What's in Little S's CD Player, May '09 edition

Birthday parties, lingering colds, and end-of-year activities have kept me from posting recently, but these events have brought new music into Little S's CD player and lots of time to listen.  Here's what we've been listening to recently:

1.  Recess Monkey, Field Trip.  This CD will be officially released on the first day of summer vacation (OK, actually June 9), but we scored an early copy by participating in the Valentine's Day recording session.  It's no secret that Little S and I heart Recess Monkey.  I think Field Trip is the best of the band's five CDs.  The production value is high, the catchy melodies and lyrics will stick in your head, and the band's decision to expand beyond Beatles-influenced songs allows Recess Monkey to showcase its humor and creativity more fully.  Perhaps the highest praise I can give: when Little S was home sick, we listened to this CD more than 10 times a day, and we still continue to enjoy it.  Check out the video for Haven't Got a Pet Yet (a favorite despite my strict no-pet policy).

2.  Brady Rymer, I Found It!  We stumbled upon Brady Rymer while looking around Jitterbug.tv.  Little S feel in love with the video for I Found It! and enjoys the other songs on the CD as well.

3.  Lunch Monkey, Dizzy.  After hearing great things about Lunch Money on Zooglobble.com, I was excited when Little S received this CD for her birthday.  Little S LOVES this CD and it has been playing endlessly in her bedroom.  It's hard to argue with songs like, A Cookie As Big As My Head.  More important to me, this band is cool AND has a female lead singer.  That didn't seem like a rare combination to me until Little S asked me, "Mom, Why all rock stars are boys?"

4.  Suzuki Violin School, Vol. 1.  Little S recently started Suzuki violin.  I was surprised by the high level of parent involvement required by the Suzuki method.  Little S was surprised by the amount of time she would need to spend listening to Twinkle Variations and Lightly Row.

5.  Reserved for The Not-Its, We Are the Not-Its.  A Seattle band with a female lead singer, a love for nonprofits that support families, children and the arts, and a concert planned with Recess Monkey, Caspar Babypants, and Central Services Board of Education, called Time Out to Rock?  I can't wait to listen to this CD.  

Jitterbug: A great source for kindie rock!

Just heard about Jitterbug, a clearinghouse for kindie rock videos.  This site includes many S and Little S favorites including Recess Monkey, Justin Roberts, The Sippy Cups, Princess Katie and Racer Steve, and Secret Agent 23 Skidoo.

Check it out!

What's in Little S's CD Player, Dec. 08 edition

We went to the neighborhood library to raid the kids' music section.  We found some great CDs (and a couple clunkers).  Here's what's playing in Little S's CD player this month:

1.  Princess Katie & Racer Steve, Songs for the Coolest Kids.  One of the few kids' CDs that our entire family enjoys.  Princess Katie has a mellow voice and sounds a lot like Natalie Merchant, without the angst.  I checked the CD label twice to make sure she wasn't Natalie Merchant.  The songs work in positive messages, but not at the expense of the music.  Little S and I agree that the three skits on the CD are a little random. 

2.  Baby Loves Jazz, Go Baby Go.  Little S's first introduction to jazz.  The songs are geared for younger kids: jazzy interpretations of Happy and You Know It, ABC, and Old MacDonald.  Yet, Little S enjoyed the music, especially the songs that emphasize particular instruments (trumpet, piano, saxophone).  

3.  School House Rock! Rocks.  On this CD from the mid-90's, popular bands like Blind Mellon and Better Than Ezra reinterpret School House Rock!  classics.  Little S had no idea why I kept singing "Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, get your adverbs here" until she heard this CD.  Little S likes to play this before she goes to bed, but it is not a lullaby album.  

4.  Recess Monkey, Aminal House.  Recess Monkey classics like Aquarium, Zoo zoo zoo, and Pet Shark along with some entertaining chit chat by Mayor Monkey and Mischievous Monkey.

5.  BNL, Snacktime.  As a long time fan of BNL, I'm happy to see that Little S is a fan too.  Vegetable Town is a particular favorite.

6.  Reserved.  This spot is being held for (in the near future) the Johnny Bregar album, Dragonfly, that's in the Hanukah present pile and (in the more distant future) the Recess Monkey CD that is being recorded now.

Best Kids' Music of 2008: The Fids and Kamily Awards

(SherriLynn and Jack from Recess Monkey)

Looking to expand your library of family music but unsure where to start? Check out The Fids and Kamily Awards. For these awards, kids' music writers, radio programmers, and others in the industry determined the 10 best kids' albums of 2008.

The list is filled with Sherri Lynn and Little S favorites: Justin Roberts, Pop Fly (#1); Secret Agent #23 Skidoo, Easy (#3); BNL, Snacktime (#6) and Recess Monkey, Tabby Road (#7).

Here's to music that parents and kids can enjoy together!

Everyone's A Critic: Rock Daddy Rock by Chris Bihuniak

Recently, I received an e-mail from Chris Bihuniak asking me to listen to his new CD for kids, Rock Daddy Rock, and to review it.  Excited to have a new blog reader, I quickly agreed.

Then I looked at his promotional material more carefully.  Chris describes his CD as "comedy-rock songs about the silly, gross and wonderful behaviors of kids."  Gross behavior?  What did I agree to?

The CD arrived a couple days later.  I looked at the song list before popping the CD in the player.  Track 1: Boogers; Track 3: Wart; Track 9: Don't Pass The Gas.  Ew!  

Now, I'm not totally anti-potty words in music for kids.  One of my favorite songs is The Poopsmith Song, by Over the Rhine.  But about 30 second into "Boogers" I started wondering whether I should send the CD back to Chris.  Around that time, Mr. S. walked in the room, exclaimed, "What are you listening to?" and walked out.

I kept listening.  Some of the songs, like the Beastie Boys-esque "Don't Hit, Don't Spit," really rock.  "When You Grow Up" and "Biter" made me want to dance and reminded me of Little S favorite The Sippy Cups.   Songs like "Gun (Peace Sign)" and "Turn It Off" provided good messages without preaching.  (I especially enjoyed hearing Bihuniak's kids sing,  "I'll clean my room and do it with no pay and do my very best to keep it clean that way" in "Your Room's A Mess.") 

I was about to write the CD off as a decent effort, highly unlikely to appeal to moms, when Little S walked into the room.  She stared the CD over and listened carefully.  Then, she put on her ballet shoes and tutu, replayed the CD, and danced for the entire CD.  "It really makes me want to move, Mom," she said.  "We should listen to it every morning to get us going."  She played it five times in a row.

Two days later, she hasn't stopped listening to Rock Daddy Rock.  Part of the appeal is listening to songs like "Don't Pass the Gas" without getting into trouble for using potty words.  But the real delight comes from Bihuniak's hard rocking and danceable music.

I can only hope that Little S's teacher won't call asking why she's suddenly talking about boogers, warts and gas.

You can find samples of Rock Daddy Rock songs here.