Ben's Final 2021 Playlist - Wednesday, December 29, 2021

The Moment – Tame Impala
The Kiss Of Venus – Paul McCartney
You Are Magic – Triple Rainbow
It's a Miracle – Dog On Fleas
put this monkey to bed – Caspar Babypants
New Pair Of Shoes – The Bazillions

Kid Pan Alley Lets Kids Write the Songs

The conceit of Kid Pan Alley is sheer simplicity – why believe that only adults can write song lyrics with any level of depth or emotion? KPA founder Paul Reisler spent 18 months during the pandemic helping children work through their fears, concerns, and dreams to construct the songs on the project's latest CD, MAYBE BY NEXT YEAR.

It's not just coronavirus that affected kids over the past year-plus. They addressed climate change ("The Day the Stars Reached the Earth" featuring Natalie Zuckerman), celebrating our own lives ("Small Things Make a Difference" featuring Michael Lille), and even adoption ("I Think I Blinked" featuring Billy Jonas).

Kids' favorite Randy Kaplan, a frequent KPA contributor, polished the quirky "Tear My Mask (To Pieces)," with a protagonist eager to get back some sense of normalcy. The heartbreaking "Staring Out My Window" is every child's ballad of the lost year of companionship and routine. The aforementioned "I Think I Blinked" deals with adoption so quickly that you might miss the key lines on first listening:

I've known it all along
That's why I wrote this song
I've seen the pictures on the wall
I knew I didn't look like you at all

Kid Pan Alley is not just about granting children access to their feelings. The KPA project is intended to demonstrate that careers in the performing arts are a viable future (these are also welcome concepts to music, acting, and singing instructors around the country). With schools cutting aid to arts programs, KPA reinforces the necessity of educating well-rounded children by motivating all of their potential interests. MAYBE BY NEXT YEAR delivers songs written by kids for kids that can also teach their parents a lesson or two.

MAYBE BY NEXT YEAR is available on Kid Pan Alley's website, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Here is the video for the song, "Staring Out My Window":

Ben's Playlist - Monday, December 27, 2021

Reality In Motion – Tame Impala
Helicopter Leaves – Ants Ants Ants
That's My Style – The Bazillions
Go – The Black Keys
Taco Tuesday – The Lucky Band
Doppelganger – Dog On Fleas
toy boat – Caspar Babypants

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, December 22, 2021

All Dressed Up For Christmas – Adoraborealis
Fanga Alafia – Aaron Nigel Smith
Shine A Little Light – The Black Keys
spoky baby – Caspar Babypants
I'm an Optimist – Dog On Fleas
Buenos Dias – The Lucky Band
Finally – Franz Ferdinand

Adoraborealis Dressed In Their Holiday Best

What to do once you've hit the heights as a children's music performer, had your group become the house band on a popular kids tv show, and then found yourself perplexed by a pandemic? For Brooklyn musician Mike Messer, the choice was to segue into a new group – Adoraborealis – and release a brand new holiday tune, "All Dressed Up for Christmas."

Messer's previous group, the Dirty Sock Funtime Band, was an early obsession of my younger son. One year the kid even dressed for Halloween as Mr. Clown, an integral part of the group's live (and recorded) performances. But there's been a lack of new material or even live shows for a number of years. Sadly, my son has declared himself "immune" to whatever charms children's music once held for him.

This is a situation that plagues all performers who specialize in children's music, as your audience grows and evolves at a steady clip. Messer's solution was to sidestep the Funtime funk and move into a new realm. With that decision, Adoraborealis arrives with its pleasant Christmas song and a lyric video. "All Dressed Up for Christmas" is all about the colorful outfits that people sport to show their holiday spirit, and the love and care that demonstrates for other people in their families and communities:

I’m so weary of dreary but when you're here
We are nearly a rainbow on snow
It’s a miracle
Come here and curl into me
All of the way ’til and through Xmas Day

Every year, musicians struggle to find a new angle for December festivities, regardless of religious belief. Messer has liberated his sartorial selection and hopes it will become a perennial favorite.

You can find the tune on Spotify, Bandcamp, and Amazon.

Here is the lyric video for "All Dressed Up for Christmas," produced by animator Jodie Ray Charity:

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, December 21, 2022

Apples on the Sun – The Harmonica Pocket
Lazy Boy – Franz Ferdinand
Loving & Kind – Aaron Nigel Smith
Lo/Hi – The Black Keys
awesome blossom – Caspar Babypants
Anything Can Be A Hat – Ratboy Jr.
Tear My Mask – Randy Kaplan

Ben's Playlist - Monday, December 20, 2021

The Less I Know The Better – Tame Impala
Sand Song – The Harmonica Pocket
Inkpot – Kepi Ghoulie
Clown Shoes – Ratboy Jr.
I Spy – Ants Ants Ants
Village d'Ãtoile – Dog On Fleas
05 supersonic motorcycles – Caspar Babypants

Story Pirates Blast Off With a Wormy New Years Eve

I'm not a fan of worms. I called it a cheap publicity stunt when Elmo's pet wormy Slimy got serenaded by Tony Bennett ("Slimy To the Moon"). But worms made significant contributions to the environment and play an important role in our ecosystem. They are now making inroads into our living rooms and seeking to connect with our children. Grooving grub DJ Squirm-a-Lot is hosting the Story Pirates' second annual New Year's Eve Party ... from the moon (what is it with worms and outer space?). 

Just like a traditional Story Pirates live performance, this interactive improv adventure will involve story creation, songs, games, and special guests from their podcast. DJ Squirm-A-Lot promises to launch the biggest fireworks display ever viewed – explaining his decamping to the moon. The Story Pirates insist that the party will not be interrupted by DJ Squirm-A-Lot's arch-nemesis Yorma the Ice Dragon. But you know how ice dragons can't stand missing a festive gathering.

Because mom and dad may have different plans for midnight, this New Years Eve event is starting at 3 PM ET on Friday, December 31 (A family pass costs $15). There's also a three-day Story Pirates' virtual Creator Camp experience from December 29-31 for $75 which includes the New Years Eve event. During the pandemic (and into 2022 as kids 5-11 now qualify for COVID vaccinations), the Creators Club helped keep nascent minds firing on all cylinders with livestream workshops, radio shows, and podcast bonus activities. The fourth season of their podcast launched last fall and is available on major streaming platforms.

You can find all the information about the New Years Eve event at the Story Pirates website.

Did I forget to mention Story Pirates Radio? The show airs on YouTube. The first episode of "Story Pirates TV" aired in November. Stop kicking yourself if you missed it – I've embedded the video right here:

New Stuff from Oot 'n Oots, Claudia Robin Gunn, and BIRDIE

Have you ever wanted to frolic in the forest whilst singing about the importance of treating others fairly? This "do unto others" attitude is embodied in the song (and new video) from the pride of Canada, the Oot 'n Oots. "The Golden Rule" comes from their recent collection, PONDEROSA BUNCHGRASS AND THE GOLDEN RULE and features the entire band (the Cipes family) surrounded by lush, sepia-toned greenery. The CD heralds back to the mellow-minded 60s tones of Donovan (with a hint of the Byrds thrown in). "The Golden Rule" is a stylistic combination of modern and throwback fun, as you can see by their video:

Traveling in another direction, New Zealand children's recording artist Claudia Robin Gunn has posted a new video for her gentle, winsome song, "Kids In Autumn." The tune springs from her recent collection that features a little blue penguin as his family segues from season to season. Assisted by animator Katrina Maree, Claudia and Little Wild Music deliver original children's material that native New Zealanders can enjoy, while also being exported to the rest of the world. Here's the video:

California musicians Teresa Gasca-Burk and Gary Burk started playing in a rock band together more than 20 years ago. As they started families, they regrouped to write and perform children's music as BIRDIE, recording their first CD in 2003. They've come out of the pandemic with several new songs, including "Come Out And Play" and "You're Awesome," which features a singalong chorus that dares you not to participate, especially on a long car ride. The duo promotes "positive fun" for a complete family experience and has released a new CD, I CHOOSE HAPPY. Find the music of BIRDIE on their website, Spotify, and Apple Music. Here is the band doing a live performance of their song, "Rainbow":

Ben's Playlist - Monday, December 13, 2021

Stars – Ants Ants Ants
Nest – The Harmonica Pocket
'Cause I'm A Man – Tame Impala
Oh Cookie – Ben Tatar and the Tatar Tots
old cookie – Caspar Babypants
Lost And Loving It – Kepi Ghoulie
It's a Miracle – Dog On Fleas

Quick Hits: Strawbitty Yops, Jackie B and the Mini Band, and Ruth and Emilia

Inclusion means everyone, and Strawbitty Yops are all-in. Woody Hill and Cindy Haws-Rice have made music together for nearly 20 years. The Austin, Texas duo are all about songwriting that empowers children and makes them part of the process. Strawbitty Yops (just try googling that term) is a queer-identified family band featuring them, keyboard player Jimmie Estrada, percussionist Salina Estrada, singer Melanie Rose, and Cindy's kids Autumn and Theo. Their new holiday song, "Winter Magic," talks about the delights of sharing an annual family celebration and all its traditions and festivities. You can download the song from Amazon or Apple Music. Here is the video:

Speaking of interactive children's music, New Zealand singer-songwriter Jackie Bristow devised Jackie B and The Mini Band during the lockdown, featuring seven Wakatipu kids aged 7 to 10   innovative musical “lockdown” project by New Zealand-based international singer-songwriter Jackie Bristow has inspired a Christmas collaboration with a group of young Wakatipu singers from Southwest New Zealand. Their original eight-song EP is coming in January from 8 Pound Gorilla Records. In the meantime, we have their first single,"It's Christmas." Truly an international recording, the vocals were recorded in St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Arrowtown, the backing music was recorded and produced in Nashville, and the entire track was mastered at Studios 301 in Sydney, Australia. You can download the song from Amazon, Apple Music, or Spotify.

I confess that real-world responsibilities (such as running a book sale with 30,000 items) precluded me from doing a ton of writing just prior to Hanukkah, so I missed promoting Ruth and Emilia's new video for their "Dreidel Sing Along," featuring Ruth as a dancing dreidel. But even as the holiday has passed, you can still view the song throughout the holiday season! You can grab the song from Amazon or Apple Music and the video is below.

Divinity Roxx: Ready Set Go for Anything

You can't easily fool kids (unless we're talking about Santa Claus, but let's not go there right now). What I mean is, they can tell the difference between cereal that tastes good and cereal that's good for them. The same principle goes for music – if you feed your kids a constant stream of basic super-positive, super-motivational songs, they're going to reject them sooner or later. To address that dilemma, you need a solution that delivers upbeat themes without tasting like medicine. May I present Divinity Roxx, your contemporary antidote to generic, genial children's music.

Divinity spent five years touring and performing with Beyoncé and has produced three albums of music for adults. Her first collection for kids, READY SET GO! dropped this month. No stranger to catchy bass lines, Divinity has a strong affinity for the kind of things that kids enjoy, such as "Saturday," which she emphatically declares is "the best day of the week," assisted by actress/signer Yani Marin. The Alphabet Rockers guest on "Just When You Think," reminding listeners that they're stronger when they "conquer the monster, and don't quit."

The pandemic was a mostly negative one-way drain on families and especially children, who could not always comprehend why they couldn't resume regular activities. READY SET GO! seeks to rebuild confidence and empowerment as kids begin coming out of the darkness (thanks to sensible parents and vaccine mandates, etc). "Be Yourself" advises that "you can't be nobody else." Brooklyn's Fyütch guests on "Feeling Good" with a bulletin that kids "light up a room like a halogen" when they have positive energy. Being surrounded by love is the theme of the multi-lingual "Love Love Love" with Latin Grammy winner 123 Andrés.

The world can be challenging and it's the job of responsible parents to ensure that kids blossom into happy, mentally healthy adults. Divinity Roxx gives your home a friendly dose of beat-driven power pop rock with READY SET GO!

READY SET GO! is available from Divinity Roxx's website, Spotify, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Here is the video for Divinity Roxx's song, "Ready Set Go":

Leeds Takes Holiday Lead; Organic Xmas From Formidable Veg

Grammy winner Joanie Leeds is feeling festive as winter approaches, having recorded three different songs with diverse collaborators. She and fellow PJ Library alumnus Josh Shriber (of Josh and the Jamtones fame) duet on the dance-inducing "Like A Maccabee," which should be lighting up the SiriusXM Hanukkah Channel this month. 

Fyütch sings on "Winter Wonderland," the holiday chestnut that gets a fresh coat of hiphop for 2021. It's also the first of a promised collection of Christmas tunes written by Jewish performers that's slated for release next year (by the way, "Wonderland" was not written by Irving Berlin – it's by Richard Smith and Felix Bernard). 

The topic of Christmas Eve is covered by Leeds and fellow singer Cheryl B. Engelhardt on "Till Midnight," which is all about trying to stay awake on the final countdown to family excitement, hot chocolate, and a roomful of presents. It's a bouncy paean to childhood and the days when Santa may (or may) not actually exist.

Look for all three songs on Joanie Leeds' website, Spotify, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Conscious conservationists Formidable Vegetable are also producing environmentally-friendly holiday music. The 8 Lb Gorilla Records artists from Down Under want families to remember that holidays generate much waste, from leftover food to wrapping papers. Keep your children upbeat without spoiling the mood, while promoting recycling and protecting the planet. The band has released "All I Want for Christmas Is Used," with lyrics that endorse a genuine, climate-friendly sentiment:

Edible, homemade, or original
Something indelible
Doesn't need to be physical
Renovate, compatible, for a planet that is liveable

Keep your children upbeat without spoiling the mood, while promoting recycling and protecting the planet. Formidable Vegetable cares – and shares – their wishes for a sustainable future.

Grab "All I Want for Christmas Is Used" from the band's website, Amazon, and Spotify.

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Reality In Motion – Tame Impala
The Kiss Of Venus – Paul McCartney
Sing Your Song – The Harmonica Pocket
Fanga Alafia – Aaron Nigel Smith
sunny summer sun – Caspar Babypants
The Breakfast Song (Start It Right) – Ben Tatar and the Tatar Tots

Ben Tatar Believes You Are What You Eat

If you are what you eat, then Bet Tatar is a plate of delicious, silly treats. His band, Ben Tatar & the Tatar Tots, are addicted to food even worse than Weird Al Yankovic, with songs that celebrate and romanticize the allure of a diverse banquet plate stocked with jambalaya, peanut butter, cake, pizza, and broccoli. Like the movie "Fight Club," the Tatar Tots have one rule – only songs about food. That rule is fully followed on their second collection, SECONDS.

Tatar serves up his collection of confections with a surfeit of musical styles, from Tony Bennett/big band numbers "Peanut Butter" and "Bake Me a Cake" to rhumba on "Back To the Buffet," which gives him the opportunity to run through a whole roomful of breakfast selections. Parents will appreciate the skill with which Tatar weaves his menu, giving kids a subliminal musical education as they snicker to the deep thoughts of "Can You Write a Song About Broccoli."

Tatar first deep-fried his Tatar Tots in 2014 with an album entitled FOOD! As opposed to a standard ensemble of 3-4 band members, the Tatar Tots cast a wide net that encompasses more than 30 different musicians, including Chicago's renowned LowDown Brass Band and the funk trio, Spare Parts. The freewheeling nature of the performers adds to the infectious feel of the material, as on the album opener "Jambalaya":

One fork, one spoon, one bowl

This flavor sends a melody through my soul

I got music to play all night

And a mighty big appetite

Grab a napkin, grab a plate, let's go

Tatar presented weekly Facebook Live musical variety shows during the pandemic, highlighting his collection of unusual instruments. His shows were featured in an NPR list of recommended virtual programming for quarantined kids and families. With SECONDS, Tatar is bursting (not just his waistline) to show off his 2021 appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Your kids will come back for more.

SECONDS is available from Ben Tatar's website, Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Here is the video of the audio for the band's song, "Lemonade":

Twinkle Time Keeps It Moving (Video Premiere); Magic from Triple Rainbow

When Twinkle Time (Alitzah Weiner Dallas) wants kids to dance, it's hard for them to say no. And if they're saying no, you probably won't hear them because they're already dancing and don't even realize it. She has released a new video to "Let's Keep It Movin' / El Bailongo," the fifth single from her 2021 family album, "A MI ME GUSTA SER YO / IT'S OK TO BE ME." The video moves fast (literally, as it's 2:02 total time) with Twinkle gyrating with her backup crew and a support band that looks almost way too happy to be there. Your kids will defy all expectations if they don't dance or sing along.

Twinkle hosts a two-hour biweekly children's music Top 20 Countdown. Artists on her shows have included Divinity Roxx, Backstreet Boys, Nathalia, Erin Lee and the Up Past Bedtime Band, and way too many to list. The shows can be downloaded as a podcast from Apple, Audible, Podbean, and iHeart.

Here is the world premiere of "Let's Keep It Movin'." You can also find the Spanish version on Twinkle's YouTube channel.

  A near-perfect encapsulation of children using their imagination during the pandemic is "You Are Magic," the new song from Triple Rainbow, the family music project that's the brainchild of Jared Mees, the co-founder of the independent record label Tender Loving Empire. 

Do you want to be an astronaut? A race car driver? A dinosaur? Mees and his kids, July (9) and Piper (4), have created 15 songs for YOU ARE MAGIC, their upcoming debut CD. The title track depicts all of the above (and more) right in the family's backyard, reminding kids that "your brain is better than an iPad or a TV." You can find the song on  on Apple Music, Amazon, Spotify, and www.tenderlovingempire.com.

Here is the video for "You Are Magic":

Easy Breezy Farewell to Caspar Babypants

It's difficult to say goodbye, which is why it was tough to write a final piece about Caspar Babypants (Chris Ballew) on the release of his decisive CD, EASY BREEZY! It's the 19th (!) and last collection from the former frontman of Seattle's The Presidents of the United States, who turned to children's music 12 years ago and cultivated more than 360 silly, sneaky earworms over the course of his recordings (nearly one per day for a calendar year).

Ballew decided to postpone the inevitable and pushed EASY BREEZY! into 2021 (from a planned fall 2020 release). It wasn't that he just couldn't say goodbye as much as he wanted to perform some final kids' concerts and let his young listeners down in an easy breezy manner. You're not going to find tremendous social messaging on a Caspar Babypants CD. Instead, it's all about clever wordplay ("Awesome Blossom"), twanging guitars ("Spooky Baby"), genre-bending ("Caterpillar Jazz"), and kid-tastic concepts ("Put This Monkey to Bed"). Ballew even delves into his own childhood on "When I Was Little."

EASY BREEZY! offers an appropriate coda to the impressive recording history of Caspar Babypants, which curious inquires like "What If?" addressing children's questioning everything around them, "Weird Weird Dream" sharing the powers of our subconscious, and "The Ballad of the Babypants" explaining the magic powers behind a special piece of clothing. 

I have to mention the five Caspar Babypants books written by Ballew and illustrated by his wife, Kate Endle. Each features a CP song that goes with the book, such as "Penguin on A Scooter." Click here for more information on the books. Ballew is shifting his musical focus to more ambient sound. His new website has a full playlist of songs.

Ballew turned to kids' music in 2008, right around the time I jumped into the fray with regular coverage of the industry. If there's ever a Hall of Fame for kid's music, I want to throw my hat into the ring to induct Caspar Babypants as a first-ballot inductee. His songs fill a sweet spot between frivolous and poignant, with a timelessness and specificity that makes him easy to identify yet hard to quantify. My younger son's class performed a dance to POTUS's "Volcano" a few years ago and it was just perfect – whatever double entendré might have been implied was consumed by the sheer fun of the selection. It's hard to say goodbye to an old friend. But with nearly 200 recorded tunes, Caspar Babypants has generated plenty of easy, breezy content that kids will enjoy for years to come. 

EASY BREEZY is available from Caspar Babypants' website, Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Here is the video for the song, "Wild Wide Time":

Ben's Playlist - Monday, November 22, 2021

The Moment – Tame Impala
Village d'Ãtoile – Dog On Fleas
It's A Wonderful Life – Kepi Ghoulie
I Got the Greens – Ben Tatar and the Tatar Tots
02 i am a loose balloon – Caspar Babypants
Go – The Black Keys

Holiday Quick Hits: Jazzy Ash, Itty Bitty Beats, Genevieve Goings

It's November and that means it's time for the annual cavalcade of holiday songs. First up this season is Jazzy Ash (Ashli St. Armant) with two tracks. Ashli's favorite Kringling jingle is "Zat You, Santa Claus," known for many versions including the incomparable Louis Armstrong. 

Raised in New Orleans where she absorbed the musical milieu of the bayou, the Los Angeles queer mom of two has also released a new track, "Fly Through the Sky." Inspired by Ella Fitzgerald and the classic instrumental music of Disney musical movies, it's a big band flashback to another time. 

Find both songs on Jazzy Ash's website, Apple Music, and Spotify.

Lucy Hiku and Jenny Payne, otherwise known as New Zealand's Itty Bitty Beats, have also dropped three disparate Christmas tunes. We're more than 60 years from the heyday of the Andrews Sisters, but the Beats pursue boogie woogie harmonies on "Rockin’ Rollin’ Reindeer." 'Their "Ring the Bells" could have been an outtake from a Rankin-Bass holiday special, celebrating that 'tis much bell-ringing, such as church bells and sleigh bells, at this time of year. Their winter lullaby "Little Snowflake" can be sung to to the tune of "Frère Jacques" and features vocals from Jenny’s son, Lachie.

All three songs will be available on the Itty Bitty Beats' website, Spotify, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Pretty soon it's going to be time to stop referring to Genevieve Goings as "formerly from Disney's Choo Choo Soul." She adds to his resumé of solo music with her new holiday-themed EP, VERY MERRY, from 8 Lb Gorilla Records. Perfect for decorating the tree, making cookies, or burning off that frenetic energy on Christmas Eve, the five songs give an overview of family and fun during the winter season. Standouts include "Crazy for Christmas Lady" and "Sweeter Than a Candy Cane" (which refers to "your love is...").

Find VERY MERRY on Genevieve Goings' website, Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Ben's Playlist - Monday, November 15, 2021

The Less I Know The Better – Tame Impala
Finally – Franz Ferdinand
White Whale – Kepi Ghoulie
Lo/Hi – The Black Keys
It's a Miracle – Dog On Fleas
01 babies all over the world – Caspar Babypants
Peanut Butter – Ben Tatar and the Tatar Tots

Holiday Tunes from Raffi & Lindsay Munroe and Laurie Berkner Band

The holidays are upon us and so it the annual onslaught of performers eager to generate "timeless, perennial content" for generations of listeners. Children's music icon Raffi has teamed with protogé Lindsay Munroe on a duet of the classic tune, “Silver Bells.” Originally performed solo on Raffi's Christmas album, Munroe was eager to add her vocals on a new recording with her mentor.

The due met backstage at a Raffi concert in Boston, where Munroe explained how – as a mother to three children with autism– she used music as a tool to teach and connect with her kids. Munroe also performs at libraries and pre-schools and runs "Sing-Along with Lindsay" on YouTube. That conversation led to Raffi producing her first CD as well as a followup earlier this year.

Find the song on Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon. You can hear "Silver Bells" on this video below.

Speaking of iconic children's music performers, Laurie Berkner segued from Halloween directly into Hanukkah season. There's a bit of "hurry-up" this year, as the Jewish holiday starts on the Sunday night of Thanksgiving weekend (fun for my younger son, whose birthday falls on November 24).

The Laurie Berkner Band (Susie Lampert, Brady Rymer, and Bobby Golden) have recorded a new, high energy version of the chestnut "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel." For many of us, this would fall under the "equal time" doctrine, as Berkner recorded a whole Christmas holiday album a few years ago.

Let's not cast aspiration at this festive holiday of lights and celebrate a fast-moving rendition of the popular kids' favorite. Honestly, there are fewer well-known Hanukkah tunes and anytime a popular performer steps into the studio, it's a welcome addition to any playlist. Your kids can also look forward to another set of Laurie Berkner livestreamed holiday concerts on Saturday, December 18 at noon and 5 PM ET. Click here for concert info.

You can grab "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel" from Spotify, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Vivian Fang Liu Belongs With the Kids

Classical trained pianist Vivian Fang Lui emigrated to New York at age 15. After graduating from NYU, she continued her studies but also began performing and teaching. Vivian spent her pandemic year giving Zoom lessons and livestreaming musical experiences with her students but became concerned at the escalating number of anti-Asian hate crimes.

Vivian turned her attention to producing SHAPE OF CROWNS, her first children’s album, focusing on breaking Asian American stereotypes and promoting Asian contributions to science, technology, and the arts. Similar to how kid-hop artists such as SaulPaul and Pierce Freelon espouse that kids should be proud of their Black upbringing, Vivian delivers that message to Asian American children with songs such as "Bruce Lee Doesn't Like Math" and "Belong." 

On "Silence," co-written with Grammy winner Jon Samson, Vivian uses the dichotomy of sheet music, which has its silences, against the tranquility that kids sometimes need to center themselves during tough times. "Belong" features the voices of some of Vivian's students and practically demands that every Asian child stand up and be proud of themselves, pointing out the accomplishments of Asians (a concept akin to Freelon's "Black Women in History"):

Plus, science - some of our inventions are the finest
Eric Yuan created Zoom, kept us connected through the Virus
Patrick Soon Shiung is a transplant surgeon
Who made a drug to help cancer patients through their hurtin'
So every Asian kid just stand up now
Don’t hide who you are, be yourself and be proud

Vivian deftly celebrates her Chinese upbringing on songs like "Happy Birthday Mama," explaining that open expressions of affection are not as commonplace in Asian culture. "Eight Immortals Soaring Over the Sea" is filled with imagery evocative of the anime of such filmmakers as Hayao Miyazaki. Throughout the eight tracks, Vivian delivers euphoric classical piano tracks that give SHAPE OF CROWNS a distinctive feel. Much like Elena Moon Park, Vivian demonstrates that Asian voices are an important portion of the children's music scene. 

You can hear SHAPE OF CROWNS on Soundcloud, Spotify, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Here is the video for Vivian's song, "Belong":

 

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Summer's Here – The Bazillions
Lazy Boy – Franz Ferdinand
One – Aaron Nigel Smith
I'm an Optimist – Dog On Fleas
Clown Shoes – Ratboy Jr.
White Whale – Kepi Ghoulie

Ben's Playlist - Monday, November 8, 2021

Winter Bird / When Winter Comes – Paul McCartney
One Of The Boys – Huey Lewis & The News
New Pair Of Shoes – The Bazillions
Buenos Dias – The Lucky Band
Anything Can Be A Hat – Ratboy Jr.
Lost And Loving It – Kepi Ghoulie
Doppelganger – Dog On Fleas

New Danny Weinkauf Video; Best of Sharon, Lois & Bram

Danny Weinkauf and the Red Pants Band have a new video for "Nouns," a song from their most recent collection, WORDS. Proper language and word usage is the theme of the CD, giving it cachet into the education system (which Danny first accomplished as the bassist for They Might Be Giants on their kid-friendly "Here Come..." series of releases). On "Nouns," Danny shares vocals with bandmate Tina Kenny Jones, his wife Michelle and son Kai. And yes, their names are all proper nouns, as explained in the tune. The video was directed and animated by David Cowles, who also designed the video with Richard Nickel (assisted by Jeremy Galante).

WORDS is available from Danny Weinkauf's website, Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music. 

Here is the video for "Nouns":

Americans had Mr. Rogers. Canadians had Sharon, Lois and Bram. Contemporary musician Josh Lovelace has cited their works as influential on his family recordings, as their first CBC kids' program "The Elephant Show" was carried on American television on Nickelodeon through 1996. A followup show, "Skinnamarink TV," also reached American shores on the Learning Channel until 1999.

The popular children's musical trio unfortunately became a duo in 2000 when Lois Lilenstein retired from full-time performing after the death of her husband. Sharon and Bram soldiered on, with Lois appearing occasionally. They are still active, even after Lois passed in 2015. Now the full trio is being revisited with a greatest hits collection called BEST OF THE BEST LIVE.

The CD is filled with chestnuts such as "Old King Cole," "The Hucklebuck" (familiar to most fans of the Honeymooners), and "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?" You also get a taste of some songs with what would be considered risque titles nowadays, for example "Dirty Old Bill," "I Am Slowly Going Crazy," and "Jack Was Every Inch a Sailor."

BEST OF THE BEST LIVE is a mellow beginner's introduction to Sharon, Lois, and Bram and a certain treat for nostalgia fans. Sharon now tours with her daughter, Randi Hampson (joined occasionally by Bram) and look forward to getting back on the road to entertain Canadian audiences.

BEST OF THE BEST LIVE is available through Sharon, Lois, and Bram's website, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Here is a video of the trio performing, "Skinnamarink":

Ben's Playlist - Monday, November 1, 2021

The Kiss Of Venus – Paul McCartney
'Cause I'm A Man – Tame Impala
Helicopter Leaves – Ants Ants Ants
Nest – The Harmonica Pocket
Who, What, When, Where, Why – The Bazillions
Taco Tuesday – The Lucky Band

More Than Kids Music for the Oot 'n Oots

The Oot 'n Oots don't consider themselves primarily children's musicians. The pride of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, the Cipes are a family band in the literal sense (a bunch of brothers and one daughter/niece) producing songs reminiscent of the gentle, whimsical soft rock released by Donovan and early Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd. Their latest collection, PONDEROSA BUNCHGRASS AND THE GOLDEN RULE contains a dozen tracks that espouse concepts we should all know, yet somehow forget to practice much of the time.

The Oots are interested in big, deep thoughts and address them with singalong choruses and power ballads. "Ponderosa Bunchgrass" opens Part 2 (it's side two of the actual vinyl version of the collection) with a girl who walked along her own path. Think Malala Yousafzai or Greta Thunberg. The Oots' frontwoman singer is Ruthie Cipes, who delivers strong vocals on tracks like "Thank You, Universe" and the spaghetti western theme, "Once Upon A Dream."

There's a heaping helping of Donovan (with a sprinkle of Buffalo Springfield) on "The Bird and the Monkey and Me." A mariachi band transforms "Teeny Tiny Horsey" from a novelty number into a spirited Tex-Mex tune. Since I'm busy name-dropping classic rockers, how about the Robert Fripp/Dave Gilmour-esque guitar solos on "The Golden Rule," disbursing its edicts of tolerance, kindness, and patience:

Hey, it's not opinion or a point of view

It's a simple universal truth

Treat others the way you want to be treated, too

Follow the golden rule

The Oots feel that by classifying them solely as "children's music," it diminishes the impact of their songs. As they point out, everyone was once a child – so their CDs are for current kids, former kids, and future kids. PONDEROSA BUNCHGRASS AND THE GOLDEN RULE emerges from the embers of the 1970s era of "family music" and fully inhabits their persona like a newly-refurbished log cabin...with piled-high shag carpet and groovy bellbottoms.

PONDEROSA BUNCHGRASS AND THE GOLDEN RULE is available from the Oot 'n Oots's website, Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Here is the video for the band's song, "Thank You, Universe":

Mama B & Uncle T At the Zoo, New Father Goose Video

There's always a market for kid's music for the very, very young. By that, I mean kids who are too young to discriminate between Sesame Street, the Wiggles, and whatever else finds its way onto mom's phone or into the family car's CD player. Teething kids might voice a preference for the tastiest CD label, but that's another story. 

Mama B and Uncle T (Jacq Becker and Travis Warner) have produced ZOOLOGY for this particular market segment. The songs are all animal-based, from "Giggling Gorillas" to "Pink Polka Dot Flamingo" to "Toucan-O-Rama." Plus there's a host of infant and baby animal noises, if only to incessantly drive home that ZOOLOGY is perfect fodder for local car rides and bedtime routines. Two of the tracks are even lullabies, "Goodnight Zoo" and "Sleep Tight." 

ZOOLOGY doesn't break new ground with its animal-based menagerie, however the songs are not meant for anthropologists. And if you didn't guess, the zoo is a metaphor for our larger homo sapien community. 

ZOOLOGY is available from Mama B & Uncle T's website, Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Here is the video for the duo's song, "Hippopatamus":

Father Goose has a new video for the song, "Why?" from his 2021 pandemic EP INVISIBLE. The song features son iRiE Goose, rappers Etcetera and Drsya, as well as a girl who is forbidden to sing in her home country. According to FG, for that reason he could not give her credit or show any images of her in the video. Goose doesn't pull any punches with his music, while realizing that his base is too young for socio-political debate. The song addresses a central question from children considered minorities in their community, "Why" in regard to racism and oppression. Liberally taking the approach, "When they go low, we go high," the chorus conspicuously includes the refrain:

Together we rise so high 
And keep on rising

You can find the song online at Soundcloud and Spotify. Here is the video for "Why?":

Halloween Everyday for Triple Rainbow; New Brady Rymer EP

Hey, did you have any inkling that Halloween is coming? Okay, don't start going off on a rant about commerce and commercialization. Kids care more about the costumes, the spookiness, and, of course, the trick-or-treating.

Co-founder of the independent record label Tender Loving Empire Jared Mees decided to pen an anthem for kids to pledge their allegiance to All Hallow's Eve. A songwriter in his own right, Mees founded a kids' band called Triple Rainbow, drawing inspiration from his own kids, July (9) and Piper (4). They created 15 songs and produced 25 short films during the pandemic (to date). You can find their content via Instagram. 

Triple Rainbow has produced a video for their song, "Why Can't Every Day Be Halloween." It's danceable, singable, and totally kid-tastic. You can download and purchase "Why Can't Every Day Be Halloween" on Apple Music, Amazon, Spotify, and www.tenderlovingempire.com.

Here is the world premiere of their new song: 

 It's no exaggeration to say that I started writing about children's music because of Brady Rymer. His reps reached out to inquire about my interest in reviewing his latest CD, and the rest is history. Which brings us to the tenth anniversary of his landmark CD, Love Me for Who I Am, inspired by his work with kids on the autism spectrum and with other special needs. 

Instead of a reissue, Brady has released an EP featuring six dance remixes of tunes from the record, featuring Laurie Berkner (whom he plays bass for in the Laurie Berkner Band), British children's recording artist David Gibb (with whom he recorded last year's Across the Pond CD), as well as legendary Parliament/Funkadelic keyboard wizard Bernie Worrell. Revel in the capabilities and strengths of extraordinary children who attempt to live their best lives. You can grab Love Me for Who I Am on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon. 

 Here is Brady Rymer and David Gibb's remix video for "So Many Ideas," directed by Glen Hoffman and featuring some technical wizardry from editor Thomas Dexter:

Harmonica Pocket's Family For All

A lot has happened in the six years since the Harmonica Pocket last released a collection of songs. The Okee Dokee Brothers have moved into their particular space for gentle, nature- and family-oriented music and won a Grammy Award. But does that mean there isn't room for two acts with a similar sound and sensibility? That's like asking a child if they saved enough space in their stomach after dinner for cake AND pie.

Youth empowerment is the theme of the The Harmonica Pocket’s new collection, SING YOUR SONG. The great Northwest's Keeth Apgar has piled 13 songs onto your child's plate, an infectious mix of lighthearted originals and classic chestnuts "Stand By Me" and "Twinkle Twinkle (Little Star)." The socially conscious Apgar family also note that this CD was recorded with solar electricity at Apple Tree Studio.

Keeth's goal was to create an album for families that was also produced by his entire family. Ten-year-old Montana Apgar contributed the inspiration for "One Two I Love You" when he was four years old, first uttering the phrase and later devising the melody while walking around their house. Wife Nalla provides backup vocals on many of the tracks. The title song features vocalist Renee Stahl (Renee and Jeremy) and Johnny Bregar makes an appearance on the comical "Everything Is Everywhere":

My nose is in my ear, I said my nose is in my ear
My ear is on my chin, I said my ear is on my chin
My chin is in my eye, I said my chin is in my eye
My eye is in my mouth, I said my eye is in my eye

Keeth subverts the traditional kids' tropes towards audience interaction with "Itchy," an amusing song fragment that he can't even finish due to a persistent irritation. "I Can Be the Princess" stresses individuality and being the best version of what you want to become (or pretend to be). But in the end, you should always strive to be the best version of yourself. The Harmonica Pocket has concealed themselves (a synonym for pocket) for perhaps too long, costing themselves a potential generation of new listeners. As the Harmonica Pocket emerges from a lengthy slumber, the Apgars are encouraging children to SONG YOUR SONG. Welcome back to these voices from Washington State.

SING YOUR SONG is available from Harmonica Pocket's website, Amazon, Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Here is the video for the band's tune, "Wee A Tilly":

Falu Delights In A Colorful World

Is making music hereditary? For Hindustani performer Falu (Falguni Shah), it was always important to carry on the work of 11 generations of her family. Now based in New York but originally from Mumbai, India, the Grammy-nominated Falu has released her latest collection for children, A COLORFUL WORLD. It's a pleasant trek around several familiar concepts, delivered through Falu's sensibilities with impeccable production and a host of elite backup musicians.

Songs such as "Happy," " My Train," "Visit To the Farm," and "Crayons Are Wonderful" aren't groundbreaking in any ordinary way. Except they are being sung in English by an Indian performer, surrounded by a cadre of socially conscious professionals. The lovely "Lullaby for Nishaad" is a standout track if you need to put down kids who've tired of your other American contemporary artists. 

Falu emigrated to the United States more than 20 years ago and was appointed Carnegie Hall's ambassador of Indian music in 2006. Her authentic South Asian voice is one of the reasons she's been dubbed the "Hindi Kindie" and the title is appropriate in many ways. Music connects people across cultural and geographic divides. Falu has used her skills to bring her Jaipur musical traditions as far and wide as Lincoln Center and the White House. Puppet shows and Bollywood style dancing are components of the Jaipur styling. Modern parents who have taken their kids to kindie shows are familiar with those interactive elements (although synchronizing children to dance in step at a Bollywood level might be beyond even Falu). With A COLORFUL WORLD, Falu adds to her performance arsenal and gazes optimistically to a time when she returns to a full schedule of touring to share her latest offering.

A COLORFUL WORLD is available from Falu's website, Amazon, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Apple Music.

Hear Falu's song, "Rainbow":

Halloween Songs from Suzi Shelton & Fyütch and the Itty Bitty Beats

The autumn winds are beginning to increase and nighttime is falling earlier in the late afternoon. That can only mean one thing – children's music artists scramble to release new Halloween songs and videos!

Suzi Shelton and Fyütch have teamed for the delightfully danceable Sia-inspired "Party Monsters." Using an introductory device similar to Zacharle on "Monster Mash" ("I was working in the lab late one night....") the duo take a long walk down a Brooklyn street and stumble across a group of monsters celebrating in the late October night:

Went to the monster party
And danced until we dropped
The monster band was hoppin’ 
The music never stopped
It was a night to remember
Party Monsters you rock!

The tune originated in Suzi's online songwriting class, where Fyütch and his daughter Aura guested, and contributed spoken word elements. On Wednesday, October 27 at 4pm ET, Suzi is hosting a Halloween special on Facebook and YouTube where she and Fyütch will perform “Party Monsters.” Guests will include Esther Crow and her seven year old son Vincent plus ten year old creator and instagram sensation MakerGigi.

You can hear "Party Monsters" on Soundcloud and Spotify.

Lucy Hiku and Jenny Payne, otherwise known as New Zealand's Itty Bitty Beats, have also dropped "Halloween Dream," a vision of when spooky meets silly. The jazz-centric tune imagines cats wearing party hats, witches riding ostriches, ghouls wearing fancy jewels, and bats disco dancing with cats. Sounds like somebody has started eating their trick or treating candy a bit early, I must say.

Since forming in 2014, award winning Christchurch children’s music duo Itty Bitty Beats has celebrated four years in a row of being nominated for New Zealand children’s music awards, winning once for Best Children's Song and Best Children's Album. Jenny’s husband Rob Payne produces all of their music. The Beats' have released tunes that reaches emotional highs (Christmas in July) and lows (Baby Loss Awareness).

Hear the Itty Bitty Beats' song, "Halloween Dream" on Spotify and Amazon.

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, October 19, 2021

I Am There For You – Huey Lewis & The News
Sing Your Song – The Harmonica Pocket
The Moment – Tame Impala
It's A Wonderful Life – Kepi Ghoulie
I'm an Optimist – Dog On Fleas
Shine A Little Light – The Black Keys

A New Kids' View from G'Raph

It takes a little bit of pretzel logic to explain to kids how musician Raphael Groton branded himself "G'Raph" for his children's music recording. The multi-faceted musician is previously known for his jazz, latin, and funk compositions, as well as "international healing music," if that floats your boat in the bathtub. His new collection, HAPPILY EVER NOW, introduces Raph's love for soft funk ("Hands in the Water"), country ("I'm Not pErfect"), and blues ("Baby Blues"). If this is your first purchase of children's music, it may be an absolute revelation. For those who have already established a collection of preferred artists, not so much.

In the mid-2000s, my older son started to get into children's music. Before long, I entered the reviewing phase of my writing career. We began to assemble CDs of his favorite music as "goodie bag" gifts at his birthday parties (starting at age three). Subsequently, people would mention what they played for their kids – whether it was endless Sesame Street or Beatles CDs. They just simply didn't know of any alternatives. One set of parents were delighted to receive the new collection, telling me "We just leave the last one in the car and play it on a loop. Now we have something to swap it out."

I became acquainted with semi-professionals (they played weekend gigs at weddings and parties) who dabbled in children's music, as well as "Mommy and Me" types who used their years of musical education to record a CD they could hock at their classes. One of my friends from college bragged that he and a colleague produced a cassette tape that included such memorable titles as "You Can Pick Your Friends, But Don't Pick Your Nose." Whenever I see or hear a title along those lines, it's become my Niagara Falls. It's waving a flag in my face, and the face of anyone who takes children's music seriously – that you are willing to use the most base concept to drag a chuckle from parents and a mirthful giggle from the youngest of listeners. When HAPPILY EVER NOW featured a track called "Don't Pick Your Nose," I forcibly stifled years of accumulated bile.

Raph comes by his children's music in an honorable fashion. His four-month-old son was involved in a near-fatal car accident in 2002. Strumming guitar bedside in the intensive care unit at the hospital, he became aware of the healing power of music. There's a viability to Raph's recordings, and his focus comes from a place of honesty. He just needs to get past some of the facade that makes HAPPILY EVER NOW merely a serviceable first impression to the genre.

HAPPILY EVER NOW is available from G'Raph's website, Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Here is the video for Raphael Groton's song, "Hands in the Water":

See (and Hear) Louis & Dan and the Invisible Band

You don't need a college education to make pleasurable, amusing children's music, but it helps in the case of Louis & Dan and the Invisible Band. Humor and children's music is an uneasy mix. It's fairly common to hear performers talking down to kids, which aggravates parents and turns off their target audience. But when it's done correctly, such as on Louis and Dan's new collection, SMORGASBORD, the results are laugh out loud funny.

College professors (and neighbors), Louis and Dan spent their pandemic year polishing eight new tunes that run the gamut from amassing all holidays under one umbrella ("Happy Day!") to the astounding number of musicians that hail from their base – Minneapolis – without mentioning the most famous of them all ("Minneapolis, the Musical City"). The diversity of related and unrelated clan members is their topic on "What Is a Family?" featuring vocals from local folk musician Helen Forsythe. Louis's globetrotting mother, Joy, inspired the travelogue tune, "Joy to the World." There is also the most specific rap-oriented deconstruction of financial advice, "Mind Your Money," with lyrics along these lines:

At any age, you can save a small amount.
Just make your folks open up a joint account.
Save a dime a day for a year
That's baller. You're saving $36 dollars (hollar)!

Parents who have followed children's music for any length of time are accustomed to lullabies closing out the CDs. "I'll Take Myself To Bed" is a deceptively drowsy entry sung from the perspective of a kid reminding his folks that one day he won't require their help doing evening wind-down activities. The literal definition of a smorgasbord is "variety." As promised, Louis & Dan convey a convoy of comedic proportions with their latest SMORGASBORD.

SMORGASBORD is available from the Invisible Band's website, Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Here is the video for the band's song, "Minneapolis, the Musical City":

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Stars – Ants Ants Ants
The Less I Know The Better – Tame Impala
Summer's Here – The Bazillions
Fanga Alafia – Aaron Nigel Smith
Finally – Franz Ferdinand
The Golden Rule – The Oot 'n Oots
Doppelganger – Dog On Fleas

Ben's Playlist - Monday, October 11, 2021

Reality In Motion – Tame Impala
PJs All Day – The Oot 'n Oots
Loving & Kind – Aaron Nigel Smith
Inkpot – Kepi Ghoulie
Go – The Black Keys
Taco Tuesday – The Lucky Band
It's a Miracle – Dog On Fleas

Laurie Berkner Livestreaming Halloween Concerts

COVID has cost children many things, including family gatherings and holiday celebrations. Although the advent of vaccines looked to improve those conditions, start/stop procedures based on breakthrough infections and anti-vaxxing advocates have made it challenging for performers seeking to return to normal (whatever that will become).

Out of an abundance of caution, kindie queen Laurie Berkner has cancelled the rest of her 2021 in-person concerts. She and the Laurie Berkner Band are bringing back livestreaming with two special Halloween concerts on Sunday, October 31 at 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM ET. Bassist Brady Rymer is confirmed for an appearance and band members Susie Lampert and Bobby Golden may also pop by to say "boo" and jam with the Boss Berkner.

Attendees can expect to hear Laurie sing a brand new Halloween song, "I Picked One Pumpkin." Over the course of her career, Berkner has recorded a bevy of costume-related tunes, so there will also be renditions of her popular holiday favorites, "What Am I Gonna Be (for Halloween)?," "The Superhero Mask Song," "Monster Boogie," "The Cat Came Back," and "Choc-o-lot In My Pock-o-lot." 

Kids can expand their Berkner Halloween experience with the children's book based on her song, "Monster Boogie," illustrated by Ben Clanton. It's all about conquering "things that go bump in the night" and dancing away your fears. "Monster Boogie" is available from the Simon & Schuster website.

"Doors" open one hour prior to the performances at 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM ET on Sunday, October 31, 2021. There will be pre-show games and activities to engage the youngest viewers. "Meet and Greet" opportunities are available if ordered in advance, at a cost of $80 (including the livestream). Each $20 family ticket includes access to one or both livestreams for one device and an exclusive "welcome" video from Berkner. You can click here for the preview page and ordering information.

Here is Laurie Berkner's video for "What Am I Gonna Be (For Halloween)?":

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Lucy Kalantari Jazzed For A New Kids' World

Well, our troops are home from Afghanistan after 20 years. So much for an attempt at nation building in somebody else's country. Speaking of nation building, that's the focus of Lucy Kalantari and the Jazz Cats' new EP, WHAT KIND OF WORLD (from 8 Pound Gorilla Records).

After winning two (yes, two) Grammy awards, Kalantari is flexing her lyrical muscle. There's no filler among the five tracks on WHAT KIND OF WORLD and plenty of guest stars to move the band's messages. The first track, "Friendship Party," features Jazzy Ash and Joelle Lurie (JoJo and the Pinecones) and touts the pre- and post-pandemic fun in seeing (and being with) friends. COVID has affected all of us and the Jazz Cats were not exempted. Trombone player Ron Wilkins suffered the virus, but required a tracheotomy and spent a month in a coma. "Round and Round" celebrates the flexibility and courage it takes for get through a crisis, individually and collectively.

The title track, “What Kind of World?” is a  power ballad about – wait for it – international building. SaulPaul guests on vocals with a kindie choir including Little Miss Ann, Flor Bromley, Joanie Leeds, Julie Be, Snooknuk, Sonia de los Santos, and Lachi, an electronic music star and disability advocate. Wait, there's more – a string section composed of Elena Moon Park, son Darius, Erich Schoen Rene, Charisa the ViolinDiva, and Paul Laraia:

What kind of world do you wanna see?

What kind of world do you want it to be?

Ask yourself these questions from time to time.

Check in and see what you find.

Kalantari is in the forefront of the evolution of children's music, as the kindie movement of the past two years has reached maturity. Some artists are satisfied to produce lullabies, holiday songs, and other comfortable material. But there are societal customs to confront and stereotypes to challenge. On the EP closer, "Art," the Jazz Cats acknowledge that human life if fleeting but the art we leave behind can affect generations of listeners. Kalantari is utilizing her music to help children envision a better world. That's something we can all get jazzed about.

WHAT KIND OF WORLD? is available from Lucy Kalantari's website, Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Here is the video for the band's song, "Friendship Party," featuring Jazzy Ash and Joelle Lurie: