Listen To This: Buy One Get One Flea Sampler - Dog on Fleas

It started as a trickle -- an offer of a free track, "Hinterlands," from the next Dog on Fleas album, punnily titled, Buy One Get One Flea.

And now, while I hesitate to call it a flood -- a stream, perhaps -- more music from the beloved New York everything-including-the-kitchen-sink band is making its way to the public's ears.

The sampler below not only features "Hinterlands" but three other tracks in the same jazzy, picnic blanket sound of some of the band's earlier work.  It also features the "Grand March" from Verdi's Aida, which you'll probably recognize once you hear the melody, though I feel confident in saying James Levine never conducted a version like this.

Buy One Get One Flea will be released February 2, 2014.

Dog on Fleas - Buy One Get One Flea Sampler [Bandcamp]

Listen To This: The Misty Cowboy and Other Songs to Dream By - Mr. & Mrs. Muffins

I talked with Mr. & Mrs. Muffins (aka Noah and Nanda Wilson) back in July on an episode of the Bake Sale podcast, and now, 5 months later not only do they have a brand new baby (literally), they have a brand new baby (musically).

That's right, The Misty Cowboy and Other Songs to Dream By is now available for listening (and purchasing in both electronic and vinyl formats).  It is, if you'll pardon the obvious adjective, a dreamy set of tracks, mostly instrumental, and lovely to listen to on a cold winter's day.  (It feels more Christmas-y to me than many holiday albums I've heard this year.)  Also: serious bonus points for including a cover of Mr. Rogers' "It's Such a Good Feeling" as the closing track.

Video: "Snow Day" - Zak Morgan

I don't think we've yet had this year a Snowmageddon or Snowpocalypse or whatever cutesy name you East Coasters and Midwesterners like to give to large snow storms.  Still, it never hurts to have your snow-themed videos cued up early.  Zak Morgan, with the latest video from his The Barber of the Beasts album, has got your "Snow Day" back.  It's as if Tom Waits filmed a video involving a man dressed in a chicken suit at the airport.  Likeable even if you got gypped and school was just open 2 hours late.

Zak Morgan - "Snow Day" [Vimeo]

Weekly Summary (12/2/13 - 12/8/13)

56th Grammy Nominations for Best Children's Album

It's a topsy-turvy world, and maybe the problems of two people don't amount to a hill of beans. But this is our hill. And these are our beans.

- Lt. Frank Drebin, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad

Well, here they are, the kids music nominees for the 56th Grammys:

Blue Clouds - Elizabeth Mitchell & You Are My Flower (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings) (review)

The Mighty Sky - Beth Nielsen Chapman (BNC Records)

Recess - Justin Roberts (Carpet Square Records) (review)

Singing Our Way Through: Songs For The World's Bravest Kids - Alastair Moock & Friends (Moockshake Music) (review)

Throw A Penny In The Wishing Well - Jennifer Gasoi (Sparkling Productions) (review)

Yes, it's (almost) time once again for the Grammys, the annual hill of beans recognizing the music industry's best and favorite albums of the year.  The list of the five kids' music albums is a solid, solid list.  Some quick thoughts:

  • I'd sort of forgotten about Blue Clouds, thinking that Mitchell's collaboration with Dan Zanes (Turn Turn Turn) might have more oomph.  (Edit: Turn Turn Turn was actually placed by NARAS on the folk music slate, from which it didn't get nominated.)  But the Folkways connection of the album could not have hurt, promotionally, either.  (That, and it's a great album.)

  • I can't say I'm as big a fan of The Mighty Sky as of the other nominees, but it's decent and certainly not a "where in the world did that come from?" choice.

  • I should probably actually publish my year-end "best of" lists (it's coming, I promise!) before saying this, but Recess was one of my two favorite albums of the past (Grammy) year.

  • In addition to having a great story, Singing Our Way Through is also a reeeeeallly good album.

  • While probably the least familiar name to American audiences, Jennifer Gasoi has been nominated for this award before.  Or, at least, the Canadian equivalent.  Most recently for this very album.  (And, yes, Throw A Penny in the Wishing Well is really good, too.)

Picking a winner -- and who you want to win -- will be especially tough this year.  But any of those nominees would make a fine winner.

Video: "Baby Born Today" - Elizabeth Mitchell and Friends

I'm obviously a big fan of Elizabeth Mitchell's album of Christmas music, The Sounding Joy.  So when you share a video (recorded live) of "Baby Born Today," of course I am going to share it here.  Features a bunch of artists besides Mitchell (including Natalie Merchant, Simi Stone, Amy Helm, and Ruthy Unger) giving it their vocal all.  As with the entire album, this is not exactly a "kids music video," but it is pretty cool.

Elizabeth Mitchell and Friends - "Baby Born Today" [Vimeo]