If you'd asked me a year ago for the hardest rocking band in kids music, I'd probably have given the nod to Detroit's CandyBand. But now, I'm not so sure... the Ramones-inspired Chicago-area band The Boogers have been playing a number of live shows. Take a listen to "I Don't Need To Be Worried" from Road To Rock, played live in Texas, and tell me that it wouldn't get some kids pogoing (and maybe even feel a little more confident).
The Boogers - "I Don't Need To Be Worried" (Live)
Play List: Bedtime Mix
As I noted in my original "Play List," I'm hoping to feature other folks' lists, and the first guest list is from reader Dan, who writes...
Mixtapes have always been a hobby of mine and when the little guy entered our world I figured why stop. We have also found it to be beneficial in introducing new music (as well as a little bit of parent music) to help with those musical obsessions that can drive families a bit crazy (right now the non-stop play in our house is Pop Fly by Justin Roberts).
This is our current favorite bedtime mix.
"Let It Be" - Nick Cave - I Am Sam
"Beautiful Boy -John Lennon" - The John Lennon Collection
"Miracle- Renee & Jeremy" - It's A Big World
"Over The Rainbow" - Dan Zanes & Friends - Rocket Ship Beach
"Give it a Kiss" - Wingdale Community Singers- Bright Spaces 2
"Sleep, Little One, Sleep" -Kevin Locke And Sissy Goodhouse - Lullaby
"Spirit Lullaby" -Sweet Honey In The Rock -Lullaby
"Hush Little Baby" -Dean Jones - Napper's Delight
"Butterfly" -Elizabeth Mitchell & Lisa Loeb- Catch The Moon
"2/2" -Brian Eno- Ambient 1 Music For Airports
On a good night our little guy is asleep by the end of the 3rd song, but the Brian Eno at the end is a nice transition into the CD ending if he is still awake by then.
Contest: Win Putumayo's Picnic Playground
The latest album from Putumayo Kids, Picnic Playground, is a fun collection of food-related tunes from folks close to home (Johnny Bregar, Asheba) and far away. And now Putumayo's giving you a chance to win the CD. All you have to do is be one of the first two folks to submit a recipe in their Picnic Playground Recipe Contest. They're looking for your favorite picnic recipe, and the winners will get the whole Putumayo Kids collection of albums. But if you're one of the first two entries that mention Zooglobble at the start of your entry, you'll automatically win the Picnic Playground disk.
Even if you don't win, you can sign up to get a free download from the album here or see if the tour's coming to your city here.
The rules for winning the overall contest are here. Entries are due August 25th, but speed is of the essence if you want to be the winner of this disk, natch.Video: "The Patience Bossa" - Perry Farrell & Deborah Harry
One of the cooler tracks from the Tor Hyams-compiled (and recently re-released) A World of Happiness is the Perry Farrell-Deborah Harry duet "The Patience Bossa." As with other kids' songs, the potentially annoying fact that it's a fairly overt message song ("patience = good," natch) is very much ameliorated by the fact that it's a pretty cool song. Farrell and Harry each do a good job with their roles in the song (Farrell, unsurprisingly, is anti-patience 'til the end) and the bossa rocks. The video, directed by Gary Oldman, may have a bit too much Farrell and Harry and not quite enough, you know, kids for the whole family to adore, but it's kinda cool anyway.
Perry Farrell & Deborah Harry - "The Patience Bossa"
Tot Rock. Now With Extra Zooglobble.
A few months ago, I called the kids' music series at the DC-area club Jammin' Java the "best kids music series in the country, hands down".
How impressed am I? Well, you can now find my comments on selected artists in their Tot Rock series on their website. Not everybody gets a comment (don't worry, Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke and Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, we'll get some special quotes up there shortly), but a lot of folks do.
Now to work on getting Jammin' Java Southwest.
Concert Review: The Wiggles (Phoenix, July 2009)
I promise, this'll be the last Wiggles post for awhile, but since I went to the show and wrote a review of it for the Phoenix New Times, I thought I'd at least note it -- you can read the review -- with 10% extra snark -- here.
I'll try to update this post with a few slightly grainy photos later, but for now, here's some cheap front-row cellphone footage from a drumline Anthony and Captain Feathersword performed during the show. This was kinda cool, actually...
