2007 House of Blues Chicago, IL
3/4/2007 Somerville Theatre Somerville,MA
3/10/2007 House of Blues Cleveland,OH
3/11/2007 Theatre of Living Arts Philadelphia,PA
3/17/2007 House of Blues - Orlando Lake Buena Vista, FL
3/18/2007 Variety Playhouse Atlanta, GA
3/24/2007 House of Blues - Music Hall New Orleans,LA
3/25/2007 The Pageant St. Louis, MO
... and Ralph loves her right back.
If you love Ralph, head on over here for your chance to win 4 Ralph's World concert tickets.
(And if you don't win there, stay tuned, because you might just have a chance at another website starting with the letter "Z.")
I don't think I'm the only person who, when they saw the cover to the latest Ralph's World album, Welcome To Ralph's World when I say that my first thought upon seeing the album cover was, "Where's Giselle Potter?" She drew all six album covers for Ralph's World, and her replacement by illustrator Jim Paillot for this, Ralph Covert's first album with Disney, is akin to the Wiggles deciding that they wanted to wear black, brown, white, and green shirts or the Yankees abandoning the pinstripes deciding to trot out solid blue uniforms.
It's unlikely, however, that people would like (or dislike) the Wiggles or Yankees based on their choice of clothing -- it's their actions or songs that give them such cultural cachet. In the world of kids' music (the Wiggles aside), Ralph Covert is about as big as they get. There's not another kids' artist who in the past decade has recorded more great songs. Some artists might have a better album or two but don't have the breadth (They Might Be Giants' 2 kids' CDs, for example) while other artists aren't quite aiming for the "kids' music" target (Dan Zanes). But the world of independently-created kids' music has been, up to now, somewhat isolated from the broad American culture, and Disney, by adding Ralph's World to its lineup, is attempting to branch out.
So I realize now that Welcome To Ralph's World is less a "greatest hits" album for his current fans as much as it an introduction to literally millions of families who don't already know his playful brand of kids'-themed (mostly) pop and rock. It does follow the greatest hits template, of course -- collect a number of good songs off each of his albums while adding one new track for the diehards -- but especially since Covert has not had videos on Noggin, the notion of "greatest hits" is somewhat odd. Does the 37-minute album collect his best stuff? For the most part, yes, including the garage rock of "Fee Fi Fo Fum" and "All I Want To Do Is Play" or the gleeful pop-rock of "Dance Around." It's too bad, though, that more songs from Covert's two most recent -- and best -- albums, Green Gorilla, Monster & Me and The Amazing Adventures of Kid Astro, didn't make the cut. "We Are Ants" or "I Don't Wanna" should be on the track listing. Beyond the track selections, the new song "With A Friend (The Pooh Song)" should dispel fears that Disney will completely change Covert's style. It's a retro-sounding pop/show tune that, while not an instant classic, is certainly a worthy addition to the Ralph's World canon. The videos on the accompanying 15-minute DVD, however, will probably only please those who have seen them repeatedly on the Disney Channel. They're not bad, and the kids joking around in the audience (including Covert's daughter Fiona) are having a good time, but aside from the backgrounds -- in the style of, yes, the album illustrator Jim Paillot -- they don't have much to recommend them, visually.
Ralph's World music, particularly on this CD, which omits some of the tracks appealing to slightly older kids, will appeal mostly to kids ages 3 through 7. You can hear clips from a whole host of Ralph's World tracks at his music page.
In the end, there are really three audiences for this review. The diehard Ralph-heads pre-ordered this album weeks ago -- this review is too late for them and wouldn't have affected their decision in any case. Casual fans who some of his albums in their collection can safely skip this collection without feeling like they're missing much. And for those of you out there discovering Ralph's World for the first time, this collection is recommended as a very good (and bargain-priced) introduction to one of kids' music finest songcrafters.
No, not on record, but the one and only Ralph Covert of Ralph's World spoke with Eric Herman recently. Go here to hear the interview, which includes Covert's thoughts on songwriting, concert venues, and what he wants to be when he grows up. (He also has a made-for-the-Tonight-Show anecdote maybe 8-10 minutes into the interview worth the time just by itself.)
Well, it's not like Oct. 3rd isn't already busy enough as it is, CD-release-wise -- new stuff from Beck, the Decemberists, the Hold Steady, even the Killers (though their new album is getting absolutely miserable reviews). But, hey, even in the kids' music segment we got a new (sort of) Ralph's World. Not to mention a bunch of other stuff to look forward to.
So here we go:
Oct. 1: AudraRox - I Can Do It By Myself
Oct. 3: Ralph's World - Welcome To Ralph's World
Oct. 8: The Sippy Cups - Electric Storyland
Oct. 10: Gothic Archies (Stephin Merritt) - The Tragic Treasury: Songs from a Series of Unfortunate Events
Oct. 16: V/A - Colours Are Brighter
Oct. 17: V/A - New Orleans Playground (Putumayo)
Oct. 24: Wee Hairy Beasties (Jon Langford, Sally Timms, Kelly Hogan, Devil in a Woodpile) - Animal Crackers
Oct. 24: V/A - Old Town School of Folk Music Songbook Vol. 1
When I've contemplated how I would put together the inevitable Ralph's World musical -- what, you haven't? -- I've tended towarded organizing the songs somewhat chronologically. This leaves me with no other choice than to start with the bang-up song "Cavemen!," off Ralph Covert's fourth Ralph's World album, Peggy's Pie Parlor (2003). The song, a mock Broadway revue number, keeps me in stitches (what other kids' song would refer to Modigliani?), while the chorus, "Cavemen! We are Cavemen!," is pitched perfectly at the 1st graders out there.
The presence of a Broadway number on the CD isn't out-of-place, because more than any other Ralph's World album, Peggy's Pie Parlor is willing to reach way back into the 20th century for musical styles -- the vigorous polka of the title track, the zippity ragtime of Walt Kelly's manic "Go Go Pogo," the I-had-to-double-check-it-was-a-Covert-original "I Never See Maggie Alone," which could've easily been written 80 years ago. (Covert also does his best to make "Yon Yonson" sound appealing for its 2-minute run time, but runs out about halfway through.)
Having said that, my favorite tracks are the more modern-sounding tracks. "All I Wanna Do Is Play" is a sweet slice of Hammond organ-spiced garage rock, while the pop-rock leadoff track "The Mighty Worm," has a simple yet ear-wormy melody and chorus ("Everybody does what they do best / the best"). And "Tango Dancing Bear" concludes with a Dave Mathews Band-esque waltz coda.
Kids age 4 through 8 will appreciate the 37-minute album the most. You can hear samples here or at other online merchants.
I've come to consider Peggy's Pie Parlor as a transitional Ralph's World CD, moving from the least essential CD in his collection (Happy Lemons) to his two most recent and cohesive albums, where his songwriting for elementary school kids really took off, marrying a kid-centric perspective with great melodic hooks. Although Peggy's Pie Parlor doesn't quite reach the heights of the two later CDs, everybody should find at least a few songs they and their kids will enjoy. Recommended.
... for a month or so, anyway. At the Bottom of the Sea is finally available at the iTunes Music Store. We'll see how fast the new Pooh song gets posted...
Go ahead, Jamarama Live. Tour the East Coast. See if I care. Tour with Buck Howdy, Ralph's World, Milkshake. (Oh, and LazyTown and a whole of bunch weird characters that I'm sure I would recognize if we had cable.) Ignore us fine folks in Phoenix. Fifth Largest City in America. Hmph.
This weekend...
New York? Brady Rymer's Family Jamboree on Sunday, with Brady Rymer, Elizabeth Mitchell, and Hayes Greenfield, on Long Island.
Los Angeles? Getty Concerts for Kids on Saturday and Sunday, with Charity and the JAMband, at the incredibly lovely Getty Center.
Chicago? Jammin' at the Zoo tonight, with Tally Hall, the Bad Examples, and They Might Be Giants at the very nice Lincoln Park Zoo. (Thanks, Clea, for the reminder!)
As for me, I'm doing our family's workday for the coop preschool. Wheelbarrows and shovels, whee!
#453 - Welcome to Ralph's World CD/DVD available for pre-order.
Set to be released October 3, Amazon has the track listing as follows...
Disc: 1
1. Fee Fi Fo Fum
2. Puppy Dog
3. Dance Around
4. The Coffee Song
5. The Mighty Worm
6. Things That I Like
7. With A Friend (The Pooh Song)
8. Dinosaur Rumble
9. Peggy’s Pie Parlor Polka
10. All I Want To Do Is Play
11. At The Bottom Of The Sea
12. Animal Friends
13. Surfin’ In My Imagination
14. Happy Lemons
15. Riding With No Hands
16. EXCLUSIVE AMAZON BONUS TRACK: Sunny Day Rainy Day Anytime Band (Oooh, check out the awesome near-monopolistic power of Amazon.com! All hail Amazon.com!)
There will be plenty of time to offer opinions on the track selection (what else is there to review on what is -- sort of, in part -- a greatest hits collection), but they did pick a great leadoff track.
This 2nd disk would appear to be a disk of videos.
Disc: 2
1. Things That I Like
2. Dance Around
3. Dinosaur Rumble
4. Surfin’ In My Imagination
5. Mighty Worm
6. Puppy Dog
7. EXCLUSIVE AMAZON BONUS VIDEO: Happy Lemons (All hail Amazon.com!)
I think they're also releasing a separate DVD package (with more videos), but there's no pre-order for that yet.
But a decent one, with substantial comments from Dan Zanes and Ralph Covert of Ralph's World. Paste Magazine (which I've subscribed to for a couple years now -- it's a good read and has reviewed a few kids' music CDs in its pages), has finally posted online their article on the wave of artists entering the kids' music business. (I've had the magazine for about 3 weeks now, and was about to post without the link, but it showed up today.)
My favorite comments from each artist?
Dan Zanes -- "Soon we'll have a generation that doesn't know that 'Yellow Submarine' or 'Octopus's Garden' were Beatles songs; they are just gonna know them as songs they sang together in kindergarten."
Ralph Covert -- "I have no interest in making 'kids' music.' I won't ever make a 'kids' record,' but I'll make music kids love."
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I'm still feeling like I'm living a life out of Where's Waldo?, but that will end soon. To all of you who've e-mailed me recently, I will get back to you soon. I've got more reviews, more news, and more surprises coming up.
Listening to The Amazing Adventures of Kid Astro (2004), Ralph Covert's fifth album as Ralph's World, one can't help shake the feeling that Covert spent a lot of time listening to AM radio growing up. Because the album sounds like what kid might hearing moving up and down the AM side of the dial (and occasionally flipping over to FM).
Take one of the strongest cuts on the album -- "Fee Fi Fo Fum," which is a great little slice of bluesy garage rock. Covert sings it with a Jagger-like swagger; and even '90s garage-rock revivalists The Smithereens wouldn't do it any better. (Not to mention Covert slides in some healthy self-esteem lyrics such as ("It doesn’t matter who our friends are / if you got some Fee Fi Fo Fum / It doesn’t matter who our friends are and / let me tell you everybody got some"). "Dumptruck" has a funky countryfied sound with a slinky bridge. "We Are Ants" is a sweet piece of bubblegum pop that would sound great on any oldies station today. (Sure, it copies some of the chord structure from "Fee Fi Fo Fum," but why wouldn't you when it sounds so good?) "Sun in My Eyes," despite some clunky lyrics ("And the simple things are simple / And the truth will still be true"), sounds like a Beatles outtake.
Even on the songs I didn't enjoy I can appreciate what Covert's trying to do. "The Tea Tale" is a slice of James Taylor at his most acoustic. The lyrics and arrangement don't do much for me, but I recognize that's a matter of taste, not execution. And the title cut nicely blends the outrageous tropes of Saturday-morning adventure cartoons with the ever-popular-with-kids-genre of... prog-rock. For all those kids begging their parents to play their copy of Genesis' The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. (OK, I really don't care for prog-rock. Having said that, it's not half-bad.) On all the songs, Covert backs himself up with a crack band and well-placed soloists (the clarinet on the zippy "Miss Molly Crackerjack," for example).
With songs about dumptrucks and first kisses, it covers a wide range, age-wise, perhaps ages 3 through 10. You can read lyrics and get an mp3 of "Fee Fi Fo Fum" at the Ralph's World site here. The 36-minute album is available at many online (iTunes Music Store, included) and finer retail locations.
Over the years in Ralph's World, Ralph Covert has honed his children's pop and rock songwriting skills, coming up with great hooks while generally steering clear of lyrical sappiness. The rockers and gentle acoustic ballads combine in The Amazing Adventures of Kid Astro to make for an album which sounds just as nice coming out of your speakers in the 2000s as it would have in the 1970s. Definitely recommended.
In honor of the release of Dan Zanes and Friends' Catch That Train! (review here), I thought I'd list a few songs about trains for kids.
(Note: references to the Island of Sodor will be summarily deleted.)
(Last updated May 23, 2006)
"Catch That Train!" - off of Dan Zanes and Friends' (DZ&F) Catch That Train!, of course
"Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" - also try DZ&F's Catch That Train!
"Wabash Cannonball" - many, try DZ&F's House Party
"Guysborough Railway" - try DZ&F's Night Time
"Rock Island Line" - try DZ&F's Family Dance
A whole bunch of songs on DZ&F's Parades and Panoramas
"Freight Train" - try Elizabeth Mitchell's You Are My Flower, also (reader-recommended) on Enzo Garcia's Breakfast with Enzo
"Little Red Caboose" - many, try Elizabeth Mitchell and Lisa Loeb's Catch The Moon
"I've Been Working on the Railroad - many, try Laurie Berkner's version on Buzz Buzz
"New River Train" - try Raffi's New River Train
"Choo Choo Train" - try Ralph's World's debut Ralph's World
"The Little Engine That Could" - try the Hollow Trees' self-titled debut (sorry, Greg!)
-- Yosi also has a "Train Medley" on Under A Big Bright Yellow Umbrella that includes some (if not all) of the songs listed above.
-- Reader BethBC also notes that James Coffey has an entire CD of train-related songs called My Mama Was a Train.
I'm sure there are more, but this is a decent start -- if you post 'em in the comments, I'll add them above.
Here's a list of songs for mothers or songs about mothers, in no particular order. I've avoided lullabies (songs by moms, typically), as well as songs about general parentual units, or songs about moms and dads.
If a song isn't on the list, it's because of one of the three "O"s: Oversight (I knew about the song and just forgot), Omission (I knew about the song and chose to exclude it), or Obtuseness (I didn't know about the song at all). I expect the third category to be fairly large, so feel free to add your suggestions in the comments section. And most (if not all) of these CDs are reviewed here, so if you're not familiar with a CD, look at the review sidebar to the right.
(By the way, Fran had the same idea and got there first, but between the two of us, I think we ought to come up with a decent mix CDs.)
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"Mama Don't Allow" -- numerous versions; try Brady Rymer's version off of Every Day Is a Birthday
"Mama Hug" -- Brady Rymer, Every Day Is a Birthday
"Mama Is Sad" -- Justin Roberts, Yellow Bus (it's a song about divorce, so I'm guessing it's not gonna go on too many mix tapes)
"Five Little Ducks" -- try version on the Old Town School of Folk Music's Songs For Wiggleworms
"Thank You Mommy" -- The RTTs, Turn It Up Mommy!
"The Coffee Song" -- Ralph's World, At the Bottom of the Sea (not really about moms specifically, but it was the first song that came to my wife's mind when I mentioned the topic of the post)
"Hush Little Baby" -- try version on the Old Town School of Folk Music's Wiggleworms Love You, though it's just as often that Dad is the person buying baby that billy goat
"Mother and I" -- Bill Thomas (and a Circle of Friends), Time Can Be So Magic
What do you get when you cross Piglet (Winnie-the-Pooh's best friend) with a snippet of the new Ralph's World song for Winnie the Pooh? Sniglets, of course!
Sorry, couldn't resist.
In any case, the website runs a clip of the new Winnie-the-Pooh song from Ralph's World. To me, it sounds a little more like the early Ralph's World stuff (in particular, "Animal Friends" off his debut).
Oh, and the page gives confirmation that the new Ralph's World DVD/CD set will be released this fall. I'd heard/seen that elsewhere, but it's nice to get confirmation on that.
Hat tip to the Semi-Official Ralph's World Message Board for the pointer.
Ralph Covert released his sixth Ralph's World album, Green Gorilla, Monster & Me, in 2005, 5 years after he released his self-titled Ralph's World debut. Six albums in six years -- that's like one less than Peter Gabriel's done in almost thirty years. So, yes, he's prolific.
One could understand perhaps if Covert started repeating himself at this point, but this is his best album, full of great pop-rock songs. The album leads off with "Clap Your Hands," a rousing tune entirely different from the They Might Be Giants song of the same name, but with almost as few words and just as winning. As with many of his albums, Covert covers lots of stylistic ground (the klezmer of "Me & My Invisible Friend," the southern jangle-pop of "Old Red #7," the Ramones-lite punk of "I Don't Wanna," and, most bizarrely, the Elvis-meets-Moby sound of his cover of "Gitarzan"), but for whatever reason the forays no longer sound somewhat forced as they did on earlier albums.
Covert's lyrics have also improved over time. "What do you do when you need to / Hang your heart on something real / Remember what you're after?," he sings in "Hideaway," lines that would work in an "adult" song. "Liesl Echo," a slow, Beatlesque tune (and do you think the Beatles get royalties anybody even uses the phrase "Beatlesque"?) about a mountain girl and a shephered in love with her features the couplet "The shepherd left her / For greener pastures," a line which brings a wistful smile to my face every time I hear it.
Not every song is perfect -- "Tim The Boy" is an attempt to teach a lesson that ticks me off because it basically cribs the chord progression from "Red Banana," on the same album. ("I Don't Wanna" is a much more effective lesson-song, and more fun to boot.) But the hit-to-miss ratio is very high.
The album is best for kids age 4 through 9. Thanks to Covert's recent signing with Disney, the album has now been rereleased by Disney, which probably means you'll be able to buy it at your local Sip-N-Slurp in the near future. Highly recommended.
Today was the first full day of spring. In most places, it's time for the onset of spring fever, but in the Arizona desert, it's a warning that the good times will soon come to an end. Temperate weather will soon be a distant memory. Our front flower bed can only go downhill from here.
I tried to find some songs about spring in my collection, but pretty much came up empty. Winter has no shortage of songs, as snow and the [pick-your-religion-winter-celebration] lend themselves to songwriting. The other three seasons have fewer songs (I can only think of Laurie Berkner's "What Falls in the Fall?" from Whaddaya Think Of That? as a specifically autumn-related song), but spring I think is particularly deficient. What happens in the spring? Not much visibly, compared to autumn (falling leaves) or summer (general goofing off).
Here, then, is a list of spring-ish songs. Flowers and bugs and a little rain. Rain isn't necessarily for spring alone, but we've gone without much rain this winter and spring and so it's a bit of wishful thinking.
Raffi, "Robin in the Rain" (Singable Songs for the Very Young)
Elizabeth Mitchell, "You Are My Flower" (You Are My Flower)
Laurie Berkner, "In the Clouds" (Buzz Buzz)
Elizabeth Mitchell, "Ladybug Picnic" (You Are My Sunshine)
Lisa Loeb and Elizabeth Mitchell, "Butterfly" (Catch the Moon)
Ralph Covert, "The Ants Go Marching" (from Songs For Wiggleworms)
Dan Zanes and Dar Williams, "Wild Mountain Thyme" (Night Time!)
Dan Zanes, "On the Sunnyside of the Street" (Rocket Ship Beach)
I suppose there's always XTC's "Grass" or the Talking Heads' "(Nothing But) Flowers," but those aren't really for kids for assorted reasons, now are they?
Via TV For Tots (which I've been following for awhile, and needs to be added to the sidebar soon) comes this article on music videos for kids.
I remember when "music videos for kids" meant "kids watching MTV." But I think we're probably way past that point, aren't we? (Remember A-Ha's "Take On Me?" I think I'd probably let my daughter watch that, even with the small bits of stylized violence. Maybe there's something on MTV or MTV2 today I'd be comfortable with. But that would require me to actually watch MTV or MTV2.)
In any case, besides the article itself, which is kind of interesting, there are a couple news bits buried within:
1) Yes, indeedley-doodley, Ralph's World has signed with Disney. Do I know how to read between the lines or what?
2) They Might Be Giants is preparing the follow-up to Here Come the ABCs entitled, naturally, Here Come the 1-2-3s. It'll be another CD/DVD combo.
In a big development that has attracted, well, no attention whatsoever, Ralph's World latest album, Green Gorilla, Monster & Me, is now being released by DisneySound. You can buy it at Disney's shop and a glance here indicates that the album was rereleased by Disney about a month ago.
In fact, if you go here, you can see Ralph Covert described as "Walt Disney Records artist Ralph Covert from Ralph's World." The link mentions that he will pay "tribute to our silly old bear with a new Winnie the Pooh song." Pooh will be celebrating his 80th anniversary this year. Covert, who covered "Winnie the Pooh" and "The Wonderful Things About Tigger" on his debut Ralph's World album, is a good choice. No word, however, on Kenny Loggins' reaction.
