Ben's Playlist - Monday, June 29, 2020

All I Have To Do Is Dream – The Everly Brothers
Doppelganger – Dog On Fleas
Mother Earth – Joanie Leeds
reasons for the seasons – caspar babypants
A Song that Makes Me Happy – Danny Weinkauf
Thank You For Being You – Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could
That's My Style – The Bazillions

Randy & Dave Dance Around Kids Stuff

There are many levels of children's music, from the independent, home-recording enthusiast to longtime industry professionals calling in favors from famous, well-known friends. Randy and Dave entered the kids recording arena with extensive credits under their oversized belt buckles. Three-time Grammy award winner Randy Sharp has multiple #1 country singles and has written and worked with Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Edgar Winter, and Linda Ronstadt to name just a few. Dave Kinnoin has written multitudes of songs for Disney (Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Kermit the Frog) and released eight children's music recordings on his own.


It's hard to knock Randy and Dave when they've made a lifetime's worth of music aimed specifically for children all over the world. Their fourth release, GIGGLE AND BURP BALLET, even donates a portion of its profits to charitable organizations that help kids. Over the course of four collaborative CDs, Randy and Dave have distilled their brand of children's music into a very distinctive formula – songs about stuff when they were kids ("Red Jalopy" and "Gubble Bum"), songs from an unexpected perspective (a fly sings about being separated from its mate on "Screen Door"), songs about beloved pets and species ("Scratch," "What Kind of Animal," and "For a Biscuit"), or tunes that qualify as thigh-slappin' or chin-scratching ("Giggle and Burp Ballet" and "Other Than That").

I'm sure Randy and Dave weren't thinking about being profound when they wrote "Nobody," but the song takes on deeper meaning in the context of a global pandemic:

I wanna build a time machine to drop in on whenever
I'm sure I'll hear all my friends say, "Nobody is that clever."
I'd like to go must father than the speed a light beam goes.
I don't know how to do that now. Nobody knows.
Nobody is the only one who knows all there is to know.
Who can do what people say is impossible, so...

Life is pretty simple for kids portrayed on GIGGLE AND BURP BALLET and perhaps that's for the best, considering the state of the world for everyone right now. The worst that happens to the kid in "Other Than That" is his wifi signal up and quit, he's 10 cents short for ice cream, and he left his homework on the bus. Imagine it was only three months ago that kids could still ride a school bus. In the world and words of Randy and Dave, all these things are still possible, if now merely reduced to nostalgic.

GIGGLE AND BURP BALLET is available from Randy and Dave's website, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Randy and Dave don't necessarily make videos for kids, but you can hear "Red Jalopy" and other tracks from GIGGLE AND BURP BALLET by clicking here:

Rolie Polie Guacamole With Avocado For All

Deep into their second decade as children's musicians, Rolie Polie Guacamole have enjoyed a special niche as the kid's rock band that sometimes tilts Spanish. Thus, there's the anthemic title track of their new release ACOVADO, as well as the Spanish equvialent, "Aquacate," further inside. Bandmates Frank Gallo (son of veteran kid's music artist Lou Gallo) and Andrew Tuzhilin deliver a sonic blast of bilingual childhood energy that focuses on fun, family, and life outside the COVID bubble.


Lou Gallo started recording children's music when his son Frank was two years old. In that way, Frank Gallo was born into the family business – he witnessed firsthand as his dad touring with Lou Gallo and the Very Hungry Band. Frank and Andrew created Rolie Polie Guacamole in 2006 and added a spanish twist to their second-generation kindie sound.

Who doesn't want to get back to the ballpark, as embodied in "Ay Batta Batta"? And there's a whole story song about "Basketball Jane." Über-producer Dean Jones is back at the helm, but the legendary Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, more) lends a hand to give "Fire Truck" the extra push down the hill to extreme metal. Coming down from that manic production is the exquisite "A Very Quiet Song." It's Christmas in June as Rolie Polie Guacamole puts their stamp on the classic "Jingle Bells." There's a fully-formed comedy participation sketch as they go on a journey "Dancing on the Sun":

Dancing on the sun, dancing on the sun,
It's a lot of fun when you're dancing on the sun
But you must go fast because it's hot hot hot hot hot

There's a trick to making children's music that doesn't sounds like it was conceived on a conveyer belt and packaged to meet certain pre-determined standards ("We need a dinosaur song! We need a bedtime song!") Rolie Polie Guacamole habitually walks this line as if it's child's play. The end results are exactly that, so yo salud to Frank and Andrew and ACOVADO for all.

ACOVADO is available from Rolie Polie Guacamole's website, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Here is the video for the title track, "Avocado":

Elena Moon Park's Unhurried Journey

Every performer goes through stages of a career, eventually discovering what message they want their art to ultimately deliver. I first encountered Elena Moon Park backing up Dan Zanes as part of his ever-evolving children's band. Elena fully embraced the roots of her culture and has spent eight years performing with an unprecedented number of collaborators. Elena recently released an extraordinary collection of reimagined songs from the Asia Pacific rim, UNHURRIED JOURNEY.

The themes on UNHURRIED JOURNEY are not new, nor are they region-specific. But Elena takes the trip with musicians from Cambodia, China, Korea, Mexico, Indonesia, and Japan. For once, performers from the United States are put in a supporting role to the arrangements and conventions of indigenous people from the other side of the world. For North American listeners, this gives the music an almost ethereal feel, as many may never have been exposed to this folklore and these societies.

UNHURRIED JOURNEY also reunites Elena with artistic partner Kristiana Pärn, from her first album, RABBIT DAYS AND DUMPLINGS. It's clear that the imagery draws from the music and vice versa; the works of these two women meshes and creates a total immersion of cultures for children and their families.

I would usually list some song titles and the guest artists, but UNHURRIED JOURNEY falls mostly outside my comfort zone as a reviewer. You can visit these pages on Elena's website for song samples and a list of all the contributors. It would be jingoistic to limit the album's appeal as a "cultural item." For families that want to sample freely from a diverse variety of languages and experiences, Elena Moon Park stands ready to walk you through a landscape unlike your own.

UNHURRIED JOURNEY is available from Elena's website, Apple Music, Spotify, and Bandcamp.

Here is the video for Elena's new song "Flower Dance" (written and directed by Andrew Benincasa):

Quick Hits: New Video from Oot n' Oots; Laurie Berkner Father's Day Concert

Canada's pride and joy, the Oot n' Oots are back with a new song and video! The song "Thank You Universe" features 13-year-old Ruth Cipes, her father Erza, and his brothers. The video uses social distancing to bring together a host of people, including Flor Bromley and Ugandan hip-hop pioneer Babaluku.

Right now children's music is focusing on inclusion, togetherness, and positive values. As the country (and the world, since the group comes from north of the US border) becomes more divided, it becomes necessary to stress things that we all love to do, such as singing and dancing. Join the Oot n' Oots as they embark on their mission:



Children's music monarch Laurie Berkner is releasing three new singles this month and is hosting a special Father's Day concert on Sunday, June 21 at 6 PM ET on her website (Tickets are $20 for the direct stream link). Each invite comes with a personal "hello" video and there are "meet and greets" available post-show for $80.

Laurie is looking for the virtual show, as this is the longest time she has gone between full live performances since her daughter was born 15 years ago. According to Laurie, she can’t wait to bring the experience of a live concert to families watching from home and is planning some fun activities that children can enjoy virtually.

Through the Facebook page, Laurie has been producing livestreamed 30-minute "Berkner Break" concerts over the past two months to support kids and families at home during the Covid-19 pandemic. Those sessions are ending as summer approaches; this Father's Day concert will have to suffice as Laurie is looking forward to taking a "Berkner Breather."

“Listen to the Sounds” was released on Friday, June 5. The high-energy song "Jumping Jack" was released today (click here). June's final selection, “Beautiful Light,” comes out Friday, June 19.

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, June 11, 2020

All The Ladies – Joanie Leeds
Boy with a Hole in his Heart – Danny Weinkauf
Clown Shoes – Ratboy Jr.
Grandmaderation – The Okee Dokee Brothers
here boy come home – caspar babypants
I Spy – Ants Ants Ants
Sleepwalkers – Sara Lovell

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Flexible Brain – Ratboy Jr.
Fly Like A Bird – Dean Jones
Perfect Day – Danny Weinkauf
Rocket – Sara Lovell
twist and pout – caspar babypants
Under the Big Umbrella – Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could
Wastin' Time – The Okee Dokee Brothers

Quick Hits: Three Cool Chips, Spanish STEM from 123 Andres

Country music songwriter Luke Laird had a great idea during his family's sheltering – give his kids (four-year-old Mack and six-year-old Jake) the opportunity to conceive their own tunes. This resulted in a six-song collection from the Cool Chips (which sounds better than Laird and Sons). There is inevitably duplication when an artist decides to enter the children's music arena, and the Cool Chips are no exception. Then again, when your songwriter partners' ages COMBINED are still less than one preteen, that's also be expected.

The natural world of Nashville (and the surrounding world) is explored in “Rocks, Worms, Dirt." According to Laird, crafting this tune got the kids on board for making more music. They followed with “Shootin’ Hoops,” “I Don’t Wanna Brush My Teeth," “Don’t Be Mean, Be Nice,” and "Night Night,” based on a chorus the Laird family had sung around the house. Mack closes out the EP with a beatbox-backed version of his favorite bedtime song, “You are My Sunshine.” You can't fault a four-year-old for his choice, even if it's one of the most-recorded children's music songs.

Listeners with exposure to myriad different recording artists will not find any new territory being disclosed with these six songs. But the beauty of contemporary performers entering the children's music sphere is they motivate their audiences to come and join them. Hence, potentially creating new audiences for children's music where there might have been kids previously familiar with only Disney and Kidz Bop. So kudos to Luke Laird and Sons (and wife Beth) – excuse me, the Cool Chips–  for their debut entry.

•••

For their fifth CD, 123 Andrés tackles the natural world and fall in love with everything STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Andres and Christina help Spanish speakers understand such concepts as "What is matter?" and "What is a telescope?" The release, entitled "Una Idea Tengo Yo (“I Have an Idea”), features 11 songs that answers those questions and encourages junior scientists to continue being curious.

COVID affects families across all races – and Spanish-speaking and Spanish-learning parents and children looking for ways to learn are the perfect target audience for "Una Idea Tengo Yo." The album also uses a healthy selection of rhythms and genres from Latin America – Andean huayno to Colombian chandé, plus cumbia, reggaeton, and more. Although I am far from fluent in Spanish, even I could deduce that “El Agua y el Viento” uses the melody from "The Farmer in the Dell" to discuss how water and wind affect the Earth's topography.

Coronavirus can only be solved with the intervention of science. 123 Andrés helps train those STEM-seeking minds of the next generation. The songs from "Una Idea Tengo Yo" can be streamed here on Spotify.

Here's a recent episode of their science-themed web series, focusing on "Inventions":

Quick Hits: Debut Videos from Jazzy Ash; Mayers Family Does Star Wars

Jazzy Ash (Ashli St. Armant) returns with the classic "Teddy Bear, Turn Around" with a New Orleans take and plenty of socially distanced participation. "The most resilient thing about Black Americans is our ability to find joy in the midst of darkness," Ashli said. "Here’s a new song and video I made with my community. I hope you enjoy it, and maybe give yourself permission to dance.”

A New Orleans native (with a father from Trinidad), Ashli embodies the melting pot that became NOLA's signature sound. Now residing in Los Angeles with her family, she is expanding on her mission to build the footprint of jazz for children.

Ashli is using her time at home during COVID sheltering to record a series of songs and producing videos to accompany them. "Teddy Bear" joins "All The Pretty Little Horses," "Hide and Seek," and "Leap Frog." Click through this video and you'll find a host of others when you visit her YouTube channel.



Don't you wish your family included a professional video editor? Filmmaker Matt Mayers (whose wife handles PR for many of the children's music artists I've covered lo these many years) has shot a series of Star Wars-inspired shorts featuring his daughters, Hannah and Norah. Over the past few years, the elder Norah has been visited by aliens, chased by zombies, on the run from Freddy Kruger, and gained super powers. Last Halloween, she and her neighborhood friends were taunted by a creepy clown. In any case, here's "Attack of the Hannahs" and keep using the Force, Mayers family.

Attack of the Hannahs | A Mayers Family Film from Matt Mayers on Vimeo.

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Colors – The Okee Dokee Brothers
Humans Are Still Evolving – Dean Jones
Leave The Monkey  – Sara Lovell
round and square – caspar babypants
Stars – Ants Ants Ants
You Can Get It If You Really Want – Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could
Your Love is a Metaphor – Danny Weinkauf

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Afternoon Walk – The Okee Dokee Brothers
I'm an Optimist – Dog On Fleas
If Girls Ruled The World – Joanie Leeds
Inkpot – Kepi Ghoulie
Inside I Shine – Danny Weinkauf
pay me no mind – caspar babypants
Thank You Universe – The Oot n' Oots

Sara Lovell Brings the Sleep

Getting a good night's sleep is key to maintaining your sanity amidst a global pandemic. That holds true for all ages – children can suffer from insomnia as well, as days turn to weeks and weeks turn to months. Short-term and long-term memory become a blur for youngsters. It becomes essential to keep yourself grounded in order to keep them grounded.

Into that mix comes Sara Lovell's NIGHT LIFE, a deceptively-named collection of calming-down and bedtime lullabies.

Sara covers all facets of the evening process, from tantrums ("I Don't Want to Go to Bed") to parental exhaustion ("Sleepwalkers") to letting kids drain all the remaining energy before slumber overwhelms them ("Wear Yourself Out"). She also addresses the importance of fantasy and imaginative play, especially when children are told to stay inside in order to stay safe, with "I Don't Sleep in a Bed," imploring youthful listeners to picture their bedrooms as tents and other settings.

Through it all, NIGHT LIFE is about the comfort and safety of sleeping under the covers, under the stars, under the watchful protection of loved ones. In the time of COVID, that's a sweet, wistful message that Sara Lovell didn't necessarily intend to convey with some solemnity. But that's the mantle currently thrust upon the music.

NIGHT LIFE is available from Sara Lovell's website, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Here is the video for Sara's song, "The Dark Side of My Room":