State of the Reviewer: The Famous Final Scene

Thirteen years ago, my son Ben started to listen to music while he ate breakfast. I would throw on a Sesame Street CD or one of the homemade "birthday CDs" comprised of pop tunes and the Wiggles. I also printed out the playlist from iTunes – and Ben would mull it over, looking at the cover art and telling me which songs "lacked" representative illustration. I never imagined that years later, those early selections would lead to more than 750 event previews, live event and music reviews, and interviews, as well as commentary about children's music and more.

I'll get to the historical perspective, but most importantly for artists who have contacted me in the past two months – I am done for 2019. If your video, song, or album had a 2019 release date, I apologize but the shop is closed for the year. I will be forward-thinking from this point on. More to the point, I am also phasing down my children's music portfolio. It's been coming for the past year, as Ben has long aged-out of the demographic. But his younger brother prefers modern pop (think Imagine Dragons) and sighs heavily if I suggest bringing new, unplayed kids CDs on our road trips. You see the number of posts dropping, year over year. That's not by accident.

In the oft-told tale, family acquaintance Uncle Rock (Robert Burke Warren) began recording children's music and we bought his first CD. When "Rock and Roll Babysitter" was played on Bill Childs and Spare the Rock (STR) radio show and podcast, that inverted the paradigm. Suddenly we were immersed in the "kindie" (kids independent) explosion. Sure, Ben was seeing Dan Zanes, Tom Chapin, Justin Roberts, and even Ralph's World at Symphony Space. Now there were a myriad host of others and he began to develop his own tastes, scanning the STR song list and selecting tracks for me to purchase and save.

The inaugural Stink kid's music showcase was in 2008 but we missed it due to a scheduling conflict. In 2009, we made a point of attending the event, held at Jalopy in Red Hook, Brooklyn. First was a Ralph's World concert at Symphony Space in the morning. We walked in, ran into Ralph Covert, and said "We'll see you later in Brooklyn." Five hours later, I was next in line to use the bathroom at Jalopy. As Ralph exited the facilities, I said "As I was saying..."



Stink marks the first time that I broke out the camcorder (later iPhone) and began recording artist performances. This was our first experience with Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could but certainly not the last. Nine years later, we'd see Brady at a show at the Quogue Library and Ben would feel comfortable enough to walk to the mic and sing along.

Ben sings with Brady Rymer, July 2018

Leading into Stink, I started to publish Ben's playlists on this blog. I set up the Blogger page to "save" articles written for a Queens weekly newspaper that stopped publishing. Conveniently, I could now dedicate the blog to children's music. The first playlist (May 1, 2009) was an eclectic mix of kids (The Jimmies) and pop (Whitney Houston, Jack Johnson, and Weezer). I hadn't learned how to coordinate my social media and I don't think I was even on Facebook yet.  About six months in, I wrote a "mission statement," called "Music for Kids, Not Children's Music," to more fully explain my methodology.

Artists started to contact me directly via email but I wasn't doing regular reviews until after Kindiefest 2010 (the renamed Stink). Once or twice a month, I ran a review. Kindiefest shows, and later Kidstock in Port Washington – became big occasions to shoot performances videos for my YouTube channel.  Things exploded in 2012 as multiple PR people began deluging me with CDs and offers to attend New York-based events. Ben now had a toddler younger brother and these concerts were often inappropriate for him, so we would pass. Instead, I concentrated on reviews. By September of that year, I was up to weekly articles.

Fast-forward in 2018 when I added GeekDad to the chore list – publishing an astounding 72 pieces in 52 weeks. And turned down stuff along the way, but not enough. Finally I hit full capacity. The part-time hobby became burdensome. I found myself previewing stuff and realizing my kids would not be interested. But I wasn't interested either. So why was I bothering? Because I had given my word. And thus my time was no longer my own.

Fids and Kamily is sunsetting because of real-world challenges. I fully understand that there are currently more opportunities and pipelines for children's music such as Spotify and Soundcloud, yet there are fewer reputable outposts to review those offerings. Early into my GeekDad tenure, I explained to site managers that my reviews are concise because parents have limited time. Therefore, I don't pad my articles with CD track listings.

I also don't want to feel resentful towards the artists I'm reviewing. On more than one weekend, I've sat down with a stack of upcoming releases to "knock out" 1-2 articles. Late this year, I had a bottleneck of reviews for CDs being released the same day, with holiday videos and songs pushing back Dog On Fleas from October 18 into early December. That opened my eyes to saying "no" more, for my own sanity.

I'm not going to stop writing. I'm not pressing Ben to make playlists every morning and he routinely skips them on his own. I'm writing more adult-centric material (you can follow me at Medium). There will be some reviews and one-off pieces on this site as well, although I don't know if I'll hit 3,000 articles (I'm just under 2,900). Have a great holiday season. Enjoy your family. Eat in moderation. Breathe. See you in 2020. Stay healthy.

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, September 7, 2017

Thank You for the Box – Andrew & Polly
Ode To Bed – Mo Phillips
Play That Song – Train
Everything Now – Arcade Fire
That's My Style –  The Bazillions
Blackberry Pie – Caspar Babypants
Loving & Kind – Aaron Nigel Smith
Color Outside the Lines – Ralph's World

Ben's Playlist - Monday, September 4, 2017

Every Day's A Holiday – Alastair Moock & Friends
Popsicle – Bob and Luc Schneider
Mystery – Dean Jones
Solar Flares – Mo Phillips
Blue Airplane  – Ralph's World
Feels Like Summer – Weezer
The Start of Things – Alison Faith Levy
Free Couch – Caspar Babypants
New Pair Of Shoes – The Bazillions

Timeless Kids Tunes as Ralph's World Strums Time Machine Guitar

There was a time when Ralph's World was ubiquitous in our household. Ralph Covert and his band played for several years in a row at Symphony Space and even headlined a Kindiefest event in Brooklyn (I've recounted the story of our double-shot seeing them the same day). In recent times, however, Ralph got more engaged producing a video series, "Time Machine Guitar," and cut back on travel outside his home state of Illinois. His last completely original CD was released in 2010. That is, until this month, with the debut of the soundtrack CD, TIME MACHINE GUITAR, which features songs from his video project.


"Time Machine Guitar Adventures" is an interstitial series along the lines of "Schoolhouse Rock." The 5-6 minute episodes feature Ralph and his puppet friends, Rani, Malcolm, and Beauregard, going back in time for lessons in history and the musical stylings of those eras. A 28-page CD book accompanies TIME MACHINE GUITAR with background information on the historical figures on the album and notes highlighting the musical influences.

TIME MACHINE GUITAR gets a little cutesy with "Toymasters of War" (guess who is the inspiration), but finds its balance on songs like "Gato Negro" (African rhythms fused with Cuban chords and salsa/mambo beats) and "Blue Airplane" (a sweet tune in the style of Sam Cooke - typo alert for the booklet). Ralph also plays a callback to his bandmates in the Bad Examples (still rocking since 1987) with "Christopher Columbus Sailed."  Ralph even manages to squeeze in some honest sentiment with a song to his son, Jude, "Color Outside the Lines":

There are journeys that you will make
There are places you'll go that I've never seen
There are times you will bend and break
There are times you'll find the strength you will need.
Color outside the lines
If you draw from your heart, the light will outshine the dark
If you seek you will always find, if you color outside the lines.

TIME MACHINE GUITAR reminded me how children's music allows me to flash back to all the different times and places where we've seen Ralph's World perform – aside from Symphony Space, there's been Jalopy in Brooklyn and the Disney Block Party (outside the Nassau Coliseum, like a kindie version of Warped tour). These are good memories and it's too bad I didn't start recording performances until the last outing, at Kindiefest. At least Ben got on-stage to sing with Ralph and a host of luminaries at that show. Good times. Nice guy. Fond memories. Neat concept. Timeless TIME MACHINE GUITAR.

TIME MACHINE GUITAR is available at the Ralph's World website and iTunes.

Here is the first episode of "Time Machine Guitar Adventures." More are on Ralph's YouTube channel once you click-through:

Ralph's Circus Maven & Andy's Halloween Videos

Ever wonder who concocted the three-ring circus? What about the circus train (made even more famous in The Little Engine That Could)? You can thank WC Coup, the man who helped P.T. Barnum craft "the greatest show on Earth."

Ralph Covert (Ralph's World) has not forgotten Coup; indeed he celebrates the man. On his new compilation, RALPH'S WORLD ROCKS AND READS! one of the new songs is "Sawdust and Spangles," based on a turn of the century book that has been turned into an animated picture book for kids as well.

Now there's even a video of the song, which Ralph originally conceived as a theatrical work. For your amusement and entertainment at this haunting, costumed time of year, presenting "Sawdust and Spangles":


Speaking of costumes, here's a flashback to Andy Z (aka Andreas Zamenes)'s "Punkin' Patch" video, featuring The Beeheads. This is a perennial favorite, so enjoy!

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, August 6, 2015

Animals – Maroon 5
Baldy –  Lloyd H. Miller
Bionic (feat. Shiz & Lady Asha) –  Father Goose
Hey Jude – Caspar Babypants
Mama Don't Allow – In The Nick Of Time
No School Today – Danny Weinkauf
Sawdust And Spangles – Ralph's World

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Calling All the Kids to the Yard – Cat Doorman
Dad Is Takin' a Nap – Keith Munslow
Follow The Leader And Dance – Ralph's World
I Dreamed I Could Fly – Eric Herman And The Invisible Band
Maps – Maroon 5
Monkeyman – Josh And The Jamtones
Road Trip – In The Nick Of Time
Uh Huh – Dean Jones

Jamtones Rocksteady, Ralph Rocks and Reads

You wouldn't think that the kindie genre leaves much room for evolution. After all, the average lifespan of your audience is 2-5 years before they "grow up" into more age-appropriate music or seek out other interests.

Two recent CD releases belie that argument. Josh and the Jamtones' ROCKSTEADY shows that you can serve two masters – the rambunctious tyrants of youth and your own unshakeable rhythmic island desires. Bandleader Josh Shriber and producer/bandmate Pat Hanlin have followed their instincts and taken the band's third family album down south for a Caribbean-flavored party mix.

The band's previous two CDs, JUMP UP! and BEAR HUNT! saw the Jamtones moving in many directions; musical Silly Putty. But ROCKSTEADY shows a maturity and certainty in creativity. Josh and company want to see kids move their "Tailfeather." Even the closing ballad "1 Of a Kind" still whistles with a reggae bop.

Guest artists include Secret Agent 23 Skidoo ("I Heart Your Face") and returning champion Father Goose, on a dubbed-up remix of BEAR HUNT's "I Love U." A highlight is a cover of Toots and the Mayall's "Monkeyman," already a concert staple for the band. If you're a Beach Boys fan (and really why shouldn't you be?), prepare to have your mind blown with the Jamtones' version of "Sloop Jon B." Adding to the chaos are request breaks and drop-ins from WJAM, the group's fictional radio station.

Parental warning: ROCKSTEADY is not bedtime music. Parental alert: ROCKSTEADY will get your kids jumping on the couch. Parental advisory: If it's a family dance party you crave, get ROCKSTEADY and build a freestyle, preschool rave.

ROCKSTEADY is available on August 21 from the Jamtones' website, CDBABY, Amazon, and iTunes.

Here is a video of the band performing "Monkeyman," shot by yours truly, at a 2014 concert at New York's Symphony Space:


Meanwhile somewhere in the Chicago area, Ralph Covert is enjoying his second decade in the kindie biz with a retrospective CD comprised of his favorite songs based on his children's books, RALPH'S WORLD ROCKS AND READS.  A lifelong musician (for kids of all ages), Ralph enjoys a slot in our kids' lifetime Top Ten for many of the tunes included in this collection such as "Surfin' In My Imagination," "Sunny Day, Rainy Day, Anytime Band," (see the 2009 video below from the lamented Kindiefest) and "Happy Lemons," co-written by Ralph's daughter, Fiona.

Looking at the enclosed postcard of content from Ralph is almost humbling. In addition to 11 fun-filled CDs, there are performance DVDs, and books. And the DVD for Time Machine Guitar, Ralph's upcoming children's television venture. At this unique juncture in his life, Ralph finds himself with two older children (daughter Fiona has become a performer in her own right) and a six-year-old, which draws him closer to his source material at a time when many recording artists begin to stray from their core audience. To whit, how do you keep the mojo for the tots when your own brood "grow up" into more age-appropriate music or seek out other interests.

ROCKS AND READS demonstrates how Ralph bridged that divide…repurposing his material in a new medium (books). You get 17 tracks (three previously unreleased) as well as the story "Do the Math," featuring Tony Triangle and the Polygon Band, illustrated by Rita Roquite. It's educational, it's musical, it's amusing (the new girl is Poly Hedron, which will go over the heads of the intended audience).

It's always fascinating to watch musicians expand their repertoire. At the same time, it's frustrating when you're not prepared for them to leave you behind – as adults, we looked forward to the next Ralph's World CD and the next local concert appearance. ROCKS AND READS show how Ralph has matured and comfortably straddles different forms of children's entertainment. It's something for Josh and the Jamtones and other artists to emulate. And it's definitely something to hear and read with your kids.

RALPH'S WORLD ROCKS AND READS! is available from Ralph's website, Amazon, and iTunes.

Here is the video for "Sunny Day, Rainy Day, Anytime Band" from Kindiefest 2009. Hey, more than 1,300 viewers can't be wrong!

Ben and Matt's Excellent Adventure in Philly, Part 1

We're home! And to crib an oft-stolen line, "what a long, strange trip it's been."

But what family vacation isn't rife with at least a little tension, apprehension, misinterpretation, and euphoria?

Long story short, Kindiefest is gone. KindieComm is in. If the family was going to see a children's musical festival this year (well, other than Port Washington's emerging Kidstock), there was going to have to be a road trip.

Thanks to KindieComm, we even got a discounted hotel rate at the nearby Sheraton for two nights. But, the wife reasoned, why travel that far and only attend the family concert? The next thing I knew, I was planning three nights in Philadelphia and a fourth night stopover in Langhorne for a day at Sesame Place for the little brother.



Why was I planning the trip? Mostly because my wife was the lead organizer on Ben's bar mitzvah last month. Since that was an infinitely more challenging gig, I was content to fall back and book CityPass tickets and make advance reservations.

Now, you may very well ask, why didn't I attend the actual KindieComm children's independent music conference? After all, don't I review buckets of CDs every year? The simple answer is, I don't feel qualified. My goal is to applaud certain artists and critique others whose works I don't find as pleasing or professional. And there's always a low number of CDs that I receive (thanks, PR people) that never make it to the written page, because I just don't have enough positive things to say about them (pul-leaze no more lullaby CDs).

The difference between kindie music and major label adult release is that the vast majority of kindie music is produced on a shoestring (or via crowdfunding). Too many negative reviews will sink a fledgling recording artist. I don't want that kind of bad karma. And as a low-level blogger juggling home and work responsibilities, I'm kind of on the fringe of the kindie community. My contributions are not going to make or break somebody's career. Nor do I see that happening in the future, no matter how many Facebook friends or Twitter and Blogger followers I happen to attract.

So we packed the kids into the car after lunch on Friday and zoomed off into gridlock traffic on the Cross-Bronx Expressway, followed by stop-and-go traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike, which led to bumper-to-bumper evening rush hour leading into Philly. All told, it took four-and-a-half hours to make the 121-mile drive to the Sheraton.



Ben was intrigued about the premise of KindieComm. In the past, he's had numerous face-to-face encounters with musicians he likes at KindieFest events. We have a photo of him with Cactus (aka Secret Agent 23 Skidoo) where Ben is wearing the rapper's hat. He once got loudly impatient while I was talking with Ralph Covert (of Ralph's World) and Steve Rosionek (of SteveSongs), leading to Steve patting me on the shoulder and delivering a sympathetic, "We've all been there."

But first we had to eat. We walked to a local barbecue place for dinner, then back to the hotel for some nightswimming in the pool to decompress. We entered the hotel lobby and ran into Joanie Leeds and husband Dan Barman. We exchanged pleasantries and driving horror stories and all greeted Head Deedle Lloyd Miller at the registration desk. This was little much for Ben. After a long day of driving, he just wanted the pool and barely said a word. Matt (not as familiar with their work, but he's got the excuse of being 3 1/2), was not much more conversational.

In the elevator, we reminded Ben that many more musicians were staying on the premises, and to prepare himself for sudden encounters. After swimming and bedtime, I went to the business center and promptly ran into Jason Didner. We talked briefly, but he was collecting milk for his daughter, and I didn't want to hold him up. Other sightings before I headed upstairs: Cactus (Asheville Skidoo), Billy Kelly, and Molly Ledford.

Saturday morning, the club lounge was packed for breakfast. Luckily Joanie and Dan suggested we all crash on the couches by the TV. Matt had never had Fruit Loops, which became his choice all three days at the Sheraton. Ben seemed to adjust to "normal" interactions with "civilian" musicians. Then it was off via cab to the Philadelphia Zoo.


I accepted my role of stroller-pushing, baggage-carrying videographer and we sweated through five miles of animal hijinks, before hightailing it back to home base. More swimming was in our plans, followed by Recess Monkey at Longwood Gardens.

I wore cargo pants the whole trip, with extra pockets for keys and cash. As I hopped across the back seat to exit the cab, I did not notice my iPhone slipping out. When I got to the hotel room, there was a minor panic attack as I went through every pocket. I grabbed Ben's iPhone and dialed my own number. Luckily, the next cab occupants were also tourists, heading to the Liberty Bell. "I'll meet you there," I yelped, and raced downstairs to grab another taxi.

I got to the Liberty Bell and called my phone. "Who am I looking for?" I asked. "I have red hair and my sister has green hair," she replied. Well, that made it easy to spot them. They were good to their word and the phone was only out of my possession for 30 minutes. Total cost = two extra cab rides (and some anxious moments). They wouldn't even take anything for finding and retrieving it.

Andrea was in the pool with the boys when I got back, by coincidence along with Jason Didner's daughter and her babysitter. I decompressed, knowing we had the hour-long drive to Longwood in less than 30 minutes. Matt crashed in the car and revived when we arrived at the palatial horticultural estate. A magnificent site for an outdoor show (look at the vids) and an expensive meal, subsidized by an OpenTable gift certificate that I redeemed for the occasion. By contrast, three nights later we ate dinner at Boston Market and spent one-quarter of the amount. And the kids ate more, go figure.

If you've seen Recess Monkey,  you know they play a tight set – Jack Forman acts as front man to set up most of the songs, Drew Holloway handles lead vocals and guitar duties, and drummer Korum Bischoff provides a steady beat. We saw the trio in January at Symphony Space promoting their 2013 beach CDs. Now they were hyping WIRED, their latest release. Yes, three CDs in less than 14 months.

Matt studied the January show like it was religious instruction. He came home and repeated the set, number by number. He did not want to get up and dance, he did not want to clap along, he just wanted to observe, wide-eyed, taking everything in. Ben always acts like it's an episode of NAME THAT TUNE. By the time Jack was mid-introduction, he shouted, "Fish Sticks!" like it was a revelation.

Afterwards, Andrea dug the "business" t-shirts that the band was hawking and bought one a size large, so Matt could wear it to their next show we see. We chatted (briefly) with each member of the band. Jack even remembered talking to our niece on Kids Place Live a day earlier, playing "Crazy Train."

It had been a long day and we trudged back through the topiary to the car, for the long, winding drive back to the hotel. They collapsed in the room while I limped to the business center (my new nightly routine) to sync the photos and videos from my phone, Ben's phone, YouTube, and the Facebook album.

The adventure was starting and we still hadn't gotten to KindieComm, the Please Touch Museum, the Franklin Institute, or Sesame Place.

To be continued...

Sugar Free All-Stars Celebrate Record Store Day

Oh man did I love vinyl. It's been decades since I last purchased actual record albums. CDs never felt the same. Their decline, due to the advent of digital media, has been sanguine. I still harken back to college, when I'd load up a plastic bag of my favorite comedy CDs and lug them down to the radio station to do my one-hour, weekly broadcast.

For those of us who long to go back to the future, there is Record Store Day on Saturday, April 19. Conceived in 2007 at a gathering of independent record store owners and employees, Record Store Day is a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1000 independently owned U,S. record stores (There are Record Store Day participating stores on every continent except Antarctica).

There are a multitude of freebies and near-freebies, as well as promotional giveaways in conjunction with this year's celebration. On the kindie scene, the Sugar Free All-Stars have released a 45 of "My Daddy's Record Collection" on colored vinyl. For the digital enthusiasts, there is also a download code that comes with your pre-order, if you just can't wait to hear the song. But wait – you can, if you just click on the handy dandy lyric video below!

Vinyl is coming back, if you care to read the reports. People always missed the full sound, rendered dissonant by compression algorithms. And SFAS's Chris “Boom!” Wiser and Rob “Dr. Rock” Martin wanted to add their two cents to the equation.

My turntable died about 10 years ago. It was part of a component system with a double cassette deck (for tape-to-tape recording) and AM/FM radio, as well as an AUX input/output. When I finally hunkered down and replaced it with a mess of new equipment, it took another couple of years before I bought an ION turntable with a USB port for conversion. But we have stacks of CDs stored on top of it, so when the All-Stars' single arrived, I had to do some juggling to even play the disc.

My three-year-old, ever so helpful, jostled himself next to me and turned on the CD player. When I pulled the disc from the slip cover, he just stared. He immediately knew the oversized 45 would not fit in the CD player. "What that?" he asked. "Just wait," i told him, and put the single onto the turntable. We listened to both the A side and the B side ("Banana Pudding'). I asked him, "What do you think?" He said, "It's good!" High praise from a kid who listens to a three-artist rotation of Ralph's World, Recess Monkey, and Sesame Street.

It will be a few years before the kid is able to handle the turntable's sensitive nature. In the meantime, the download code puts the songs in easy listening range in iTunes. Kudos to the folks behind Record Store Day, as well as the Sugar Free All-Stars for reminding me that I still love vinyl.

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, January 1, 2014

With Linked Arms – Cat Doorman
Tell Me A Lie – One Direction
Danceology – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
Show Me What You're Feeling – Tom Chapin
Out Of The Box – The Bazillions
When I Grow Up – Lucky Diaz And The Family Jam Band
Is This a Joke? – Billy Kelly and the Blah Blah Blahs
Lightning Bolt – Pearl Jam
What's My Name? – Rihanna Feat. Drake
A Dog Named Bruce – Ralph's World

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Changes – David Bowie
Over Again – One Direction
Long Gone – Recess Monkey
Slow – Trout Fishing In America
Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen
Here Comes Peter Cottontail  – The Hipwaders
The Bullfrog Opera  – Morgan Taylor; The Okee Dokee Brothers
Pleadia – Andy Z
A Dog Named Bruce – Ralph's World
Trondaxx Berserker  – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Who Killed Poor Robin? – Red Yarn
We Are All One Kind – Jambo
Nonsense  – Davy Andrews
Copycat – Bill Harley And Keith Munslow
Wander 'Round the World – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke
So Many Words – Cat Doorman
If I Had a Rainbow – Haley Bonar
Midnight Memories – One Direction
I Got a Great Idea – The Twigs
A Dog Named Bruce – Ralph's World
I'm So Glad – Alex & The Kaleidoscope Band

Ben's Playlist - Monday, November 18, 2013

Till the Sun Goes Down – Poochamungas
Born To Rock – David Tobocman
The Fox – Red Yarn
Good Time – Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen
Stand Up  – Kira Willey
My Treasure – Recess Monkey
My Eraser – Bill Harley And Keith Munslow
Endless Summer – Tim and the Space Cadets
Bananas (Plum Crazy) – Tangerine Tambourine
A Dog Named Bruce – Ralph's World

Ben's Playlist - Friday, November 8, 2013

Begin Again – Taylor Swift
Over Again – One Direction
Silent Night – Dan Zanes
I Am the Wind – Underbirds
Your Mother Should Know – Caspar Babypants
Henry (Hi Ya Ya) – Lloyd H. Miller
Immigrant Song – Led Zeppelin
Mind Over Matter – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Love Factory – Mary Kaye
A Dog Named Bruce – Ralph's World
Goolie Get-Together – The Toadies

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, October 31, 2013

Crayola Doesn't Make a Color for Your Eyes  – Kristin Andreassen
I Wanna Party  – Hot Wings
Workin' Kid – Milkshake
Bigga Bagga – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke
Five Little Monkeys – Mr. Gabe
Music Makes Me Feel – Astrograss
Working On A Bridge – Lloyd H. Miller
Little Bitta You – Andrew & Polly
A Dog Named Bruce – Ralph's World
I'm So Glad – Alex & The Kaleidoscope Band
Clever Girl – The Doubleclicks
I Would – One Direction

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Life Is Better With You – Michael Franti & Spearhead
I Am the Wind – Underbirds
I'm Your Boyfriend Now – They Might Be Giants
Imagine That – Human-Tim + Robot-Tim
Nutritious –  Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights
Mr. Blue Sky – Billy Kelly & The Blah Blah Blahs
Born To Rock  – David Tobocman
When I Grow Up – Lucky Diaz And The Family Jam Band
My Favorite Summer Day – Poochamungas
A Dog Named Bruce – Ralph's World

Fired Up for Poochamungas on the Block

When my nephew was two, he decided he wanted to grow up to be a firefighter. This was mainly because his father (my brother) had joined the local volunteer fire company and the impressionable tot got to spend a large amount of time at the fire house, with the volunteers, on and around the truck (and the fire dog). This obsession continued for several years until it mysteriously vanished.

Firefighting is a noble vocation, especially the full-time variety. You mainly fight the ennui of the day broken up by periods of high drama and potential threat to life and limb. Yet some aspire to its calling and take great pride and pleasure through their actions.

And yet...what if that wasn't enough for you? Chicago area veteran firefighters John Joyce (17 years on the job) and Pete Cunningham met in the Fire Academy, shared mutual interests in music, and ultimately started Poochamungas, a children's music venture that brings them out into the community in a whole new way.

I'm half-tempted to be ultra-snarky and say, "If you ever wondered what musical firemen sounded like...." But truth be told, I listened to their new CD, POOCHAMUNGAS BLOCK PARTY!, before I read the press release. So the firefighting background was new to be (despite the obvious red engine on the CD cover).

You're not going to hear anything groundbreaking. Then again, you're not going to hear anything hacky like "Fire Bad" or "Put Down the Matches!" Poochamungas is not a group of firefighters masquerading as musicians to better deliver a "drop and roll" safety message. They want to get kids to sing and dance, just like fellow Chicagoans Ralph's World. That being said, "Big Red" is an ode to a fire engine.

Poochamungas saved up songs since 2010 for this sophomore release – the telling points are Halloween and Valentine's Day numbers. But the majority of the material is summer-and play outside-related, such as "Till the Sun Goes Down," "My Favorite Summer Day (Block Party)," and "Games We Played." They even push kids to think for themselves with "Refrigerator Box" and "Imagination Train."

So if you ever wondered what a group of dedicated firefighters sounded like, trying to entertain local kids, Poochamungas is the answer for you. They sound like they're having fun and they want their audience to have fun. And for a little while, they deliver a hot time without any danger.

POOCHAMUNGAS BLOCK PARTY! is available through the band's website, Amazon, CDBABY, and iTunes.

Here is the video for their song, "Pursuit of Ice Cream" (from their first CD):

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, September 19, 2013

In A Timeout Now – Randy Kaplan
Last First Kiss – One Direction
Everyone  – Elizabeth Mitchell
Why is the sky blue? – Nick Cope
Slow – Trout Fishing In America
Superhero You – Steve Songs
A Dog Named Bruce – Ralph's World
Shake Your Groove Thing – Peaches & Herb
Honk Honk (Major Deegan) – Lloyd H. Miller

Ben's Playlist - Friday, September 6, 2013

Move Like Saturday Night – Frances England
I'm Not Tired – Ralph's World
Shake it Out – Florence + The Machine
I Knew You Were Trouble – Taylor Swift
Otis Dooda Theme – David Heatley
Love Factory – Mary Kaye
Yes And No – Caspar Babypants
Frog  – Artichoke
Everybody's Going Out To Play – Billy Kelly & The Blah Blah Blahs
Swing Low – Josh And The Jamtones
Give Me Back My Hat – Bill Harley And Keith Munslow