To make it easy for newscomers to the site, you can find links below to the Top 16 albums of 2006. In addition, find other nominees here and find out why your favorite album might not have made the cut here.
And do not miss Christopher Noxon's essay and Deb Evans Braun's essay (plus songbook)!
The Top 16 Kids and Family Albums of 2006 (in order):
Meltdown! - Justin Roberts
You Are My Little Bird - Elizabeth Mitchell
Catch That Train! - Dan Zanes
Fascinating Creatures - Frances England
Animal Crackers - Wee Hairy Beasties
Electric Storyland - The Sippy Cups
Hey You Kids! - The Jellydots
Rock Your Socks Off - Charity and the JAMband
The Great Adventures of Mr. David - Mr. David
Celebrate the Difference - Terri Hendrix
Plays Well With Others - Uncle Rock
Colours Are Brighter - Various Artists
Macaroni Boy Eats at Chez Shooby Doo - Ginger Hendrix
Prelude to Mutiny - Captain Bogg & Salty
When I Get Little - Dog On Fleas
The Family Hootenanny - Various Artists
Kids and Family Music Awards
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Monday, November 20, 2006
Albums That Aren't On The List
In compiling the lists from our Fids and Kamily judges, I was the self-appointed naysayer, eliminating albums that didn't meet our selection criteria -- an album initially released between November 1, 2005 and October 31, 2006 in either physical or downloadable format at an actual store between that time.
In my role as grinchy naysayer I eliminated several albums from consideration, albums that would have received at least one vote from the judges. So if one of the albums below is one of your favorites, you'll know why it didn't make the list...
If You Ever See An Owl - The Terrible Twos (sold only at shows; its formal release in January 2007 on Kid Rhino will make it eligible for next year's awards)
Mommy Says No! - The Asylum Street Spankers (sold only through the band's website -- they are preparing a formal release in February; eligible for next year's awards)
Marvelous Day! - SteveSongs (released before the window)
Giddyup! - Buck Howdy (released before the window)
The Hipwaders - The Hipwaders (released before the window)
Gustafer Yellowgold's Wide Wild World - (not an album)
In my role as grinchy naysayer I eliminated several albums from consideration, albums that would have received at least one vote from the judges. So if one of the albums below is one of your favorites, you'll know why it didn't make the list...
If You Ever See An Owl - The Terrible Twos (sold only at shows; its formal release in January 2007 on Kid Rhino will make it eligible for next year's awards)
Mommy Says No! - The Asylum Street Spankers (sold only through the band's website -- they are preparing a formal release in February; eligible for next year's awards)
Marvelous Day! - SteveSongs (released before the window)
Giddyup! - Buck Howdy (released before the window)
The Hipwaders - The Hipwaders (released before the window)
Gustafer Yellowgold's Wide Wild World - (not an album)
Saturday, November 18, 2006
It's OK To Hate Your Kids' Music
First of all, big ups to Amy, Stefan and the assorted critics, DJ's, musicians and kid media connoisseurs who made this poll possible. I for one am pleased beyond reason that we now have an authoritative, peer-reviewed scorecard for quality kids' music, a genre that's for too long been either neglected or exploited. Long live Fids and Kamily…
It couldn't come at a better time, obviously. As a father of three who devotes the same sort of obsessive energy to making kiddie music CDs that I once devoted to scouring record shops for 12-inch singles by pale Englishmen with funny haircuts, I'm psyched by the sudden onslaught of new kids' music. It's all good: the carpetbagging of "adult" acts like Paul Westerberg and Medeski Martin & Wood, the awesomeness of radio shows Greasy Kid Stuff and Spare the Rock, the break-out successes of Berkner and Ralph and They Might Be Giants, the arrival of the indie kid rock label Little Monster... Music-loving parents suddenly have lots to celebrate, an abundance of proof that we've reached a cultural milestone of sorts, a time when becoming a mom or dad no longer means enduring an onslaught of cynical, superficial, crappy music.
So crank it up and pass the bongos and hip hip horray and all that.
But forgive me if I add a note of cynicism to the happy polka-dot party. Am I alone in noticing how much of what now passes for kids' music isn't really, you know, kids' music? How so much of new kids' music is either ho-hum, jangly adult contemporary that happens to focus on the importance or sharing or jungle gyms (read: Jack Johnson's "Curious George" soundtrack) or simplified folk- or psych-rock that seems designed more to make parents feel cool than entertain actual kids?
This was driven home last week at a Sippy Cups show at the House of Blues in LA, where I spent two hours elbowing a horde of other sweaty parents to ensure our dumbstruck offspring had a good vantage point to see the light show. Then there was the Dan Zanes concert at UCLA, where I heard the following actual snippet of dialogue: "Stop squirming, Montana! Listen! It's a sea shanty! Can you say that: sea shanty?"
Montana couldn't care less, and no wonder. Dan Zanes is a great folk traditionalist with a firm grasp of his musical roots, just as the Sippy Cups are an ingenious blend of Captain Beefheart and the Wiggles… and none of that matters a whit to real-life actual kids. They want to rock and laugh and dance and hear some echo of their own anarchic, wondrous world. And as eager as we pop snob parents are to pass our discerning tastes on to our children, we mustn't forget this: it's the kids, stupid.
That doesn't mean kids' music should be saccharine or sentimental or simple – quite the opposite. It should be strange and forceful and every once in a while, entirely off-putting (Try digging up some Jim Copp or Fatcat & Fishface). Sometimes we parents should hate it. When we do, we'll know we're really doing our job.
Christopher Noxon is the author of Rejuvenile: Kickball, Cartoons, Cupcakes and the Reinvention of the American Grown-Up. Excerpts, interviews and a blog are posted on the Rejuvenile website, and an archive of previous writings is available on christophernoxon.com.
It couldn't come at a better time, obviously. As a father of three who devotes the same sort of obsessive energy to making kiddie music CDs that I once devoted to scouring record shops for 12-inch singles by pale Englishmen with funny haircuts, I'm psyched by the sudden onslaught of new kids' music. It's all good: the carpetbagging of "adult" acts like Paul Westerberg and Medeski Martin & Wood, the awesomeness of radio shows Greasy Kid Stuff and Spare the Rock, the break-out successes of Berkner and Ralph and They Might Be Giants, the arrival of the indie kid rock label Little Monster... Music-loving parents suddenly have lots to celebrate, an abundance of proof that we've reached a cultural milestone of sorts, a time when becoming a mom or dad no longer means enduring an onslaught of cynical, superficial, crappy music.
So crank it up and pass the bongos and hip hip horray and all that.
But forgive me if I add a note of cynicism to the happy polka-dot party. Am I alone in noticing how much of what now passes for kids' music isn't really, you know, kids' music? How so much of new kids' music is either ho-hum, jangly adult contemporary that happens to focus on the importance or sharing or jungle gyms (read: Jack Johnson's "Curious George" soundtrack) or simplified folk- or psych-rock that seems designed more to make parents feel cool than entertain actual kids?
This was driven home last week at a Sippy Cups show at the House of Blues in LA, where I spent two hours elbowing a horde of other sweaty parents to ensure our dumbstruck offspring had a good vantage point to see the light show. Then there was the Dan Zanes concert at UCLA, where I heard the following actual snippet of dialogue: "Stop squirming, Montana! Listen! It's a sea shanty! Can you say that: sea shanty?"
Montana couldn't care less, and no wonder. Dan Zanes is a great folk traditionalist with a firm grasp of his musical roots, just as the Sippy Cups are an ingenious blend of Captain Beefheart and the Wiggles… and none of that matters a whit to real-life actual kids. They want to rock and laugh and dance and hear some echo of their own anarchic, wondrous world. And as eager as we pop snob parents are to pass our discerning tastes on to our children, we mustn't forget this: it's the kids, stupid.
That doesn't mean kids' music should be saccharine or sentimental or simple – quite the opposite. It should be strange and forceful and every once in a while, entirely off-putting (Try digging up some Jim Copp or Fatcat & Fishface). Sometimes we parents should hate it. When we do, we'll know we're really doing our job.
Christopher Noxon is the author of Rejuvenile: Kickball, Cartoons, Cupcakes and the Reinvention of the American Grown-Up. Excerpts, interviews and a blog are posted on the Rejuvenile website, and an archive of previous writings is available on christophernoxon.com.
The Best Music Is Your Family's
There’s something magical about making music with friends and family. There’s a bond we form when sing and play together that we can’t get strumming a guitar alone. The music sounds better the more people are making it, regardless of how well a person may think they can play or sing. The spirit of community makes the song sound so much more beautiful.
We listen to lots of music in our house. But the stuff we really gravitate to has something special. There’s a quality of heart that we can hear in it. That’s what makes us want to sing out together, get out our instruments and play along. It makes us want to get together with our friends, turn off the stereo and play the song again, ourselves.
This year we were more excited than ever because of the sheer abundance of great new kids’ and family music. Our favorite artists from 2006 have that quality of heart that inspires us to make music with one another. You can tell that they love making music.
· Enzo Garcia’s LMNO Music series, particularly, Pink, Orange and Violet.
· Frances England’s Fascinating Creatures
· Elizabeth Mitchell’s You Are My Little Bird
· Old Town School of Folk Music SONGBOOK Volume One
· Down By the Riverside – a compilation benefiting the Reuben Lindh family services
· Dog On Fleas’ When I Get Little
These are fun and jumpin’ and sweet and quiet and beautiful and happy and full of heart!
We’re a family of music makers, though by no means professionals. We squeak and squawk here and there. And sometimes even more than that. But we love it. We’ve got a bunch of instruments in the house, and when friends come over, the kids and adults end up taking them out. We have tambourines, drums, pots and pans, homemade shakers and kazoos. An autoharp is a FABULOUS instrument to have around with kids. Each key has the name of the chord you are going to play, then you just press and strum. You can find them cheap on Ebay or at rummage sales. They have this dork factor, but really, parents and kids can play them with quick success. The ukulele is also a pretty easy instrument to learn. It’s a great size for smaller fingers and has fewer strings than a guitar. But great music can be made with just voices, shakers and drums.
We’ve been helped along in our music making by a couple of wonderful music books. Rise Up Singing is an outstanding collection of 1,200 songs, subtitled “the group singing songbook.” It’s got lyrics and chords for a wide variety of songs from sea chanties to some show tunes to “Oh Susanna” to “I’m My Own Grandpa” and on and on… Ruth Crawford Seeger’s American Folk Songs for Children is another book we use often.
In that same vein, we’ve downloaded song lyrics and chords from the websites of some of the family musicians we like. Dan Zanes has lyrics and chords to many of the songs on his records at his website. Elizabeth Mitchell created a truly lovely songbook with many of the songs from You Are My Little Bird that we printed out at home. Frances England has lyrics at her site and so does Dog on Fleas. Lots of artists are putting lyrics at their websites now, which is great for community music making.
To contribute to the spirit of community music making, I’ve compiled a few of the songs from this year that have made our family sing and dance into a songbook for your families. (Download the songbook here.) Frances England, Enzo Garcia, and Dean Jones of Dog on Fleas were kind enough to contribute original songs. The rest are traditional melodies that can be found on the other albums. Enjoy these and create the magic, too. Let’s all be music makers and see what wonderful inspiration 2007 brings.
Deb Evans Braun lives in San Francisco with her husband, two kids, a guitar, banjo, ukulele, flute, clarinet, two autoharps, two recorders, and myriad other music making thingamajigs.
We listen to lots of music in our house. But the stuff we really gravitate to has something special. There’s a quality of heart that we can hear in it. That’s what makes us want to sing out together, get out our instruments and play along. It makes us want to get together with our friends, turn off the stereo and play the song again, ourselves.
This year we were more excited than ever because of the sheer abundance of great new kids’ and family music. Our favorite artists from 2006 have that quality of heart that inspires us to make music with one another. You can tell that they love making music.
· Enzo Garcia’s LMNO Music series, particularly, Pink, Orange and Violet.
· Frances England’s Fascinating Creatures
· Elizabeth Mitchell’s You Are My Little Bird
· Old Town School of Folk Music SONGBOOK Volume One
· Down By the Riverside – a compilation benefiting the Reuben Lindh family services
· Dog On Fleas’ When I Get Little
These are fun and jumpin’ and sweet and quiet and beautiful and happy and full of heart!
We’re a family of music makers, though by no means professionals. We squeak and squawk here and there. And sometimes even more than that. But we love it. We’ve got a bunch of instruments in the house, and when friends come over, the kids and adults end up taking them out. We have tambourines, drums, pots and pans, homemade shakers and kazoos. An autoharp is a FABULOUS instrument to have around with kids. Each key has the name of the chord you are going to play, then you just press and strum. You can find them cheap on Ebay or at rummage sales. They have this dork factor, but really, parents and kids can play them with quick success. The ukulele is also a pretty easy instrument to learn. It’s a great size for smaller fingers and has fewer strings than a guitar. But great music can be made with just voices, shakers and drums.
We’ve been helped along in our music making by a couple of wonderful music books. Rise Up Singing is an outstanding collection of 1,200 songs, subtitled “the group singing songbook.” It’s got lyrics and chords for a wide variety of songs from sea chanties to some show tunes to “Oh Susanna” to “I’m My Own Grandpa” and on and on… Ruth Crawford Seeger’s American Folk Songs for Children is another book we use often.
In that same vein, we’ve downloaded song lyrics and chords from the websites of some of the family musicians we like. Dan Zanes has lyrics and chords to many of the songs on his records at his website. Elizabeth Mitchell created a truly lovely songbook with many of the songs from You Are My Little Bird that we printed out at home. Frances England has lyrics at her site and so does Dog on Fleas. Lots of artists are putting lyrics at their websites now, which is great for community music making.
To contribute to the spirit of community music making, I’ve compiled a few of the songs from this year that have made our family sing and dance into a songbook for your families. (Download the songbook here.) Frances England, Enzo Garcia, and Dean Jones of Dog on Fleas were kind enough to contribute original songs. The rest are traditional melodies that can be found on the other albums. Enjoy these and create the magic, too. Let’s all be music makers and see what wonderful inspiration 2007 brings.
Deb Evans Braun lives in San Francisco with her husband, two kids, a guitar, banjo, ukulele, flute, clarinet, two autoharps, two recorders, and myriad other music making thingamajigs.
#1: Meltdown! - Justin Roberts
Meltdown! is yet another exclamation point in the brilliant career of children’s artist Justin Roberts. There simply isn’t another musician working today that connects as well with both children and adults like Roberts.
To understand Justin’s appeal, you have to start with his lyrics. While other children’s artists are busy covering old nursery rhymes and folk songs for the umpteenth time, Roberts has been crafting honest, witty observations about the childhood experience.
For decades, children’s music had become out of touch and disconnected with reality. Barney used to sing, “I love you, you love me, we’re a happy family.” As if nothing else could be going on behind closed doors. Roberts’ success lies in his willingness to look behind those doors.
In the song “Meltdown!” a boy has a breakdown when his brother steals his crayon. Hearing the commotion, mom enters the room to find that the kids have scribbled on her antique furniture. Next thing you know, she’s having a total meltdown. Sound familiar? Of course it does. Sound like a good idea for a song? Not really. Except that Roberts has figured a way to cloak the thing in killer harmonies, call and response phrases and a final line that pays homage to Modern English’s “I Melt With You”. By singing about what really happens on the home front, kids and parents realize that they’re not alone in their respective struggles. Things aren’t perfect at home they way Barney portrayed it. But Justin let’s us know that it’s okay. It’s normal. And we can all have a laugh about it.
In “My Brother Did It,” a brother plays the typical blame game admitting that his brother was the one that spilt the milk and left the cereal box out. Nobody gets scolded and no morals are told. It’s open-ended and understated. We can all relate.
Of course, lyrics are just half the story. Justin’s penchant for pop hooks, melody and witty and touching wordplay make his music stick in your craw long after you’ve shut down your iTunes. You’ll find touches of Paul Simon, Nick Lowe, Loudon Wainwright and the Beach Boys sprinkled throughout. But in the end, Justin has a sound all his own. And that’s the honest truth.
Scott Eirinberg is the co-founder of The Land of Nod.
To understand Justin’s appeal, you have to start with his lyrics. While other children’s artists are busy covering old nursery rhymes and folk songs for the umpteenth time, Roberts has been crafting honest, witty observations about the childhood experience.
For decades, children’s music had become out of touch and disconnected with reality. Barney used to sing, “I love you, you love me, we’re a happy family.” As if nothing else could be going on behind closed doors. Roberts’ success lies in his willingness to look behind those doors.
In the song “Meltdown!” a boy has a breakdown when his brother steals his crayon. Hearing the commotion, mom enters the room to find that the kids have scribbled on her antique furniture. Next thing you know, she’s having a total meltdown. Sound familiar? Of course it does. Sound like a good idea for a song? Not really. Except that Roberts has figured a way to cloak the thing in killer harmonies, call and response phrases and a final line that pays homage to Modern English’s “I Melt With You”. By singing about what really happens on the home front, kids and parents realize that they’re not alone in their respective struggles. Things aren’t perfect at home they way Barney portrayed it. But Justin let’s us know that it’s okay. It’s normal. And we can all have a laugh about it.
In “My Brother Did It,” a brother plays the typical blame game admitting that his brother was the one that spilt the milk and left the cereal box out. Nobody gets scolded and no morals are told. It’s open-ended and understated. We can all relate.
Of course, lyrics are just half the story. Justin’s penchant for pop hooks, melody and witty and touching wordplay make his music stick in your craw long after you’ve shut down your iTunes. You’ll find touches of Paul Simon, Nick Lowe, Loudon Wainwright and the Beach Boys sprinkled throughout. But in the end, Justin has a sound all his own. And that’s the honest truth.
Scott Eirinberg is the co-founder of The Land of Nod.
#2 (tie): You Are My Little Bird - Elizabeth Mitchell
I was first introduced to Elizabeth Mitchell via Noggin and her work with her old friend Lisa Loeb. Her latest album You Are My Little Bird is a pure and simple and extremely engaging album for young children and families.
Elizabeth focuses on classic style folk music, both old and new. No heavy instrumentals, simple guitar and piano that never overwhelm the voices. I recommend every song on the album, although there is quite a varietyof sounds and styles. I adore the new arrangement of "Down in the Valley." "Grassy Grass Grass" is actually an open-ended chant originally written by Woody Guthrie. "Zousan (Little Elephant)" is a lovely Japanese song. "PomNaTu Ri (Springtime Outing)" is another bird song in Korean.
The inclusion of her daughter Storey's voice makes it even more endearing. I love hearing children sing along on a kid's album, and Elizabeth's voice is soothing and beautiful. The included booklet with the CD also has some fascinating articles and information.
I'm quite glad to have discovered her work.
Fran Grauman is About.com's Kids' Music Guide.
Elizabeth focuses on classic style folk music, both old and new. No heavy instrumentals, simple guitar and piano that never overwhelm the voices. I recommend every song on the album, although there is quite a varietyof sounds and styles. I adore the new arrangement of "Down in the Valley." "Grassy Grass Grass" is actually an open-ended chant originally written by Woody Guthrie. "Zousan (Little Elephant)" is a lovely Japanese song. "PomNaTu Ri (Springtime Outing)" is another bird song in Korean.
The inclusion of her daughter Storey's voice makes it even more endearing. I love hearing children sing along on a kid's album, and Elizabeth's voice is soothing and beautiful. The included booklet with the CD also has some fascinating articles and information.
I'm quite glad to have discovered her work.
Fran Grauman is About.com's Kids' Music Guide.
#2 (tie): Catch That Train! - Dan Zanes
My childhood, like almost everyone else's I know, wasn't exactly a pretty picture. But, when I was very small and the family lived near one another and we were still all speaking, my Great Uncle Art would come over with his banjo. And he would play songs. I think some of the adults were mortified— at first—but mostly everyone dug right in and sang the songs of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, off-key but in familial harmony. I probably don't really remember this, but there are pictures. And I see glee and that familial harmony in the eyes of most everyone present… most especially, me.
Dan Zanes and his own familial sing song-a-longs remind me of this fleeting yet ferociously loyal feeling and so for that very fact alone, he can do no wrong. I'll always recommend him to everyone who will listen. When my own daughter was almost two, I took her to a Dan Zanes concert because I'd heard apiece on him on NPR and had vaguely liked his previous incarnation as college radio band guy in the Del Fuegos. We had played music for my daughter her whole (admittedly short) life but this concert was the first time she reacted so dramatically to live music. Somewhere around the third song she popped out of her chair and ran as fast as she couldaway from me and towards Dan Zanes (and really, Barabra Brousal who had pigtails and a guitar— a stunning combo!) And, I cried. Seriously I was just overcome with emotion from seeing her emotion from seeing this band. And that is reason number two Dan will always be at the tops of my recommended CDs of the year.
And what of Catch That Train? It's as quirky and as sing-song-alongable as his other releases (all good, every last one.) When we all listen to it together—be it our small family of three or the extended re-mix— it makes us feel comforted and joyful and just seems to reinforce that consummate familial feeling, the unconditional bond, that affinity that comes from singing and laughing together without care or worry. Dan calls it family music and I could not agree more.
Clea Hantman is the author of (sm)all Ages.
Dan Zanes and his own familial sing song-a-longs remind me of this fleeting yet ferociously loyal feeling and so for that very fact alone, he can do no wrong. I'll always recommend him to everyone who will listen. When my own daughter was almost two, I took her to a Dan Zanes concert because I'd heard apiece on him on NPR and had vaguely liked his previous incarnation as college radio band guy in the Del Fuegos. We had played music for my daughter her whole (admittedly short) life but this concert was the first time she reacted so dramatically to live music. Somewhere around the third song she popped out of her chair and ran as fast as she couldaway from me and towards Dan Zanes (and really, Barabra Brousal who had pigtails and a guitar— a stunning combo!) And, I cried. Seriously I was just overcome with emotion from seeing her emotion from seeing this band. And that is reason number two Dan will always be at the tops of my recommended CDs of the year.
And what of Catch That Train? It's as quirky and as sing-song-alongable as his other releases (all good, every last one.) When we all listen to it together—be it our small family of three or the extended re-mix— it makes us feel comforted and joyful and just seems to reinforce that consummate familial feeling, the unconditional bond, that affinity that comes from singing and laughing together without care or worry. Dan calls it family music and I could not agree more.
Clea Hantman is the author of (sm)all Ages.
#4: Fascinating Creatures - Frances England
The secret is out. Frances England’s Fascinating Creatures has been garnering accolades and glowing reviews in 2006 from all kinds of places and all of it is well deserved. Fascinating Creatures is a very organic and original piece of kid’s music that is truly deserving of being labeled as enjoyable for the whole family. From the opening strumming of the first song "Sometimes" and continuing through all 13 original songs on the album, you are delivered a collection of simple yet clever, folky yet subtly rockin’ children’s music. The indie-rock influences and comparisons are there…Cat Power, Liz Phair, Kristin Hersh, etc., but England brings her own distinctive voice and sound to make this album special.
While the music and performance is great, the beauty of Fascinating Creatures stems from England’s song lyrics. Although the subject matter of most songs is somewhat typical children’s music fare, it’s the thoughtful fun that she has lyrically with each song that makes them stand out…tricycles, animals, books, jazz musicians, blueberry pancakes, gardening, and boats are all given a fresh new spin by England. The album almost strikes the perfect balance of great music for both parents and kids.
The secret that has been spreading is that Frances England’s Fascinating Creatures is one of the best examples of an indie-rock children’s record that is out right now (and I agree). Now, go on and spread the secret even further!
Bryan Townsend is the owner of The Pokey Pup.
While the music and performance is great, the beauty of Fascinating Creatures stems from England’s song lyrics. Although the subject matter of most songs is somewhat typical children’s music fare, it’s the thoughtful fun that she has lyrically with each song that makes them stand out…tricycles, animals, books, jazz musicians, blueberry pancakes, gardening, and boats are all given a fresh new spin by England. The album almost strikes the perfect balance of great music for both parents and kids.
The secret that has been spreading is that Frances England’s Fascinating Creatures is one of the best examples of an indie-rock children’s record that is out right now (and I agree). Now, go on and spread the secret even further!
Bryan Townsend is the owner of The Pokey Pup.
#5: Animal Crackers - Wee Hairy Beasties
Making music for kids should be – above all else – fun. If the musicians (or others involved in the process) are taking it all too seriously or saying things like, "Darn it, Bob, get serious! We're trying to make a hit record here!" it will be painfully apparent to listeners, especially kids. They'll tune out as quickly as if they were listening to their mom explain (for the twelfth time this week) why it's so important to keep their room clean.
A new group on the kids and family scene that clearly understands the importance of fun is Wee Hairy Beasties. This collaboration of Jon Langford, Sally Timms, Kelly Hogan, and acoustic blues/jazz combo Devil in a Woodpile (all with impressive careers in the world of grown-up music), released their first album, Animal Crackers, this fall. In their roles as Cyril the Karaoke Squirrel (Langford), Marjorie the Singing Bee (Hogan), and Monkey Double Dippey (Timms), and with plenty of kazoo and washboard in the mix, no one could accuse this ensemble of taking themselves too seriously.
But because Wee Hairy Beasties are so seriously talented, they sound totally relaxed and at ease as they wow us with amazing vocals, masterful picking, and a blend of blues, country, jazz and swing. Like the Harlem Globetrotters or the ensemble in a Christopher Guest movie (i.e. Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman), the Wee Hairy Beasties demonstrate that with remarkable talent and chemistry, it's possible to make a performance seem loose and effortless – when, in fact, it's incredibly tight and technically complex.
With high energy and vivid lyrics, Wee Hairy Beasties sing about animals and bugs with titles like "Housefly Blues" and "Lightnin' the Turtle". The album opens (and closes) with the band's own theme song, "Wee Hairy Beasties", and we learn more about Cyril and Marjorie in "Cyril the Karaoke Squirrel", a ballad showcasing Hogan's vocals. Animal Crackers' "eeeew" factor (especially on songs like "Flies in My Taters") will keep kids engaged, and the ensemble's fabulous musical chops will entertain everyone.
Amy Davis is the author of the The Lovely Mrs. Davis Tells You What To Think.
A new group on the kids and family scene that clearly understands the importance of fun is Wee Hairy Beasties. This collaboration of Jon Langford, Sally Timms, Kelly Hogan, and acoustic blues/jazz combo Devil in a Woodpile (all with impressive careers in the world of grown-up music), released their first album, Animal Crackers, this fall. In their roles as Cyril the Karaoke Squirrel (Langford), Marjorie the Singing Bee (Hogan), and Monkey Double Dippey (Timms), and with plenty of kazoo and washboard in the mix, no one could accuse this ensemble of taking themselves too seriously.
But because Wee Hairy Beasties are so seriously talented, they sound totally relaxed and at ease as they wow us with amazing vocals, masterful picking, and a blend of blues, country, jazz and swing. Like the Harlem Globetrotters or the ensemble in a Christopher Guest movie (i.e. Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman), the Wee Hairy Beasties demonstrate that with remarkable talent and chemistry, it's possible to make a performance seem loose and effortless – when, in fact, it's incredibly tight and technically complex.
With high energy and vivid lyrics, Wee Hairy Beasties sing about animals and bugs with titles like "Housefly Blues" and "Lightnin' the Turtle". The album opens (and closes) with the band's own theme song, "Wee Hairy Beasties", and we learn more about Cyril and Marjorie in "Cyril the Karaoke Squirrel", a ballad showcasing Hogan's vocals. Animal Crackers' "eeeew" factor (especially on songs like "Flies in My Taters") will keep kids engaged, and the ensemble's fabulous musical chops will entertain everyone.
Amy Davis is the author of the The Lovely Mrs. Davis Tells You What To Think.
#6: Electric Storyland - The Sippy Cups
The Sippy Cups started out playing kid-friendly cover versions of tunes from Pink Floyd and Elton John. Their latest album Electric Storyland takes a slightly different approach, eschewing cover songs for a set of 14 original songs. But the album has every bit of the debut's energy, enthusiasm, and humor, with songs that draw inspiration from the '60s and '70s, but are definitely original.
Take "Use Your Words," one of very few tracks that have anything remotely resembling a "message," about how articulating feelings rather than simply acting on them is a preferred way of dealing with frustration ("The world will be greater / If you use your words"). It's a fun, uptempo song that has the faintest echoes of, say, Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride." But most songs are content to paint pictures, such as the Jimi Hendrix-esque sounds of "Drinking From the Sky" or what I'm assuming is an early Floyd tribute (as indicated by the "Money"-esque clinking of change at song's start) in "How To Build A Dog." And lest you think the Cups are stuck in the music of 30 years ago, a couple songs (the excellent "Springtime Fantastic" and "Flower Tower") have hints of the Replacements and the Gin Blossoms and guitar power-pop less than 30 years old.
Electric Storyland is a strong step forward for The Sippy Cups -- it's a winning album retaining the spirit of music from 30 years ago or more but giving it its own youthful energy.
Stefan Shepherd is the author of Zooglobble.
Take "Use Your Words," one of very few tracks that have anything remotely resembling a "message," about how articulating feelings rather than simply acting on them is a preferred way of dealing with frustration ("The world will be greater / If you use your words"). It's a fun, uptempo song that has the faintest echoes of, say, Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride." But most songs are content to paint pictures, such as the Jimi Hendrix-esque sounds of "Drinking From the Sky" or what I'm assuming is an early Floyd tribute (as indicated by the "Money"-esque clinking of change at song's start) in "How To Build A Dog." And lest you think the Cups are stuck in the music of 30 years ago, a couple songs (the excellent "Springtime Fantastic" and "Flower Tower") have hints of the Replacements and the Gin Blossoms and guitar power-pop less than 30 years old.
Electric Storyland is a strong step forward for The Sippy Cups -- it's a winning album retaining the spirit of music from 30 years ago or more but giving it its own youthful energy.
Stefan Shepherd is the author of Zooglobble.
#7: Hey You Kids! - The Jellydots
No album this year had a better opening song than Hey You Kids! from the Austin, Texas-based Jellydots. “Bicycle,” evoking the joy of being on a bike, whether you’re a kid or a grownup, is simply an exquisite song from start to finish. And who hasn’t wanted to ride a bicycle on the sea or in the sky?
The balance of the album (a compilation of the band leader’s Doug Snyder’s best songs from earlier releases) is similarly fun – silly but relevant to kids, high-energy but not annoyingly hyper.
Like Lunch Money’s Molly Ledford, Snyder has a particular ability to capture the funny little things that catch kids’ attention, but that most of us grownups have forgotten – “Mr. Cookie” explores the emotional trauma of dropping a cookie and the lesson one learns from the experience (don’t try to wash it in the sink); “I’m Not Ugly (You’re Not Either)” captures kids’ developing emotions with surprising subtlety given the song’s poppy simplicity; and “Race Cars Go” touchingly develops the inner feelings of RACE CARS GO FAST! FAST! FAST!
Okay, that last song isn’t quite deep and meaningful. But it rocks, and it’s important to remember that kids, too, must rock.
Add in a faithful but still original cover of “Three is a Magic Number” – which, I have to admit, I didn’t previously think needed to be covered again after De La Soul’s reworking – plus the ska/reggae-tinged “Lake Rules” (with a hilarious callback to the Bee Gees) and the slower-paced final few tracks, and Hey You Kids! is a terrific collection of power pop songs. This and Frances England’s Fascinating Creatures were my two favorite records of the year, and you’ll love both of them.
Bill Childs hosts the Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child radio show and writes for Minnesota Parent and Valley Kids.
The balance of the album (a compilation of the band leader’s Doug Snyder’s best songs from earlier releases) is similarly fun – silly but relevant to kids, high-energy but not annoyingly hyper.
Like Lunch Money’s Molly Ledford, Snyder has a particular ability to capture the funny little things that catch kids’ attention, but that most of us grownups have forgotten – “Mr. Cookie” explores the emotional trauma of dropping a cookie and the lesson one learns from the experience (don’t try to wash it in the sink); “I’m Not Ugly (You’re Not Either)” captures kids’ developing emotions with surprising subtlety given the song’s poppy simplicity; and “Race Cars Go” touchingly develops the inner feelings of RACE CARS GO FAST! FAST! FAST!
Okay, that last song isn’t quite deep and meaningful. But it rocks, and it’s important to remember that kids, too, must rock.
Add in a faithful but still original cover of “Three is a Magic Number” – which, I have to admit, I didn’t previously think needed to be covered again after De La Soul’s reworking – plus the ska/reggae-tinged “Lake Rules” (with a hilarious callback to the Bee Gees) and the slower-paced final few tracks, and Hey You Kids! is a terrific collection of power pop songs. This and Frances England’s Fascinating Creatures were my two favorite records of the year, and you’ll love both of them.
Bill Childs hosts the Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child radio show and writes for Minnesota Parent and Valley Kids.
#8: Rock Your Socks Off - Charity and the JAMband
One of the distinct pleasures of writing reviews is discovering new talents that I can shout out about. I don't think I can shout loud enough about this revelation of a CD, but I will try. I LOVE CHARITY AND THE JAMBAND!!!
There, I feel better, though slightly strange since I used to reserve this kind of enthusiasm for The Police and U2. But let me explain. Band leader Charity Kahn - a mother of two, mathematics wizard, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter - unequivocally does what she promises with the album title Rock Your Socks Off.
Start with her little-girl-meets-grown-up-rocker voice (think Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles), add rollicking instrumentation and day-glo bright lyrics, subtract any hint of overproduction or sugary sweetness, and you've got one powerful musical equation.
Track after track surprises and dares listeners not to dance along. While it's a challenge to pluck out favorites, a few cuts typify this experience. "Travelin'" starts the trip off with a bluegrass-tinged song about all the ways you can go from Point A to Point B. There may not be two more danceable tunes in family music than "Jump Into the Middle," a barn-burning rocker, and "Partner Dance," a blend of '70s pop-rock and Latin vamp. Imagination and rhythm work together to boost the lyrical ingenuity of "Whatcha Gonna Bring" (with such playful lines as "Who brought their toes/Who knows how to wiggle 'em") and "Wish" (with the starry-eyed whimsy of lines like, "Oh I made a wish/I'm gonna throw it in the ocean/I'm gonna stir it up/and make a magic potion").
Charity and the JAMband really do have a magic potion here, full of funk and rock, peace and love. The concoction is so invigorating that you'll buy it for yourself and maybe a few friends who will want to join in on the jam.
Gregory Keer runs the Family Man Online website.
There, I feel better, though slightly strange since I used to reserve this kind of enthusiasm for The Police and U2. But let me explain. Band leader Charity Kahn - a mother of two, mathematics wizard, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter - unequivocally does what she promises with the album title Rock Your Socks Off.
Start with her little-girl-meets-grown-up-rocker voice (think Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles), add rollicking instrumentation and day-glo bright lyrics, subtract any hint of overproduction or sugary sweetness, and you've got one powerful musical equation.
Track after track surprises and dares listeners not to dance along. While it's a challenge to pluck out favorites, a few cuts typify this experience. "Travelin'" starts the trip off with a bluegrass-tinged song about all the ways you can go from Point A to Point B. There may not be two more danceable tunes in family music than "Jump Into the Middle," a barn-burning rocker, and "Partner Dance," a blend of '70s pop-rock and Latin vamp. Imagination and rhythm work together to boost the lyrical ingenuity of "Whatcha Gonna Bring" (with such playful lines as "Who brought their toes/Who knows how to wiggle 'em") and "Wish" (with the starry-eyed whimsy of lines like, "Oh I made a wish/I'm gonna throw it in the ocean/I'm gonna stir it up/and make a magic potion").
Charity and the JAMband really do have a magic potion here, full of funk and rock, peace and love. The concoction is so invigorating that you'll buy it for yourself and maybe a few friends who will want to join in on the jam.
Gregory Keer runs the Family Man Online website.
#9 (tie): The Great Adventures of Mr. David - Mr. David
I get excited when a children’s record strikes me more as a personal poetic work than something created with an intended audience in mind. The Great Adventures of Mr. David is a very unusual sort of children’s record - one that makes you feel without telling you what to feel, one that gets you dancing without telling you specifically where to put your feet. It is a record that champions imagination and observation and all of the fleeting thoughts and small experiences that should be part of everyone’s world. Are these the adventures Mr. David takes you on? Or is Mr. David himself the adventure? Either way, what you need to know is that the man can play (in all senses of the word).
Sometimes you are stumbling upon a bustling Latin-American dance club for toddlers where the party is in full swing and Mr. David is the grinning expatriate bandleader. His voice warbles and shouts, loose and laughing, reminiscent of Violent Femmes’ Gordon Gano mixed with the occasional Cheech cameo. Then he is the cool yet manic beat poet uncle who convinces you to put your homework off for another hour to go hear the street musicians in the plaza and sip some watermelon juice…to have some experiences. And then he is your captain, oh captain, singing out nursery rhymes as you paddle away from the shore, having packed a fantastical lunch of peanut butter and jellyfish for the long journey.
The album has a beguiling looseness, an improvisational feel that is a window to Mr. David’s lively stream of consciousness. Songs like “Come to the Plaza” and “I’m a Fish” are thrillingly rocking (with big props to his amazing band), while quieter tracks like “Sea Song” and “In the Storm, Fighting the Octopus” spin wild tales of wonder and danger. “Pearl” and “Dinosaurs” tap into the intensity of emotion we feel for family, especially in times of vulnerability.
In his liner notes, Mr. David thanks, among other things, “the green grass, the lady bugs, the dirt roads, the root beer” for making his album possible. If there is an overall message, it might be best expressed in “Backyard,” when he sings, “It is good to sit in the backyard. It’s good to relax in the sun.” It is from there that all of the other adventures begin.
Molly Ledford is a member of the band Lunch Money.
Sometimes you are stumbling upon a bustling Latin-American dance club for toddlers where the party is in full swing and Mr. David is the grinning expatriate bandleader. His voice warbles and shouts, loose and laughing, reminiscent of Violent Femmes’ Gordon Gano mixed with the occasional Cheech cameo. Then he is the cool yet manic beat poet uncle who convinces you to put your homework off for another hour to go hear the street musicians in the plaza and sip some watermelon juice…to have some experiences. And then he is your captain, oh captain, singing out nursery rhymes as you paddle away from the shore, having packed a fantastical lunch of peanut butter and jellyfish for the long journey.
The album has a beguiling looseness, an improvisational feel that is a window to Mr. David’s lively stream of consciousness. Songs like “Come to the Plaza” and “I’m a Fish” are thrillingly rocking (with big props to his amazing band), while quieter tracks like “Sea Song” and “In the Storm, Fighting the Octopus” spin wild tales of wonder and danger. “Pearl” and “Dinosaurs” tap into the intensity of emotion we feel for family, especially in times of vulnerability.
In his liner notes, Mr. David thanks, among other things, “the green grass, the lady bugs, the dirt roads, the root beer” for making his album possible. If there is an overall message, it might be best expressed in “Backyard,” when he sings, “It is good to sit in the backyard. It’s good to relax in the sun.” It is from there that all of the other adventures begin.
Molly Ledford is a member of the band Lunch Money.
#9 (tie): Celebrate the Difference - Terri Hendrix
Was there a better song this year that spoke to how kids and parents really interact than "Nerves?" The answer, in case you hadn't guessed, is no. And even though the hard-charging chorus is supposed to be the voice of the child narrator, most parents would probably admit they've felt that their children were getting on their nerves at some point during the week. (And the rest are lying.)
While "Nerves" is the song that stands out the most on Celebrate the Difference, the first kids album from Texas-based singer-songwriter Terri Hendrix, there are definitely other songs worth hearing -- the Tejano-styled "Luuvia de Estrellas" or the poppy "Invisible Friend." Accompanied by well-known Texas musician Lloyd Maines (who co-wrote many of the songs) and others, Hendrix puts together a diverse collection of song styles here. And Hendrix's preaching of self-confidence in songs such as "Get Your Goat On" or "First Place" tackles a subject that has been oddly left mostly untouched in kids' music.
For many reaons, Celebrate the Difference is reason to celebrate.
Stefan Shepherd is the author of Zooglobble.
While "Nerves" is the song that stands out the most on Celebrate the Difference, the first kids album from Texas-based singer-songwriter Terri Hendrix, there are definitely other songs worth hearing -- the Tejano-styled "Luuvia de Estrellas" or the poppy "Invisible Friend." Accompanied by well-known Texas musician Lloyd Maines (who co-wrote many of the songs) and others, Hendrix puts together a diverse collection of song styles here. And Hendrix's preaching of self-confidence in songs such as "Get Your Goat On" or "First Place" tackles a subject that has been oddly left mostly untouched in kids' music.
For many reaons, Celebrate the Difference is reason to celebrate.
Stefan Shepherd is the author of Zooglobble.
#11 (tie): Plays Well With Others - Uncle Rock
These days we often hear discussions on how families are becoming disconnected. Many people have offered different methods, such as family game night, to help families remain connected or even reconnect. For our family, we have discovered that listening to and sharing music is an activity that we all enjoy and keeps us connected. While making music is clearly a very creative and enjoyable activity, not everyone has that kind of talent, and we often depend on others who are talented to help us pursue our musical adventure.
In selecting music, we generally prefer music that the whole family enjoys. The adults in our family do not enjoy the sappy toddler favorites and much of what the adults like to listen to is not appropriate or not catchy enough for the kids to enjoy. When we come a cross an album that the whole family enjoys, we are thrilled. It is even better when we can incorporate the songs into our daily lives to help us enjoy the good times even more and get past the rough spots with a smile instead of a meltdown.
Uncle Rock's Plays Well With Others is a perfect fit for our family's requirements and preferences. The roots of his music are appreciated by the adults: a little disco, a little grass-roots folksy rock, a great beat, the clear 70's influences, especially the Magic Carpet Ride / Magic Bus medley. The rhythms in most of the songs get us all bouncing and tapping. The lyrics talk about times and events in our lives ("Gettin' Big Blues") as well as things that are interesting even if not in our lives. (We do not yet have a rock and roll babysitter, but if you know of a good one, let us know.)
We prefer the songs to not be all sunshine and cheer, but to have some that help us feel that we can deal with the things that don't go as we intend.One of the songs bring us from frustration to smiles ("Shoe Bandit"). Along similar lines, "Break A Few Eggs" reminds us that messes are good and fun. None of us can resist singing along with "Sugar Talkin'". Our youngest really enjoys the twangy sounds of "Playin' Possum" though she has yet to discover what it means.
All in all, Uncle Rock's Plays Well With Others is a CD that speaks to us. We enjoy listening to the songs and singing them to brighten our days as we go about our daily lives.
Gwyneth Butera is the programmer of Gooney Bird Radio.
In selecting music, we generally prefer music that the whole family enjoys. The adults in our family do not enjoy the sappy toddler favorites and much of what the adults like to listen to is not appropriate or not catchy enough for the kids to enjoy. When we come a cross an album that the whole family enjoys, we are thrilled. It is even better when we can incorporate the songs into our daily lives to help us enjoy the good times even more and get past the rough spots with a smile instead of a meltdown.
Uncle Rock's Plays Well With Others is a perfect fit for our family's requirements and preferences. The roots of his music are appreciated by the adults: a little disco, a little grass-roots folksy rock, a great beat, the clear 70's influences, especially the Magic Carpet Ride / Magic Bus medley. The rhythms in most of the songs get us all bouncing and tapping. The lyrics talk about times and events in our lives ("Gettin' Big Blues") as well as things that are interesting even if not in our lives. (We do not yet have a rock and roll babysitter, but if you know of a good one, let us know.)
We prefer the songs to not be all sunshine and cheer, but to have some that help us feel that we can deal with the things that don't go as we intend.One of the songs bring us from frustration to smiles ("Shoe Bandit"). Along similar lines, "Break A Few Eggs" reminds us that messes are good and fun. None of us can resist singing along with "Sugar Talkin'". Our youngest really enjoys the twangy sounds of "Playin' Possum" though she has yet to discover what it means.
All in all, Uncle Rock's Plays Well With Others is a CD that speaks to us. We enjoy listening to the songs and singing them to brighten our days as we go about our daily lives.
Gwyneth Butera is the programmer of Gooney Bird Radio.
#11 (tie): Colours Are Brighter - Various Artists
We weren't that shocked to learn indie-pop darlings Belle & Sebastian were curating a children's CD. The band's name comes from an old TV show for kids, after all. Plus B&S keyboardist Chris "Beans" Geddes had previously played the Hammond on one of our all-time favorite kiddie songs (Michael Shelley's "That's Where the Plaque Is"). Even so, the prevailing silliness of this collection did come as something of a surprise, and a mighty pleasant one at that
Our favorite song so far, the one we can't get out of our heads, and actually don't even want to, is Belle & Sebastian's own contribution, "The Monkeys Are Breaking Out the Zoo," which piles on goofy sound effects like they're coming back in style (yet somehow still manages to sound like Belle & Sebastian). "Monkeys" was also the starting point for this album. Trumpet player Mick Cooke brought the song to his bandmates, and, not knowing what to do with it, they hit on the idea of "an album of lots of different bands playing their own songs for children."
The band proceeded to rope in fellow Scottish hit-makers Franz Ferdinand (who contribute a great new number, "Jackie Jackson") and Snow Patrol (with a nice remake of Ricki Wilde's "I Am an Astronaut"). They brought U.K. "It" band the Kooks onboard, poached a fun ditty from the late, great Ivor Cutler, and even nabbed exclusive tracks from U.S. originals like the Flaming Lips and Jonathan Richman. (Richman, as longtime listeners to our radio program will recall, is the "Patron Saint of Greasy Kid Stuff," one of our main inspirations when we started the show some 11 years back, and a hero to us still.)
So far Colours Are Brighter is only available as an import, and we don't know whether a domestic release is in the works. On the other hand, all profits and artist royalties from this CD go to charity, so you needn't feel too bad about spending the extra money.
Belinda Miller and Hova Najarian host the Greasy Kid Stuff radio show.
Our favorite song so far, the one we can't get out of our heads, and actually don't even want to, is Belle & Sebastian's own contribution, "The Monkeys Are Breaking Out the Zoo," which piles on goofy sound effects like they're coming back in style (yet somehow still manages to sound like Belle & Sebastian). "Monkeys" was also the starting point for this album. Trumpet player Mick Cooke brought the song to his bandmates, and, not knowing what to do with it, they hit on the idea of "an album of lots of different bands playing their own songs for children."
The band proceeded to rope in fellow Scottish hit-makers Franz Ferdinand (who contribute a great new number, "Jackie Jackson") and Snow Patrol (with a nice remake of Ricki Wilde's "I Am an Astronaut"). They brought U.K. "It" band the Kooks onboard, poached a fun ditty from the late, great Ivor Cutler, and even nabbed exclusive tracks from U.S. originals like the Flaming Lips and Jonathan Richman. (Richman, as longtime listeners to our radio program will recall, is the "Patron Saint of Greasy Kid Stuff," one of our main inspirations when we started the show some 11 years back, and a hero to us still.)
So far Colours Are Brighter is only available as an import, and we don't know whether a domestic release is in the works. On the other hand, all profits and artist royalties from this CD go to charity, so you needn't feel too bad about spending the extra money.
Belinda Miller and Hova Najarian host the Greasy Kid Stuff radio show.
#13: Macaroni Boy Eats At Chez Shooby-Doo - Ginger Hendrix
While my life as a wife and mother is truly wonderful, I sometimes need to be reminded of that. Macaroni Boy Eats at Chez Shooby Doo, the debut album from Ginger Hendrix, celebrates life with young children, and reminds me that singing and laughing and having fun are the best way to enjoy these years (rather than obsessing about making the most perfect cake ever for the PTO bake sale or having my younger son fully potty trained before age two).
Macaroni Boy is an outgrowth of Ginger's sing-alongs at her sons' school, and the last four tracks were actually recorded live at the school, with a chorus of moms backing her. Aside from these moms and her own two sons singing along on a few songs, and some occasional percussion, the album is just Ginger and her guitar. With a voice that is so full of personality, and her brilliant delivery of such hilarious lyrics, there's no need for any more. This do-it-yourself element was especially appealing to me. Seeing a mom write and record an album pretty much on her own – and completely nailing it – is inspiring.
When our family listens to Macaroni Boy, we sing along and laugh out loud. The very matter-of-fact "My Daddy Loves Tools" (He needs a router, a miter, a socket set / so he can route and mite and sock) and my favorite "How the Days Go By" ( Sometimes we go shopping in the afternoon / take a nice big loop around Target / chew some gum, drink a lemonade / maybe go home with all new socks) reflect bits of family life in a way that is simultaneously silly and meaningful. Others, like the title track and "Funny Word Dictionary", are full-on silly, making Macaroni Boy a perfect album to enjoy as a family, especially when the family needs a big laugh. It will remind you that life with young kids really is wonderful, and worth singing about.
Amy Davis is the author of the The Lovely Mrs. Davis Tells You What To Think.
Macaroni Boy is an outgrowth of Ginger's sing-alongs at her sons' school, and the last four tracks were actually recorded live at the school, with a chorus of moms backing her. Aside from these moms and her own two sons singing along on a few songs, and some occasional percussion, the album is just Ginger and her guitar. With a voice that is so full of personality, and her brilliant delivery of such hilarious lyrics, there's no need for any more. This do-it-yourself element was especially appealing to me. Seeing a mom write and record an album pretty much on her own – and completely nailing it – is inspiring.
When our family listens to Macaroni Boy, we sing along and laugh out loud. The very matter-of-fact "My Daddy Loves Tools" (He needs a router, a miter, a socket set / so he can route and mite and sock) and my favorite "How the Days Go By" ( Sometimes we go shopping in the afternoon / take a nice big loop around Target / chew some gum, drink a lemonade / maybe go home with all new socks) reflect bits of family life in a way that is simultaneously silly and meaningful. Others, like the title track and "Funny Word Dictionary", are full-on silly, making Macaroni Boy a perfect album to enjoy as a family, especially when the family needs a big laugh. It will remind you that life with young kids really is wonderful, and worth singing about.
Amy Davis is the author of the The Lovely Mrs. Davis Tells You What To Think.
#14: Prelude to Mutiny - Captain Bogg & Salty
Maybe it's not saying much to call Captain Bogg & Salty our favorite pirate band, but let's go out on a limb and say they might just be our favorite band period. If you count the sheer number of plays their CDs have received in our household, no other artist even comes close. Yes, it helps that we have a 3-year-old who names"pirate music" among the things she loves, but the fact is, we listen to Captain Bogg & Salty all the time, even when we don't have to. Prelude to Mutiny will have you cranking up the car stereo andsinging at the top of your lungs after you've dropped the kids off at rock camp.
Filling in the gaps of Treasure Island, retooling The Little Mermaid for their own piratical purposes, Captain Bogg & Salty try on musical styles like freshly pillaged clothes, and are convincing every step of the way. Genre-hopping? Well, how else would you get from sea chantey to rockabilly to AC/DC-style metal, on just the one leg?
A note to parents: This CD is for "seasoned buccaneers," meaning it's a bit darker, a bit more fanatically piratical than the band's previous releases. If your little ones haven't got their sea legs yet, you might want to start with Pegleg Tango or Bedtime Stories for Pirates instead. But after you've played each of those CDs 100 times or so (and trust us, you will), the whole family will be ready to rock this one … loud!
Here in Portland, Ore., Captain Bogg & Salty are superstars, and it shouldn't be long before the rest of the world discovers them too.To see what all the fuss is about, go to http://www.eatalime.com/ and watch the hilarious new video for "Pieces of 8ight." Why these guys don't already have a Saturday-morning cartoon show and their own line of action figures is quite beyond us.
Belinda Miller and Hova Najarian host the Greasy Kid Stuff radio show.
Filling in the gaps of Treasure Island, retooling The Little Mermaid for their own piratical purposes, Captain Bogg & Salty try on musical styles like freshly pillaged clothes, and are convincing every step of the way. Genre-hopping? Well, how else would you get from sea chantey to rockabilly to AC/DC-style metal, on just the one leg?
A note to parents: This CD is for "seasoned buccaneers," meaning it's a bit darker, a bit more fanatically piratical than the band's previous releases. If your little ones haven't got their sea legs yet, you might want to start with Pegleg Tango or Bedtime Stories for Pirates instead. But after you've played each of those CDs 100 times or so (and trust us, you will), the whole family will be ready to rock this one … loud!
Here in Portland, Ore., Captain Bogg & Salty are superstars, and it shouldn't be long before the rest of the world discovers them too.To see what all the fuss is about, go to http://www.eatalime.com/ and watch the hilarious new video for "Pieces of 8ight." Why these guys don't already have a Saturday-morning cartoon show and their own line of action figures is quite beyond us.
Belinda Miller and Hova Najarian host the Greasy Kid Stuff radio show.
#15 (tie): When I Get Little - Dog on Fleas
This is music from the earth, an autobiography of the rocks and dirt, rivers and breezes of the Hudson Valley, somehow miraculously channeled through the musicians known as dog on fleas. On their latest masterpiece, When I Get Little, they work their musical magic and make new originals sound like Reconstruction-era classics, while transforming traditional tunes into vibrant and alive dog on fleas creations. Several years of performing and composing together seem to have made the band an impressively cohesive unit, which is a rare thing in kids' music. It doesn't hurt to have three songwriters and four lead singers in the same group, either.
What makes this album so enjoyable for all ages is the fact that the band weave into their songs messages of world brotherhood, of the cyclical reality of life, of pay-it-forward philosophy, and of the reliability of nature, and still make it accessible to everyone in the family. Dig my favorite line of the album: "Forces greater than math control us / We're swimming in a cosmic bath, don't you know it".
This is adult music for children, kids' music for grownups. What ties everything together, though, is a feeling of global kindness and a love of and appreciation for nature and the gifts she has to offer, as well as taking joy in the tiniest details of life. Listen to this album with your kids, and often. They may not get the deeper messages at first but their little intuitions will pick up on the good vibes, on the fact that these musicians and singers have meaningful things to say. But don't think that this is a dour, social commentary-heavy album. In fact, make sure you listen to When I Get Little without your shoes on, else you'll dance right out of 'em.
Warren Truitt is the author of Kids Music That Rocks.
What makes this album so enjoyable for all ages is the fact that the band weave into their songs messages of world brotherhood, of the cyclical reality of life, of pay-it-forward philosophy, and of the reliability of nature, and still make it accessible to everyone in the family. Dig my favorite line of the album: "Forces greater than math control us / We're swimming in a cosmic bath, don't you know it".
This is adult music for children, kids' music for grownups. What ties everything together, though, is a feeling of global kindness and a love of and appreciation for nature and the gifts she has to offer, as well as taking joy in the tiniest details of life. Listen to this album with your kids, and often. They may not get the deeper messages at first but their little intuitions will pick up on the good vibes, on the fact that these musicians and singers have meaningful things to say. But don't think that this is a dour, social commentary-heavy album. In fact, make sure you listen to When I Get Little without your shoes on, else you'll dance right out of 'em.
Warren Truitt is the author of Kids Music That Rocks.
#15 (tie): The Family Hootenanny - Various Artists
When I first got The Family Hootenanny, I listened to it four times in two days.
Why?
For the joy of it.
There's a sense of joy here as strong as on any album released this year. It's the unifying factor in a diverse collection of tunes from Detroit-area musicians who have spent a few years playing occasional hootenannies for families at weekend shows. While various artists compilations are notoriously uneven, especially those from adult artists dipping their toe into the kids' music pond, the entries here are uniformly strong. From the punk of the Mydols and the Candy Band to the energetic folk of the Saltminers to the, well, I don't know what exactly of The Go!'s "Knock Knock Banana," there's an energy that comes from making music with joy. Not from making music for kids, just from making music.
Most of the songs will be easily accessible to kids who haven't even graced the door of their local elementary school (and one song, "A Peacock Day," is from the band Bambi, which includes kids who haven't even graced the door of their local elementary school). If that weren't enough, it comes with a bonus spoken-word track from Lisa M. Collins, telling the story of "Chicken and Pig" (our daughter loves it).
The best part about joy is that it's usually contagious. Share the joy -- play this album for your family and friends.
Stefan Shepherd is the author of Zooglobble.
Why?
For the joy of it.
There's a sense of joy here as strong as on any album released this year. It's the unifying factor in a diverse collection of tunes from Detroit-area musicians who have spent a few years playing occasional hootenannies for families at weekend shows. While various artists compilations are notoriously uneven, especially those from adult artists dipping their toe into the kids' music pond, the entries here are uniformly strong. From the punk of the Mydols and the Candy Band to the energetic folk of the Saltminers to the, well, I don't know what exactly of The Go!'s "Knock Knock Banana," there's an energy that comes from making music with joy. Not from making music for kids, just from making music.
Most of the songs will be easily accessible to kids who haven't even graced the door of their local elementary school (and one song, "A Peacock Day," is from the band Bambi, which includes kids who haven't even graced the door of their local elementary school). If that weren't enough, it comes with a bonus spoken-word track from Lisa M. Collins, telling the story of "Chicken and Pig" (our daughter loves it).
The best part about joy is that it's usually contagious. Share the joy -- play this album for your family and friends.
Stefan Shepherd is the author of Zooglobble.
Other Nominees
There are obviously many more CDs for kids and families worth your time than there were slots to write about. Here, then, is a list of every CD on a judge's ballot -- each of these was in somebody's (or more than one somebody's) Top 10 list for the year. The list is in alphabetical order (recognizing the difficulty of trying to alphabetize, say, "Princess Katie").
I Can Do It By Myself! - AudraRox
Go Baby Go - Baby Loves Jazz
Be Gentle With Me / Hugging My Grudge EPs - The Boy Least Likely To
Stomp Yer Feet! - Johnny Bregar
Dog Train - Various Artists (Sandra Boynton)
ACTIVATE! - Joel Caithamer
Here Comes the Band - Stephen Cohen
Eat Every Bean and Pea on Your Plate - Daddy-A-Go-Go
What A Way To Play - Debi Derryberry
Hoodwinked OST - Various Artists (Todd Edwards)
Starboy OST - Lee Feldman
Over the Hedge OST - Ben Folds
Tall and Small - Rebecca Frezza
Jim Gill Sings Moving Rhymes for Modern Times - Jim Gill
Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum - Tally Hall
And the Power of Love - Harry and the Potters
Snow Day! - Eric Herman
The Hollow Trees - The Hollow Trees
Eight Feet - Imagination Movers
Curious George OST - Jack Johnson & Friends
Share a Smile - Laughing Pizza
The Sunny Side of the Street - John Lithgow
Spin Your Web - Mary Kaye
Stories from Duke Puddintown - Greg Loop
Punk Salad - Pencilhead and the Playground Punks
Beethoven's Wig 3 - Richard Perlmutter
We Are the Pipettes - The Pipettes
Songs for the Coolest Kids - Princess Katie and Racer Steve
Welcome to Ralph's World - Ralph's World
Welcome to Monkey Town - Recess Monkeys
Tummy Talk - Mr. Richard
Every Day is a Birthday - Brady Rymer
Songs For Kids Like Us - Robbie Schaefer
Free to Stay - Smoosh
We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions - Bruce Springsteen
Drowaton - Starlight Mints
Different - Elizabeth Street
Noisy Songs for Noisy Kids - Thunderlords
My Best Day - Trout Fishing in America
Folk Playground - Various Artists (Putumayo)
See You on the Moon! - Various Artists
What's Eatin' Yosi - Yosi
I Can Do It By Myself! - AudraRox
Go Baby Go - Baby Loves Jazz
Be Gentle With Me / Hugging My Grudge EPs - The Boy Least Likely To
Stomp Yer Feet! - Johnny Bregar
Dog Train - Various Artists (Sandra Boynton)
ACTIVATE! - Joel Caithamer
Here Comes the Band - Stephen Cohen
Eat Every Bean and Pea on Your Plate - Daddy-A-Go-Go
What A Way To Play - Debi Derryberry
Hoodwinked OST - Various Artists (Todd Edwards)
Starboy OST - Lee Feldman
Over the Hedge OST - Ben Folds
Tall and Small - Rebecca Frezza
Jim Gill Sings Moving Rhymes for Modern Times - Jim Gill
Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum - Tally Hall
And the Power of Love - Harry and the Potters
Snow Day! - Eric Herman
The Hollow Trees - The Hollow Trees
Eight Feet - Imagination Movers
Curious George OST - Jack Johnson & Friends
Share a Smile - Laughing Pizza
The Sunny Side of the Street - John Lithgow
Spin Your Web - Mary Kaye
Stories from Duke Puddintown - Greg Loop
Punk Salad - Pencilhead and the Playground Punks
Beethoven's Wig 3 - Richard Perlmutter
We Are the Pipettes - The Pipettes
Songs for the Coolest Kids - Princess Katie and Racer Steve
Welcome to Ralph's World - Ralph's World
Welcome to Monkey Town - Recess Monkeys
Tummy Talk - Mr. Richard
Every Day is a Birthday - Brady Rymer
Songs For Kids Like Us - Robbie Schaefer
Free to Stay - Smoosh
We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions - Bruce Springsteen
Drowaton - Starlight Mints
Different - Elizabeth Street
Noisy Songs for Noisy Kids - Thunderlords
My Best Day - Trout Fishing in America
Folk Playground - Various Artists (Putumayo)
See You on the Moon! - Various Artists
What's Eatin' Yosi - Yosi
Justin Roberts’ Meltdown! Voted Best Album of 2006
In a year filled with remarkable music for kids and families, Justin Roberts’ album Meltdown! was voted the best kids and family album of the year in the 2006 Fids and Kamily Poll, the first compilation of year-end kids and family music "best of" lists from critics, writers, radio programmers, and others involved in the music industry. Meltdown! topped a list of outstanding releases that included albums from kids’ music veterans such as Dan Zanes and Elizabeth Mitchell as well as albums from newcomers such as Frances England and the Wee Hairy Beasties.
The Top 16 albums of 2006 are (in order):
Meltdown! - Justin Roberts
You Are My Little Bird - Elizabeth Mitchell
Catch That Train! - Dan Zanes
Fascinating Creatures - Frances England
Animal Crackers - Wee Hairy Beasties
Electric Storyland - The Sippy Cups
Hey You Kids! - The Jellydots
Rock Your Socks Off - Charity and the JAMband
The Great Adventures of Mr. David - Mr. David
Celebrate the Difference - Terri Hendrix
Plays Well With Others - Uncle Rock
Colours Are Brighter - Various Artists
Macaroni Boy Eats at Chez Shooby Doo - Ginger Hendrix
Prelude to Mutiny - Captain Bogg & Salty
When I Get Little - Dog On Fleas
The Family Hootenanny - Various Artists
Stop by later today for essays on all these albums!
The Pokey Pup (whose owner, Bryan, served as a judge) has a special page with good deals on all of the winners. Check it out.
The Top 16 albums of 2006 are (in order):
Meltdown! - Justin Roberts
You Are My Little Bird - Elizabeth Mitchell
Catch That Train! - Dan Zanes
Fascinating Creatures - Frances England
Animal Crackers - Wee Hairy Beasties
Electric Storyland - The Sippy Cups
Hey You Kids! - The Jellydots
Rock Your Socks Off - Charity and the JAMband
The Great Adventures of Mr. David - Mr. David
Celebrate the Difference - Terri Hendrix
Plays Well With Others - Uncle Rock
Colours Are Brighter - Various Artists
Macaroni Boy Eats at Chez Shooby Doo - Ginger Hendrix
Prelude to Mutiny - Captain Bogg & Salty
When I Get Little - Dog On Fleas
The Family Hootenanny - Various Artists
Stop by later today for essays on all these albums!
The Pokey Pup (whose owner, Bryan, served as a judge) has a special page with good deals on all of the winners. Check it out.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Radio, Radio. (Really.)
We always knew that we'd include Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child in the announcement of the Fids & Kamily Awards. And that's still the case -- tune in to hear Bill and Ella at 8 AM Saturday morning East Coast time for the announcement of the winners plus some special surprises. (Go to the website for instructions on how to stream the program or download the podcast afterwards.)
But we also think that friends and judges Belinda and Hova from Greasy Kid Stuff will also be playing stuff from the winning albums. Their show starts at 8 AM Saturday morning West Coast time. You can stream the show by following the links here.
But we also think that friends and judges Belinda and Hova from Greasy Kid Stuff will also be playing stuff from the winning albums. Their show starts at 8 AM Saturday morning West Coast time. You can stream the show by following the links here.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
We Have the Facts and We're Voting...
Actually, we have the votes, too.
We encourage people to keep posting their favorite albums of the past year in the comments of the post below, but judges' votes are in.
Make sure you stop by next weekend for the announcement of the winners (or you can listen to Spare The Rock, Spoil the Child on the 18th).
And who knows what else we'll post between now and then?
We encourage people to keep posting their favorite albums of the past year in the comments of the post below, but judges' votes are in.
Make sure you stop by next weekend for the announcement of the winners (or you can listen to Spare The Rock, Spoil the Child on the 18th).
And who knows what else we'll post between now and then?
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