Never Enough Happiness for Jenn Cleary

My brother used to scream "Freebird" at every concert he attended. Not because he actually needed to hear the classic southern rock song. Most likely, he wanted to see how the performer or band would react. And sometimes, they would respond by singing a verse or chorus. The kids on "Magical Music Train," a track on HAPPY DAY, Jenn Cleary's second collection for children, also want to hear "Freebird." Which shows that kids today are not much different from kids decades ago – they crave the good stuff.

Colorado's Cleary has performed music for more than two decades. She officially entered the children's music space with last year's ALL TOGETHER NOW! and follows it with HAPPY DAY, engaging her younger listeners with bluesy folk rock filled with genial, life-affirming content.

Sustainability is the theme of "Plant a Garden," but Cleary dives right back into the sweet stuff with the subsequent track, "I Like Candy" – more about acknowledging the value of fruits and vegetables than hiding a secret stash of Tootsie Rolls. "Turtle Time" urges children to slow down (to a snail's pace) and enjoy the natural world around them, as nothing lasts forever and we need to enjoy activities in the moment. On "Only One You," Cleary sings about self-reliance and confidence:

There's only one you, no one else is the same
With a wisdom inside you can't even name
You have the key to be who you want to be

If you doubted Jenn Cleary's good intentions, look no further than the non-profit she founded 14 years ago, which promotes innovative, locally sustainable health and economic sufficiency programs in Nepal, India, and Tibet. During this time, Cleary adopted Dorje Dolma, raised until age 10 by her nomadic yak-herder aunties, parents, and grandparents in the remote Himalayan mountains of Nepal. Her experiences are addressed on “I’m a Yak,” which uses yak whistles and herding calls to recount how the lifestyle hasn't changed for hundreds of years – except by climate change. You can also read about Dolma's experiences in her book, "Yak Girl: Growing Up in the Remote Dolpo Region of Nepal."

If your only experience with harmonica is Blues Traveler's John Popper, meet Cleary's sideman, Mad Dog Friedman, who keeps the tempo flowing on the title track and other tunes. HAPPY DAY winds down with the contemplative "Fly Seagull Fly" and bedtime lullaby, "It's Time To Go to Sleep." But with Jenn Cleary, the blues don't need to be sad. It's just another shade in a child's palette and tomorrow will be another day to color outside the lines.

HAPPY DAY is available on Jenn Cleary's website, Bandcamp, and Amazon.

Here is the lyric video for her song, "I'm A Yak":

Ben's Playlist - Monday, June 27, 2022

Winter Bird / When Winter Comes – Paul McCartney
Lullaby for Quinn (Piano Version) – Danny Weinkauf
It Might Be Time – Tame Impala
Buenos Dias – The Lucky Band
Village d'Ãtoile – Dog On Fleas
Lazy Boy – Franz Ferdinand
Never Be Alone (ft. Rissi Palmer) – Aaron Nigel Smith, Red Yarn

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, June 21, 2022

The Kiss Of Venus – Paul McCartney
Jake and Shoogie – Danny Weinkauf
Village d'Ãtoile – Dog On Fleas
Park Song – The Zing Zangs
Mix It Up – Aaron Nigel Smith & Red Yarn
It's A Wonderful Life – Kepi Ghoulie
Lo/Hi – The Black Keys

Weinkauf Wakes Up With Lullabies

The return of live music has come with some unintended circumstances. They Might Be Giants' bassist Danny Weinkauf looked forward to the resumption of the band's delayed world tour, which finally got underway earlier this month. The tour lasted exactly one show – after which founding member John Flansburgh got into a car service for a ride home, and wound up in the hospital with multiple broken and fractured ribs. 

With the TMBG tour on hold, Weinkauf decided to expedite the release of LULLABIES, a seven-track EP featuring death metal... no, what do you think is in a children's music collection? The lush, laidback tracks include the father-to-child love song, "Reason For It All," which reminds us that "within your love, there's a reason for [everything]" and "Only One for Me" about wishing on a star.

Red Pants Band member Tina Kenny Jones provides vocals on the wistful "When We Fall Asleep (Anything Can Be)" and family members Michelle and Kai guest on  "Toy Town" and the Twin Peaks-esque "Counting Sheep," which sounds like an Angelo Badalamenti experiment. Sadness over a friend moving away is the main concern of the somber tone of "Toy Town," and there isn't much of a resolution. But kids are resilient and come to realize that there are times when we're just sad and that's the way things have to be.

LULLABIES constitutes a curio in the recording discography of Weinkauf (and his Red Pants Band compatriots). But it's an unexpected, dreamy pit stop in what must feel like a frustrating nightmare for an active musician about to embark on a full year's worth of live performances. Small wonder that Weinkauf wants to wake up in a brand new day – and take your kids along with him.

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

Here is the video for his song, "Champion of the Spelling Bee":

Rock O'Clock Band Rejoices In Childhood

Alexei Wajchman began playing music for the band Blind Willies right out of high school in San Francisco. For more than 10 years, Alexei has taught music to kids in the Bay area. Now he has compiled the songs written through those interactions and released TELL EVERYBODY, using the band name Alexei and the Rock O'Clock Band.

The difference between writing songs for children as opposed to adults is the endless innocence and amusement. Parents – and other adults – have heard so much that it's often difficult to make that connection with them. But kids can make playing in the rain an adventure, as on "Hot Dog Cold Dog." 

Every time Alexei played songs for children, he processed their reactions and opinions, adjusting the lyrics and tempo. Their comments also helped him shape new material that appears with a gentle, soft-rock feel that harkens back to 1980s "MOR" (middle of the road) radio stations. The unreliable narrator explains how he hasn't misbehaved on the rocking "You Don't Have to Spank Me Twice." Frustration with parents is amusingly dealt with on "Mom Says No," including flutes and strings. Burgeoning self-awareness and realizing ones' own abilities is celebrated in the acoustic "I Can Do It All By Myself":

Yesterday I felt trapped in a trance
I was too shy to sing, I was too clumsy to dance
Now I know everything useful to know
I can do anything, come watch my show

TELL EVERYBODY rejoices in the commonality and banalities of childhood, reminding parents that they went through much of the same stuff. If anything, they should be jubilant that post-pandemic, kids should be able to return to lives of mundane annoyances, with masks and vaccinations being the least of their concerns.

TELL EVERYBODY is available from Alexei and the Rock O'Clock Band's Bandcamp page.

Here is the video for the band's song, "Big Bad Werewolf":

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Counting Sheep – Danny Weinkauf
Shine A Little Light – The Black Keys
I Spy – Ants Ants Ants
It's a Miracle – Dog On Fleas
Taco Tuesday – The Lucky Band
Who, What, When, Where, Why – The Bazillions
Brothers & Sisters – Aaron Nigel Smith & Red Yarn

Ben's Playlist - Monday, June 13, 2022

Shine On Me – Aaron Nigel Smith & Red Yarn
Stars – Ants Ants Ants
Lost And Loving It – Kepi Ghoulie
Anything Can Be A Hat – Ratboy Jr.
Big Bad Werewolf – Alexei & the Rock O'Clock Band
Doppelganger – Dog On Fleas
Go – The Black Keys

Laurie Berkner's 25th Anniversary and Pirate Pants

Most people think that the kindie (kids independent) childrens' music era started in the early 2000s. But the Laurie Berkner Band pioneered the movement way back in 1997 with her first album, WHADDAYA THINK OF THAT?

Hard as it might be to believe, but kids who grew up with songs like "We Are the Dinosaurs," "The Cat Came Back," and "I Know a Chicken" are now parents themselves. And Berkner is commemorating the 25th anniversary of the album with a remastered collection on the Kidz Bop label. There will also be a limited edition vinyl edition that can be pre-ordered, being released on November 18, 2022.

You can order the 25th anniversary release of WHADDAYA THINK OF THAT? from Laurie Berkner's website, Amazon, or Apple Music. You can stream the songs on Spotify.

Here is a video for her classic song, "We Are The Dinosaurs" with artwork by children's book illustrator Ben Clanton (known for his Narwhal and Jelly stories). He has also illustrated several of Berkner's songs as their own books:

Aah, the era of piracy on the high seas. It's hard to be sentimental about such disreputable scallywags, but Rich Manic has managed to create an entire children's theatrical performance based around that period, crafting the persona of Pirate Captain Festus McBoyle. The award-winning New Zealand performer has released a new single entitled "This Song is Pants":

Now I might be the Captain but I don’t always get it right

But when you sleep without pajamas on for at least 6 hours a night
Ya wakes up kinda foggy and ya brain is cloudy too
So that is why I’m sharing this important song with you

The title plays off an old English saying that equated the word "pants" as something deemed to be below par or substandard. McBoyle isn't just telling kids to remember to get dressed, he's reminding them to stay engaged and in the moment.

You can hear Pirate Captain Festus McBoyle at his website, Spotify, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Here is a ukulele tutorial of his song, "Hula Hula Lady":