... with a little help from The Lovely Mrs. Davis.
Tammy La Gorce has YAKMA (Yet Another Kids Music Article) in the New York Times about the nurturing of musical taste in the under-5 set.
Amy provides thoughtful context for the rash of new music for kids -- you can decide for yourself whether that's "rash" in a good or a bad way.
If you're finding your way here thanks to Amy's kind linkage, feel free to look around. Plenty of reviews, another interview with Dan Zanes, info about Kevin Salem's and Kate Hyman's Little Monster Records, and lots of news.
Just one link you might not be familiar with -- my recent review of The Family Hootenanny, a collection of kid-friendly songs from Detroit artists. Check it out -- you won't be disappointed.
Next Up: The Vogue Children's Music Review
My first review in a print magazine, and it's for the venerable Conde Nast empire. You can see my brief review of Wee Hairy Beasties' Animal Crackers in the December issue of Wired magazine here.
Now where's David Remnick's e-mail address? I've got a story idea for him...
The Science Behind "John Lee Supertaster"
And you thought "John Lee Supertaster" was just a song.
No, They Might Be Giants were on to something -- according to this article, 1 in 4 people are supertasters -- with many things either too bitter or too sweet.
How can you tell? According to the print version of the paper, drop a couple drops of blue food coloring on the tip of your tongue -- if it stays blue, no dice, but if it retains a significant pink hue, congratulations, They Might Be Giants can now write a song about you.
(In case you need to hear the song... try the links here.)
Pre-Thanksgiving Leftovers
Many of you may already be heading to other locales for Thanksgiving, but here are some items worth your time, either before you sit down at the table or while fighting off your desire to take a 3-hour nap after dinner.
Charity and the JAMband have a sweet song, Thank You, available for download here. It's from an upcoming book/CD set, The Birthday Suite, for which the band did the music.
As reported here previously, Laurie Berkner will appear on the Fisher-Price float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Look for her to reach Macy's Herald Square at about 10:11 AM Eastern time. Despite the fact that the occasion clearly demands her song "(I'm Gonna Eat on) Thanksgiving Day," they're apparently going to play "Bumblebee (Buzz Buzz)." That Laurie, tool of the honey industry.
And finally, Dan Zanes has recorded a special song and filmed a video for Heifer International. You can see the YouTube video (which includes a plea for the organization in the middle) here or go to iTunes for purchase. It lacks the star firepower of "Do They Know It's Christmastime," but it's a better song.
Wherever you are this weekend, I hope you are able to count your blessings and celebrate with people important to you. Thanks to you, readers, for reading and commenting, and thanks to all the artists that have helped us to share musical experiences with our families.
Isn't It Uke?
A few weeks, Bill and I had a debate whether Paul Westerberg's endorsement of a cheapo $159 guitar was a good or bad thing.
Prepare for Round 2.
A note on Dan Zanes' latest newsletter (currently posted here) noted that he was selling a "limited edition" lime green ukelele for, yes, $159. (I'm guessing the quality will be a llittle better than that of the guitar.)
Despite my ambivalence about the idea of plastering a name on an object and selling it, I quickly ordered one because a) it'll be a while before I can get the rehearsal space for the drum set I really want, and b) I noticed there were only 45 that were going to be made available and figured they would sell out very fast.
Sure enough, they're already sold out.
Now, can anybody sell me the Zanes-ian hair?
Review: Astrograss For Kids - Astrograss
This is not your father's bluegrass.
I mean, I don't know whether or not your father listened to bluegrass -- mine didn't -- but I know for sure that this wasn't it.
On its Astrograss For Kids EP (2006), the New York-based band Astrograss takes bluegrass as a jumping-off point for jazz-like improvisation. (It's safe to say that were they to record "Wabash Cannonball" it wouldn't sound like many versions committed to record.) Add to that the fact that they've decided to set their tunes to the lyrics of Shel Silverstein, and the EP is one of the more unusual kids' CDs released this year.
I think the adventurous nature of the songs fits Silverstein's slightly skewed sensibilities, with poems about "Hungry Mungry," who's so hungry he ends up eating the entire universe, or "The Dirtiest Man in the World," about, well, you can figure it out. Probably the easiest song for kids to grasp is "Hurk," with a motley (in the best way) kids' chorus shouting lines such as "I'd rather play tennis than go to the dentist" -- it's a simple melody, with not-so-complex improvisation. I actually thought "Hungry Mungry" might be too long or too complex, but I can see the band live possibly keeping kids' attention throughout the entire story song. "The Generals" is gorgeously arranged, though perhaps a bit too slow to keep the kiddos' attention. (Again, live, it might be a different story.)
I think Silverstein's poetry is targeted mostly at kids ages 5 and up, so that's what I'll peg the age range of the music. You can listen to "Hungry Mungry," which I should note might actually be my least favorite track, as well as their sprightly version of "Jump Up!" with Dan Zanes here.
Astrograss For Kids is probably not the first album you'd think of to start a kids' music collection -- it's not quite as accessible, perhaps, as other albums. But if you're looking for something different for your family's collection, for acoustic music with a definite modern sensibility, this album may be up your alley.
