The Asylum Street Spankers, out of Austin, Texas, are generally not a band for kids (see “Beer,” “War on Drugs,” and “If You Love Me (You’ll Sleep on the Wet Spot)” for just a sampling of why). But their all-acoustic music (for years they publicly eschewed “demon electricity” at live shows) has always had a sense of humor and fun that seemed like it could translate to kid-dom.
Finally, the band recorded Mommy Says No!, and it’s a surprising, hilarious, and at-times-touching album. The musical style is in line with the Spankers' prior work, which is to say all over the place, but with a creamy nougat center of talent, humor, and honesty.
You haven’t heard Nirvana’s “Sliver” until you've heard it in high-power bluegrass, and the title track rocks harder than you’d think possible on all acoustic instruments. But a few tracks later, you’ll tear up (honest) when hearing Christina Marrs wistfully wanting to be a superhero’s helper in “Sidekick.” “Don’t Turn Out The Light” takes a familiar theme – fear of monsters in the dark – and makes it unmistakably the Spankers’, complete with a musical saw. Throw in a cover of Harry Nilsson’s “Think About Your Troubles,” the hilarious and almost-inappropriate “You Only Love Me For My Lunchbox” and its tongue-twister involving “pheasant pluckers,” and another half-dozen tracks without a single dud, and it’s no surprise to see it at number two in the poll.
Finally, the band recorded Mommy Says No!, and it’s a surprising, hilarious, and at-times-touching album. The musical style is in line with the Spankers' prior work, which is to say all over the place, but with a creamy nougat center of talent, humor, and honesty.
You haven’t heard Nirvana’s “Sliver” until you've heard it in high-power bluegrass, and the title track rocks harder than you’d think possible on all acoustic instruments. But a few tracks later, you’ll tear up (honest) when hearing Christina Marrs wistfully wanting to be a superhero’s helper in “Sidekick.” “Don’t Turn Out The Light” takes a familiar theme – fear of monsters in the dark – and makes it unmistakably the Spankers’, complete with a musical saw. Throw in a cover of Harry Nilsson’s “Think About Your Troubles,” the hilarious and almost-inappropriate “You Only Love Me For My Lunchbox” and its tongue-twister involving “pheasant pluckers,” and another half-dozen tracks without a single dud, and it’s no surprise to see it at number two in the poll.
Bill Childs produces (with his kids) Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child; covers kids' music for Parenting magazine, and writes a syndicated kids' music column for regional parenting magazines.
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