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

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

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'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

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":

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

Ben's Playlist - Friday, October 16, 2015

Flannel Jammies – The Not-Its!
Germs – Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights
Groove – Lori Henriques
Hey Jude – Caspar Babypants
National Hiccup Day – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
Sing in the Sun – The Harmonica Pocket
Stuff – The Pop Ups

Ben's Playlist - Monday, October 5, 2015

Bionic (feat. Shiz & Lady Asha) – Father Goose
Ghostbusters – Andrew & Polly
Loving Cup – Cat Doorman
Sing in the Sun – The Harmonica Pocket
Snaggletooth – Dean Jones
Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran

Ben's Playlist - Friday, September 4, 2015

Cheese World – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
Everything I Didn't Say – 5 Seconds of Summer
Grizzly Bear – Red Yarn
Right Here Now – Renee & Friends Featuring Freckles
Say Hey! – Mil's Trills
This Land – Rolie Polie Guacamole
This Little Light Of Mine – Eric Herman And The Invisible Band
You Are My Sunshine – The Harmonica Pocket

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Bile Them Cabbage  – Red Yarn
Drive My Car  – Caspar Babypants
Every Day's A Holiday  – Alastair Moock & Friends
Great Big Sky  – Mil's Trills
I've Got Friends In New Jersey  – Rocknoceros
Mama Don't Allow  – In The Nick Of Time
Paper Airplane  – Recess Monkey
Sing in the Sun  – The Harmonica Pocket
Starfish and Coffee  – Renee & Friends Featuring Maya Rudolph

Learning to Love the Bazillions, Harmonica Pocket's New Video

An unexpected turn of phrase. An amusing second meaning. A lesson learned through song. If you guessed, "What are three things the Bazillions do on their new CD?" you are correct. ON THE BRIGHT SIDE gathers 12 tunes for elementary-age children and spins out literacy ("Favorite Book"), science ("Water Cycle"), and grammar ("Use a Contraction").

Five years ago, founding Bazillions Adam and Kristin Marshall (elementary school teachers) thought it would be "fun" to record a children's record. Performances, merchandise, and videos were not even a thought. Two-million-plus YouTube views, one DVD collection, shirts, and two prior CDs later, the group has lodged itself firmly into the middle school firmament of Minneapolis and the surrounding region.

First and foremost to any children's music that's going to succeed in my house are the hooks. My kids have tuned out CDs that I looked forward to hearing myself. Conversely, I won't name a number of artists they keep in rotation despite my protestations. I knew the Bazillions were a keeper when Matt (4 1/2) started to sing along during the first listening of "Q and U":

They've quickly become quite unique.
And their quirkiness adds to their mystique.
They're frequently at the aquarium
because they're quite a big fan
of Aquaman, yeah!
Hey there's Q and his best friend, U. Wherever Q goes, U goes too.

Now ask me in two or three years if Matt retains this ditty's lesson or even realizes that it contained one. In the meantime, I'll take it over another refrain of "Hot Potato." No offense, Wiggles – he'll see you in September.

The Bazillions credit a laundry list of musical influences, with nary a world music reference among the latest batch. ON THE BRIGHT SIDE harkens back to the Kinks on "My Teacher's an Alien" and you can't fault them for cribbing Beatles-esque harmonies on "Use a Contraction."  If you've been longing for Fountains of Wayne to emerge from their latest hibernation and don't mind a literal sixth-grade feel, here's your fix.

There's an institutional prerogative to foist early learning on children of all ages. Kindergarten begat pre-K. Pre-K begat Mommy and Me classes. Pre-natal education is now a growth industry. But the sweet spot is still there on a park lawn, plopped down on a stained blanket. Or sitting in a school auditorium not knowing what to expect from the act in an enforced musical assembly.  Or driving into the city for some classical thing called "Tubby the Tuba." The Marshalls (and bandmates Mike Senkovich, Matt Maccoli, and Joe Letness) reject that institutional prerogative while embracing it at the same time. We'll teach your children well, the Bazillions insist, but we'll also teach them good.

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE is available July 17 from the Bazillions' website, Amazon, CDBABY, and iTunes.

Here is a live performance of the Bazillions performing "Career Day":


Speaking of videos, here's a new one from Harmonica Pocket for their song, "Are You A Monster, Too"?

Ben's Playlist - Monday, June 8, 2015

Big Green Party Machine – David Heatley
Brick By Brick – Recess Monkey
Head in the Clouds – Recess Monkey
Kings & Queens – The Hipwaders
Lazy Raisins – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke
Listen To What The Man Said – Owl City
Sing in the Sun – The Harmonica Pocket
Smile in My Heart – Suzi Shelton
Thinking Good Thoughts – Dog On Fleas

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Alligator Get-Together – Key Wilde And Mr. Clarke
Banana Pudding – Sugar Free Allstars
Best Friends Forever – Hullabaloo
Calling All the Kids to the Yard – Cat Doorman
H.B.D., Dude!  – Mista Cookie Jar & the Chocolate Chips
Space Kid And Banana – Ratboy Jr.
Tomorrow's People  –  Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could
A Who? (feat. Joanie Leeds) – Father Goose
You Are My Sunshine – The Harmonica Pocket

Ben's Playlist - Monday, May 11, 2015

Cheese World – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
Future Days – Pearl Jam
I Love the Beach – Keith Munslow
I'm My Own Grandpa (Featuring Riders in the Sky) – Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer
Sundrops – The Harmonica Pocket
T.L.C. – Alison Faith Levy
A World Alone – Lorde

Ben's Playlist - Friday, May 8, 2105

Brick By Brick – Recess Monkey
Like I'm Gonna Lose You – Meghan Trainor Feat. John Legend
Look, Think, Guess, Know – Tom Chapin
Mama Don't Allow – In The Nick Of Time
My Heart Is Open – Maroon 5 Feat. Gwen Stefani
She Looks So Perfect – 5 Seconds of Summer
Sing in the Sun – The Harmonica Pocket
Snaggletooth – Dean Jones
Sunglasses – The Que Pastas

Here Comes Sundrops from Harmonica Pocket

Those wacky kids, The Harmonica Pocket, are back with some nice mellow Earth-loving music for other kids with their third CD, SUNDROPS.

Even though Earth Day has come and gone, Keeth Apgar and partner Nala Walla are raising their son with lots of outdoor time. And you know what that means – no, not bug spray and sunburn. Uplifting, empowering songs about the positivity of nature! And if you can't get down with that, well then you just woke up on the wrong side of the planet. And it was recorded with solar power, to boot!

Produced by Apgar and Johnny Bregar and mixed by the omnipresent Dean Jones, SUNDROPS runs the gamut from "Sing in the Sun" to "Sun Song" to "You Are My Sunshine" to the title track. Catching on to the theme? On the other hand, there's also "Raindrops, "It's Gotta Rain (If You Want a Rainbow)," and "I Love Ukeleles." Wait a minute, what do ukeleles have to do with the rain? Well, have you ever seen somebody upset playing a uke in the rain? There you go.

SUNDROPS is stuffed with appearances from other children's artists such as Chris Ballew (Caspar Babypants), Marcy Marxer (of Cathy & Marcy), Alex Mitnick (of the Kaleidoscope Band), and more. Bottom line, rain or shine, the Harmonica Pocket wants to hit your child's musical sweet spot and put a summery song in their ear.

SUNDROPS is available May 19 from the band's website, Amazon, and iTunes.

Here is the video for the band's song, "Diaperman."

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Little Little Baby – The Harmonica Pocket
California King Bed – Rihanna
Pendulum – Pearl Jam
All Together Now – Caspar Babypants
Upside Down – Ratboy Jr.
Cool Watermelon – Ethan Rossiter And The Jamberries
Jim-A-Long Josie – Jr. Madness
Jump Right In  – The Twigs
No School Today – Danny Weinkauf
Iko Iko (feat. Josh and the Jamtones & Little Goose) – Father Goose
Immigrant Song – Led Zeppelin

Ben's Playlist - Friday, March 7, 2014

Little Little Baby – The Harmonica Pocket
Snow Day – Zak Morgan
Peaceful – Cat Doorman
In A Timeout Now – Randy Kaplan
C-C-C-Cold Outside – Trout Fishing In America
Robots From The 4th Dimension – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
Unicorns R Real – Koo Koo Kanga Roo
The Bullfrog Opera  – Morgan Taylor; The Okee Dokee Brothers
Up Periscope – Recess Monkey

Ben's Playlist - Monday, January 13, 2013

Little Little Baby – The Harmonica Pocket
Mother Nature's Sun – Caspar Babypants
Real Real Gone – Van Morrison
Shrimp – Recess Monkey
Cheese World  – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
I'm Your Boyfriend Now – They Might Be Giants
Alligator  –  Paul McCartney
Show Me A Sign – Michael Franti & Spearhead
Rock Me – One Direction
Peace Sign – David Tobocman