Some day, somebody in Australia will write the definitive story about The Wiggles. The children's music supergroup has juggled personnel over the years, undergone more than its fair share of turmoil and controversy, lost a major American television contract (with Disney), yet still perseveres as one of the most well-known kids acts of the 21st century. Their latest CD, SUPER WIGGLES, shows they are still a force to be reckoned with.
The latest turnover occurred when Emma left the troupe and was replaced by Ethiopian-Australian Tseshay Hawkins as the "new Yellow Wiggle." The fact that a dancer replaced the "ballerina" color just emphasizes that the Wiggles have morphed into a brand over the decades, with the next generation of cast assuming the established traits of their predecessors. For instance, Purple Wiggle Lachy inherited Jeff Fatt's exaggerated narcolepsy (i.e., "Wake Up Lachy!").
After four decades of music, filmed segments, and international touring, the Wiggles have become adept at bending their material to "market tastes." It's not disingenuous to say the band has become completely woke, with a rap break on "Is There A Superhero Around?" a perfunctory song about safety ("Put Your Life Vest On"), and tunes that celebrate diversity ("Super Ballet Man" and "Sing Together"):
Some people like to kick a ball
Some people like to play with dolls
Other people like to go shopping
Everyone together, let's all sing
For a concept album aimed at very young children, SUPER WIGGLES can declare victory for delivering on its stated promise. The collection introduces the group to new listeners, as well as revving up their existing fan base. There's also a new Fruit Salad TV YouTube series featuring even more newer faces. The Wiggles keep movin' on (with their updated Big Red Car) and that's just super.
Stars – Ants Ants Ants
Only One for Me – Danny Weinkauf
Relive This Song Again – Greg Lato
Truth (ft. Kelli Welli, Mo Phillips, Saul Paul) – Aaron Nigel Smith & Red Yarn
Superpowers – Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could
When February Comes – Justin Roberts
I'm an Optimist – Dog On Fleas
For more than 10 years, children's music recording artist Twinkle Time (aka Alitzah Weiner) has cultivated a larger-than-life persona. Now her peppy, upbeat character is entertaining kids as the co-host of "Sound Snatcher and Twinkle Time," on PBS's WQLN in Pennsylvania. The interstitial shorts run between the channel's regularly-scheduled kids programming, such as CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG, CYBERCHASE, and DINOSAUR TRAIN.
Sound Snatcher and Twinkle Time on PBS
Literacy educators Heather Kenny and Laura Robbins devised a phonemic awareness program to teach smaller children to read using using sounds. A couple of years ago, they teamed up with the animation team at Mark Lumer Productions to create "Sounder and Friends," about a raccoon who uses colorful visuals and sounds to teach basic literacy skills. "The animation house reached out during the summer of 2020 asking if I was interested in collaborating," Alitzah explains. "Our conversations evolved into a spinoff series featuring Twinkle Time interacting with Sound Snatcher."
Although Alitzah and producer/husband James Dallas were not given carte blanche, they had significant input on the finished segments; something they did not expect when working with an established animation company. "The situation was so amazing," she says. "I actually got to write the material and direct my vision of where we wanted the live action to go."
The concept of "Sound Snatcher and Twinkle Time" is simple – a cat stuck in a tree is transformed into a kite to be rescued, or a bow in Twinkle's hair is turned into a bone to be used as a birthday gift. "It's another way to teach character-building in different languages and inspirational methods through song and dance," she adds. "And I got to contribute educational-based programming for PBS."
Originally, six episodes were developed, but producers opted to cut them into two-part stories, varying from 35 to 95 seconds. PBS is not inferring that small children have short attention spans, but this isn't GONE WITH THE WIND. "Right now, the interstitials are playing throughout the day on WQLN, which serves Erie County as well as parts of New Jersey," Alitzah says. "They are also rolling out on the national PBS.ORG site."
Due to the programming schedule on WQLN, the segments air multiple times during the day. Eventually, all 12 episodes will be uploaded to the PBS Kids website and made available to other public broadcasting stations across the country. Starting on August 1, the episodes will drop one at a time on the Sounder and Friends YouTube page. "So yeah, look for Sound Snatcher, that cute little raccoon, and me with orange hair," Alitzah laughs.
Here is the Sound Snatcher and Twinkle Time episode, "Give A Dog a Bow":
An homage occurs when an entertainer decides to pay tribute to artists that influenced his career; recording a piece of music with that recognizable persona or style. It's more than simply covering an iconic selection from their catalog – an homage demonstrates what you've loved, admired, and learned. Louis and Dan (and the Invisible Band) have released THE GREATS, a collection that honors a host of their favorite inspirations.
Louis and Dan are friends, neighbors, and college professors (Louis teaches musicology at St. Olaf College, Dan teaches philosophy at Carleton College). For their fourth CD, the duo reached into their collective shared musical memories. The 12 original tunes on THE GREATS range from the delightfully obvious (the title track sports Beach Boys harmonies) to the sublime ("Apple" celebrates Miss Nina Simone). "I'm A Giraffe" harkens back to the 1950s glory days of doo-wop. Fellow kindie artist Elliot Park guests on the Willie-Nelson-centric "Being Invisible." Introduce your kids to a salsa beat on the eccentric pet song, "My Slug Doug." Dan's teen daughter Eleanor bemoans the life of the child of a kids' music performer on the show tune "Please Be Normal":
So you've got a decent voice, it's not so bad when you sing
But you've really got to knock it off and stop rapping
You two dorks are middle aged, Tupac's rolling in his grave
Please be normal
And who says that light comedy can't serve a serious purpose? Local social justice advocate and choral director Tesfa Wondemagegnehu is featured on “I Love to Sing” and “Put It On The Barbecue.” To honor Tesfa’s commitments to community engagement, Louis and Dan are donating all proceeds from album sales to two non-profits: KNOWN, Mpls (an audition-based, Twin Cities community youth choir) and the Poor People Campaign. Louis and Dan push their Invisible Band to new heights on THE GREATS and your kids should have a great time getting acquainted with a variety of diverse inspirations.
Justin Roberts lives in my happy place. Which is to say, an undisclosed location where childhood is venerated ("Gimme A Fire Truck"); family fun is celebrated ("Dance Party"); and there's boundless affection ("Whole Lotta Love In This World").
SPACE CADET, Roberts' latest (and 16th) full-length collection of original children's music, features the full "Not Ready for Naptime Players" – Liam Davis, Gerard Dowd, Jacqueline Schimmel, and David Winer. The disc follows WILD LIFE, a smaller, more intimate Grammy-nominated CD that heralded his early experiences with fatherhood.
Over the course of a 25-year recording career inside the children's music genre, Roberts has chosen the high road of producing material that builds self-esteem and connects with a younger audience through catchy hooks and relatable themes. For instance, the protagonist on "Little Red Wagon" completes his daily rounds through the neighborhood accompanied by his trusty toy – which is clearly more than a simple plaything to him.
Roberts (and his family) trudged through the pandemic doing occasional homebound concerts to reach listeners. The span held incredible highs (time with his son) and lows (the death of his father; a sadness I also suffered through). SPACE CADET gently weaves through some sensitive topics, such as special needs ("Truman Was A Tornado"), self-discovery ("I Have Been A Unicorn"), and ADHD (the title track). Kids love trains, so Roberts uses that affection as a metaphor for inclusion on "Everybody Get On Board":
Sometimes you’re perfect
Other times you ain’t
But we all got a beating heart
Every day is like a brand new start
To try and play an open chord
So everyone can get on board
The secret to Justin Roberts' music is how he pivots a song from what you think it's about to where he really wants to go. "I'm Not Just An I" starts with "igloo" and "icicle" but builds to an unexpected finish with "My i disappears when I'm with you, all your love is me and i am you," which is when you see he's dedicated the tune to his wife, Anna. When you come right down to it, Roberts is no space cadet – he's leading the whole brigade.
If Florence and the Machine recorded an album of songs about the ocean and conservation, it would probably sound like Claudia Robin Gunn’s new collection, SING FOR THE SEA.
The New Zealand children’s songwriter calls attention to our planet's largest natural resource and its inhabitants on 22 new tracks that cover the expected ("Seashell Lullaby" and "Inky the Octopus") to gentle ecological messages ("Tidy Up the Tides" and "Coral Reef"). Inky the Octopus escaped from the National Aquarium in 2016, inspiring several children's books detailing his escapade – now Gunn has granted the creature his own theme song.
Gunn encourages kids to invest in their own imaginations on songs like "The Loneliest Whale," "Pirate Princess," and "Into the Blue":
Under the sea let's swim all day
Into the blue with all of our friends
Under the waves that never end
Behind us all the waves go blue
The ocean calls to me and you
Performers are subtlety (and not-so-subtlety) showing children that they need it's not all fun and games – as a world citizen, you can't grow up to become an unfettered narcissist. Your own bedroom might revolve around you, but "We Are All Waves," and our actions are all part of the same ecosystem. For every action negative (polluting, bullying) or positive (sharing, recycling), there are ripples that affect many others, as "everybody feels the waves."
Make sure to purchase SING FOR THE SEAS through a vendor that provides the songbook activities and science notes by Dr. Melissa Gunn (possible relation). The world would not exist without our oceans, and Claudia Robin Gunn delivers a spiritual tribute to what makes them important and why everyone (not just kids) should actively champion keeping them clean and accessible.
Brady Rymer and The Little Band That Could are back to continue their effective practice of genially entertaining your children with deceptively simple songs, filled with harmonies and concepts that go far beyond the comprehension of their intended audience. Their 12th collection, THAT FRIDAY FEELING, from 8 Pound Gorilla Records, celebrates diversity and individuality, with songs that are positively motivated to get your children on their feet and back into the world, as they were pre-pandemic.
A mainstay in the children's music and kindie industry for more than 15 years, Rymer and Company produce reliably upbeat and appealing songs. "Superpowers" decodes the Marvel/DC universes for young listeners, pointing out that giving big hugs and greeting people with a beaming smile are just as important as being invisible or reading minds.
"Babies of Summer" talks about the excitement in spotting new offspring of pets and wild animals. However Rymer is up to his charmingly misleading ways on the seemingly-similar "Following the Bunny Tracks." Kids may think the tune follows a child tracking a baby rabbit, while parents should realize it's also about growing up, "steady as a clock ticks, moving on and on, proof that you were here and gone."
Presciently, Rymer tackles the current war on diversity on "Outline." The song uses the premise that every child is a blank slate, who fills in each aspect of their lives with different colors as they mature and become their own person:
And love will be the reds
Kindness be the blues
And hope will be a rainbow of hues
And joy will be the greens
Faith will be the greys
To fill me in and lift me off the page
Rymer selectively chooses cover songs, from Diana Ross's "I'm Coming Out" on his previous release, UNDER THE BIG UMBRELLA, to THAT FRIDAY FEELING's version of Allan Toussaint's New Orleans classic, "Yes We Can Can." You'll feel the zeal and vigor pumping through your car speakers or home audio system. Not to mention the frantic playtime celebrations of Rymer originals, "Seven Hours of Fun" and the title track. Rymer and his unsinkably sunny crew give you 12 reasons to keep that Friday feeling going all week long.
Josh Lovelace may rock out as part of the band NEEDTOBREATHE, but his children's music sensibilities were crafted by Canada's Sharon, Lois & Bram. Now branding himself as Young Folk (akin to Andy Ferguson using the Red Yarn monicker), Lovelace has released MOONWALKING, his third collection of modern fun and folk tunes for kids.
For many performers, the answer to the question "What did you do during quarantine?" is "I recorded some introspective family music." For Lovelace, MOONWALKING is his first post-pandemic CD and he's more interested in connecting with his audience than messaging about the ways the world has changed in so short a timeframe. The closest reflection on the recent past is the poppy "Wash Your Hands," but who hasn't used that term with their youngsters in the past millennium?
Lovelace perpetuates his obsession with undergarments, first addressed on Young Folks' first CD on "A Bear in the Woods Ate My Underwear." On "Rosie Cat," he addresses an idiosyncratic hope "that she won't eat my underwear." He also deals with daughter Margo's objections to her mother possibly being aquatic on "Mommy's a Mermaid," pointing out "While most mommy's have feet, I think it's really neat."
Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers once said – after returning from a world tour, where all his desires and needs were catered to – that the thing keeping him grounded was his wife leaving the garbage for him to take out. And that he had to ask "Where are our outdoor trash cans?" Lovelace seeks to rationalize his existence as a rock performer/father of two on the track "Cool Dad in a Minivan":
Cool dad in a minivan
I'm going so fast, well as fast as I can
Don't need no sports car for this practical man
'Coz I'm a cool dad in a minivan
MOONWALKING ends with the one-two gut punch of parental empathy and emphatic awe of "I Believe In You" and "Goodnight, My Dear," a standard in the Lovelace household that makes its recorded debut here. "Growing up, you will always be enough, and always fall back to my love," Lovelace sings. You believe that he means every word and accept that the song shares that sentiment with any child uncertain of their abilities. As long as we're breathing, we remain young folk. MOONWALKING puts a spotlight on how alike we all are, asleep, awake, and as a community.
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.
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
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
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.
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":
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
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
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.
New Zealand-based kids' musicians the Itty Bitty Beats (Lucy Hiku and Jenny Payne) have a new CD, IMAGINARIUM. The acoustic duo produce songs about dragon tea parties, mermaids, unicorns, hippos, and even the legendary Sock Mess Monster (must be a Kiwi thing).
The Beats spend most of their time making merriment for the very youngest among us (best for the under-fives), who can best appreciate a party on the moon or riding on a cloud. Those are concepts that translate around the world, to audiences of any nationality. Best of all, you can use Google Maps to show your kids that no matter how far away New Zealand is, children are still children with the same daydreams wherever they live.
Here is the lyric video for their song, "The Sock Mess Monster":
Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could are known for (among other things) the positivity in their songs. Their new CD is coming in June from 8 Lb Gorila Records. But in the meantime, we've got the title track and its accompanying video, "Friday Feeling," featuring London-based Emmeline scootering around her neighborhood. Inspired by her mother's video on Instagram, Brady composed the song to celebrate spring (and more subtly the emergence of people from two years of pandemic self-quarantine):
That Friday feeling is turning heads all over town
Shining out like a rainbow breaking through the clouds
She's got my heart reeling
My head's on the ceiling
She's got that Friday feeling
While "Friday Feeling" doesn't break new ground, it's a neat addition to the Rymer catalog, with the whole band contributing harmonies and gentle 1970s style pop rock (think Fleetwood Mac). If "Friday Feeling" is indicative of the rest of the album, it's going to be a pretty upbeat summer.
A trained music therapist based in Philadelphia, Gina Ferragame has released WONDERING, her third collection of songs that allow kids to express themselves through freedom of movement. There's a synergy between her tunes and "Music With Gina" classes for area toddlers. Gina also works with special needs, in hospice care, and in-patient hospital care such as emotionally disturbed adolescents and adults.
As you might expect for a performer whose clientele falls under the age of 4, the songs on WONDERING are pretty and simple, dealing with easy-to-digest topics as "Halloween Parade," "Two Unicorns," and "Bunny Rabbit." Gina delves a little deeper on "Covered in Gold," which was inspired by her work with children on the autism spectrum:
He feels what he feels
He sees what he sees
He cannot be what you expected
He thinks in pictures
Breathes life into stories
He embodies the moment
Making music for the very young inspires them to expand their boundaries. After producing three albums, it has also helped her develop her musical chops as well. In case you were wondering.
The award-winning podcast "Noodle Loaf" celebrates the release of ECHO SONGS VOLUME 2, featuring songs from the series, which is the creation of musician/educator Dan Saks. The tunes derive from his interactions with kids. His daughters Joni and Shiloh participate on many tracks, such as "I Like Fun" and the auto-tuned "I Got a Bicycle." Conversations about neuro-diversity led to the thoughtful "Different Brains." If you're a newcomer to the Noodle Loaf mindset, it's never too late to dip your toe, no matter how long you're been noodling.
Some things are so ridiculous that they can't be taken seriously. Fortunately, that's the whole point of the music produced by Go Banana Go!, the children's music combo featuring two dads – an Emmy winning songwriter (Jim Roach) and a retired theoretical physicist (BrianWecht). For DARK SIDE OF THE BANANA, their second collection, they took their kids ideas and turned them into songs, sketches, and more. There's even a phony movie trailer with an actual, authentic, recognizeable voiceover artist (Ike Amadi).
I count myself as a Go Banana Go! aficionado, especially since we seem to share the same sensibilities. They have a song called "Opera Chicken," whereas my former writing partner Jon Aubrey and I once recorded Devo's "Uncontrollable Urge" as performed by pigs. Speaking of Devo, J&B use that band's techno-funk sound for "Parts of a Worm." Go Banana Go! seems to be preparing for an old school, East Coast vs West Coast comedy throwdown with SiriusXM Kids Place Live favorite Parry Gripp, with tracks like "Never Take A Monkey to the Movies," "Petting Zoo," and the silly-but-authoritative parent anthem, "Weird Dad":
When I was a kid I was into weird things Like collecting rocks and The Lord of the Rings I grew up and got married but I didn't change I may be a father but I'm still very strange
You would think that J&B quietly scratched memos and slunk off to concoct the songs for DARK SIDE OF THE BANANA. Far, far from it! In fact, their kids often realized the "brilliance" of their notions and declared "this should be a song," leaving the adults to fill in the blanks. "Chocolate On My Pants" came from such an edict, as did "Veggie Disco." Their pandemic-adopted pet inspired "Doggo McFumbles," a pooch who can sing and dance but won't sit. Album-closer "Leave That Poor Dog Alone" could be "The Safety Dance," but it's more a plea to stop messing with the pets, for the sake of a parents' sanity.
Dealing with children whose desires change like weathervanes delivers one of the collection's standout tracks. Randy Kaplan devised a smart take on the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Uncle Dox transformed the Beastie Boys' "Girls" into a preschool-appropriate "Squirrels." Now Go Banana Go! took a child's refusal to eat a previously-requested fruit into "Banana," a parody of Toto's "Rosanna" in the spirit of Weird Al Yankovic. It's not legendary (yet), but wait until other seven-year-olds get ahold of the tune. They may go, literally, bananas. Plan accordingly.
Throughout the pandemic, and despite a shutdown of live performances, The Story Pirates have kept in contact with an enthralled audience through their award-winning podcast, which has been downloaded more than 50 million times since its debut in 2019. The performance troupe recently announced both its return to in-person appearances and the launch of season five (streaming on major platforms beginning Thursday, May 26).
In the first episode of the new season, Story Pirates co-founder Lee Overtree is joined by other TSP regulars on a journey to the center of the Earth, featuring a mysterious voice (special guest Michael Urie, most commonly known for appearing on Ugly Betty). Continuing in the show's tradition, both of the episode's two new stories were inspired by kids' ideas. Nine-year-old NYC resident Maya contributed “Driving Bumblebees,” a song about the buzziest Manhattan traffic jam ever. Twelve-year-old Virginia denizen Breckin authored “The Bad Dog Who Was Smart,” the story of a sharp canine with a taste for misbehavior.
The non-profit arm of TSP, known as the the Story Pirates Changemakers program, promotes literacy and creativity. Segments of SPTV air on public television in Los Angeles and throughout Michigan and were broadcast nationally this summer on PBS as part of its Camp TV programming. Changemakers seeks to bring literacy tools to lower income and under-resourced families and communities. Contributors also provide free membership to TSP's Creators Club, where TSP performers guide kids through the process of developing their own material from ideas into full-fledged stories. Donate to Changemakers by clicking here.
Live showcases in the upcoming "Cats Sit on You" tour include a benefit for Story Pirates Changemakers on Sunday, May 15 at the Manhattan Center in NYC, The Great Big Family Play Day in Los Angeles (Sunday, May 22), and Wilco's Solid Sound Festival (Friday, May 27). You can find tickets for all upcoming dates here.
Growing up, I had a friend who was described as "fussy" by other parents. He just couldn't seem to concentrate or sit still. Reflecting back, it's highly likely he had undiagnosed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The condition is now more understood and children (and adults) are afforded proper medical care and treatment, which has removed much of the stigma from ADHD.
Musician Jazzy Ash (Ashli St. Armant) confronted her ADHD diagnosis head-on with compassion and honestly. For Mental Health Awareness Month (and also for her birthday this week), she has delivered "The Shimmies," a brand new song that shines a spotlight on ADHD. Creativity and music are a potent combination and Ashli strives to let children know that it's okay to get up and move around when your brain get fired up from an intoxicating blend of sound and lyrics.
I loved Looney Tunes when I was a kid. Who didn't love Bug Bunny and Daffy Duck feuding, especially when Elmer Fudd was added to the mix. In fact, one of the funniest arguments they ever had revolved around Daffy constantly telling Elmer to "Shoot me now!" in the classic, "Rabbit Seasoning." At one point, Daffy slows things down and says "Pronoun trouble," leading of course to another slapstick blast of buckshot in the face (I wonder if the cartoon is even online with all the violence. Here is a clip). Again Again addresses the subject of modern self-identification with their new song, "Pronoun Party," from their upcoming CD, YOUR VOICE IS MAGIC. "Pronoun Party" addresses gender expansive usage through a woke blast of knowledge directly into your kids' brains.
The collaborative nature of children's music was on full display last month at the Grammy Awards, as a multitude of 26 Black performers gathered in the event their project, ALL ONE TRIBE, was nominated for Best Children's Music Recording. Portland-based co-producer Aaron Nigel Smith had discussed working with fellow area artist Andy Furgeson (Red Yarn) for several years, and rode the momentum from ALL ONE TRIBE to fuse his reggae and funk with Andy's Americana country and folk. The resulting new album, SMITH & YARN, radiates with genuine pleasure and impactful messaging.
SMITH & YARN took a pandemic to become a reality. The two performers had popped up on each other's CDs in the past. While sharing a livestream studio, they began writing songs back in 2020 and invited in virtual neighbors (including Father Goose, SaulPaul, Kelli Welli, and Rissi Palmer). The album starts with the danceable acoustic "Brothers and Sisters":
Could you be my brother
On this journey marching side by side
We could help each other
Shoulder the burden
Making progress with every stride
The kinship and good vibes are undeniable on songs like "Swing Your Partner" and "Mix It Up." Young listeners are coaxed to subtly recognize social issues on "Truth," which addresses intentional disinformation and "Make Some Change," a paean to community activism efforts that sprung up around the world after the murder of George Floyd. "Never Be Alone" discusses how the pandemic (not mentioned directly) made people feel disconnected, reminding youthful listeners that there's a world community for all of us.
SMITH & YARN works as a sprightly one-shot. But the CD could also be the blossoming of a progressive partnership. Smith and Furgeson deliver an inspired mix of cultures and styles for diverse audiences that ordinarily wouldn't find common ground, and shows how we're all better when we look past our differences and meet in the middle.
When I got divorced in 2016, the most traumatic part of the ordeal was knowing my kids would spend half their time away from me. But that was my perspective and I needed to sublimate my emotions and promote the positive attributes of the situation, for my childrens' mental health. Writer Albert Iturregui-Elias penned “Two Homes = One Heart Filled with Love” to express the saga of his five-year-old son Sebastian having to divide his time between two homes, starting in 2004.
Sebastian's mother, singer/songwriter Suzi Shelton, turned the poem into a song a few years later. Now the stepparent of seven-year-old Julia, Shelton has re-recorded "Mama's House, Daddy's House." The revised, poppy version features new vocals featuring Julia and is accompanied by an animated comic book-style video by Sebastian's uncle, Alcides Urrutia of Pirata Y Luna Editorial. As the chorus explains:
Mama’s House (Not always easy)
Daddy’s House (To go back and forth)
One heart (I know they love me)
Filled with love
A lot has happened in the Shelton household since the original recording in 2008. Fifteen years makes quite a difference. "Mama's House, Daddy's House" shows how children don't have to be used as negotiating tools or pawns, and should be kept excluded from the dark side of divorce. While the tune also worked as an unpaid advertisement for Dizzy's Diner in Park Slope, the venue closed in 2020 and reopened last year as Parkview Market.
Kudos to the Shelton brood for making things work. My situation is a work in progress. Shelton is hosting a live release and viewing party on Friday, May 6 at 4 PM ET on her Facebook and YouTube channels. She plans to debut the song and share stories about blended families around the globe. You can download music from Suzi Shelton at her website, Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music.
Here is the video for "Mama's House, Daddy's House":
Time stands still for no child. In 10 years, kids go through sneakers, shirts, schools, and reading levels like nobody's business. For children's music, 10 years is therefore a lifetime. For recent 8 Pound Gorilla Records' signees The Figureheads (Jeremy Bryan, Greg Marshall, and Dave Olsen), it's going to be interesting to see how the Milwaukeee-based hip-hop combo acclimate to a generation of new artists, considering they spent a full decade out of the limelight.
The Figureheads are about having fun with an edge of social consciousness. Of the six songs on their STARS, their new EP, "Make It Better" and "Gotta Believe" stress singing together to improve our lives, with the wind at our backs, while we all have breath in our lungs. But there's also fun and family with "Sticky Song" and "Wave and Stomp."
The Figureheads may be back for awhile or just turtling (sticking their heads out of their shells). For a brief 16 minutes, your kids can hear what they've been up to since approximately 2012.
Speaking of that next generation of children's music performers, they were inspired to fashion songs for kids by artists such as Recess Monkey, Gustafer Yellowgold, and Frances England. Vancouver, Canada's The Zing Zangs (Trevor Walls and Emma Watson) began writing songs together after high school. Ttagged "the second generation of kindie" by Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, the duo has compiled their material into their debut CD, THE GOOD DAY, with the help of über-producer Dean Jones (who even guests on "Chatterbox").
THE GOOD DAY encapsulates the high-spirited experiences of two friends (can we give them a nickname like "Tre-mma"?). Tunes chart morning through nightfall, sharing music ("Let's Start A Band"), games ("Hide and Seek" with Mista Cookie Jar and "Playing in the Park"), and winding down with "Shadows Dance" as the sun begins to set. It's 11 songs in 23 minutes, just the right amount of time for a hyperactive child to percolate and settle into bed. All in all, THE GOOD DAY is a promising start for the Zing Zangs.
I could not have imagined, decades ago, that "Star Wars Day" would be a thing. I was starting my job as movie theater usher. My first day on the job was opening day for "Return of the Jedi" on Wednesday, May 25, 1983. Schools were open but students snuck out to see the first screening at 12:30 PM.
Now, May 4 ("May the Fourth Be With You") is an informal international geek-a-thon of all things Star Wars. To celebrate, Minnesota kids musicians Todd 'n' Tina have released a video of a live performance of their song, "If Darth Vader Had an iPhone." It's a mediation of the various forms of social media, which does not seem to have pervaded the Galactic Republic. Hmm... maybe that's one thing the Empire got right. Oh – and to add to the fun, Todd 'n' Tina have included a new verse...in Wookie and Droid. Talk about being all-inclusive!
While the entire planet underwent the turmoil from a global pandemic, Australian children's artist Benny Time faced a tough diagnosis of the rare auto immune disease Primary Schlerosing Cholangitis (PSC) in 2019 (It prevents the bile ducts from processing waste). Living with a chronic illness and feeling extremely vulnerable motivated Benny to reach out to New Zealand performer Claudia Robin Gunn. Their new song, "Little Grey Cloud," features the gospel harmonies of the East Coast Inspirational Singers (USA).
Everyone sometimes feels like a little grey cloud hangs over their heads. Benny puts words and music to the concept, turning the cloud into a sentient being that creates rain when it's sad. Since, of course, "All clouds must cry sometimes," it must be okay for human beings to do the same. "Little Grey Cloud" is a wistful duet with sweeping harmonies. Come for a listen on a gloomy day or when you need to be uplifted, into the sky.
Handicapped children can sometimes feel invisible. Finding a way to celebrate their challenges can be downright, well, challenging. In 2016, six Baltimore area teens who were born blind took part in a songwriting workshop run by Val Smalkin (Silly Goose & Val) designed to encourage self-advocacy and self-expression to the sighted world. LIFE BEYOND SIGHT, the resulting EP, delivers the fruits of that project – four original songs written by the group, with a mountain of support from artists who donated their musical talents, educators, and recording engineers.
A subsidiary of Theatre Arts Festival for Youth (TAFFYpresents.org), the project evolved over five years until reaching fruition as LIFE BEYOND SIGHT. Children’s musician Dave Kinnoin and songwriting partner Jimmy Hammer wrote the music for the students’ “Dance of Freedom.” Other songs cover feeling disrespected by peers ("Not With My Eyes"), where they sing "I can see your heart, just not with my eyes":
You want to be a hero
Pretend you're my friend
I know you think I'm zero, worth nothing in the end
You'd like to help the blind girl
When everyone can see
But when no one is looking
You don't see me
LIFE BEYOND SIGHT is filled out with two instrumental tracks (a lengthy piano piece based on "Not With My Eyes" and "Bach Invention In C Major"). But the heart of the EP are the tracks by the teens as they sincerely express themselves, making this release a true novelty, in the best sense.
If your kids enjoyed the SING! movies about amateurs breaking out of their shells to perform in front of audiences, they might like Gigi Rowe's new kids' music podcast, "Posy Flynn Sings," available from GoKidGo. Gigi was "traced" for tracks used on the Just Dance! videogame and graduated to recording pop music for teens, tweens, and tykes. Her latest venture drops every Monday, starting April 4, centering on Posy Flynn, who longs to enter the Starlight Starbright Sing-Off. The winner gets to record and tour with pop sensation Gemma Gold. All Posy needs to do is escape terrible Aunt Kitty, with the help of Smoosh, her pet monkey.
Kids audio imaginatours GoKidGo are releasing "Posy Flynn Sings," which features a new tune every week, leading to a CD at the end of the first season. The first song, "Shooting Star," is out now and it's about as uplifting and danceable as you would imagine.
You can hear "Posy Flynn Sings" at GoKidGo, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. For all your power pop cravings, you can find Gigi Rowe at her website.
Remember the old proverb, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." The premise behind the saying is clear: Your attempt to improve something that is already sufficient may backfire." In the case of the new collaboration between Raffi and Lindsay Munroe, one could amend the maxim as, "If it ain't woke, don't fix it."
NURSERY RHYMES FOR KINDER TIMES updates a bunch of anachronistic Mother Goose chestnuts from decades – and centuries – ago and hardwires them for modern, spoonfed kids. Sure, you could call "Three Blind Mice" outdated...just look at the title. The same goes for "London Bridge Is Falling Down." But are children so coddled that they can't hear about "Humpty Dumpty," an egg, for omelet's sake, falling off a wall? Does Humpty really not get scrambled and put back together? The original intention of the ditty was teamwork (all the king's horses and all the king's men) and now it's "well, Humpty's friends came running to make sure he was okay."
I'm not on board with the small-brained thinkers in Florida pushing a "Don't Say Gay" agenda for preschoolers. But I'd think "The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe" is still kind of relevant in this environment. However, 20-year-plus preschool music teacher Pam Gittleman (a member of the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative) wanted to reinvent these rhymes to nurture caring and compassion, and promote social and emotional intelligence. Those principles are the hallmark of Raffi's Child Honouring program. I've got another idea – how about creating NEW rhymes? It might be more difficult to market them, since you lose the selling "hook" of modern woke-ness. I guess now parents have a choice. I know what mine is.
Twinkle Twinkle Kindie star Is back hosting Kids Club For tykes near and far
Well, mostly for children who live near Santa Monica, California. After a two-year pandemic break, the monthly concert series returns, with Twinkle (Alitzah Navarro Dallas) kicking things off at 11 PM on Wednesday, May 4 at Santa Monica Place.
Featured guest artists include Kids Imagine Nation (June 1), Laura Doherty (July 6), Jason Mesches (August 3), Ruth and Emilia (September 7), Andy Z (October 3), Rory Gardiner (November 2), and Baila Baila (December 7). You can check the venue's website for additional information closer to each event.
Artificial intelligence can turn on a coffeemaker and cook a pizza, but it's far from replacing us. To make that clear for techno-savvy kids, Kelli Welli has titled her third family collection ROBOTS DON'T TELL JOKES (8 LB Gorilla Records). Still, your friendly family cyborg may harbor a secret desire to share a funny thought – and it might even make you crack a smile.
The colors of the rainbow translate into a brilliant array of human possibility on "Rainbow Love Song," quietly addressing the LGBTQ community without rubbing it in the noses of more conservative-minded parents. An all-star platoon of kids artists contributes backup vocals, including Flor Bromley, Claudia Robin Gunn, Kymberly Stewart, Twinkle Time, Elena Moon Park, Red Yarn, and Joanie Leeds. The latter also provides harmonies on "I Will Miss You," a mothers' lament about the joy of watching children grow, become independent, but then no longer need the kind of emotional assistance from their toddler days:
I will miss your little hugs
And the way you snuggle up
As we're reading favorite stories or reading lullabies
I will miss the way you look at me
And the wonder in your eyes
Every time I have the privilege of teaching something new
There must be something in the water in the Pacific Northwest. Kelli Welli joins the host of notable talents from the region, such as Red Yarn, Johnny Bregar, and Recess Monkey. ROBOTS DON'T TELL JOKES features her take on traditional material, such as "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," "Five Little Ducks," and "Five Little Frogs." She also exhibits her range with opera ("Stinky Shoe Reprise"), Irish punk ("Stinky Shoe"), and country "Dognado," where her home is overtaken by convivial canines. And Kelli puts the family in family music with appearances by her own kids. ROBOTS DON'T TELL JOKES, but there's something funny going on and Kelli wants to make sure your children are a part of it.
