Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, June 21, 2022

The Kiss Of Venus – Paul McCartney
Jake and Shoogie – Danny Weinkauf
Village d'Ãtoile – Dog On Fleas
Park Song – The Zing Zangs
Mix It Up – Aaron Nigel Smith & Red Yarn
It's A Wonderful Life – Kepi Ghoulie
Lo/Hi – The Black Keys

Two Generations of Kids Music: The Figureheads and Zing Zangs

Time stands still for no child. In 10 years, kids go through sneakers, shirts, schools, and reading levels like nobody's business. For children's music, 10 years is therefore a lifetime. For recent 8 Pound Gorilla Records' signees The Figureheads (Jeremy Bryan, Greg Marshall, and Dave Olsen), it's going to be interesting to see how the Milwaukeee-based hip-hop combo acclimate to a generation of new artists, considering they spent a full decade out of the limelight.

The Figureheads are about having fun with an edge of social consciousness. Of the six songs on their STARS, their new EP, "Make It Better" and "Gotta Believe" stress singing together to improve our lives, with the wind at our backs, while we all have breath in our lungs. But there's also fun and family with "Sticky Song" and "Wave and Stomp."

The Figureheads may be back for awhile or just turtling (sticking their heads out of their shells). For a brief 16 minutes, your kids can hear what they've been up to since approximately 2012.

Find STARS on the Figureheads' website, Amazon, Spotify, Deezer, and Apple Music.

Here is the video for "The Sticky Song":

Speaking of that next generation of children's music performers, they were inspired to fashion songs for kids by artists such as Recess Monkey, Gustafer Yellowgold, and Frances England. Vancouver, Canada's The Zing Zangs (Trevor Walls and Emma Watson) began writing songs together after high school. Ttagged "the second generation of kindie" by Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, the duo has compiled their material into their debut CD, THE GOOD DAY, with the help of über-producer Dean Jones (who even guests on "Chatterbox").

THE GOOD DAY encapsulates the high-spirited experiences of two friends (can we give them a nickname like "Tre-mma"?). Tunes chart morning through nightfall, sharing music ("Let's Start A Band"), games ("Hide and Seek" with Mista Cookie Jar and "Playing in the Park"), and winding down with "Shadows Dance" as the sun begins to set. It's 11 songs in 23 minutes, just the right amount of time for a hyperactive child to percolate and settle into bed. All in all, THE GOOD DAY is a promising start for the Zing Zangs.

Collect your own THE GOOD DAY from the Zing Zangs' website, Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Here is a YouTube capture of the duo's song, "The Good Day":

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Are You a Mirror (...Or a Window?) – Quiet Company
With Linked Arms – Cat Doorman
Bully Bully – Shine and the Moonbeams
Copycat – Bill Harley And Keith Munslow
Otis  –  Justin Roberts
Shrimp –  Recess Monkey
Participation Trophy – The Not-Its
Speeding Motorcycle – The Pastels
Moustaches – The Zing Zangs
Flat Stanley – Steve Songs