Leaders Of The World – Renee & Friends
Doing a Stretch – Randy Kaplan
Clown Shoes – Ratboy Jr.
I Spy – Ants Ants Ants
You Can Get It If You Really Want – Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could
Can You Sing? – Dan Zanes
Anything For You My Love – Caspar Babypants
Showing posts with label Renee and Friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Renee and Friends. Show all posts
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Monday, April 15, 2019
Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Shine On – Dan Zanes
Stars – Ants Ants Ants
Anything Can Be A Hat – Ratboy Jr.
Super Fragile World – Renee & Friends
That's My Style – The Bazillions
Fly Like A Bird – Dean Jones
Under the Big Umbrella – Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could
Stars – Ants Ants Ants
Anything Can Be A Hat – Ratboy Jr.
Super Fragile World – Renee & Friends
That's My Style – The Bazillions
Fly Like A Bird – Dean Jones
Under the Big Umbrella – Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could
Tuesday, April 09, 2019
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):
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):
Monday, March 18, 2019
Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Hanukkah Rocks – Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could
No Tooting on the Dance Floor – Jack Forman
Solar Flares – Mo Phillips
Super Fragile World – Renee & Friends
Hammer – Aaron Nigel Smith
Fly Like A Bird – Dean Jones
Anything For You My Love – Caspar Babypants
No Tooting on the Dance Floor – Jack Forman
Solar Flares – Mo Phillips
Super Fragile World – Renee & Friends
Hammer – Aaron Nigel Smith
Fly Like A Bird – Dean Jones
Anything For You My Love – Caspar Babypants
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Ben's Playlist - Monday, March 18, 2019
I Love The Night – Gustafer Yellowgold
Kindness – Renee & Friends
I Spy – Ants Ants Ants
Who, What, When, Where, Why – The Bazillions
Disco Hippo – Caspar Babypants
Dodgeball – Justin Roberts
Have You Ever Been Real – Dean Jones
Kindness – Renee & Friends
I Spy – Ants Ants Ants
Who, What, When, Where, Why – The Bazillions
Disco Hippo – Caspar Babypants
Dodgeball – Justin Roberts
Have You Ever Been Real – Dean Jones
Wednesday, January 04, 2017
Children's Music: Optimism Versus Happiness
People who know nothing about children's music often confuse "optimism" with "happiness." There is a clear distinction, as I determined this past year.
I went through a number of life changes over the past 18 months. It was a whole Chinese restaurant menu of water tortures, and believe me, I wouldn't wish any combination special on most people.
Throughout the entire sad process, the one constant was children's music. As if in a daze, sometimes a funk, sometimes a mania, I perpetuated a steady output of previews, event recaps with photos and videos, and reviews.
I may have been sleep-deprived. I may not have eaten properly for days or weeks. But I kept to a schedule, attempting to get to everything within a two-week window of its release date.
And children's music became my Rock of Gibraltar. If I had an especially ominous interaction or could not turn off the conversations in my head, I turned on the next CD in my queue. These were not necessarily "happy" tunes. But overall, they diffused my dark mood so I could wake to face another day.
During the summer of 2015, I felt that my world had hit rock bottom (boy was I ever wrong). I took my older son (then 14) out to the beach, where he was only 17 miles from a special camp program. This gave him five hours of hands-on activity, for eight weekdays. Except it splintered the family and I witnessed a profound loneliness in him. He missed his younger brother, his shadow and protector. He could FaceTime with him and their mother. Occasionally he'd say "I'm sad" or "I'm okay," and I put my hand on his shoulder and we'd walk through town and make observations about people and stores and music. A lot about pop music that summer.
In retrospect, I can't imagine how I held it together at different junctions. I brought two CDs to review while we stayed at the beach. One of them was Renee & Friends' SIMPATICO. It contained the most emotionally devastating song I heard that year, "You Were Meant to Be" (duet with Glenn Phillips). It's a love song to a child, declaring that his or her birth was no accident, that the child turned a man and a woman into a family. It was a gut punch and I cried when it played. The second time through, I intentionally ensured my son was in the car so I could will myself not to tear up. No, it's not a happy children's song. But it's optimistic.
A month later I had a similar moment with Tim Kubart's Grammy-winning CD, HOME. It's a celebration of childhood, family, and shared bonding experiences. The first time I heard the title track, "Last Turn Home," I was driving back to the house with both sons. It had been a long day and they'd drifted off. But we were approaching the house, their home, the only home they've both ever known. The home and the family that I knew were coming to a close. I gripped the steering wheel tight with both hands and read between the lyrics. The song is about a journey, and the destination isn't really important as long as there's love there. Again, not entirely a happy children's song. But it's optimistic.
The closing track of HOME is called "Moving Day," which reinforces the album's concept of family as people and not a place. That theme became my mantra in 2016, when I repeatedly went through the "five stages," thinking I'd finished with two or three only to cycle back to the beginning. By the summer, we had relocated. By October, the bussing situation was rectified and the boys began to settle into their routines. I accepted some absences in my life. I filled some holes in my schedule. I continued to attend concerts, shoot videos, and write reviews.
What was it about children's music more that drew me in, when by all rights I could have blasted death metal, or played dramatic operas, or danced around to show tunes? Simply put, there's no hidden agenda. With an absence of irony and a commitment to building positive values, children's music is about inclusion and being forward-thinking. You can't wallow when you have a child whose needs come before your own. You can't be narcissistic and play your favorite comfort CD from college, even if it bores the kids to tears since they can't relate to it.
Children's music gave me an uplifting release. It focused me. It helped me obtain and move toward some form of acceptance, even when there were scheduling conflicts, soul-sucking emails, or the continued existence of people I could not – nor ever plan – to stomach.
That's the putative salvation of children's music that is often misread. It's not all happy. There's no Morrissey for six-year-olds. Even Amy Lee (Evanescence) put out a delightful, cheery CD this year, DREAM TOO MUCH. You don't have to be happy to be optimistic and that's the promise of children's music. Broke a toy? Split your time between mommy and daddy? Scared of new foods? Kids can change emotions in the span of a drumbeat. It may only take one note of a special song from a fun performer. It could even be that eerie song about things going bump in the night. Because kids might not be happy when that occurs, but morning is going to come and daylight will turn that ghost into a sweater on the doorknob. They're not happy about it, but they're optimistic. That's a true super power and it's why I still enjoy children's music.
I went through a number of life changes over the past 18 months. It was a whole Chinese restaurant menu of water tortures, and believe me, I wouldn't wish any combination special on most people.
Throughout the entire sad process, the one constant was children's music. As if in a daze, sometimes a funk, sometimes a mania, I perpetuated a steady output of previews, event recaps with photos and videos, and reviews.
I may have been sleep-deprived. I may not have eaten properly for days or weeks. But I kept to a schedule, attempting to get to everything within a two-week window of its release date.
And children's music became my Rock of Gibraltar. If I had an especially ominous interaction or could not turn off the conversations in my head, I turned on the next CD in my queue. These were not necessarily "happy" tunes. But overall, they diffused my dark mood so I could wake to face another day.
During the summer of 2015, I felt that my world had hit rock bottom (boy was I ever wrong). I took my older son (then 14) out to the beach, where he was only 17 miles from a special camp program. This gave him five hours of hands-on activity, for eight weekdays. Except it splintered the family and I witnessed a profound loneliness in him. He missed his younger brother, his shadow and protector. He could FaceTime with him and their mother. Occasionally he'd say "I'm sad" or "I'm okay," and I put my hand on his shoulder and we'd walk through town and make observations about people and stores and music. A lot about pop music that summer.In retrospect, I can't imagine how I held it together at different junctions. I brought two CDs to review while we stayed at the beach. One of them was Renee & Friends' SIMPATICO. It contained the most emotionally devastating song I heard that year, "You Were Meant to Be" (duet with Glenn Phillips). It's a love song to a child, declaring that his or her birth was no accident, that the child turned a man and a woman into a family. It was a gut punch and I cried when it played. The second time through, I intentionally ensured my son was in the car so I could will myself not to tear up. No, it's not a happy children's song. But it's optimistic.
A month later I had a similar moment with Tim Kubart's Grammy-winning CD, HOME. It's a celebration of childhood, family, and shared bonding experiences. The first time I heard the title track, "Last Turn Home," I was driving back to the house with both sons. It had been a long day and they'd drifted off. But we were approaching the house, their home, the only home they've both ever known. The home and the family that I knew were coming to a close. I gripped the steering wheel tight with both hands and read between the lyrics. The song is about a journey, and the destination isn't really important as long as there's love there. Again, not entirely a happy children's song. But it's optimistic.The closing track of HOME is called "Moving Day," which reinforces the album's concept of family as people and not a place. That theme became my mantra in 2016, when I repeatedly went through the "five stages," thinking I'd finished with two or three only to cycle back to the beginning. By the summer, we had relocated. By October, the bussing situation was rectified and the boys began to settle into their routines. I accepted some absences in my life. I filled some holes in my schedule. I continued to attend concerts, shoot videos, and write reviews.
What was it about children's music more that drew me in, when by all rights I could have blasted death metal, or played dramatic operas, or danced around to show tunes? Simply put, there's no hidden agenda. With an absence of irony and a commitment to building positive values, children's music is about inclusion and being forward-thinking. You can't wallow when you have a child whose needs come before your own. You can't be narcissistic and play your favorite comfort CD from college, even if it bores the kids to tears since they can't relate to it.
Children's music gave me an uplifting release. It focused me. It helped me obtain and move toward some form of acceptance, even when there were scheduling conflicts, soul-sucking emails, or the continued existence of people I could not – nor ever plan – to stomach.
That's the putative salvation of children's music that is often misread. It's not all happy. There's no Morrissey for six-year-olds. Even Amy Lee (Evanescence) put out a delightful, cheery CD this year, DREAM TOO MUCH. You don't have to be happy to be optimistic and that's the promise of children's music. Broke a toy? Split your time between mommy and daddy? Scared of new foods? Kids can change emotions in the span of a drumbeat. It may only take one note of a special song from a fun performer. It could even be that eerie song about things going bump in the night. Because kids might not be happy when that occurs, but morning is going to come and daylight will turn that ghost into a sweater on the doorknob. They're not happy about it, but they're optimistic. That's a true super power and it's why I still enjoy children's music.
Wednesday, May 04, 2016
Kindie Quick Hits: Wednesday Is Video Day!
A batch of new kindie videos went live this week.
The belle of the kindie ball, Laurie Berkner, has released a dance remix of one of her classic tunes, "We Are The Dinosaurs." New kids (i.e., real young ones) will be enthralled. Older kids (i.e., pretty much everyone in the world) will appreciate something from their childhood already being repurposed.
I wrote last summer about how gripped and affected I became after listening to Renee & Friends' song "You Were Meant To Be." Now they have released an animated video for the song, performed with Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket).
The Okee Dokee Brothers have released the video for "Somos Amigos" from their upcoming CD, SADDLE UP. Filmed on a bridge over the Rio Grande, the tune featuring an authentic mariachi band from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Bilingual children's recording artist Andrés Salguero (aka 123 Andrés) is returning with his second CD, ARRIBA ABAJO and is debuting the first video, "Dame Una A." You can see Andrés in Brooklyn next month, playing with Sonia De Los Santos at Jalopy in Red Hook on Sunday, June 19 or Friday, June 17 at the Lark Cafe with Lloyd Miller.
Speaking of Sonia, here is HER latest video from her CD, MI VIAJE: DE NUEVO LEON TO THE NEW YORK ISLAND, for the song "Chocolate":
The belle of the kindie ball, Laurie Berkner, has released a dance remix of one of her classic tunes, "We Are The Dinosaurs." New kids (i.e., real young ones) will be enthralled. Older kids (i.e., pretty much everyone in the world) will appreciate something from their childhood already being repurposed.
I wrote last summer about how gripped and affected I became after listening to Renee & Friends' song "You Were Meant To Be." Now they have released an animated video for the song, performed with Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket).
The Okee Dokee Brothers have released the video for "Somos Amigos" from their upcoming CD, SADDLE UP. Filmed on a bridge over the Rio Grande, the tune featuring an authentic mariachi band from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Bilingual children's recording artist Andrés Salguero (aka 123 Andrés) is returning with his second CD, ARRIBA ABAJO and is debuting the first video, "Dame Una A." You can see Andrés in Brooklyn next month, playing with Sonia De Los Santos at Jalopy in Red Hook on Sunday, June 19 or Friday, June 17 at the Lark Cafe with Lloyd Miller.
Speaking of Sonia, here is HER latest video from her CD, MI VIAJE: DE NUEVO LEON TO THE NEW YORK ISLAND, for the song "Chocolate":
Monday, October 26, 2015
My 2015 Fids and Kamily Ballot
The 2015 Fids and Kamily Awards were recently announced. I culled my choices from more than 50 CDs reviewed over the past year. I can't believe I reviewed almost one CD per week, but it was a glut to celebrate, for sure.
A few CDs were either constantly being tracked by Ben (14) for his morning playlists or selected for rotation in our car. Those factored higher in the standings. His younger brother Matt (turning 5 in November) and their mother also had some comments on my "second round" choices of 22 recording artists.
My points were distributed among CDs that we either purchased or reviewed. For the first time, I did review all ten CDs listed in the "judges' final" tally. However several of those CDs did not make my personal ballot.
That being said, it's always an honor to be asked to participate in balloting of this kind. When I think back 9-10 years and our entry into the kindie music scene, I never anticipated I'd have to struggle to "rank" such talented individuals and ensembles. Congratulations to everyone who produced children's music in 2014!
A few CDs were either constantly being tracked by Ben (14) for his morning playlists or selected for rotation in our car. Those factored higher in the standings. His younger brother Matt (turning 5 in November) and their mother also had some comments on my "second round" choices of 22 recording artists.
My points were distributed among CDs that we either purchased or reviewed. For the first time, I did review all ten CDs listed in the "judges' final" tally. However several of those CDs did not make my personal ballot.
That being said, it's always an honor to be asked to participate in balloting of this kind. When I think back 9-10 years and our entry into the kindie music scene, I never anticipated I'd have to struggle to "rank" such talented individuals and ensembles. Congratulations to everyone who produced children's music in 2014!
- Recess Monkey – Hot Air
- Tim Kubart – Home
- Billy Kelly and Molly Ledford – Trees
- Lori Henriques – How Great Can THis Day Be
- Ratboy Jr – Hamster Pants
- Renee and Friends – Simpatico
- Josh and the Jamtones – Rocksteady
- Alison Faith Levy – The Start of Things
- Andrew and Polly – Odds and Ends
- Mil's Trills – Now That We're Friends
Thursday, September 03, 2015
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
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
Wednesday, September 02, 2015
Ben's Playlist - Thursday, September 3, 2015
All Around the Kitchen – Andy Z
Bionic (feat. Shiz & Lady Asha) – Father Goose
Bird Belly – Rolie Polie Guacamole
Gratitude – Mista Cookie Jar & the Chocolate Chips
Hamsterdam – Ratboy Jr.
Hello Goodbye – Caspar Babypants
Hot Air – Recess Monkey
This Bright Dream – Renee & Friends Featuring Tom Rossi
Trapped In The Attic – Lloyd H. Miller
Bionic (feat. Shiz & Lady Asha) – Father Goose
Bird Belly – Rolie Polie Guacamole
Gratitude – Mista Cookie Jar & the Chocolate Chips
Hamsterdam – Ratboy Jr.
Hello Goodbye – Caspar Babypants
Hot Air – Recess Monkey
This Bright Dream – Renee & Friends Featuring Tom Rossi
Trapped In The Attic – Lloyd H. Miller
Tuesday, September 01, 2015
Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Animal Kingdom – Key Wilde And Mr. Clarke
Free Ride Everyday – Lori Henriques
Hey Jude – Caspar Babypants
I Am Not Afraid – Renee & Friends Featuring Caspar Babypants
Let's Be Friends – Mil's Trills
Mystery – Dean Jones
Rolie Polie – Rolie Polie Guacamole
This Land Is Your Land – Alastair Moock & Friends
Free Ride Everyday – Lori Henriques
Hey Jude – Caspar Babypants
I Am Not Afraid – Renee & Friends Featuring Caspar Babypants
Let's Be Friends – Mil's Trills
Mystery – Dean Jones
Rolie Polie – Rolie Polie Guacamole
This Land Is Your Land – Alastair Moock & Friends
Monday, August 31, 2015
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
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
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Ben's Playlist - Monday, August 31, 2015
All In A Day – Alastair Moock & Friends
All the Pretty Horses – Cat Doorman
Crazy Mountain Road – Eric Herman And The Invisible Band
Follow The Drinking Gourd – Lloyd H. Miller
Gather Round – Renee & Friends Featuring Lisa Loeb
Jelly Beans! – Mista Cookie Jar & the Chocolate Chips
Right Side of the Bed – Ratboy Jr.
T.L.C. – Alison Faith Levy
The Word – Caspar Babypants
All the Pretty Horses – Cat Doorman
Crazy Mountain Road – Eric Herman And The Invisible Band
Follow The Drinking Gourd – Lloyd H. Miller
Gather Round – Renee & Friends Featuring Lisa Loeb
Jelly Beans! – Mista Cookie Jar & the Chocolate Chips
Right Side of the Bed – Ratboy Jr.
T.L.C. – Alison Faith Levy
The Word – Caspar Babypants
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Renee & Friends Insist You Stay Simpatico
It pays to have friends. Vocalist Renee Stahl (of Renee and Jeremy fame) has called upon a laundry list of celebrated names for her latest children's music release, SIMPATICO. From her longtime producer, Rich Jacques to Men at Work frontman Colin Hay, everyone "Gather Round" to hear the lilting SoCal harmonies and dreamy acoustic arrangements.
Renee is among the performers who quantify their work as for "families of all ages," not limiting their music to the small fry set. To that end, I'd stock the Renee & Friends CD under "Unplugged" or "Easy Listening." You won't find crashing drums, thumping dance beats, or electric guitar solos. Renee has built her reputation on the Brian Wilson book of values – love thy neighbor as if they are family.
Among the most poignant of the tunes on this collection is the ode from a parent to child, "You Were Meant To Be," performed with Glen Phillips from Toad the Wet Sprocket:
I can't promise you won't need to cry.
I'll help you wipe the tears from your eyes.
There's one thing that you wanna know is true,
Please don't forget that you were meant to be here
Through hard days and sweet years.
Through laughter and warm tears,
You were meant to be here.
You were meant to be.
My two sons have gotten me through some pretty dark clouds and "You Were Meant To Be" hit me in the solar plexus. I cannot underplay the visceral emotion reaction I had to that song, as well as the Broadway classic, "Happiness," from "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown," warbled with Renee's former Cleveland school classmate, SNL's Molly Shannon. I attempted to sing along to the latter for my kids and could not get my voice to stop cracking. Gosh thanks for ruining the song, dad!
My kids were excited to hear such favorites of theirs like Caspar Babypants ("I Am Not Afraid") and Lisa Loeb ("Gather Round"). It's ironic to use such a term about this kind of laid-back music, but it's appropriate under these circumstances. Rich Jacques is a consummate studio general and the production values are crystal clear and crisp. With the number of performers on SIMPATICO, I hate to leave anyone out. There are a dozen songs and 15 people listed as "friends" on the website. With that many friends, Renee is in good company. It makes Renee & Friends good company to be around, providing music for families of all ages.
SIMPATICO is available August 28 from Renee and Friends' website, Amazon, and iTunes.
Here is a video of Renee and Friends' song, "Gather Round":
Renee is among the performers who quantify their work as for "families of all ages," not limiting their music to the small fry set. To that end, I'd stock the Renee & Friends CD under "Unplugged" or "Easy Listening." You won't find crashing drums, thumping dance beats, or electric guitar solos. Renee has built her reputation on the Brian Wilson book of values – love thy neighbor as if they are family.Among the most poignant of the tunes on this collection is the ode from a parent to child, "You Were Meant To Be," performed with Glen Phillips from Toad the Wet Sprocket:
I can't promise you won't need to cry.
I'll help you wipe the tears from your eyes.
There's one thing that you wanna know is true,
Please don't forget that you were meant to be here
Through hard days and sweet years.
Through laughter and warm tears,
You were meant to be here.
You were meant to be.
My two sons have gotten me through some pretty dark clouds and "You Were Meant To Be" hit me in the solar plexus. I cannot underplay the visceral emotion reaction I had to that song, as well as the Broadway classic, "Happiness," from "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown," warbled with Renee's former Cleveland school classmate, SNL's Molly Shannon. I attempted to sing along to the latter for my kids and could not get my voice to stop cracking. Gosh thanks for ruining the song, dad!
My kids were excited to hear such favorites of theirs like Caspar Babypants ("I Am Not Afraid") and Lisa Loeb ("Gather Round"). It's ironic to use such a term about this kind of laid-back music, but it's appropriate under these circumstances. Rich Jacques is a consummate studio general and the production values are crystal clear and crisp. With the number of performers on SIMPATICO, I hate to leave anyone out. There are a dozen songs and 15 people listed as "friends" on the website. With that many friends, Renee is in good company. It makes Renee & Friends good company to be around, providing music for families of all ages.
SIMPATICO is available August 28 from Renee and Friends' website, Amazon, and iTunes.
Here is a video of Renee and Friends' song, "Gather Round":
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Kindie Quick Hits: Videos from Ratboy Jr., Renee & Friends, and Josh & the Jamtones
Holy smokes! This week's kindie quick hits is comprised of three new videos from such artists as Josh and the Jamtones, Ratboy Jr., and Renee and Friends.
Supporting their new release, ROCKSTEADY, Josh and crew have released their video, featuring guest artist Jesse Wagner from the Aggrolites:
Renee and Friends is Renee Stahl (from Renee and Jeremy fame) plus a number of familiar faces. They are released SIMPATICO on August 28. Here is the pre-released of the first single from the collection, "Gather Round," featuring none other than Lisa Loeb:
Last but certainly not least, are Ratboy Jr. When I reviewed their latest CD, HAMSTER PANTS, I specifically singled out the song "Sponges" for its callback to 1980s vocalist Billy Ocean. And sure enough, here's the video to bring that revelation to the masses:
Supporting their new release, ROCKSTEADY, Josh and crew have released their video, featuring guest artist Jesse Wagner from the Aggrolites:
Renee and Friends is Renee Stahl (from Renee and Jeremy fame) plus a number of familiar faces. They are released SIMPATICO on August 28. Here is the pre-released of the first single from the collection, "Gather Round," featuring none other than Lisa Loeb:
Last but certainly not least, are Ratboy Jr. When I reviewed their latest CD, HAMSTER PANTS, I specifically singled out the song "Sponges" for its callback to 1980s vocalist Billy Ocean. And sure enough, here's the video to bring that revelation to the masses:
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