Joanie Leeds: All the Ladies Lead the Way

A lot can happen in three years. Between her two most recent releases, BROOKLYN BABY and ALL THE LADIES, New York City's Joanie Leeds became a single mother, a solo recording artist, a change-maker for gender equality inside the children's music community, and now an online festival promoter.

Joanie is celebrating her upcoming album with the All The Ladies Music Festival (click the link) on Friday, April 3, featuring a lineup of 14 female artists including Lisa Loeb, Lori Henriques, Suzi Shelton, and more. All of the performers are featured on ALL THE LADIES (out the same day) and perform 15-minute sets, from 12:30 PM-4 PM, when Joanie wraps up the show.

Recording artist Joanie Leeds

As early as 2018, Joanie thought about creating an all-female produced and performed album. "Before any song was written, I knew I wanted a female producer, engineer, mixer, and master engineer, even before I made a list of instrumentalists and vocalists – which of course also had to all-female," she explained. "Last year, the ideas began to come to me and I started writing songs with this concept in mind."

New York's musical community comes together at coincidental intervals, and fortuitous timing played a part in Joanie connecting with Grammy winner Lucy Kalantari. "It felt relevant to engage a female producer and I was burning to start this album," she recalled. Joanie took her daughter to see Red Yarn (Andy Ferguson) at Symphony Space and Lucy was there with her son, Darius. "After the concert, we all went out for lunch and I whispered my idea to her about an all-female album," Joanie continued. "Lucy seemed interested. She'd been wanting to produce someone else’s album for some time and connected with the idea. So we were off and running."

Joanie had a long list of "women to work with," mostly singers, but trimmed it for logistical reasons. "I would have loved to have even more women involved," she sighed. "Ultimately, it was a large, amazing ensemble. Lucy found all of the instrumentalists and recorded most of them in her home studio. She really took the reins – I wasn't even there for most of those sessions!"

ALL THE LADIES tackles mature themes, including divorce, gender inequality, and even miscarriages. "Kids today are exposed to way more than I was in my Gen-X upbringing," Joanie said. "My four-year-old knows more about death, racism, and sexism than I did in middle school. I wanted to musically include important themes in an accessible and appropriate way for all ages and genders."

Over the course of 20 years, Joanie's career has evolved from "adult" solo performer to bandleader of the popular Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights, back to solo – as part of the adult duo Joanie and Matt (with Matt Check) as well as playing for younger audiences. "I have always written all my own songs and brought the tunes to the band to arrange," Joanie said. "The finances for making an album, publicity, marketing and paying musicians per show, that all falls to me."

Organically, her shows remain "Joanie Leeds" with rotating backup musicians. "The process isn’t much different now, except I am trying to consciously hire more women, something I'm guilty of not doing in the past," she confessed. Joanie recently came to terms with the all-male structure of the Nightlights. If one of her band members was unavailable for a gig, they would recommended a friend as a substitute. "It was problematic that I never questioned all of their recommendations being male," she continued. "I was usually in such a hurry to find a replacement, there wasn’t time to be picky. My thinking has evolved. I'd like to serve as an example for other bandleaders by hiring more women."

Joanie had planned a big release party for ALL THE LADIES, but the real world rudely intruded. Her online All The Ladies Music Festival provides an alternative that even allows more participation by the musicians. "Before everyone knew the devastating impact of Covid-19, my environmentalist brother told me what the economic impact would be and that I should stop traveling and prepare," Joanie said. "But I didn’t believe him until my album launch concert at the Childrens Museum of Manhattan was canceled."

Joanie's brother pressed her to find a way to create income immediately. As a single mother without a full-time salaried spouse, Joanie knew she had to take action right away. "I didn’t really have time to sit, wait, and see what happened," she said. "I felt panicked at the start. Once my tour was canceled, more than half of my income evaporated. I had to act quickly."

In response, Joanie started a subscription service called Quarantine Kids Concerts (on Facebook). "I was one of the first children's musicians to offer this sort of program for children, which initially translated into an influx of members," she explained, "but signups tapered off, as more performers jumped into the marketplace. The insulting government payout amount isn’t going to cut it for most freelancers, especially city dwellers with large rents and overhead. Plus it's not going to arrive until May."

Joanie conceived of the Quarantine Kids Concerts the evening of Wednesday, March 11. "The idea kept me awake all night," she laughed. "By Thursday afternoon the next day, my business plan was finished and I started with social media outreach." Timing was paramount – a day or two later, a sizable number of kindie folks began offering similar services. "Whether they're free, or donation-based, or through a subscription service, we are all trying to find a healthy balance of what feels good, what our family's specific needs are, and what we offer to the community," she added.

ALL THE LADIES hold special significance because it's the first recording where Joanie's daughter was an active, willing participant. "I don’t have much choice in the matter now," Joanie said. "She asked to be on the album and I was happy to include her." Joanie's daughter's voice appears on the songs “Anything” and “RBG.” "I’m thrilled to have this recording for posterity," she added. "Years down the road, she can look back and hear her sassy four-year-old self! As a mom, that is really special."

Click on the link for more information on the All The Ladies Music Festival on Friday, April 3, from 12:30 PM-4 PM, when Joanie wraps up the show. ALL THE LADIES is available the same day from Amazon and Apple Music. 

Here is the video for the title track, "All The Ladies":

Ben's Playlist - Monday, January 6, 2020

Dozen Good Reasons – Danny Weinkauf
I've Got An Apple Pie In My Bookbag – Lisa Loeb and Kid Pan Alley
In My Nintendo – Jack Forman
It's a Miracle – Dog On Fleas
Noodles And Butter – Caspar Babypants
White Whale – Kepi Ghoulie
With a Little Help From My Friends – Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could

Children Write the Tunes On Kid Pan Alley

For 20 years, Kid Pan Alley (KPA) has been engaging with school children to make original music of their creation. As founder Paul Reisler explains, "This program keeps children intensely engaged as they work together to write their own song – both music and lyrics."

Not every song gets the celebrity recording treatment. When you look at the numbers, only a fraction make the cut. To date, KPA has written more than 2,700 songs with over 65,000 children across the country from Virginia to Hawaii. To celebrate the anniversary, the organization has released its new CD, BEST FRIENDS, featuring 12 songs with a variety of topics and styles, each with a unique guest vocalist, including Lisa Loeb, Bill Harley, Randy Kaplan, the Not-Its, and Sonia De Los Santos.

Technology is at the forefront in "I Forgot To Charge My Phone Today" featuring Lea Morris. Robbie Schaefer takes lead in the hard rocking "My Shadow Leads a Double Life." And veteran storyteller Bill Harley discusses the lack of business for a youthful entrepreneur who has a "Sister For Sale." And it doesn't take Google Translate to understand the meaning of "La Vida Es Bella," the closing track with Sonia De Los Santos.

Bossy parents (versus bossy kids) highlights Silly Bus on "Who Decided." Lisa Loeb contributes her level-headed take on the fanciful "I've Got An Apple Pie in My Book Bag." And Vance Gilbert gives title track "Best Friends" a keen perspective, when written as only children can see friendship.

It's doubtful that modern children (or even kids from 20 years ago) would understand the "tin pan alley" origin of the name for the Kid Pan Alley project. But the goal remains the same and BEST FRIENDS delivers another solid collection of kid-friendly, kid-generated, and kid-centric songs from KPA.

BEST FRIENDS is available from Kid Pan Alley's page on CDBABY, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Here is a video for the project's song, "Life Is Good":

Renee & Friends Stay Kind and Collaborative

Renee Stahl Dektor has some pretty awesome friends. When they drop by and open their mouths, you'd better sit back and listen. They're totally apolitical and totally tuneful. Renee & Friends' new CD, KINDRED, features Grammy winners Lisa Loeb and Secret Agent 23 Skidoo among the hoi polloi.

It's the second release that started with 2016's SIMPATICO, a similarly-themed collection of family-oriented soft pop songs with a modern spin. KINDRED's "Leaders Of The World" features a rap break that name-drops Peter Yarrow and Frida Kahlo by Skidoo. Renee also reunited Loeb and Lisa's college roommate Elizabeth Mitchell to sing the classic "High Hopes."

Jeremy Toback and Renee began recording children's music more than a decade ago (as Renee & Jeremy). That collaboration morphed into "& Friends" as they brought in talented personnel to augment their song selection. These gentle, engaging ballads are seductively simple – the nostalgic duet ("Where Do The Children Play?") by Renee and Ziggy Marley reinvents Cat Stevens' original recording, which holds a secret message about society and freedom:

Will you make us laugh?
Will you make us cry?
Will you tell us when to live?
Will you tell us when to die?
I know we've come a long way.
We're changing day to day.
But tell me, where do the children play?

Most of all, KINDRED allows Renee to sing praises about her children (daughters Amelia and Isadora make their debuts on the CD). "Nothing And No One" affirms "everything is how it's supposed to be" for her family, while closer "How Did You Get So?" wistfully describes every parents' lament about the fleeting nature of childhood. Whether you're a parent, a future parent, or a parent adjacent, KINDRED should strike a genuine chord of recognition for its emphatic declaration of kindie-dependence.

KINDRED is available April 12 from Renee & Friends' website, Amazon, Apple Music, Soundcloud, and Spotify.

Here is the video for Renee & Friends' song, "You Were Meant to Be," featuring Glenn Phillips (from Toad the Wet Sprocket):

Symphony Space Hosts Best of Family Music - Saturday, January 27, 2018

Full confession: I thought this blog post would serve as a reminder for people to buy tickets to this event. However I have since learned that it is sold out. A SOLD OUT children's music event in Manhattan! This is a milestone, people. As such, it will serve as a reminder that such things do happen in this generation.

Symphony Space's Nimoy Theater will be hosting a Best of Family Music showcase on Saturday, January 27 at 11 am. With the Grammy Awards returning to New York City this weekend, it's an opportunity to hear from four of the five acts nominated for "Best Children's Music Recording." I was privileged enough to review all five; the four appearing this weekend are Justin Roberts (Lemonade), The Alphabet Rockers (#RiseShineWoke), Lisa Loeb (Lullaby Girl), and Gustafer Yellowgold (Brighter Side).

Yes, you won't get to hear Ladysmith Black Mombaza. But I've already had that experience quite a while back (Paul Simon retrospective show at the Theater at MSG) and honestly a showcase appearance of 10-15 minutes is about all I could take of them.

SiriusXM Kids Place Live's "Absolutely Mindy" Thomas and "Animal Farm" host Kenny Curtis will emcee the program. It's a good opportunity to mingle with the performers (who will likely be signing stuff and taking photos) and let your kids see that musicians are reg'lar people. And also build the notion that if they ever want to play music, some day people may come and see them. Or maybe nominate them for an award.

Like I said, the showcase is sold out. But there's still time to get tickets to upcoming Just Kidding Club events, including musical performances from Alastair Moock (February 3), The Bazillions (February 17), and the Not-Its (March 3).

Back to Sleep With Caspar Babypants

Caspar Babypants is working at cross-purposes on his new CD, SLEEP TIGHT! He's performing enthusiastically, with ingenious verve and determination, to put your children to sleep. Which kind of defeats the purpose of producing a full-length musical work, doesn't it?

Chris Ballew's alter-ego is known for his dextrous wordplay ("Bird in An Airplane Suit" comes to mind) and creating a child-friendly playspace. On SLEEP TIGHT, he adds such compositions as "Sleep Mister Sandman" and "Another Head Hits The Pillow" to his pantheon of singalong favorites. He even give the traditional "Do Your Ears Hang Low" a slumber-oriented theme with "Does the Moon Hang Low?"

Chris is big on going you the scoop on what's behind his music. His "Stories Behind the Songs" page delivers paragraphs with big insights. For instance, "So Slow Sluggy" was originally written for a car travel game app he worked on with Jack Forman. "It's Been a Long Day" dates back to his college days and was included (1) because of its unique synth line and (2) because Chris always loved the feel of the tune. You also find the chords to learn to play his music, for instance, the sweet and sadly nostalgic "All Of Your Life":

You spent a little while in the belly of your mom
And someday soon you'll be grown and gone
Just follow your feet and it will not go wrong
For you cause you've got time you've got all of your life

There's always a place for interesting, different bedtime/quiet time music. For instance, Lisa Loeb also released her own kids slumber CD, LULLABY GIRL, this past fall. And the songs on SLEEP TIGHT! harken back to Chris' first lullaby release, NIGHT NIGHT, in 2015. With his 14th (!!) release as Caspar Babypants, Chris seems to be getting a second wind; an interesting respite coming on the heels of his newest nifty naptime nocturne. Adults can always put up another pot of coffee and listen to all 14 tracks. I double dog dare you. Sleep tight.

SLEEP TIGHT is available January 19 from Caspar's website, Amazon, Easy Street, and iTunes.

Here is the video for the song, "Underground":

Ben's Playlist - Friday, October 20, 2017

How Can You Tell If It's Going to Rain? – Andrew & Polly
You Better Believe – Train
What The World Needs Now Is Love – Lisa Loeb
Who, What, When, Where, Why – The Bazillions
That Way – Chibi Kodama
I Feel Better – Caspar Babypants

Ben's Playlist - Monday, October 16, 2017

O-O-O Child – Lisa Loeb
Sunshine Sunny Sun Sunshine Day – Danny Weinkauf
Crazy Mountain Road – Eric Herman And The Invisible Band
Brighter Side – Gustafer Yellowgold
Have A Good Day – Lard Dog & The Band Of Shy
Not Today – Imagine Dragons

Ben's Playlist - Monday, October 9, 2017

Bridges – Fifth Harmony
Fly Like A Bird – Dean Jones
Me On The Map – Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could
Must Be This Tall – Justin Roberts
O-O-O Child – Lisa Loeb
Thunder – Imagine Dragons

Ben's Playlist - Friday, October 6, 2017

Be My Baby – Lisa Loeb
How Lucky We Are – Justin Roberts
Amistad (Featuring Dan Zanes) – Hot Peas 'n Butter
Relax Your Mind (Featuring Neha Jiwrajka)  – Dan Zanes & Friends
Who's Your Favorite Beatle – Lard Dog & The Band Of Shy
What Kind Of Fruit – Dean Jones

Lilting Lullabies from Lisa Loeb

When you think about some acts (think the Verve Pipe), if you don't know better you wouldn't think they were producing quality children's music in addition to being "day job" rockers. For other musicians such as Lisa Loeb, however, the process feels very much like a natural career progression.

Rather than give a whole career recap (that's what Wikipedia is for), I'll concentrate on the kids phase, which started incidentally a decade ago and has come full-circle to be a major component of her recording career, from CAMP LISA to NURSERY RHYME PARADE! to her latest CD, LULLABY GIRL (an Amazon Music exclusive).

A collection of 13 tracks both new and revisited, LULLABY GIRL takes the familiar ("Dream a Little Dream," "Rainbow Connection," and "All the Pretty Little Horses") and mixes with some new choices (Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" and The Five Stairstep's "O-o-h Child," my favorite on the CD). Loeb also adds two new compositions, "Close Your Eyes" and the title track, which serve as hors d'oeuvres for the rest of the tunes.

Loeb traverses the easy-listening landscape for her selections, from the Disney songbook (a wistful take on "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes") to Burt Bacharach and Hal David (slowing down the classic "What the World Needs Now"). And the LiteFM setting turns "Inch Worm" into a full-on cocktail lounge number. She is served better on the more unconventional (for kids) tracks, as I've lost track of the number of cover versions of "Rainbow Connection."

Ultimately, there's always a place for an eclectic bedtime collection. I was constantly looking for something to swap out with Brahms and Shawn Colvin when Ben was tossing and turning. The road to Slumber Town is paved with good intentions. With LULLABY GIRL, Lisa Loeb is providing a new exit ramp, courtesy of Amazon Music.

LULLABY GIRL is available October 6 exclusively through Amazon Music.

Here is the video for "You Can Count on Me (Lullaby)," which is NOT on this C, ironically.

Quick Hits: Summertime Video Cavalcade

What's better on a sweltering summer afternoon than watching a bevy of videos with your kids? Here's a new kindie crop of just-released singles to promote new and upcoming releases.

Morgan Taylor's Gustafer Yellowgold returns in September with a new CD/DVD, BRIGHTER SIDE (pre-order here). The first single, "Hot Nights," is the sizzling saga of life on the Sun.




Singer Jess Penner is releasing her first children's EP, IMAGINATION, on August 11. The EP is a short collection of her childhood favorites and a few originals. Here is the video for the title track:




Jason Didner and the Jungle Gym Jam have made a video to accompany their song, "Pandagarten." Go to their website to download three tracks for free.


Jazzy Ash and the Leaping Lizards recently released SWING SET. Here is the video for the song, "Eh La Bas":


Lisa Loeb is still releasing singles from last year's children's CD, FEEL WHAT U FEEL. Here's the video for the song, "The Sky is Always Blue":

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, October 27, 2016

All Together Now – Vanessa Trien & The Jumping Monkeys
Banana Bread – Caspar Babypants
Every Day's A Holiday – Alastair Moock & Friends
Expo Line – Andrew & Polly
Picky Eaters – Danny Weinkauf
Wake Up – Red Yarn & Morgan Taylor
You Can Count On Me – Lisa Loeb

Ben's Playlist - Friday, October 21, 2016

All In A Day – Alastair Moock & Friends
Crazy Mountain Road – Eric Herman And The Invisible Band
Here Comes The Sun – Andrew & Polly
Lets Keep the Band Together – Lisa Loeb
Only One You – Danny Weinkauf
Small Bird – Caspar Babypants
The Ultimate Frisbee – Jason Didner and the Jungle Gym Jam

Loeb and Behold: Feels Like Teeny Spirit

If there was ever a singer/songwriter who seemed always to teeter on the precipice of the kindie music scene, it was Lisa Loeb. First, there's the natural recording style of most of her compositions. Next, there's her college music partner Elizabeth Mitchell, who has spent the past decade-plus building quite a catalog and reputation. Lisa dipped her toe (with a little encouragement) and finally jumped into the Web stream with the birth of her own children.

As the marquee artist of the Amazon Prime Music label for kids, Lisa's second Amazon exclusive release, FEEL WHAT U FEEL, is now available for download. It's a dozen songs to make your kids happy and get them to sing along in the back seat, without making you want to bite through the steering wheel.

The title track (featuring comic actor Craig Robinson) is an upbeat "I'm okay/you're okay" message/dance song. It serves as the flip side for the other duet with Robinson, a cover of the '70s classic "It's All Right To Cry." There's generally only slow dancing associated with that tune. Film and TV star Ed Helms lends his bluegrass banjo twang to the jaunty "Wanna Do Day," chronicling a plethora of kid activities that comprise a typical child's schedule, which is not necessarily what one particular kid sees as optimal.

Remembering experiences – both positive and negative – is the theme of "I Was Here," which describes a child dealing with allergic reactions, playing in the rain, and staying home with a cold, as well as walking home with mom and having ice cream. "Wiggle" is a girl-group tune straight from the Brill Building. "Let's Keep the Band Together" is written from the perspective of a girl having so much fun playing music that she doesn't want it to end:

Let's keep the band together
Why should we break it up
We've always known each other
Why should we interrupt what we've got goin' on
Let's write another song and play.

Lisa and her collaborators, Rich Jacques and Kyler England, are not looking to re-invent the Big Wheel. FEEL WHAT U FEEL may make you nostalgic for the 70s but it doesn't feel like an anachronism. Which is good, since their target audience has no idea what an anachronism is. They just feel what they feel.

FEEL WHAT U FEEL is available exclusively for streaming on Amazon Music – both Amazon Music Unlimited and Prime Music, and for digital download or physical purchase through Amazon Music.

Here's the video for "Mary Had a Little Lamb" from last year's NURSERY RHYME PARADE collection:

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, October 20, 2016

Bop Bodiop! – Cat Doorman
Feel What You Feel  – Lisa Loeb and Craig Robinson
Forever Young – Andrew & Polly
People Watching – Dean Jones
Press Play – Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could
This Land Is Your Land – Alastair Moock & Friends
Your Happy Place – Jason Didner and the Jungle Gym Jam

Lisa Loeb: Feeling At Home With Children's Music

There's a popular term that's entered the lexicon – "facepalm," which is when a person brings the palm of their hand to their face, as an expression of disbelief, shame, or exasperation. I tend to facepalm whenever I mention the name of a performer and say, "I just reviewed their new children's music release."

Examples:

"I just reviewed the new Amy Lee CD for kids."
"For kids? For real?"

"I just reviewed the new Caspar Babypants CD. It's Chris Ballew, from the Presidents of the United States."
"Wait, Caspar... is he doing a punk thing now?"

Add to the collection the esteemed Lisa Loeb, who recently released her fourth recording for children, FEEL WHAT U FEEL. This is in addition to continuing to tour her music for "grown-ups" and touting a new line of eye glasses (you saw that coming), as well producing a storybook app. Oh and she's got two kids of her own, hence the lateral move to kid's music.

Lisa answered a few questions via e-mail about her latest venture and how she decided to travel down this enchanted road. Her children's recording career started more than a decade ago, when Lisa recorded CATCH THE MOON with college recording partner Elizabeth Mitchell.

Prior to CATCH THE MOON, did you have any familiarity with current children's music? I guess, other than Elizabeth Mitchell... And was she your entry point into recording music for kids?
I listened a lot to Gustafer Yellowgold CDs as well as the videos. I also listened to the music I listened to growing up, including “Free To Be You and Me,” and “Really Rosie.” Those albums that sounded a lot like grown-up albums – but with more imagination and storytelling – were always fun and satisfying to hear.

FEEL WHAT U FEEL is your second children's music CD in two years. Do you feel more of an affinity with kid's music these days because of your own children?
I’m on a roll. I have so much to share that it seems like I can’t write fast enough. It’s not really related to me having kids, but that I feel so creative and open in this genre. It’s funny though, the kids' music and grown-up music are starting to kind of merge, as it’s all coming from the same place and same level of songwriting and production – and both kids and grown-up audiences seem to respond positively. I try to work to the same high level for any genre I'm working in.

Do you think it's important to strike a balance between "fun" kids songs and "meaningful" kids songs?
It’s all relative. I like writing “meaningful" songs more than “fun" songs, but I have to remember that it’s more fun to play “fun” songs live than “meaningful” songs. The kids really have a good time during the “fun” songs, which makes them more “meaningful.”

You've had some amazing career longevity. Do people approach you at live shows and say "My parents played your CDs for me and now I'm playing your music for MY kids”?
Yes! And grandparents and aunts and uncles, too.

Chicken-or-the-egg question – Did you know Craig Robinson before he covered STAY for HOT TUB TIME MACHINE II or did you meet him because he covered the song?
I knew Craig before that. He actually called me to see if I was cool with him changing all the words and wearing my glasses and re-enacting my song. He asked me to be a part of the movie too, and I did! I acted in the scene as a cat wrangler on my own video.

How did you decide to cover "It's All Right To Cry?" with Craig?
I was writing “Feel What U Feel,” the disco funk jam, with my collaborators, Rich Jacques and Kyler England. It was sounding like an auxiliary song to another song, and not a song that might live on its own. Then I realized that “It’s All Right To Cry” would make a perfect partner song, and that Craig and I should do both. I connected with him and he enthusiastically agreed. His voice is perfect for this song (originally performed by Rosey Grier on "Free To Be You and Me" in the 1970s). I think Craig's performance is powerful.

Did you write any of the songs on FEEL WHAT U FEEL with your kids? Do either of them take music lessons or play an instrument? Could you see something akin to a family band down the road?
I didn’t write with my kids. I do write sometimes with my daughter. She comes up with great ideas. They don’t take lessons yet, but do have instruments all over the house they can play whenever the feeling strikes – piano, guitars, bass, drums. We will start with some formal lessons soon. Plus, both my daughter and son get a lot of music instrument lessons and exposure to all kinds of music at their schools.

In the 1990s you were established as a versatile singer/songwriter. Do you find it somewhat ironic that there's now a Lisa Loeb "brand" with kids music, eyewear, and books? Meaning, there are kids whose exposure is primarily through "Camp Kappawanna," "Silly Sing-Along" book, and your children's CDs.
I don’t think it’s ironic at all. It’s all things I’ve been passionate about and created in my world to share with others.

Finally, do adults show up at your concerts for children, even though they don't have kids?
Yes! And that is so much fun when it happens.

FEEL WHAT U FEEL is available exclusively for streaming on Amazon Music – both Amazon Music Unlimited and Prime Music, and for digital download or physical purchase through Amazon Music.

It's Rhyme Time for Lisa Loeb

There are people who perform children's music because it's their passion. There are people who perform children's music because it's the next phase of their career. Then there are people, or groups, who record children's music as an organic extension, or outreach, from what they've always done.

Unless a performer gets his or her start in children's music, they most commonly-heard phrase in their press release is "When I had my own kids..." followed by "Once I heard what children's musicians were doing..." I can list a countless number of artists (who run the gamut from great to well, not so great) who fall into that spectrum. Some of their turns were surprising. "Did you know the Verve Pipe has recorded two kids albums?" "What? Really!" "Hey, Lisa Loeb released her fourth children's CD." "Well, of course."

Well, of course?

Well, of course.

There's a generation that grew up listening to Lisa's folkie, sometimes funky guitar sound. Listen to the Coffeehouse on SiriusXM and you can hear her influence on many current recording stars. Her CDs chronicled (and still do) the lifepath of a woman. And while the placement of a lullaby for adults may be warranted under those circumstances, she clearly had other goals when she had her own kids. Once she heard what children's musicians were doing, it became the next phase of her career. Because recording children's music is an organic extension, or outreach, from what she's always done.

As mentioned, Lisa has now released NURSERY RHYME PARADE through Amazon Prime Music. I did a long spiel about the service earlier this month. Suffice to say, it's an interesting project and while the Pop-Ups preceded Lisa last month, there are no further announcements right now. If this is a long-term commitment, there should be some movement in the fourth quarter indicating Amazon's goals and possibly new artists for early 2016.

But that's not a knock against Lisa. She has taken the challenge of reinvigorating such simple tales as "This Old Man" and "The Farmer in the Dell." Not life-changing stuff, but you can never tell with two- and-three- year-olds. Lisa is not trying to reverse-engineer the wheel. If anything, parents get a refresher course on melodies and lyrics for these songs. Hey, I remember singing "Train in Vain" to my infant son many moons ago, when I blanked on the words to a more tyke-tacular tune.

One cannot write an article about Lisa Loeb's children's music without mentioning Elizabeth Mitchell. The two graduated from Brown University in 1990 and recorded two albums together, before their musical paths diverged. They reunited in 2004 for the children's CD, CATCH THE MOON. Perhaps seeing her college friend become a solid, popular recording artist of children's music eased the path for Lisa. Perhaps it was inevitable. Either way, it's given her a new generation to appeal to with her music. In fact, children's music gives her a new generation every 5-7 years.

Do not expect epic material – we're talking about 37 tracks, many that come and go in the blink of an eye, totaling 32 minutes. Will you be charmed? Depends on your affection for "Humpty Dumpty" before and after you watch a young child attempt to sing along or act it out. If you can enjoy that for half an hour, then NURSERY RHYME TIME has provided comfortable engagement. The children of the 90s are into the nostalgia of their own post-college times. This CD can take them back to the future while moving their own families forward. How's that for a mission statement for Lisa Loeb?

Well, of course.

NURSERY RHYME TIME is available through Lisa Loeb's website, which links you to Amazon Prime Music.

Smiles Ahead and Much Love from Vivi Melody

Last week, Amazon Prime Music announced its new streaming service for children's music featuring the Pop-Ups and (upcoming) Lisa Loeb. This week, Mighty Mo Productions goes back to the future to release its first physical CD, a sampler of independent kindie music entitled SMILES AHEAD.

What a difference a week makes, hmmm? It's an era of Kickstarter and Indiegogo and other crowdfunding sites that children's artists (among others) use to scrounge resources to produce music. Are the two concepts diametrically opposed? I'm sure Amazon will embrace music produced independently. Many of the tracks on SMILES AHEAD have been released by the artists themselves, such as Brady Rymer's "Jump Up!" and Secret Agent 23 Skidoo's "You're It!" There is no shortage of exclamation points on this compilation, by the way.

Rissi Palmer brings a touch of soulful country to "Best Day Ever" (not the Spongebob kid's favorite) and local artist Katydid makes her spotlight debut with "The Together Song." Kira Willey's "Gotta Lotta Happy" makes a welcome re-appearance after its debut on her yoga CD earlier this year. As Matthew pointed out when we tracked SMILES AHEAD during dinner, SiriusXM's Kids Place played the song over the weekend. You also get Frances England, Caspar Babypants, and the Okee-Dokee Brothers, among others.

Jim "Mr. Stinky Feet" Cosgrove deserves credit for stepping into an arena where even Disney washed its hands and went back to its tween offerings. Mighty Mo is taking a different path – issuing compilations rather than fully-fleshed brand spanking new music. The Verve Pipe offered up their new anthem, "Get Happy."

SMILES AHEAD is available October 16 from Mighty Mo's website and Amazon.

Speaking of happy times, Vivi Melody and Family are ridiculously delirious. Or deliriously ridiculous. Their new CD, MORE LOVE, is 15 songs that practically club you into a cuddly coma. "All You Need Is Love" features her dad, Don "Poppy" Villemez, doing his best Willie Nelson-esque recital of the lyrics. An ancient favorite, "A Bushel and a Peck" emerges for the second time in a decade, after Randy Kaplan resurrected it for his shows.

As mentioned, MORE LOVE was a Kickstarter effort. Vivi, her family, and puppet (Goober) stay mostly in their Texas home base. But there's a universal appeal to her concept and whose family couldn't use more love nowadays?

Skewing towards the youngest youngsters (who would think "All You Need is Love" is an original composition), Vivi touches on "The Four Seasons" and includes the "Recycling Song" and a happy-everyone's-all-together singalong "Saturday."

There's a basic decency and clarity to MORE LOVE, without any undercurrent of sarcasm or pretense of adult asides. It's hard to promote a puppet through a CD (even Elmo is a tough sell if your kid doesn't see Sesame Street). But that's why Vivi has her YouTube channel.

MORE LOVE is available from Vivi Melody's website, CDBABY, Amazon, and iTunes.

Here is the video from Vivi Melody's song "We Can Still Be Friends," featuring singer Billy David Millican:

Amazon Prime Music Slates New Kids Music – Pop-Ups and Lisa Loeb

Children's music (sometimes referred to as the "kindie" movement) has always been a mixed bag. Dan Zanes begat a number of folk artists suddenly recording their versions of Pete Seeger songs. Laurie Berkner inspired multiple moms with guitars to burn demos of their songs to CD to distribute at neighborhood events (and mail them to me in hopes of a positive review).

I don't mean to belittle, pick up, or single out Zanes and Berkner. Their contributions to the field have been immeasurable. I commiserated with the Dirty Sock Funtime Band in August after their performance at Kidstock in Port Washington. Here they were, a band that had national exposure on Nickelodeon, whose videos are still playing on YouTube. Yet they were performing less than a handful of shows a year. "If only Jack's Big Music Show had gotten renewed for a third season..."

Yes, kindie has perpetually been that kid on the carousel, hoping to grab the brass ring when it comes around, and just falling short. Maybe Nickelodeon could have broken more emerging artists. Maybe Disney could have been more supportive when they signed Ralph Covert (Ralph's World) and ran their abbreviated family music tour, instead of pushing their own channel's self-created tween artists.

However using the same contemporary standards, why didn't Columbia House put a sidebar of children's music in their monthly catalogs? Surely there was a market for family-friendly artists to a service that shipped albums across the country for decades. Simply put, either there was no interest, no great demand, or more likely, not enough research and education that demonstrated a significant financial return.

Even the Internet did not create monumental change in children's music. Yes, Eric Herman has 27 million views of The Elephant Song on his YouTube channel. But has that translated into international super-stardom? Ask a classroom of first graders who Eric Herman is (sorry to use you as an example, Eric). Go on, I'll wait.

Live performances and selling merch are the lifeblood of kindie music. Videos are great to grab eyeballs but you need to excite kids (and their parents) to WANT to share a communal experience. Teach a man to fish, bring a child to live music, it's one and the same concept. Streaming services pay such a fractional amount of money that several kindie artists such as Joanie Leeds and Alastair Moock took to Facebook to belittle their royalties for thousands and thousands of plays (through unnamed famous sites). When we saw Uncle Rock perform at Symphony Space a few years back, he ridiculed the pittance that services passed along to artists for their material. There was a fear of the future, as the center was clearly not holding and the failures of the past were a minefield of busted valises.

Amazon Prime is making the latest attempt to break from the pack. The company has announced its own original streaming children's music service (with physical CDs for some luddite reviewers such as I). The first two artists on the roster are New York natives The Pop-Ups (with their October release), THE GREAT PRETENDERS CLUB and Lisa Loeb (with her fourth children's CD, NURSERY RHYME PARADE).

There are those who should be jumping for joy – Amazon is a colossus and exposure through its distribution channel should be an amazing accomplishment. On the other hand, Amazon is such a colossus that I wonder how much attention and TLC such a niche venture as children's music will receive. Will Amazon attempt to compete with SiriusXM Kids Place and schedule concerts with their contracted artists? Will they help brand and market their performers when they're on tour? Will Amazon Music provide more than a clickable button on its Prime page and feature a monthly children's artist? Answers to these questions will quickly become apparent in the next quarter.

In the meantime, I welcome Amazon Prime to the table. At least they are making an effort to support a genre that has been woefully under-utilized not only during my children's lifetimes, but during MY lifetime. I remember seeing orchestral performances of The Magic Flute and Tubby the Tuba. I saw Marcel Marceau. I saw the Paper Bag Players. I do not have memories of children's musical acts. In fact, children's music is so segregated from its audience that the wikipedia entry jumps from "Puff the Magic Dragon," Peter Paul and Mary, and Sesame Street (1969) to Raffi in the late 1970s. To paraphrase the Pretenders, "My childhood was gone."

I am cautiously optimistic about this new venture from Amazon Prime. Even if it craters (fingers crossed), the service will no doubt invigorate the kindie movement, support deserving artists, and generate an exciting year for the industry. I can only imagine the conversations at KindieComm 2016. Not to mention the next batch of moms with guitars CDs coming my way.