Share: Steve Lee Sampler

WhatDidYouDoToday.jpgA few years back, I was a little enchanted by What Did You Do Today, Steven Scott Lee?, the debut album from Nashville-based Steve Lee. Lee leaped right into the kids' music scene, got a bunch of his Nashville friends (they have a musician or two there), and recorded a bunch of incredibly catchy songs (along with a few skits). I called "Grab a Balloon" my favorite track, "quite possibly of the year", and the album made my list of top albums from 2007. Lee has been a little bit quiet on the kids' music front since then, though he's been keeping himself busy out and around Nashville and tour-managing some acts. Even better (from these admittedly biased quarters), Lee's been starting to play kids music around Nashville with a band he's put together called Yumza!. In talking with Lee, I'm pretty hopeful that the rest of the country will here the new songs pretty soon. In the meanwhile, use this widget to grab six of the songs (including "Grab a Balloon") from Stephen Scott Lee for the price of an e-mail and zip code. I promise you that you'll find at least a couple songs to love.

Video: "Say What?" - Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band (World Premiere)

OhLuckyDay.jpgI think all kids should get a chance to -- among other things -- a) ride a train, and b) scat. Now, if those kids start scatting while on the train as they do in this brand new (world premiere!) video from Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band, then I guess I'm cool with that. The lovely artwork's by Micah Player and features Lily and Zeborah, characters in Lately Lily, the apparel line Player helps produce. Player did the album art for both Diaz albums, including Oh Lucky Day!, the album this song, "Say What?," is from. The visual pleasures are quiet ones -- rather than featuring lots of action, this video mostly consists small changes you and your kids will have sit quietly and watch to notice. And, just like the last time I world-premiered a Lucky Diaz video, the video release comes closer to the release of his next album than the one the song is from. That's right, Diaz's next album, A Bit A Luck! will be out in less than 4 months, on May 8. Reportedly it features a horn section, which, in my experience, is never a bad thing. Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band - "Say What?" [YouTube]

Radio Playlist: New Music January 2012

Time again to update the Zooglobble radio station, covering assorted tracks collected in the last couple months or so of 2012. (You can see my October 2011 playlist here.) This playlist airs in the mid-afternoons (West Coast time), but if you can't listen in the afternoon, the tracks are scattered throughout the day, too. The listing below is in alphabetical order; the on-air play order is totally random (due to Internet music restrictions). Bill Bailey - The Biscuit Brothers (Get Up & Go) It's Not Fair - The Buzzniks (Bug Out) Goldfinches - The Chickadees (The Froggy Hop) Help - Cloud Cult (Minnesota Beatle Project Vol. 3) Walk Away - Debbie And Friends (All About Bullies...Big And Small) Sacagawea - The Deedle Deedle Dees (Strange Dees, Indeed) Max The Wonder Dog - DidiPop (Everyday Adventure) Samantha the Butterfly - Fox & Branch (Things Are Coming My Way!) I've Been Playing In A Soul Band - Groove Kid Nation (Music In Motion) Sugar Buzz - Jeanie B! And The Jelly Beans (Sugar Buzz) Living Inside Of A Jar - Jim Gill (Jim Gill Presents Music Play For Folks Of All Stripes) The Mixing Bowl - Kira Willey (Kings & Queens of the Forest) Soldier’s Joy - Laura Veirs (Tumble Bee) Sometimes - Little Miss Ann (Walk with Me) Welcome To The Library - Melvil Dewey (Deweylicious! Library Hip Hop) Bambas - Mujeres (Els Transports) Masha And The Rain - Sasha Bondarev (Sand Castle) Wrong Side Of The Bed - Soundzania (Soundzania Elementary School) Stink Bug - We Kids Rock Band (We Kids Rock!)

Itty-Bitty Review: Rockin' to the Fiddle - Jumping Through Hoops

RockinToTheFiddle.jpgJumping Through Hoops is the name for an all-star band of Brooklyn Americana musicians, including Kristin Andreassen, guitarist Chris Eldridge, and the project's creator, child psychologist/stringband fiddler (a phrase I typed just so I could be the first person ever to type that) Dr. Kari Groff. Given Dr. Groff's background and the fact that the next JTH release is designed "to help families with the tough issues kids face growing up," you might think this would be a dry, didactic release. It's not. There are parts of this album so joyful it seems to burst forth from the computer or iPod. You need not be a believer to feel moved by the band's take on the spiritual "Open Up the Window Noah." The album opener "Dance All Night" mixes a subtly positive message ("Dance all day and all night long / find your voice and sing along / dance all night 'til the break of day / feet can't stop while the fiddle girl play") with a melody that will encourage many listening to dance along. "The Secret Key" is a gentle original about friendship, and you might think that maybe the overt messaging's kicking in, but that's followed up by the zippiest version of "Shortnin' Bread" you will ever hear. The rest of the album continues to maintain that balance, buoyed by accomplished playing. There are a handful of songs whose messages are targeted at kids ages 4 through 9, but it'll likely have a broader appeal than that. You can stream the 26-minute album using the widget below. Rockin' to the Fiddle is a fabulous little sliver of bluegrass and Americana for the whole family. Fans of folks like Elizabeth Mitchell, Little Mo McCoury, Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem, and Dan Zanes -- and just plain good music -- ears up. Definitely recommended.

Please Release Me: January 2012 Edition

It's 2012, and time again for an updated list of new and upcoming releases, many of which were on last month's list. Additions to the list are noted with a "++"; changes to previously-mentioned items are indicated with italics. As always, if I've listed you on here and gotten something wrong (or something not ready for primetime), let me know and I'll edit or delete it. And if you're not on here and think you should be, drop me a line, too, and I'll get you added for the next iteration. ++ Little Miss Ann: Walk With Me (Jan. 15) ++ Kidz Bop: Kidz Bop 21 (Jan. 17) ++ Two of a Kind: Sing Me Your Story (Jan. 24) ++ Tom's Fun Band: Macaroni and Cheese (Jan. 27) Princess Katie and Racer Steve: Love, Cake & Monsters (January?) Central Services Board of Education: Binary [tentative] (January?) The Good Ms. Padgett: ... Tells The Little Red Hen and Other Stories (January?) RhymeZwell: Robots on the Dance Floor (January?) Big Don: Big Don's Brand New Beat (January?) Riff Rockit: Riff Rockit (CD, DVD, Jan. 24) Katherine Dines: Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta HITS (Jan. 31) Ellis Paul: The Hero in You (January) The Fresh Beat Band: Soundtrack (January) ++ Rockabye Baby: Lullaby Renditions of Depeche Mode (Feb. 7) ++ Farmer Jason: Nature Jams (Feb. 7) The Bari Koral Family Rock Band: Anna And The Cupcakes (Feb. 14) Putumayo Kids: Instrumental Dreamland (Feb. 28) Tim and the Space Cadets: Anthems for Adventure (February) Bill Harley: High Dives and Other Things That Could Have Happened (February) Doctor Noize: Grammaropolis (March 4) Recess Music: La Bella Stella (March 27) Gustafer Yellowgold: Gustafer Yellowgold’s Year in The Day (April 3) Mo Phillips: Title TBA (April 10) Caspar Babypants: HOT DOG! (April 17) ++ Sukey Molloy: I Am Happy (April 24) Orange Sherbet: Delicious (May 1) Hope Harris: Picasso, That's Who (May 8) Okee Dokee Brothers: Mississippi River CD/DVD (May) Randy Kaplan: Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie (spring?) The Funky Mamas and Friends: Pickin’ In The Garden (spring) Elena Moon Park: Rabbit Days and Dumplings (spring) ++ The Pop Ups: Radio Jungle (spring) ++ Alison Faith Levy: World of Wonder (spring) The Dirty Sock Funtime Band: Dirty Socks Come Clean (June 26) Charity and the JAMband: Family Values (July 3) ++ Recess Music: Someone Else’s Shoes (September 25) Andy Z: The Grand Scream of Things (Halloween 2012) Other expected 2012 albums: Ah-Choo, Peter Apel, Ratboy, Jr., Sugar Free Allstars, Renee & Jeremy, The Bramble Jam, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo (Make Believers), Bobby Susser (Wo), Eric Herman (2 albums: one music, one comedy skits), Keith Munslow (2 albums: one solo, one with Bill Harley), Wayne Potash, Alex and the Kaleidoscope Band, Lori Henriques, Shine and the Moonbeams, Yumza! ++

Monday Morning Smile: MLK, Jr., Readeez-Style

I couldn't say much -- anything, really -- that would improve upon the speech that Readeez creator Michael Rachap chose to give the Readeez treatment. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech on the Washington Mall in 1963 is a classic -- here's the powerful last ninety seconds.