Ben's Playlist - Friday, December 20, 2013

I Just Wanna Play – Sunshine Collective
With Linked Arms – Cat Doorman
Big Green Party Machine – David Heatley
Shake It Off! – Uncle Rock
Working On A Bridge – Lloyd H. Miller
Wag More (Featuring Indigo Girls) – Boxtop Jenkins
Forever Friends – The Bright Siders
Flat Stanley – Play Date
Lazy Raisins – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke
Candy Garden – The Bazillions
Kiss You  – One Direction

Ben's Playlist - Monday, November 11, 2013

Peaceful – Cat Doorman
Love – The Que Pastas
We Just Wanna Have Fun – Milkshake
Long Gone – Recess Monkey
Natalie – Bruno Mars
The Crocodile (Wouldn't Brush His Teeth) – Boxtop Jenkins
Robots Can't Cry – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Bicycle Built For Two – Frances England
Lazy Raisins – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke
Brooklyn By Bike – Lloyd H. Miller

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, October 29, 2013

I Just Had an Idea – Elska
Love Will Remember – Selena Gomez
Blue Sky Time – Alex & The Kaleidoscope Band
Chickens and Dinosaurs – The Ukulady
Kangaroo  –  Caspar Babypants
Wag More (Featuring Indigo Girls)  – Boxtop Jenkins
Full Tilt – The Not-Its
Beach Ball – Recess Monkey
I Knew You Were Trouble – Taylor Swift
First Day – The Board of Education

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, September 26, 2013

Too Dirty To Love – Caspar Babypants
The Crocodile (Wouldn't Brush His Teeth) –  Boxtop Jenkins
Working on A Bridge – Lloyd H. Miller
Salivary Gland  – Human-Tim + Robot-Tim
Ferris Wheel – Laura Doherty
Hootenanny – Jambo
Gravy Stain – Mr. Saxophone
Duck Ellington – Lucky Diaz And The Family Jam Band
Getting A Sunburn – Recess Monkey
Stop at a Mom N' Pop – Uncle Rock

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, September 11, 2013

May This Be Love – Elizabeth Mitchell
Mister E – Zak Morgan
If You Want a Mustache – Space Balloons
Buy Nothing Day – The Go! Team
My Sister Kissed Her Boyfriend – Trout Fishing In America
Mothership – Mr. Saxophone
Why Is Dad So Mad? –  The Board of Education
Punkin' Patch – Andy Z
Just Not Me – The Hipwaders
Sunflower –  Josh And The Jamtones
Wag More (Featuring Indigo Girls)  – Boxtop Jenkins

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, August 15, 2013

Thank You and Goodnight – Uncle Rock
Stand Up – Kira Willey
Dear One  – Jim James
National Fossil Day – Jeff Wolin
Nutritious – Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights
We Are All One Kind – Jambo
We Just Wanna Have Fun – Milkshake
The Crocodile (Wouldn't Brush His Teeth) – Boxtop Jenkins
Just Not Me – The Hipwaders
High Five – Shine and the Moonbeams
Up Periscope – Recess Monkey

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Effervescing Elephant – Cat Doorman
You're Embarrassing Me – The Bazillions
You Made Me A Sock Monkey – Billy Kelly & The Blah Blah Blahs
Wag More (Featuring Indigo Girls) – Boxtop Jenkins
The Owie Song – David Tobocman
Kangaroo  – Caspar Babypants
I'm So Glad – Alex & The Kaleidoscope Band
Make Me – Big Bang Boom
Gene the Brave – The Que Pastas
Candy Shop – Ethan Rossiter And The Jamberries
Rock Me – One Direction

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, July 10, 2013

This Little Piggy – Elizabeth McQueen
Gingerbread Man – Lunch Money
When You Wish Upon a Star – Gene Simmons
Don't Play With Your Food – Jambo
Similes And Metaphors – The Bazillions
National Fossil Day  – Jeff Wolin
Bandwagon (Featuring Rachel Loshak, Dean Jones & Justin Lansing) – Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights
The Crocodile (Wouldn't Brush His Teeth) – Boxtop Jenkins
Guitar Pickin' Chicken – Ratboy Jr.
Copycat – Bill Harley And Keith Munslow
Playground – Astrograss

Ben's Playlist - Friday, January 18, 2013

Accentuate the Positive – NRBQ
Come To California – The Hipwaders
Butterfly – The Nields
We Just Won't Be Defeated  – The Go! Team
Sacagawea – The Deedle Deedle Dees
The Crocodile (Wouldn't Brush His Teeth)  – Boxtop Jenkins
Rocketfuel – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Peaceful – Cat Doorman       
Walk or Ride – The Not-Its      
First Day – The Board of Education

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Silent Night – Dan Zanes
Lucky – Jason Mraz
Wag More – Boxtop Jenkins
Music Makes Me Feel – Astrograss
Blue Sky Time – Alex & The Kaleidoscope Band
Set Fire To The Rain – Adele
eBay – Weird Al Yankovic
Everybody's Going Out To Play – Billy Kelly & The Blah Blah Blahs    
Busy – The Not-Its  
Because I Said So! – Big Bang Boom

Ben's Playlist - Friday, December 21, 2012

Jingle Bells – Renee & Jeremy
Joy to the World – Dan Zanes
The Crocodile (Wouldn't Brush His Teeth) – Boxtop Jenkins
Come To California – The Hipwaders
Too Dirty To Love – Caspar Babypants
Candy Garden – The Bazillions
Lightning – The Wanted
Live It Up – Chris Isaak
Sacagawea – The Deedle Deedle Dees
Up All Night – One Direction      
Flat Stanley – Steve Songs       

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Turning Tables – Adele
Peace And Love  – Fountains Of Wayne
Pleadia – Andy Z
DeeDee Taught Me How To Count – Kepi Ghoulie
My Happiness – Chris Isaak
We Just Won't Be Defeated – The Go! Team
Wag More (Featuring Indigo Girls) – Boxtop Jenkins
Burning Coffee – They Might Be Giants
Rock MevOne Direction
Superhero You – Steve Songs   
Everytime – Glee

Ben's Playlist - Friday, December 14, 2012

Sourwood Mountain – Carolina Chocolate Drops
Are We There Yet? – Big Bang Boom
Ice Cream – Charity And The JAMband
A Road Song – Fountains Of Wayne
Change My Mind – One Direction
Wag More (Featuring Indigo Girls) – Boxtop Jenkins 
Come To California – The Hipwaders
Man Gave Names – Aaron Nigel Smith
Skyfall – Adele

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Sylvie –  Elizabeth Mitchell
Water  –  Ozomatli
Wag More (Featuring Indigo Girls) –  Boxtop Jenkins
Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart –  Fountains Of Wayne
My Magic Trick –  Ralph's World
Flat Tire –  Dean Jones
Pleadia  –  Andy Z
Ah Ahsima –  The Deedle Deedle Dees
C'mon, C'mon –  One Direction 
Don't Speak –  Glee

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Binary - The Board of Education
Balloon Fest  - Ozomatli
Let Your Love Grow Tall - Passion Pit
May This Be Love - Elizabeth Mitchell
The Scientist  - Glee 
White And Nerdy - Weird Al Yankovic
The Crocodile (Wouldn't Brush His Teeth) - Boxtop Jenkins
I'm Not Tired  - Ralph's World
Zou bisou bisou - Gillian Hills
Harry Elefante - Rocknoceros
Live It Up - Chris Isaak
Freak Out - Astrograss

Ben's Playlist - Monday, November 12, 2012

The Christmas Song  -  The Raveonettes
How Can I Sing Like A Girl?   -  They Might Be Giants
If You Want a Mustache   -  Space Balloons
The Robot Looked At The Stars  -    Ralph's World
Breath Of Life   -  Florence + The Machine
eBay   -  Weird Al Yankovic
I Walk The Line   -  Chris Isaak
Worms    -  Dog On Fleas
My Uncle Is An Ant    -  Boxtop Jenkins   
The Owie Song  -  David Tobocman
Chloe    -  Grouplove

Good, Clean Infectious Fun with Boxtop Jenkins

Infectious is almost never a good word, especially when you're talking about children.

But Boxtop Jenkins invades your ears with a squeaky-clean kind of infection – one that cheers you up instead of deadening your system.

I can hear you asking, "What the heck is a Boxtox Jenkins?" and "Where do I get my vaccination?" But hear me out first.

Franklin Bunn (the voice behind the project) and his gang at "Team Boxtop" have produced a CD filled with neat wordplay and hummable tunes, including "The Crocodile (Wouldn't Brush His Teeth)." If you ever liked the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, that's the first song you want to spin on Boxtop's new CD, YOU'RE HAPPIER WHEN YOU'RE HAPPY.

The songs touch on a number of common kid things, such as Halloween ("Gettin' Down on Halloween" and "Rattlin' Rattlin' Bones," which features guest artist Shawn Mullins) and monkeys ("Five Little Monkeys," also with Mullins and "Swingin' Monkeys").

The title of the album comes from the song "Wag More," which has guest vocals from the Indigo Girls. The song is a moral song by a man who met a talking dog:

Wag more, bark less, 'cause you're happier when you're happy.
You're happier when you're happy.
So wag more.

The clever wordplay that I mentioned comes clearly into play on the song, "My Uncle is an Ant":

My uncle is an ant and he works inside a plant.
Every day along his way he greets the doorman.
It's a plant inside a plant
And my busy uncle ant
is always busy at the plant 'cause he's the foreman.

Got it?

It's not often that a children's musician has a "day job" conceivably more interesting than his sideline singing for kids. But Jenkins (Bunn) is also a puppeteer with the American Kasper Theater. Long story short, it's a form of german puppetry that dates back to the 17th century using very archetypal characters.

Day and night, Jenkins spends his time finding ways to entertain and inform children. Boxtop Jenkins' YOU'RE HAPPIER WHEN YOU'RE HAPPY might even chase the blues away during these dreary post-Hurricane Sandy days.

YOU'RE HAPPIER WHEN YOU'RE HAPPY is available through Boxtop Jenkins' website, CDBABY, and iTunes.