Monday Morning Smile: "Lightspeed" - Joel Henriques (World Premiere!)

This may be a first -- a combination Monday Morning Smile and world premiere video. It's for the song "Lightspeed" from Joel Henriques. You may know Joel from his own incredibly popular crafting website Made By Joel or the videos he's made for his sister Lori Henriques (I think my favorite is probably "Dinosaur").

Turns out, though, Joel's a bit of a musician himself, and seeing as there's some sort of Star Wars movie coming out later this month, he's gone an rerecorded a song he wrote about 20 years ago recounting the plot of the very first Star Wars movie (Episode IV, to be specific). "Lightspeed" is a funk-rap with a furious guitar line that recounts the story of Luke, Han, Princess Leia, and a certain Wookiee. Thrown in Joel dancing with a vintage Millennium Falcon t-shirt and simple animation based on drawings from his 8-year-old son, and it's a fun 2 minutes of pre-Episode VII hoopla. Not written with kids in mind, but I feel fairly sure that kids'll dig it.

Joel Henriques - "Lightspeed" [YouTube]

Interview: Greg Page

There's no way around it -- Greg Page will always be known as the original Yellow Wiggle. He was one of the original members of the Australian kids music superstars The Wiggles. But after retiring from the Wiggles in 2006 after being diagnosed with autonomic neuropathy, also known as dysautonomia (he later rejoined the group, but retired permanently in 2012), he worked to create a career outside of the group. He's got a production group (Yellow Entertainment), a kids' show on DVD (Butterscotch's Playground), and, most importantly since it's the beginning of December, a brand-new CD of Christmas and holiday music for kids titled Here Comes Christmas!.

Page answered some questions earlier this week about his musical memories from Christmas and the rest of the year, his favorite Christmas songs to sing, and what he (still) gets out of performing for kids.

Zooglobble: What are your first musical memories?

Greg Page: My first musical memories are of singing an old Jud Strunk song called “A Daisy A Day” which was made famous by Hank Snow – my grandmother used to love that song so much, and she would sing it to me all the time! I remember singing it for her in little concerts my sister and I put on in her back yard – I think I was three years old!

What is the favorite part of performing for families (as opposed to a purely adult audience)?

I love seeing families come together with children as the focus. So much of what we do as families is often dictated by external things – friends, work commitments just being busy with life in general – being able to bring families together for sake of being together is a great feeling. Music is such a unifying medium, and children respond so well to it – and so do adults!

You initially retired from the Wiggles in 2006 after fighting a chronic illness called dysautonomia -- how are you dealing with that illness today?

I’m managing my dysautonomia very well these days. When I was diagnosed with it in 2006, I had no idea what it was or what the prognosis would be. Having retired from The Wiggles gave me the opportunity to get on top of the condition, learn more about it and also now help others with their experiences with it too.

Greg Page - Here Comes Christmas album cover

What are your Christmas memories growing up?

My favourite memories of Christmas growing up are of family – loving parents who wanted us to experience the joy of receiving presents on Christmas Day. Spending time with extended family for lunch and just celebrating the wonderful lives that we have in this world. I hope that my children look back with similar memories when they are older!

What made you want to record a Christmas album?

I’ve always wanted to do one! Hearing such great songs done by incredible performers such as Perry Como, Dean Martin and Bing Crosby really inspired me to try to recapture those Christmas songs in a way that would connect with children.

What are your 3 favorite Christmas songs to sing?

Hmmm….”The Little Drummer Boy” because of the great story that it tells, “Feliz Navidad” is great because it challenges my Spanish, and “Jingle Bells” is always fun!

You have 3 original Christmas songs on the new album -- what do you think about as a musician in crafting a new holiday song?

Just trying to capture the essence of Christmas – fun, laughter, family, peace, love and hope! Hopefully we’ve done that with the 3 tunes on the album!

What’s next for you?

Yellow Entertainment is my new entertainment company which will look at distributing material for other artists who want an outlet to create and produce good quality material for children. I want to work closely with people who have great ideas to help them maximise the connection with children, as well as keep producing my own material for children through various platforms. One day, I’d love to have an internet TV station with ALL material produced by Yellow Entertainment so that parents know that they can come to that platform and find ONLY good quality shows for children!

Photo credits: Vanessa Miller Page

Video: "The Adventure Song" - Ben Rudnick and Friends

Ben Rudnick - A Frog Named Sam: Musical for Children cover

Musicals are the new TV pilots, or so it seemed over the past couple years, as kids music stars no less bright than Laurie Berkner, Justin Roberts, Recess Monkey, and Lunch Money all had (and, I believe, are continuing to have) major roles in new musicals for young audience.

I don't think the trend is stopping, either, as Ben Rudnick is going where the lights are bright... ON BROADWAY!

OK, not really, but his newest album, A Frog Named Sam: A Musical for Children, is released next month, and as you might be able to gather from the album title, it's from a brand-new musical. For children.

Does this musical involve an adventure, a journey? Judging by the album cover (an alien in a spaceship) and this first song, "The Adventure Song," I think that's a safe bet...

Ben Rudnick and Friends - "The Adventure Song" [YouTube]

Christmas and Holiday Kids Music 2015 (Songs and Videos)

To go along with my reviews of 2015 Christmas and holiday kids music, here are some videos and singles for your further enjoyment. I'll be adding songs and videos as they're released, so feel free to check back throughout the season (or shout out the new songs I've missed).

First, let's hear from Laurie Berkner, who has a new video for "Children Go Where I Send Thee," a track which appeared on 2012's A Laurie Berkner Christmas and the just released Laurie Berkner's Favorite Classic Kids' Songs. Pretty simple -- it features Berkner and regular Berkner bassist (and kindie musician in his own right) Brady Rymer and a bunch of children dancing around happily.

Laurie Berkner (with Brady Rymer) - "Children Go Where I Send Thee" [YouTube]

Next is a song I've already posted the video for, but it definitely merits a repeat mention, and that's "L.A. Christmas" from Andrew & Polly featuring Mista Cookie Jar. It's a sweet, sunny groove with just enough bells and holiday spirit to make it a nice alternative to a lot of holiday music.

Andrew & Polly and Mista Cookie Jar - "L.A. Christmas" [YouTube]

Of course there are Christmas-themed bands. The Yule Logs from California have four holiday albums under their belt, and have just released their fifth such album, Up All Night. The title track is a jangly bit of celebratory nonsense. The band isn't really a kids band, but this song and video passes the parental test.

Moving from L.A. to N.J., Jason Didner and the Jungle Gym Jam offer up a little bit of The Boss -- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band -- in their appealing single (and track from their forthcoming 2016 album) "Summertime Santa." Apparently the West Coast isn't the only coast that can offer up a beach-based Christmas celebration.

<a href="http://junglegymjam.bandcamp.com/track/summertime-santa">Summertime Santa by Jason Didner and the Jungle Gym Jam</a>

Speaking of songs featuring Santa mashups, Montana's The Salamanders move out from the beach onto the sea with their holiday single "Pirate Santa." As with "Summertime Santa," this is hardly a serious take on the holiday season, but combining "Yo Ho Ho" with "Ho Ho Ho" is a pretty good idea. (The last line, is also a darn good pun.)

<a href="http://salamandersmusic.bandcamp.com/track/pirate-santa">Pirate Santa by The Salamanders</a>

And there's no reason why we can't have multiple versions of the same song in a single year, right? Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem offer up their own take on "Children Go Where I Send Thee" that's a little more pensive and rootsier than Berkner and Rymer's take. Gotta believe that one of these will be to your family's taste.

We're in the midst of Hanukkah as I add this track, the latest from Jewish-themed rockers The Macaroons. This year's sing-along track, "Jews All Over the World," does give a shout-out to Hanukkah, but it's got an advantage in that it'd probably sound just as good in May as it does now. Try saying that about "Last Christmas."

<a href="http://themacaroons.bandcamp.com/track/jews-all-over-the-world">Jews All Over The World by The Macaroons</a>

This last embed isn't kindie, but as with most Christmas streams, it's certainly family-friendly. It's a Spotify playlist from Universal Music's vast library. At more than 4 hours (!) in length, there's plenty of room for the classics (just look at the first 5 songs in that embed stream) and new songs (e.g., Carly Rae Jepsen's take on Wham's "Last Christmas").

Other Songs/Videos/Album Streams

The Big Cheese Band - "The Christmas Crocodile" [YouTube]

Rockin' Robin & the Magical Tree - "Sparkly Christmas Things" [YouTube]

The Little Ditties - "S'no Day Like It" [Bandcamp]

Andrew & Polly - Other Days [Bandcamp]

Rain for Roots - Waiting Songs [Bandcamp]

Review: Christmas and Holiday Music 2015 (Albums)

Every year brings a handful of Christmas and holiday-themed albums from the kindie world, and 2015 is no exception. (Here's my review of 2014 holiday kids music, in case you want to reminisce around the fire about last year's efforts.) This year, I'll be splitting my holiday posts into at least two -- this post will focus on reviews of full albums and EPs, while a follow-up will take a look at holiday singles and videos.

Without further ado, then, let's get into it.

Andrew and Polly - Other Days

This is the shortest holiday album I'll be reviewing, but it's also my favorite. It's non-religious but ecumenical -- Hanukkah and Christmas happily coexist (especially in the leadoff track "Thank You for the Box") -- and in less than 12 minutes the four indie-pop tracks celebrate the season with a decidedly sunny attitude (there's a song called "L.A. Christmas" featuring Mista Cookie Jar, after all). But the closing track "A Mapmaker's Song" is a kindie successor to "I'll Be Home for Christmas." (Listen to the album on Bandcamp and Spotify.)

Rocknoceros - Happy Holidays

Ranking a close second on my holiday list this year is this collection from the Washington, D.C.-area trio. They ease into the holiday with a Halloween song ("Halloween Masquerade") and "This Thanksgiving" before turning their attention to the December holidays with songs original and traditional. (Or, in the case of "Oh Christmas Brie," silly puns.) One of the things I look for in holiday albums is something that distinguishes the music from the tens of thousands of other such albums, and besides the power-holiday-pop, I guess for me it's their mashup of "Auld Lang Syne (Enjoy Yourself)" -- not quite a Christmas song, but a great song with which to head into 2016.

Greg Page - Here Comes Christmas

Best known in the United States probably for being the original Yellow Wiggle for the massively successful Australian preschool rockers, Page hasn't been totally silent in the meanwhile -- he's done a TV show, Butterscotch's Playground. But this is his first newly-recorded album in a long time. The best tracks here are the originals that lead off the album, particularly "Here Comes Christmas" and "Christmas Bells." They're appealing pop songs that should entertain kids and families who have no memory of the Wiggles. The rest of the tracks feature a wide variety of secular and religious Christmas songs. Page's strong voice is sometimes undercut by electronic accompaniment -- if releasing a kajillion different holiday albums with a big band works for Brian Setzer, I think it could work for Page, who has a clear affinity for traditional arrangements.

Rain For Roots - Waiting Songs

Rain For Roots consists of four vocalists (including Coal Train Railroad's Katy Bowser) who make Christian kids music that's devotional without being tacky. This new album, specifically designed for the waiting season of Advent, sees them continuing that approach. The album features original songs from the quartet (with some kids singing along in places), along with traditional songs "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" and "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus" bookending the new songs. The explicitly Christian approach will limit the audience for this album perhaps, but if you are celebrating the Christmas season from a Christian perspective, this is an excellent addition to your holiday music rotation. (Stream the album on Bandcamp.)

Little Rockers Band - Yule Be Cool cover

The Little Rockers Band - Yule Be Cool

Yule Be Cool is, as you might guess from the album cover, fairly ecumenical in its approach to the holiday season, with a number of Jewish Hanukkah songs to go along with the Christmas songs (or, sometimes, both in one, as in the reworking of "Feliz Navidad"). The 47-minute album is a mix of old and new, and most interesting when it emphasizes the band's pop sound, like on the '60s sound of "It's Christmas Time Again." Finally, after hearing their take on Madonna's "Holiday," I can't believe that we haven't heard that particular song on more holiday albums.

London Philharmonic Orchestra (Maestro Classics) - The Nutcracker

Finally, it's another take on what must be a top-10 Christmas album subject, Peter Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker." What differentiates this version from most (if not all) of the hundreds (thousands?) of other recordings is twofold -- first, the recording features narration to go along with the music. Lots of kids have probably seen some form of the ballet either live or on TV, so it's not like the narration is necessary, but it might actually help those kids who've seen it to remember more of the story, particularly in the first act. Second, the recording pares down the 90-minute ballet to just shy of an hour. I doubt any but the most obsessed listeners will notice the difference. I wouldn't recommend this version as a family's primary copy of "The Nutcracker" -- it's much-beloved for good reason -- but as an alternative, it'll do just nicely.

Note: I received copies of all albums in physical or digital format for possible review.

Video: "Katy Caterpillar" - Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke

Amidst the rush and noise of the holiday season from Thanksgiving onward, I encourage families to come back to this video from Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke. It's for "Katy Caterpillar," a gentle Beatlesque lullaby, and while I'm pretty sure November and January isn't the most common time of year for caterpillars to become butterflies, Wilde's animations of butterflies (and caterpillars) are soothing visually. A perfectly pleasant two minutes.

Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke - "Katy Caterpillar" [YouTube]