SRO on the LIRR (new podcast)

Recently I needed to take my son home on the Long Island Rail Road on a work day.

Of course, that was the first day in a long time that there was signal trouble. Several of the tracks were out of commission. There were delays. Express trains were cancelled and combined with local trains, making for crowded conditions.

And of course, you get to see the best (and worst) of your fellow commuters in these situations. This week, a story about someone with bad behavior.

Also, a segment where I try to determine if I am merely thrifty or a stubborn cheapskate.

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Monday, October 1, 2012

Dream - Blue Sky Riders
Five Minutes More - AudraRox       
Tomorrow Will Be Really Great  - Dan Israel 
Why Is Dad So Mad? - The Board of Education
Big Black Snake  - Dog On Fleas
(I Feel Like) Busting Loose - Rebirth Brass Band
Ice Cream  - Charity And The JAMband       
Falling  - Joanie Leeds and The Nightlights           
A Road Song - Fountains Of Wayne

Charity Values "Family Values" on New CD

San Francisco. Music. Tie dye. The scene.

When I received FAMILY VALUES, the new CD from Charity and the JAMBand, all those thoughts came flowing back to me.

Charity Kahn is using her latest release to promote a state of consciousness that encompasses a list of self-explanatory values, including understanding, patience, non-violence, generosity, community, compassion, joy, truth, and peace for all. Whew!

Sarcasm aside, it's a noble conceit. Charity backs up her notions with a booklet filled with lyrics (yay) and quotations from Ghandi, Alice Walker, John Lennon, Fred Rogers, the Dalai Lama, Helen Keller, and more.

Conceptually, FAMILY VALUES seeks to tackle big-ticket concepts and boil them down for youngsters. For instance, "Love is Here" makes it clear that the abstract idea of "love" is applicable in many ways:

Live is everywhere
Look around
It's in the light
It's in the sound
It's sometimes simple
Sometimes grand
It's in your heart
When you lend a hand to someone.

Charity starts the proceedings with a "Peace Pledge," pledging allegiance to peace and lovingkindness and one life on one planet. If you don't get lightheaded at song titles like "Lovingkindness," "Grateful," and "Flower Power," then you're in the right frame of mind. "Bike" recalls the freedom that mobility gives to children, when their backyard is no longer enough and they have the power to travel beyond the safe cocoon of home. 

"Green Beans Everywhere," originally written as part of the Kindie Songwriting Club, addresses hunger and growing your own food. Seems "hippie-ish?" Not for the thousands of people now doing it themselves. Did I mention that Charity used to be part of the Sunset Co-Operative Nursery School? Don't tell me, I had you at "Co-Op."

Okay, I got a little snarky again. Truly, I appreciate the methodology employed by this group of talented family musicians. FAMILY VALUES embraces the positive spirit of making music and being part of a world community. Charity and the JAMBand knows that rocking out won't hurt you, it will only help you grow. That's still true for children from one to 100.

FAMILY VALUES is available on October 9 from iTunes, Amazon, and CDBaby.

Ben's Playlist - Friday, September 28, 212

Yellow - Renee & Jeremy
Little Little Baby - The Harmonica Pocket
Take It to the Street  -   Re-Birth Brass Band
A Dog Named Bruce - Ralph's World 
In A Timeout Now -   Randy Kaplan
Ah Ahsima   - The Deedle Deedle Dees
We Are Young (ft. Janelle Monae) - fun. 
I've Got a Brother   - Nick Cope
Call Me Maybe  - Glee       

Published prematurely by the (almost) two-year-old on my lap...

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, September 27, 2012

Sourwood Mountain - Carolina Chocolate Drops
Be My Baby - The Ronettes 
When Will You Die? - They Might Be Giants
We Just Won't Be Defeated   - The Go! Team
I'm Not Tired  - Ralph's World
Rocketfuel   -   Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Shiny Happy People  - Renee & Jeremy
Turning Tables  - Adele
Ayo - Play Date     
Chasing Pavements - Glee

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Buffalo Gals - Dog On Fleas
Sleepover - Ellen & Mark
Jingle Bells Redux - The Jimmies
Mind Over Matter - Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Punkin' Patch  - Andy Z      
Shrimp and Gumbo  - Rebirth Brass Band
Flat Stanley  - Play Date      
The Backpack Song - Bari Koral
Cicada  - Chickasaw Mudd Puppies
I Wish You Well  - Elizabeth Mitchell
Are We There Yet?  - Big Bang Boom
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together  - Taylor Swift

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Alien Girlfriend  - Andy Z      
Starships  - Glee
Thank You  - Dan Zanes & Friends
They're Red Hot  - Randy Kaplan
The Robot Looked At The Stars - Ralph's World
Why Is Dad So Mad?  - The Board of Education
Days That End In "Y" - Kepi Ghoulie        
Live It Up  - Chris Isaak
What'd I Say  - Ray Charles
Water - Ozomatli

Andy Z's Master Plan: A Grand Scream

Not satisfied with having conquered childrens music, Andy Z has moved on to a new challenge – reviving the genre of recorded stories. I owned TUBBY THE TUBA on a 33" record. Nowadays, that sounds practically prehistoric to kids. Then again, I also listened to Jean Shepherd's final radio years when I was a preteen. But that was just me.

Andy Z's new project, THE GRAND SCREAM OF THINGS, is a one-hour adventure story that requires something special from its audience: their attention. Listening in a car, in segments, imperils your train of thought. But getting a tween's undivided attention for one solid hour? As I said, challenging.

What's the most notoriously fickle demo?

Males ages 8-17.

If you're not a video game manufacturer, you're going to have a tough time reaching them.

This is why video game consoles now play DVDs, stream videos, and connect to the Internet. Everybody wants to reach this demo with their product.

Educators are especially frustrated that this demo seems to hate to read (and to some extent, to learn). Publishers like Scholastic did cartwheels over Harry Potter and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series because the stories got young males to put down their controllers and pick up books.

GRAND SCREAM OF THINGS follows 12-year-old Andy Z on Halloween, as he prepares to enter the annual costume contest. He gets sidetracked when his Reggie, his pet chihuahua, finds a wand belonging to Sandy Witch (many jokes about people suddenly feeling hungry). If not reunited within a day, the witch will cease to exist. Thinking it will be a snap to return the wand, Andy and Reggie encounter a series of complications and characters on their journey – a teen punk rocker (Danger Dude), a skateboarding punk rodent (Blue the Rat), and Jam Master Z and the Baking Fools. There's even a love interest in Pleadia, for whom Andy sings the ballad, "Alien Girlfriend":

I told myself I know full well this girl is way out of my league.
But in my mind I see us dancing through the galaxy.
Will you be my alien girlfriend?

The San Francisco-based Andy Z said he was inspired to tackle this project because he wanted to entertain his original audience base as they started to "age out" of his simpler "Andyland" recordings. He noticed the lack of original music for tweens and conceived of GRAND SCREAM OF THINGS.

Does it work? As I said, challenging. I was interested in seeing how the story turned out, but I'm from another era. Andy covers a lot of ground in one hour, almost like he's planting seeds for future tales. "Punkin' Patch" and "How We Roll" will get younger kids dancing and amuse their older siblings. However with three BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA films (two on direct-to-DVD), the Mexican-accented pooch is almost a cliche (no fault of Andy's).

Towards the end of the disc, the messaging gets a little heavy-handed as Andy delivers one mouthful of a speech about how "being afraid of what COULD happen makes you unaware of what IS happening." That's the kind of thing that frustratingly drives tweens away from unique projects. We could certainly use more anomalies like GRAND SCREAM OF THINGS for the kids. In other words, head's off to Andy Z (to keep in the Halloween spirit) and let's see where the spirit takes him and his characters.

THE GRAND SCREAM OF THINGS is available on October 9 from his website, Amazon, CDBABY, and WalMart.

A Tornado in Queens 2010 (New Podcast)

Two years ago this week (September 2010) a tornado swept through Queens, New York and cut a swath of destruction through the borough.

Cars were crushed by trees, trees which also took down power lines. Unearthed enormous roots from said trees also overturned sidewalks and blocked streets, making transportation hazardous and haphazard.

Where were we? Safe at home? No, we were in a doctors office - with our (then) nine-year-old son. This episode recounts how one man, his pregnant wife, and their son navigated through a path of wreckage and got home.

Speaking of Queens, the second segment talks about the difference between buildings that have history and those that are landmarks. Specifically, sports stadiums.

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Ben's Playlist - Monday, September 24, 2012

Summer Daze - Susanna Hoffs
At The Zoo  - Simon & Garfunkel
Here's To Us - Glee 
Rad - Play Date      
Set Fire To The Rain - Adele 
Zou bisou bisou - Gillian Hills 
Kindhearted Babysitter Blues - Randy Kaplan
Sacagawea - The Deedle Deedle Dees
Ride In My Little Red Wagon  - Willie & The Wheel
DeeDee Taught Me How To Count  - Kepi Ghoulie       
Conservation - Rocknoceros

Imagine a Play Date With Play Date

The concept is simple – take one grown-up punk rocker (in this case, Greg Attonio from the Bouncing Souls). Add a musical spouse/authoress (Shanti Wintergate). Mix well and taste the results.

Again, the concept is not new – Renee and Jeremy have derived a level of success with their California sound. Luckily, the market is far from bottlenecked by these duos. Greg and Shanti are not copies or imitators; they bring a sense of inclusion and happiness to IMAGINATION, their debut CD.

Who says the Internet killed the brick and mortar music biz?

Mike Park (late of Skankin' Pickle) runs the mailorder label Asian Man Records and its new subsidiary, Fun Fun Records. Mike hit the ground running with his first kids CD, SMILE. Now he's putting out two more releases - KEPI FOR KIDS (see my review here) and IMAGINATION from Play Date.

Play Date's sweet spot is the preschool set. Logically, very few XBOX players are going to want their friends to hear them humming "Sunshine Through My Window," one of the sunnier tracks here. Now that Play Date has gotten songs like "Anyone Can Sing," "The Number Song," and "Days of the Week" out of their system, it will be interesting to hear them develop some deeper material (deeper, not darker – I'm not expecting anything invoking Breaking Bad).

My company did a "Flat Stanley"-esque video campaign earlier this year and it was nice to hear an original song about the character. Play Date endorses self-esteem with "Rad," although that term may already seem outdated to the youngest in their audience.

IMAGINATION is a promising start for Play Date. And as every child knows, you're never too young for a play date.

IMAGINATION is available for pre-order from Fun Fun Records and will be released October 9.

Ben's Playlist - Friday, September 21, 2012

Edwina Mae  -  Recess Monkey
I Wanna Party   -  Hot Wings
What Katie Did   -  The Libertines
Sugar Ant   -  Caspar Babypants
Immigrant Song     -  Led Zeppelin
Clap Your Hands    -  The Time Outs
Twirl! Twirl! Twirl!    -  Mr. Leebot
Rolling In the Deep   -  Adele
Subway   -  Bari Koral
A Road Song    -  Fountains Of Wayne 
I Can Talk To Animals   -  Kepi Ghoulie       
We Just Won't Be Defeated  -  The Go! Team

Music for Good Little Ghouls and Boys

What's a punk to do when his band breaks up?

If you're Kepi, late of the Groovie Ghoulies, you soldier on (like one of the living dead, I suppose).

The band's dissolution was a side effect from the breakup of his marriage to the band's lead singer. But Kepi continued his recording and performance schedule. And you would never guess that after his last solo effort, I BLEED ROCK 'N ROLL, he would turn to childrens' music.

KEPI FOR KIDS stays pretty far afield from punk. Except for a quick Ramones tribute in "Dee Dee Taught Me How to Count," the CD is standard kid fare. That is, with a song called "The Beast With Five Hands."

While Kepi is pictured on the cover playing an electric guitar, however, the sound is strictly acoustic. That proves to be a liability, as the songs mostly blend together with similar strumming and drumming. Clever, simple wordplay make "Nuts for Nuts" and the followup "Nuts for 'Nuts for Nuts'" enjoyable. And most kids don't need much encouragement to "Spazz Out."

Former Skankin' Pickle Mike Park's Fun Fun Records is a haven for punks of all denominations. And definitely kudos for Kepi and his concept of "Kepiland" for the little Keppers. I envision a busy tour schedule from September-November, unless he's willing to rechristen himself as "Kepi AND the Ghoulies." And if not, perhaps some more songs like "A Little Bit Weird" that cultivate the Ghoulie brand. That would be truly groovy.

KEPI FOR KIDS is available for pre-order from Fun Fun Records and will be released October 9.

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, September 20, 2012

First Warm Day - The Incredible Chandler Travis Catual Birdomonic
What Will You Ever See?  - Lunch Money
I Can't Quit Her - Blood, Sweat & Tears
Call Me Maybe  - Carly Rae Jepsen
A Dog Named Bruce - Ralph's World
Our World - My Morning Jacket
A Friend Like You - Steve Weeks
White And Nerdy - Weird Al Yankovic
Flat Tire - Dean Jones
In Tents - Recess Monkey

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Summer Baby (Let It Ride) -  Caspar Babypants
Here Comes The Sun -  Ben Rudnick & Friends     
Be My Baby -  The Ronettes
All Around The World -  Ralph's World
Butterfly -  The Nields
Planes, Trains and Automobiles -  Henning Ohlenbusch
My Happiness -  Chris Isaak
Popcorn  -  Recess Monkey
I'm Dreaming -  Randy Newman
Kiss With A Fist  -  Florence + The Machine    
Dance Like A Monkey -  New York Dolls

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Yellow - Renee & Jeremy
Tongue Tied - Glee
I Am A Scientist  - Mates Of State
Overjoyed - matchbox twenty
Love Is A Superpower - Ben Rudnick & Friends 
Free To Be You And Me - Vanessa Trien & The Jumping Monkeys     
Gingerbread Man - Lunch Money
Little Willy - Sweet
Breath Of Life - Florence + The Machine       
Sojourner Truth - The Deedle Deedle Dees

Remembering 9/11 (new podcast)

9/11 has come and gone.

This week, my memories of being in Manhattan during the historic episode.

But first, some contextual remarks about former Mayor Rudy Giuliani. If you're a fan of his, you might want to skip this episode.

Never forget.

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Ben's Playlist - Friday, September 14, 2012

Daydream Believer - Renee & Jeremy
It Had to Be You - Esquivel
I Wish You Well - Elizabeth Mitchell     
Let Your Love Grow Tall  - Passion Pit
Bouncy House - Recess Monkey
 I Like How It Feels - Enrique Iglesias feat. Pitbull
Pop - Bari Koral
Get Up - Melissa Green
First Day - The Board of Education     
Ah Ahsima  - The Deedle Deedle Dees

Ben Rudnick Unveils His Musical Superpowers

What's the big deal about being a hippie?

No wait, that's a bad way to start a review of a children's CD.

But really, what's the big deal?

I've always had trouble with the intricate differences between "hippie" music and acoustic southern rock – some mandolins, some steel pedal guitar, harmonica... C'mon now, you'd have trouble, too.

But I'm getting ahead of myself again, although I don't think Ben Rudnick would have a problem being referred to as a "musical hippie." I mean, it's right there on his Web page and on his press release… "Affectionately nicknamed the Grateful Dead for kids." And with his 10th CD, LOVE IS A SUPERPOWER, he only reinforces that notion.

The title track flashes listeners back to the 70s with a blast of horns and the upbeat chorus:

I got love behind me
I've got a family tree
I've got love love love love love
Love is a superpower

Ben Rudnick and friends have been entertaining families in Massachusetts and surrounding states since 2000. They break little new ground on this CD, but stay true to their vision of positive songs with genial messages. "A Little Boogie" gets your feet moving, "Wheels" lists everything that locomotes and has an effect on your life, and "Chicken Soup Ballad" recounts the making of soup – from the perspective of the vegetables merrily cooking. "Scribbling" delights in the simple pleasure of putting crayon to paper, with a euphonium solo, to boot. Where else could you find an instrumental track paying homage to NBA star Ray Allen (who led the Boston Celtics to a memorable title run)?

Ben Rudnick effortlessly straddles the invisible line between southern rock and laid-back, jam band music. The songs are almost sui generis (although I'm sure Mo Phillips would have words with me if I said that). LOVE IS A SUPERPOWER and Ben Rudnick is its noble practitioner.

And you thought it was a bad thing, being called a hippie.

LOVE IS A SUPERPOWER will be released on Tuesday, September 25 through their Web site, Amazon, CDBABY, bigkids.com, and independent retailers.


Here's the video for "Scribbling":

And the brand new video for "Love is a Superpower":

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, September 13, 2012

At The Zoo  - Simon & Garfunkel
The Monkeys are Breaking Out   - Too Many Cookies
I Walk The Line  - Chris Isaak
A Dog Named Bruce  - Ralph's World
Great To Be A Kid  - The Not-Its! 
Puzzle Pieces Within  - Lunch Money
Rocketfuel  - Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Do What You Do  - XTC        
Subway  - Bari Koral
How Will I Know  - Glee 
Green Green Rocky Road  - Randy Kaplan
Big Blue Whale  - Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights 

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, September 12, 2012

When the Bells Start Ringing (feat. The Head & the Heart) - My Morning Jacket
Because I Said So! - Big Bang Boom  
Kindhearted Babysitter Blues - Randy Kaplan 
Thank You - Dan Zanes & Friends
Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen 
Good Bad Boy - Joe Jackson     
If You Want a Mustache - Space Balloons
Hot Sauce - Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
She's So Mean - Matchbox Twenty      
The Great Outdoors - Ralph's World

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The Christmas Song - The Raveonettes
Hippie Mom - Big Bang Boom     
I Can't Quit Her - Blood, Sweat & Tears
Zou bisou bisou  - Gillian Hills
Odd Girl Out - Alexandra
(I Feel Like) Busting Loose - Rebirth Brass Band
Planes, Trains and Automobiles - Henning Ohlenbusch
The Dancin' Bear - Recess Monkey
In A Timeout Now - Randy Kaplan
Mammal - They Might Be Giants

Ben's Playlist - Monday, September 10, 2012

Parents Need Sleep  - The Nields
I Just Had an Idea  - Elska      
Treehouse   - Dog On Fleas
Are We There Yet?   - Big Bang Boom    
We Are Young (ft. Janelle Monae)  - fun.
Want U Back  - Cher Lloyd ft. Astro
A Friend Like You   - Steve Weeks
Everybody Here is a Cloud  - Cloud Cult
Uncharted   - Sara Bareilles

The Paperboy (new podcast)

Decades ago, I worked two distinct stints as a paperboy.

This week, I recount those experiences. They did not end well.

Plus, it's time for a look at the stingy nature of one of the country's largest fast food chains.

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Ben's Playlist - Friday, September 7, 2012

Life's A Happy Song -  The Muppets
Because I Said So  -  Keller Williams
There's a Band in My Head  -  Dog On Fleas
Sugar Ant -  Caspar Babypants
The Science Fair -  Ashley Albert
Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart -  Fountains Of Wayne
Subway -  Bari Koral 
Harry Elefante -  Rocknoceros
Make Me -  Big Bang Boom     
Chloe -  Grouplove
Here's To Us -  Glee

Big Bang Boom Rocks, Because I Said So!

There is no applicable response.

"Because I said so."

You've hit a parental dead end.

Big Bang Boom empathizes with kids. They feel the frustration. And so their song of the same title (off the new CD of the same title) laments the titular response - BECAUSE I SAID SO.

I've often said that as a husband, I empathize with kids when I get that response as well.

"I told my mother we would stay at her place this weekend."

"This weekend? But it's a national holiday and they're doing construction on the freeway and the car has been making a funny noise. Why do we have to go to your mother's?"

"Because I said so. Get packing."

BBB takes umbrage at this sort of shenanigans. Surely you jest! But that's the point of their music – rocking out your frustrations, while still getting home in time for milk and cookies.

This goes for all ages. BBB tackles the subject of family road trips, always a prickly topic. Even at 21 months, Matt starts squawking from the back seat, babbling a version of "Are We There Yet," while his older brother sits calmly next to him.

Based in Greensboro, North Carolina, the power-pop trio took a turn for the kindie side in 2007 and Big Bang Boom have discovered a whole new fan base (which in turn reinvents itself every 5-6 years). Multiple awards followed, including a grand prize in this year's John Lennon Songwriting Contest, for "Monster Under the Bed," from their second CD, SONGS YOUR MOTHER WILL LIKE.

Chuck Folds, Steve Williard, and Eddie Walker want kids to know that it's alright to love your "Hippie Mom," it's alright to let people know that "I Can Sing," and that sometimes they need a push to "Make Me."

For parents who detest "little kids" music, here comes the best news: When played for the first time, you may not even realize it's a children's CD. BECAUSE I SAID SO is inspired crunchy pop music, without hard rap or metal edges to hurt young 'uns tender minds.

Take the plunge. Why? Because I...you know the drill.

BECAUSE I SAID SO is available on September 18 from Amazon, CDBaby, and iTunes.

Oh, Chuck's brother is Ben Folds.

Here is the video for "Make Me" from the CD:

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, September 6, 2012

Summer Baby (Let It Ride) - Caspar Babypants
Tomorrow Will Be Really Great  - Dan Israel
If You Wanna Dance Say Yeah! - Dog On Fleas
My Magic Trick  - Ralph's World
You Yes You - Tune-Yards
Don't Call Them Twinkies - Craig Finn & the Baseball Project
Put A Little Love In Your Heart - Renee & Jeremy
My Uncle, the Ant - Duke Otherwise
Ride In My Little Red Wagon - Willie & The Wheel
Come To California - The Hipwaders

Hipwaders Book Trip to Sesame Street

The kindie (kids independent music) scene inspires lots of crossover.

Just looking at any of the recent spate of releases that I've reviewed show dozens of unexpectedly delightful collaborations – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo and Lunch Money, for instance.

Kindie musicians mine the mainstream for interesting selections to record, in kid-ified form. Not to mention "classic" tracks presented anew for this generation. Two CDs this year alone had different takes on "Free to Be...You and Me."

There are also the occasional cover versions of kindie songs by other artists. San Francisco's the Hipwaders are releasing a CD single featuring their take on Frances England's "The Books I Like to Read." Need another reason to buy a CD single? The "B" side is the theme from "Sesame Street."

Both tracks have been staples of the Hipwaders' live shows for several years, and now they have recorded them for posterity. It's a real treat to have them both in our possession. Matt (21 months old) immediately started singing along when he heard the opening notes of "Sesame" and did an unprompted dance. You may dance as well, if you have any child left inside.

The Hipdwaders do not play many shows on the East Coast. They were in New York for Kindiefest in 2010, but only the Saturday night "industry showcase." A part-time blogger like myself did not make the cut, alas. But we always keep our eyes on the venue calendars and who knows. The Hipwaders are worth the trip if they're appearing in your area.

The CD single will be available on October 2 through Amazon, CDBaby, iTunes, and other music retailers.

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Sourwood Mountain - Carolina Chocolate Drops
Accentuate the Positive - NRBQ
First Warm Day - The Incredible Chandler Travis Catual Birdomonic
We Are Young (ft. Janelle Monae) - fun.
Pop  - Bari Koral
Twirl! Twirl! Twirl! - Mr. Leebot
Bunny Brown - Caspar Babypants
Born to Be Loved - Lucinda Williams
Party - Dog On Fleas
A Road Song - Fountains Of Wayne
Flat Tire - Dean Jones
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Taylor Swift       

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, September 4, 2012

What Katie Did  - The Libertines
El Jefe  - Mexican Institute of Sound
The Monkey Song  - Jesse Friedberg
The Robot Looked At The Stars    - Ralph's World
Shiny Happy People  - Renee & Jeremy
Bouncy House  - Recess Monkey
Cool Papa Bell   - The Deedle Deedle Dees
Sleepover   - Ellen & Mark
They Got Feet   - George Carver
We Found Love (Feat. Calvin Harris)  - Rihanna
Butterfly  - The Nields

Pay One Price (new podcast)

As you get older, your vacation time ceases to be YOURS. It becomes "family time."

Just as sick days become reserved for days when your KIDS are sick, vacation days are booked for "family time."

We recently spent some "family time" at a local amusement park, waiting for an expected downpour and hoping to squeeze in some fun.

This week, that experience.

Plus "Death Wish 2000," a very dated comedy bit from close to 30 years ago, when the year 2000 WAS the far future.

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Ben's Playlist - Monday, September 3, 2012

Lonely Glove - Caspar Babypants
Yellow  - Renee & Jeremy
Edwina Mae - Recess Monkey
Henry (Hudson), How Ya Gonna Find a Way? - The Deedle Deedle Dees
Something's Coming - Glee
Wrong Thing - The Hipwaders
Bag of Dreams - Steven Courtney
Mind Over Matter  - Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Want U Back - Cher Lloyd ft. Astro 
Turning Tables - Adele