Kindie Quick Hits: Wilde & Clarke Video, Free To Be You & Me, Dave & the Boombox

Enjoy the lush artwork of Key WIlde as part of the new video from ANIMAL TALES, the recent CD from Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke.

The song is a shaggy dog story about "Armando Armadillo" and his epic adventure crossing the road back to his wife and children in a hole in the ground.

For a limited time, you can also download the song gratis (that's for free) from Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke's Soundcloud site. Enjoy!


New Jersey music maker Jason Didner (of Jungle Gym Jam fame) recently embarked on a mission to bring back one of the songs from his childhood. Mainly, the theme from Free To Be, You And Me (an iconic public television special from Marlo Thomas and Alan Alda).

Now I remember that special as well. "William Wants a Doll," etc., etc. And in 2013, I reviewed at least two CDs that covered the song (I recall Melissa Green being one of the two children's artists who tackled the tune). Well, Jason and producer Marc "Baze and His Silly Friends" Bazerman recruited kindie tunesmith Suzi Shelton to duet on their version.

Pretty much, "Free to Be" is the preschool equivalent of a teen anthem; "Come As You Are" for headbanging five- and six-year-olds. And who doesn't want to tell a precocious youth that they shouldn't do whatever it is that they wanna do?

If you haven't heard the song, you clearly came from another country or haven't watched public television over the past 30 years. SHAME ON YOU! The single is being previewed for release on Tuesday, November 18 on Bandcamp and iTunes. It's a pleasing little singalong and the kiddies will enjoy it. Visit Jason or Suzi (or Baze's site) for more info as we get closer to the release date.

What's a lawyer to do when he's sick of sticking it to the Man? Well, he dusts off his dated electronics equipment, puts on some sunglasses, and entertains the kids. That's what legal maven Dave Heger does in his alter ego as Dave and the Boombox. With the release of his debut album, MAKE SOME NOISE, Dave (and his imaginary crew) are touring around the scene in Indianapolis, making kids music safe for the midwest.

Indianapolis may not be a hotbed for kid's music but Dave is doing his best to leave a footprint. The title track gets youngsters up and dancing and "Wonderful Day" keeps them there. He channels Elvis to deliver his own version of the classic "Three Little Pigs" with "Giggly Pigs." The closest thing to a rocker is "Playful Stuffed Animals," which gives you an idea of the age range for the CD.

Dave gives center stage of his daughter for the (very brief) "Lily's Song," where apparently the family dog also makes a cameo. That kicks into the closer "A Day At the Zoo," which would not be out of place on a Recess Monkey animal-themed album.

MAKE SOME NOISE doesn't break any new ground, but Dave's earnest and friendly delivery will ingratiate him with listeners of a certain age.

MAKE SOME NOISE is available from Dave's website, Amazon, CDBABY, and iTunes.

Here is the video for Dave's song, "Friendly Little Neighbors":

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Long Gone – Recess Monkey
Stop Your Sobbing – Stacey Peasley
My Sister Kissed Her Boyfriend – Trout Fishing In America
Are We There Yet?  – Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights
Roller coaster – Bari Koral Family Rock Band
Toothloser – Gustafer Yellowgold
Duct Tape World – Recess Monkey
The Owie Song – David Tobocman
Constant Sorrow (feat. Dan Zanes & Coolie Ranx) – Father Goose

Ben's Playlist - Monday, November 3, 2014

Life Is Better With You – Michael Franti & Spearhead
California King Bed – Rihanna
Together We Can Fly – Danny Weinkauf
Take Your Kid To Work Day  – Recess Monkey
Potted Plant Guy – David Heatley
Halloween Every Night – Mista Cookie Jar & the Chocolate Chips
Sisters and Brothers – Bari Koral Family Rock Band
All Together Now – Caspar Babypants
Don't Fill Up On Chips – Randy Kaplan

Ben's Playlist - Friday, October 31, 2014

Peaceful – Cat Doorman
Not Too Young for a Song – Randy Kaplan
Delicious – Orange Sherbert
Always On The Run – Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights
Liza Jane – Jr. Madness
Mooshpie – The Whirlygigs
Dancing Bear – Bari Koral Family Rock Band
Nonsense  – Davy Andrews
Anybody Got A Watch? – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, October 30, 2014

Talkin' Bout Love – The Little Rockers Band
Turned Out – Paul McCartney
Mothership – Mr. Saxophone
Unconditionally – Katy Perry
The Ballad of Ben – Danny Weinkauf
Viva la Pachanga (feat. Flaco Jimenez) – Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band
Free to Be...You and Me – Jason Didner and the Jungle Gym Jam Featuring Suzi Shelton

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Secret Fox – Gustafer Yellowgold
Slow – Trout Fishing In America
Kangaroo! – Alex & The Kaleidoscope Band
Fortune Cookie – The Little Rockers Band
Wander 'Round the World – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke
Throw Me Something Mister – Jazzy Ash
Otis Dooda Theme – David Heatley
Prairie Boy – Mista Cookie Jar & The Chocolate Chips
Colors (2014 Remix) – Kira Willey

Is It Live or Coming Up Lacking?

An Age-Old Question for the Wanna Bees and Kira Willey

Music can be deceiving. Sometimes when I review a CD, I instantly "get" the concept, if there is one. Other times, I feel as if I'm missing something – perhaps in the presentation or because the music cries out for the accompanying live experience.

The Wanna Bees' new CD, DREAM BIG, falls into that chasm. Fronted by "Doctor Dan" (Chuck Riepenhoff) and "Builder Brad" (Rob Donaldson), the disc introduces a series of characters (and their cohorts) to listeners. But it comes off as mostly a laundry list. First they ask "Do You Like (Vet)." That's followed by "Valerie Vet." That's followed by Valerie's pal "Stephanie Stethoscope." Next is "Do You Like (Fireman)" and you can tell what's coming after that. By the time we got to "(Hooray for) Heidi Hose," my wife asked, "How many more songs?"

I don't want to seem too down on the guys. Clearly the Wanna Bees want to rock out while promoting occupations and showing kids all the fun things they can grow up to become. But the repetition did become a bit numbing. Princess Katie and Racer Steve play characters as well, but they never released a CD that doubled as a checklist of things you'd appreciate more in a stage show.

Speaking of live experiences, when you go to a Kira Willey concert, sometimes a yoga lesson sneaks in. Kira is keen on music and the mind-body connection and her third CD, HOW TO BE A CLOUD, mixes and mingles those concepts.

On CLOUD, there are 13 kids songs along with nine yoga tracks. Once again, listening to yoga tracks when you are not doing yoga reminds you that there's nothing like a live music experience. But the 13 kids songs are another story entirely.

"Dancing With My Daddy" is a melodic rhumba. The almost-misnamed "Jazzy" seems more of a country tune. "Colors (2014)" is a remix of her 2008 song that was used in a Dell TV commercial. The title track, "How to Be A Cloud, should not be confused with the Dean Jones song of the same name. It's an ethereal harmonic song, later reprised (as are many of the others) as a yoga track (with directions over the music bed).

As always, I cannot over-emphasize taking your children to a live music performance. In the case of the Wanna Bees, they may discover the joys of being a fireman. With Kira Willey, they can jump around and do a series of relaxing poses. Either way, their new CDs provide the blueprints.

DREAM BIG is available November 11 from the Wanna Bees website, Amazon, and iTunes.

HOW TO BE A CLOUD is available on November 18 from Kira Willey's website, SoundCloud, Amazon, and iTunes.

Here is a video of Kira Willey's song, "ROLLER COASTER":

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, October 28, 2014

When You're Smiling – Elizabeth Mitchell & Dan Zanes
Be a Little Angel – Mista Cookie Jar & The Chocolate Chips
Me Time – Chibi Kodama
Here Comes the Summer – Ponds & Fleshman
Uh Huh – Dean Jones
Unwind – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Lucky Penny – The Whirlygigs
I've Got A Feeling – Papa Crow
The Girl With the Squirrel in Her Hat – Caspar Babypants

Ben's Playlist - Monday, October 27, 2014

Effervescing Elephant – Cat Doorman
You Got It On – Justin Timberlake
Till the Sun Goes Down – Poochamungas
Bigga Bagga – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke
Blink Of An Eye – Frances England
Sittin On A Cloud – The Whirlygigs
If Red Tastes Like Strawberry – The Whirlygigs
Midnight Memories – One Direction

Ben's Playlist - Friday, October 24, 2014

Jam on Rye – Randy Kaplan
Rock Melon – Gustafer Yellowgold
Give Me Back My Hat – Bill Harley And Keith Munslow
Up In Cat's Room – David Heatley
The Baron's Bicycle Balloon – Banana Baron
Flannel Jammies – The Not-Its!
Kings & Queens – The Hipwaders
Caught in the Screen – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, October 23, 2014

Early Days – Paul McCartney
Gettin' My Ya Ya's Out – Brady Rymer & The Little Band
In All Of The World – Papa Crow
Little Cloud (Featuring Rachel Loshak)  – Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights
Cumbe – Crosspulse Percussion Ensemble
Alove Alliteration – Mr. Palindrome
When I'm Ten – Recess Monkey & The Not-Its
Lightning Bolt  – Pearl Jam

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Alive – Eric Herman
Continental Geography – Astrograss
Don't Touch My Stuff! – Trout Fishing In America
This Moment – Katy Perry
Coral Reef – The Whizpops!
Luna Y Lucero – Sonia De Los Santos
Mystery – Dean Jones
Hippo Dance –  Key Wilde And Mr. Clarke
I Love Music (feat. Wordsmith) – Rhymezwell

My 2014 Fids and Kamily Ballot

The 2014 Fids and Kamily Awards were recently announced. I culled my choices from 46 CDs reviewed over the past year. A few CDs were either constantly being tracked by Ben (13) for his morning playlists or selected for rotation in our car. Those factored higher in the standings. His younger brother Matt (3 3/4) and mom also had some comments on my "second round" choices of 22 recording artists.

As in past years, my ballot has several notable discrepancies. To clarify, my points were distributed among CDs that we either purchased or reviewed. This is why Walter Martin and the Okee-Dokee Brothers failed to make my list. Apologies, but we heard so much good music this year, they were missed but not fatally.

That being said, it's always an honor to be asked to participate in balloting of this kind. When I think back 8-9 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 2013!

1. Buy One Get One Flea – Dog on Fleas
2. WIRED – Recess Monkey
3. No School Today – Danny Weinkauf
4. Raise Your Hand – The Not-Its
5. Just Say Hi – Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could
6. Perfect Quirk – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
7. Greetings From Cloud 9 – The Whirlygigs
8. Good Egg – Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights
9. The Apple Tree and the Honey Bee – the Bari Koral Family Rock Band
10. Smile in My Heart – Suzi Shelton

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Wake Up – The Neville Brothers
Give Some, Get Some – Papa Crow
Delicious  – Orange Sherbert
First Day of School  – Ethan Rossiter And The Jamberries
Archaeology – Danny Weinkauf
Handy – Weird Al Yankovic
The Best Parts – Eric Herman
Alligator Get-Together – Key Wilde And Mr. Clarke
Grandpa-Land  – Bill and Karlee Goffrier

Ben's Playlist - Monday, October 20, 2014

A Billion Stars – Papa Crow
Danceology – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
Are We There Yet?  – Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights
I Am the Wind – Underbirds
We Can't Stop – Miley Cyrus
I Love the Rain – The Real Tuesday Weld
Animal Kingdom – Key Wilde And Mr. Clarke
The Flying Fox – Davy Andrews

Ben's Playlist - Friday, October 17, 2014

I Must Be a Genius – Dog On Fleas
When the World Was New – Dean Jones
Anytime At All – Caspar Babypants
Imaginationology – Jon Samson
Earn It – Hullabaloo
Kids in America – The Muffs
What's That Sound? – Recess Monkey
Brave – Sara Bareilles
Big Green Party Machine – David Heatley

The Wild Animal Lives of Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke

For some recording artists, children's music is a pit stop. Others flit in and out, whenever the occasion (or material) is right. For an elite few, making children's music becomes a vocation. I'm not saying they can make a full-time living at it; that's a fantasy fulfilled by the top one percent. But their ventures are always worthwhile, the music and lyrics are playful and joyful, and adults and kids alike can't wait to hear what's on the disc. Which is why I'm happy to share a few thoughts about KEY WILDE AND MR. CLARKE and their brand new CD, ANIMAL TALES.

The New York-based duo have a long and colorful history, together and separately (read their bios if you have the time). Their recordings for kids have been celebrated by SiriusXM's Kids Place Live and their videos have blown up on Youtube. ANIMAL TALES, their fourth CD, is not your father's "here's a mammal, here's a reptile" collection of tunes. These are kids tunes with 'tude. "Animal Island" creates a fantasy paradise stocked with creates of all persuasions and delineates how different our priorities are from theirs. "Alligator Get-Together" is a lazy country tale with plenty of backwater twanging guitars. It also delivers a powerful message about extinction. "Larry the Lobster" introduces some underwater denizens and tells their stories:

Herman the hermit crab lives in his shell
He's friends with two anemones who live there as well
But when he moves to a new shell he'll bid them farewell
He says, "With friends like me, who needs anemones?"

Play "The Bear Song" for your kids and introduce them to all eight species of bear. Created for an international conference at The Woodlands Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey, the song made a splash online with its whimsical tone and easy to watch graphics.

Mr. Clarke's UK and French upbringing gives an offbeat perspective to the music (while not turning it into a world music project). Key Wilde grew up in Texas, branding a track like "Armando Armadillo" with a cultural gravitas. His original artwork and graphic design also make their videos and cover artwork stand out from the pack.

ANIMAL TALES is the duo's second collaboration with ace producer Dean Jones (Dog on Fleas) and equals the durability and competence of last year's PLEASED TO MEET YOU. Jones's comic sensibilities shine through on tracks like "The Buck Stops Here," where Wlide and Clarke sing, "I've been here for a year and I ain't seen a single deer." It's been more than a year since their last collection. These ANIMAL TALES are a welcome menagerie for any child's musical education.

ANIMAL TALES is available October 21 through Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke's website, Amazon, and iTunes.

Here is the video for THE BEAR SONG:

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, October 16, 2014

Start Of The End – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
Glass Bottom Boat – Jason Didner And The Jungle Gym
Let The Records Play – Pearl Jam
Music – Alex & The Kaleidoscope Band
Copycat – Bill Harley And Keith Munslow
I'm a Shark (I Rock, I Swim) – ScribbleMonster
Manatee – The Whizpops!
Up Periscope – Recess Monkey
Thingamajig – Lucky Diaz And The Family Jam Band

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Here Comes the Summer – Ponds & Fleshman
Banana Pudding – Sugar Free Allstars
Fancy (feat. Charli XCX) – Iggy Azalea
Bonsai – Billy Kelly and the Blah Blah Blahs
Duck Ellington – Lucky Diaz And The Family Jam Band
Little Blimp – The Joy Formidable
Fun Day (feat. Roxanne Farrell) – Father Goose
Hide & Seek – Princess Katie & Racer Steve
Love The Way You Lie (Part II) – Rihanna Feat. Eminem

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Electric Guitar – Laura Doherty
Pendulum – Pearl Jam
Liza Jane – Jr. Madness
Slow – Trout Fishing In America
No School Today – Danny Weinkauf
Bananas (Plum Crazy) – Tangerine Tambourine
Odd Socks – Dean Jones
My My My – Mista Cookie Jar & The Chocolate Chips
Take Your Kid To Work Day – Recess Monkey

Ben's Playlist - Monday, October 13, 2014

Peaceful – Cat Doorman
The World Is a Wonderful Place – Nora and One Left
Lucky Day – Stacey Peasley
What's My Name? – Rihanna Feat. Drake
She Looks So Perfect – 5 Seconds of Summer
Raised by Trolls – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke
Tacky – Weird Al Yankovic
Working On A Bridge – Lloyd H. Miller
Bird in an Airplane Suit – Caspar Babypants

Ben's Playlist - Friday, October 10, 2014

Till There Was You – Lucky Diaz And The Family Jam Band
When You're Smiling – Elizabeth Mitchell & Dan Zanes
Summer Day – Stacey Peasley
Stay Up Late – Dean Jones
New Shoes – Riff Rockit
My Sister Kissed Her Boyfriend – Trout Fishing In America
Sirens – Pearl Jam
Just a Normal Day – Lesley and the Flying Foxes
Flat Stanley – Play Date

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, October 9, 2014

Broken Record (Featuring Mista Cookie Jar) – Stacey Peasley
My Secret Robot – Justin Roberts
Potted Plant Guy – David Heatley
Fortune Cookie – The Little Rockers Band
So Funny I Forgot to Laugh – Randy Kaplan
Roller coaster – Bari Koral Family Rock Band
Ice Cream Girl  – Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could
National Hiccup Day – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
Bionic (feat. Shiz & Lady Asha) – Father Goose

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Sing-A-Long Song – Lloyd H. Miller
Always On The Run – Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights
Now Let's Dance – Elizabeth Mitchell & Dan Zanes
Robots Can't Cry – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
My Daddy's Record Collection – Sugar Free Allstars
Stay in the Pool – Jason Didner And The Jungle Gym
Shake It Off – Taylor Swift
Human Bean – Dean Jones

Dani and Demi… the Princess and the Tomboy

It's a cliche to say that every little girl wants to be a princess or a tomboy. However the motif follows through into children's music. Many female recording artists are seeking to "empower" their audience, even though they tack on "Miss" as their surname – Miss Nina, Miss Amy, etc. As for fantasy, Elska created an entire Nordic island and culture. Princess Katie rocks out in a tiara. I could say that Joanie Leeds is an ethnic princess, but that stretches the argument to the breaking point.

Two new entries this month are Demi Mays and Friends with DANDELION and Dani's BEAUTY LAND. To some extent I'm mixing apples and oranges, but both performers are attempting to reach young children and expose them to new ideas. Dani's music is more advanced and there's a story at the center of the CD. Demi's album is aimed at a younger, less sophisticated audience. If anything, it goes back to the "princess versus tomboy" concept.


BEAUTY LAND follows a brother and sister, Jimmy and Lulu, trying to escape the title setting, "a wonderful place filled with beautiful colors and candy treats." Um, then why do they want to escape? Sign me up! They come across odd characters ("Strange Little Witch," "Tree Creatures") and learn the geography of the fairy tale ("Mountain King, "Ocean").

A Chicago native who relocated to Los Angeles for a career in the music business, Dani is giving the children's recording industry a try. She's got some impressive backing, with top-level videos and a music video production company on her team. Still, it comes down to what your pre-tween is willing to listen to. Selling children's music is tough and narrowcasting makes it even tougher. I couldn't quite place the fractured accent Dani attempts on "Tree Creatures," but then again, it's a fantasy for little girls, not middle-aged bloggers.

Demi Mays' DANDELION comes through Growing Sound music, a non-profit company
that develops music and other products that translate key findings from recent child development research into practical and entertaining products for teachers, parents, and children. Specifically, fun and interactive music for young kids. Their motto could be "get 'em before they're ready for school." The CD is mostly written by GS's David Kisor, an imposing PhD of musical talent who channels his energies into youthful audiences.

When you get right down to it, any CD targeted at two year old's is going to be pretty simplistic. "Only Food in My Mouth" pretty much encapsulates its mission in five words. "Baby Animal Song" does it in three. Demi has a clear, lilting singing voice and you can almost see the kids swaying as she sings, "The Sun Always Shines." The CD ends with an extended instrumental version of "Way, Way Deep" intended for quiet time. We could use that more than the youngster these days.

I've commented over the past few years about how having a second child, nine years later, has re-introduced me to basic concepts through children's music. Now that the toddler is turning into his own person (turning four in eight weeks), it's hard to believe that once again, we are "aging out" of music for very little people. But DANDELION is just the thing for his smaller cousins. Ironically both boys, but I'm sure they're being raised as if they are little princes.

BEAUTY LAND is available from Dani's website, Amazon, and iTunes.

DANDELION is available from Growing Sound's website, Amazon, CDBABY, and iTunes.

Here is the video for BEAUTY LAND:

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Stop Your Sobbing – Stacey Peasley
You Remind Me Of You – Jack Johnson
Who Loves the Sun  – Zee Avi
Let 'em Know – Milkshake
Me Time – Chibi Kodama
This Is How We Do – Katy Perry
I’m Alive (Life Sounds Like)  – Michael Franti & Spearhead
Shake It Off! –  Uncle Rock
Fill It Up – Josh And The Jamtones

Ben's Playlist - Monday, October 6, 2014

Shine – Elizabeth Mitchell & Dan Zanes
Change – Jack Johnson Feat. Ben Harper
Lose My Mind – The Wanted
Wander 'Round the World – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke
DJ All Day – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Speeding Motorcycle – The Pastels
Halloween Every Night – Mista Cookie Jar & the Chocolate Chips
New  – Paul McCartney

Ben's Playlist - Friday, October 3, 2014

Shot Reverse Shot – Jack Johnson
Blink Of An Eye – Frances England
Turned Out – Paul McCartney
You Are An Astronaut – Human-Tim + Robot-Tim
Apple Tree – Bari Koral Family Rock Band
Jim-A-Long Josie – Jr. Madness
Mooshpie – The Whirlygigs
Show Me A Sign – Michael Franti & Spearhead

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, October 2, 2014

Changes – David Bowie
Marsupial – Danny Weinkauf
Sunflower – Josh And The Jamtones
Sisters and Brothers – Bari Koral Family Rock Band
Bigga Bagga – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke M
Gravy Stain – Mr. Saxophone
Full Tilt – The Not-Its
Everything I Didn't Say – 5 Seconds of Summer
Rock Melon – Gustafer Yellowgold

Berkner Is Back With Ultimate Hits Collection

There are so many mysteries in the world of children's music… What's the best way to get across a message without sounding preachy? What's the perfect balance between motion and resting songs? How do you determine which sibling controls the station on Pandora? But most vexing of all is "How did I cover music for this long and never review a Laurie Berkner CD?"

Laurie has recorded and released music for more than 15 years, originally from her own living room on the "Two Tomatoes" label and currently through Razor & Tie. Similar to Dan Zanes, we got into her music just after the first commercial up-curve. We saw Zanes at Symphony Space right before our son Ben turned 3 (he's now 13). We saw Laurie at Town Hall when he was five. Both of those were singular experiences, yet we have not seen Berkner live in concert since then, while we saw Zanes well, everywhere. Part of that was freaky coincidence. He performed at Colden Center in Queens, 10 minutes from our house. He performed at the Westhampton Arts Center, where my mother worked as a volunteer and was able to secure tickets. When he left Symphony Space and moved to the New Victory Theater, we saw a few shows there. Laurie consistently toured and returned to venues in New York City, yet we somehow missed those opportunities.

There's a sardonic irony to that situation: Dan Zanes was lionized as the heart of "kindie" music. Whereas Laurie Berkner was positioned by People magazine as "the Queen of children's music," as if reaching a mainstream audience on Nick Jr. was a bad thing.

THE ULTIMATE LAURIE BERKNER COLLECTION seeks to remedy a hole in our music collection. Initially we passed our copies of her early CDs to younger cousins for their enjoyment. When things went full circle and our younger son, Matt, joined the family equation, we still had all the Dan Zanes CDs. He (not so) quietly preferred Recess Monkey and Ralph's World. But a curious thing happened when I played the ULTIMATE COLLECTION for Ben. Not only did Ben know the songs instantly, but he told us on which CDs the tracks originally appeared. Remember, he had not heard some of these tunes for 7-8 years.

That devotion speaks to the ultimate appeal of Laurie Berkner and why she "reigns" as kindie queen. "Running Down the Hill" and "Where Is the Cake?" are pretty simple concepts but insidiously infectious.The tunes span the entire breadth of Laurie's recording career and all three of her bassists – Brian "don't call me Mr. Berkner" Mueller, Adam Bernstein, and a fellow named Brady Rymer. Longtime keyboard player Susie Lampert and (more recent) drummer Bobby Golden are also represented. You get three songs not previously recorded, "My Family," "One Seed," and "Magic Box," a little tune about imagination.

With a CD already entitled GREATEST HITS, you may wonder why not follow with GREATEST HITS VOLUME II? It worked for Elton John, Billy Joel, and any number of children and adult music acts. As Laurie states, "I had an enormously difficult time deciding which songs to include," on her first hits CD, leaving no doubt that there would be a followup. And if she continues to record new music, she adds, "I guess I'll need to make a third one." Well, it's good to be the queen. All hail Laurie Berkner!

THE ULTIMATE LAURIE BERKNER COLLECTION is available on October 14 from Laurie's website, Amazon, and iTunes.

Here is a video for Laurie's song, "Party Day"

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Be a Little Angel – Mista Cookie Jar & The Chocolate Chips
Metaphor – The Alphabeticians
Light of Love – Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could
Alligator  – Paul McCartney
My Own Detective – Tom Chapin
The Roach Waved Hello  – Chibi Kodama
Yawn – Gustafer Yellowgold
Mothership – Mr. Saxophone

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Smile in My Heart – Suzi Shelton
Not Too Young for a Song – Randy Kaplan
Beach House – The Good Ms Padgett
Raise Your Hand – The Not-Its!
Me And Julio – The Little Rockers Band
Pretty Crabby – Caspar Babypants
Up In Cat's Room – David Heatley
I've Got a Tiger By the Tail – Buck Owens & His Buckaroos
Fart Like a Pirate – Papa Crow

Ben's Playlist - Monday, September 29, 2014

Effervescing Elephant – Cat Doorman
Secret Fox – Gustafer Yellowgold
Wake Up  – The Neville Brothers
Little Things – One Direction
Be a Mime – Eric Herman
Swing Low – Josh And The Jamtones
Unconditionally – Katy Perry
Join a Rock and Roll Band – Dean Jones
Duct Tape World – Recess Monkey

Ben's Playlist - Friday, September 26, 2014

I Got You – Jack Johnson
Turn! Turn! Turn! – Elizabeth Mitchell & Dan Zanes
My Dad – Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights
The Bicycle Song – Eric Herman
Shutterbug – Recess Monkey
Lightning Bolt  – Pearl Jam
We Are All One Kind – Jambo
Toothloser – Gustafer Yellowgold
Uh Huh – Dean Jones

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, September 25, 2014

Delicious – Orange Sherbert
You Got It On – Justin Timberlake
Robot Dance – The Pop Ups
Unwind – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Don't Fill Up On Chips – Randy Kaplan
It Suits You – Gustafer Yellowgold
I Got This! – Princess Katie & Racer

Nothing But the Tooth From Gustafer Yellowgold

Morgan Taylor thinks outside the box. So far outside the box that his famous creation, Gustafer Yellowgold comes from the sun. Speaking of the box, Gustafer has returned with his sixth DVD/CD box set, WISDOM TOOTH OF WISDOM.

How to describe Gustafer? The mellow little yellow fellow dwells in the woods of Minnesota, having adventures with his pet eel. No really. We became acquainted with Gustafer and his muse (and Morgan's spouse Rachel Loshak) when they played at the Museum of the Moving Image in 2006. Part one-man show, part video showcase, part singalong (every video includes lyrics), the Gustafer Yellowgold experience works on however many levels you wish to participate. Don't want to sing? Don't want to watch Morgan at work? Just watch the colorful, clever videos. But you'll get sucked in, as I did.

Morgan took a prolonged break to devise the storyline for WISDOM TOOTH OF WISDOM. It's really part one of a larger saga, a molar-centric LORD OF THE RINGS for small children, sans orcs but with a bear performing dental work in a tree (you'll understand when you see "I Can't Feel My Face"). After receiving a giant tooth in the mail, Gustafer resolves to return the molar to its rightful owner. And therein lies the mystery.

The videos show Gustafer ruminating about the origins of the title tooth and wondering if he has any right to keep it ("Secret Fox"), to embarking on a quest to facilitate a reunion. Interspersed with the videos are a series of postcard-style images and animations, which Morgan had been manufacturing prior to developing Gustafer.

For WISDOM TOOTH OF WISDOM, Morgan put aside the "one-man band" aspect of the Gustafer project. Guest musicians include horn players Robert Jost (Sesame Street, Saturday Night Live), Steve Tyska (the Autumn Defense), and a fellow named Dean Jones (heard of him)? There's also Semisonic's John Munson, Tom Scott, and Ken Chastain (Jonas Brothers).

I can't call Gustafer a throwback because other than Tubby the Tuba, it's tough to recall a similar melding of character and music directly for kids. Sure, "Peter and the Wolf" is a children's classic. But it's pushing classical music. Gustafer mellifluously utilizes the musical stylings of Donovan, XTC, and Beck. It's gentle and pleasing and moves swiftly from one whimsical setting to the next. And yes, the cliffhanger ending cheerfully promises another trek to the woods of Minnesota to explain the item of indentured dentistry.

GUSTAFER YELLOWGOLD'S WISDOM TOOTH OF WISDOM is available from Morgan's website, Amazon and iTunes.

Here is "I Can't Feel My Face" from the new collection:

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Puppet Playground – The Pop Ups
You Can Do This – Hullabaloo
A Million Ways to Play – Eric Herman
Recess – Justin Roberts
Throw Me Something Mister  – Jazzy Ash
Shakin' Up The Pollen – ScribbleMonster
Continental Geography – Astrograss
Cumbe – Crosspulse Percussion Ensemble
Domino Town – Dean Jones

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Talkin' Bout Love – The Little Rockers Band
Till the Sun Goes Down – Poochamungas
Haircut – The Not-Its!
Dance 'Til I Drop – Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could
Music – Alex & The Kaleidoscope Band
Dancing Bear – Bari Koral Family Rock Band
Jam on Rye – Randy Kaplan
Take Back the Night – Justin Timberlake

Ben's Playlist - Monday, September 22, 2014

California King Bed – Rihanna
Time to Dream – Randy Kaplan
That's Just Us (Playing Rock-n-Roll) – Hullabaloo
Kids in America – The Muffs
Constant Sorrow (feat. Dan Zanes & Coolie Ranx) – Father Goose
This Moment – Katy Perry
Imagination – Shine and the Moonbeams
Lucky Penny – The Whirlygigs
No School Today – Danny Weinkauf

Ben's Playlist - Friday, September 19, 2014

Crayola Doesn't Make a Color for Your Eyes – Kristin Andreassen
Cool Watermelon – Ethan Rossiter And The Jamberries
Sunshine – The Twigs
H-U-L-L-A-B-A-L-O-O – Hullabaloo
Banana Pudding – Sugar Free Allstars
Let The Records Play – Pearl Jam
3 Pointed Back – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Sunglasses – The Que Pastas
Little Cloud (Featuring Rachel Loshak)  – Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, September 18, 2014

Till There Was You – Lucky Diaz And The Family Jam Band
Long Gone – Recess Monkey
Imaginationology – Jon Samson
The World Is a Wonderful Place – Nora and One Left
Voodoo Doll – 5 Seconds of Summer
Liza Jane  – Jr. Madness
Tomorrow's People  – Brady Rymer
Otis Dooda Theme – David Heatley
Sittin On A Cloud – The Whirlygigs

Opening the Book on 23 Skidoo's High Functioning Weirdo

Whenever a character comes along who shakes up a stale genre, there is inevitably a societal debate about whether or not this instance is (a) part of a trend or (b) just an aberration. Two notable extremes from TV would be Mimi the receptionist (Kathy Kinney) from the old DREW CAREY SHOW and Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) from THE BIG BANG THEORY. With her outrageous outfits and blunt honesty, Mimi's antagonistic relationship with Carey kept the show from being a conventional sitcom for a decade. For his portrayal of Sheldon, Parsons has won four consecutive Emmy awards.

A firestorm developed around Sheldon concerning the "is he or isn't he" on the autism spectrum. Specifically, does Sheldon have Asperger's Syndrome? For the uninitiated, "Aspies" tend to be very high functioning but have rough social skills. They can succeed in complex work fields because they fixate and are detail-oriented. However they tend to shy away from situations that require unanticipated human interaction. One producer flat out has stated "Sheldon does not have autism" because that would make the show "more serious" than they want it to be. You can look at Ray Romano's turn as an adult coming to terms with autism on PARENTHOOD for evidence supporting the producer's argument.

Into the equation steps Secret Agent 23 Skidoo with his new children's book, WEIRDO CALHOUN AND THE ODD MEN OUT. I'd bet the majority of the reviews will talk about "differences can bring people together" and "follow the beat of your own drummer." From the dreamy-eyed illustrations by North Carolina native Stu Helm to the text's descriptions of "Like his mind was a million miles off in space, With a twinkle in his eyes and a smile on his face,"I would bet with some certainty that L'il Calhoun might test high on the M-CHAT.

The book, written by the kid-hop entrepreneur behind the songs "Gotta Be Me" and "Mind Over Matter," follows an (initially) ostracized child who forges his own path and group of friends. They compete in a contest, dazzle the judges, and change the minds of many people. It's a children's fable in story and song – how did you think it was going to end?

The book is accompanied by a CD with hip-hop and bluegrass versions of the story, as well as karaoke versions that your family can use for home throwdowns between siblings and parents. It's inoffensive and perky and reads just like song lyrics, which is totally appropriate, considering the source.

Skidoo is promoting the book (and his most recent CD, THE PERFECT QUIRK) around the concept that "weird" comes from the Old English word "wyrd," which translates as "fate" or "destiny." I don't think many parents would derive comfort that their kids were destined to be autistic, but that's solely my take and my boat to pilot. Skidoo clearly means "wyrd" in the sense that kids have to realize that their differences make them special. And nobody who is special deserves to be left as an "odd man out." And that's a concept I can get behind.

WEIRDO CALHOUN AND THE ODD MEN OUT will be available September 23 from Secret Agent 23 Skidoo's website, Amazon, and the iTunes Bookstore.

Here is a video from Kindiefest 2012 of Skidoo and SteveSongs performing "Superhero":

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, September 17, 2014

First Day of School – Ethan Rossiter And The Jamberries
Anytime At All – Caspar Babypants
Start Of The End – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
Fortune Cookie – The Little Rockers
Can We Buy a New Car (So I Can Have a Balloon) – Eric Herman
Stay Up Late – Dean Jones
A Billion Stars – Papa Crow
What's My Name? – Rihanna Feat. Drake
Otis  – Justin Roberts

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Lucky Day – Stacey Peasley
Size Of The Problem – Tom Chapin
Alive – Eric Herman
The Hustle – Van McCoy
Pumpin Blood  – NONONO
All Together Now – Caspar Babypants
Garbage Bugs – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
Bonsai – Billy Kelly and the Blah Blah Blahs
Lighter Feathers – Dean Jones

Ben's Playlist - Monday, September 15, 2014

I Must Be a Genius – Dog On Fleas
I see You For You – Suzi Shelton
Like a Bird Must – Hullabaloo
New Shoes – Riff Rockit
Slow – Trout Fishing In America
Look, Think, Guess, Know – Tom Chapin
In All Of The World – Papa Crow
So Funny I Forgot to Laugh – Randy Kaplan

Ben's Playlist - Friday, September 12, 2014

She Looks So Perfect – 5 Seconds of Summer
Potted Plant Guy – David Heatley
In The Group – Tom Chapin
Coral Reef – The Whizpops!
Closer To You – Michael Franti & Spearhead
Fancy (feat. Charli XCX) – Iggy Azalea
Give Some, Get Some – Papa Crow
Batteries Not Include – Recess Monkey

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, September 11, 2014

Earn It – Hullabaloo
The Ballad of Ben – Danny Weinkauf
Are We There Yet?  – Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights
Show Me What You're Feeling – Tom Chapin
My Sister Kissed Her Boyfriend – Trout Fishing In America
Prairie Boy – Mista Cookie Jar & The Chocolate Chips
I've Got A Feeling – Papa Crow
Copycat – Bill Harley And Keith Munslow
Tambourine Submarine – Recess Monkey

Papa Crow Keeps a Light On in the Woods

Exposing kids to culture is tough. At a certain age, kids look behind the curtain and see the monkeys pulling the cables and realize, "This is a teachable moment! Yuck!" Music remains an expedient way to expand children's horizons – as well as entertain them. Papa Crow released WHAT WAS THAT SOUND, a five-song fartacular in 2012. Now he's moving up, literally and figuratively, to educate kids about the sounds of the woods.

FULL MOON, FULL MOON is a song cycle about life on the riverbanks of the Escanaba River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. A lifetime on the waterways and playing music give Jeff Krebs (aka Papa Crow) an extra oar in delivering 16 songs that examine the sometimes dreamy, sometimes rustic, always friendly feel from that part of the country.

I've droned on about the incessant familiarity of material on many "family" music CDs. For instance, the "driving in a car" song. Here, Papa Crow takes the opportunity with "Bumpy Bump Road" to point out that unpaved roads are not necessarily comfortable but they can be fun. Guest vocalist Frances England gives "Give Some, Get Some" some added kindie charm. As for the obligatory "great big community" tune, "In All of the World," he sings:

We need to live close to our own.
With your sweet love, safe in our homes.
It's not so hard to see what I see.
Look in your heart, you'll feel the same thing as me.

Krebs plays the majority of the instruments (a hallmark of many crowdfunding albums) but don't think drum beats and electric guitars. Prepare for mandolins, banjos, and violins. Krebs opens the dirt floor for the Green Garden 4H Club (comprised of 8-14 year olds) on the final track, "Daylight in the Swamp (reprise)," demonstrating that the love of music among the pines is continuing for another generation.

Dan Zanes opened the door for acoustic folk music for children. Frances England accepted that invitation across the country. The Okee-Dokee Brothers took their invitation all the way to the Grammys. FULL MOON, FULL MOON is delightfully unplugged and extends the invitation down to the campsite, on the banks of the Escanaba.

FULL MOON, FULL MOON is available October 8 from Papa Crow's website, Amazon, CDBABY, and iTunes.

Here is a video of the title track, "Full Moon, Full Moon":

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Here Comes the Summer – Ponds & Fleshman
Lookin Out The Window – The Whirlygigs
Me Time – Chibi Kodama
Midnight Memories – One Direction
My Secret Robot – Justin Roberts
Ice Cream Man – Suzi Shelton
Viva la Pachanga (feat. Flaco Jimenez)  – Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band
Baby, Don't Cry – The Twigs

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Stop Your Sobbing – Stacey Peasley
S.S. Brooklyn – Lloyd H. Miller
Raised by Trolls – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke
Everybody Out There – Paul McCartney
The Best Parts  – Eric Herman
Robots From The 4th Dimension – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
Always On The Run – Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights
Alove Alliteration – Mr. Palindrome
Odd Socks – Dean Jones

Ben's Playlist - Monday, September 8, 2014

Shine – Elizabeth Mitchell & Dan Zanes
Sirens – Pearl Jam
Blink Of An Eye – Frances England
We Can't Stop – Miley Cyrus
I'm a Shark (I Rock, I Swim) –  ScribbleMonster
What's That Sound? – Recess Monkey
Luna Y Lucero – Sonia De Los Santos

A Belated Hello to Brady Rymer's New CD

You know you've attained a level of familiarity with a musician when you've lost track of the number of times you've seen them perform. First and foremost, Billy Joel. I've even lost track of the NUMBER of times I've seen him at any venue, such as Madison Square Garden. For kindie artists, I can trace back to Dan Zanes at Symphony Space in December 2004 and move forward.

Speaking of moving forward, I've also lost track of our shows featuring Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could (Claudia Glaser-Mussen, Liz Queler, Seth Farber, Jeremy Chatzky, Larry Eagle, and Dan Myers). The first live show was part of Kindiefest in Brooklyn and they may be the one band we've never seen "standalone" from a music festival. Nonetheless, Ben informs me we have probably more home videos of Brady and company than any other group we've seen live.

If familiarity has bred anything with Brady Rymer and TLBTC, it's just that – familiarity. A kinship. An appreciation. This year, both kids (Ben and his brother, Matt) were excited about Kidstock in Port Washington. Yes, Matt was eager to spend time on the beach. But they share a love of music, and especially children's music. Plus it would be the first time to hear many of the songs on Brady's new CD, JUST SAY HI!, played live.

I have been remiss and somehow the CD slipped through the cracks when it came out. This happens on a rare occasion and I was kicking myself for the oversight, which I am correcting now. A decade of touring and recording have made the Rymer troupe one of the tightest bands out there. JUST SAY HI! is no exception. "Light of Love" and "Ice Cream Girl" have been staples at their shows for awhile and now they have a permanent place on CD.

"Tomorrow's People" (surprisingly dedicated to Ben as a shoutout at Kidstock) features a bevy of kindie folks (Elizabeth Mitchell, Drew Holloway and Jack Forman of Recess Monkey, Laurie Berkner, and more). If anything, JUST SAY HI skews a little younger than the band's previous releases, with spirited boogie shoes bopping on "Get This Party Started," "Dance 'Til I Drop," and the SiriusXM KidsPlace favorite, "Gettin' My Ya-Yas Out."

Brady's latest was a Kickstarter effort (which we supported). We've seen a number of kindie artists directly connect with their audiences to help generate new product. Crowdfunding may be key to the survival of kindie music, due to a constricting of funds for "fringe" genres by the major labels. We've seen a few cautionary failures as well, so it's a well that can't be overdrawn. Thankfully, JUST SAY HI exceeded expectations and is a delightful addition to our kindie music collection. And a belated hello is better than none, right?

JUST SAY HI! is available from Brady Rymer's website, Amazon, CDBABY, and iTunes.

Here is a video of the band performing the title track:

Ben's Playlist - Friday, September 5, 2014

Life Is Better With You – Michael Franti & Spearhead
Clean It Up – Jon Samson
Cheese World – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
NOW That's What I Call Polka! – Weird Al Yankovic
Give Me Back My Hat – Bill Harley And Keith Munslow
Bionic (feat. Shiz & Lady Asha) – Father Goose
Thinking Good Thoughts – Dog On Fleas
Nonsense  – Davy Andrews
Gravy Stain – Mr. Saxophone

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, September 4, 2014

Smallest Breed – Django Jones
Tacky – Weird Al Yankovic
You Are An Astronaut – Human-Tim + Robot-Tim
Little Blimp – The Joy Formidable
Bigga Bagga – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke
Only Girl (In The World) – Rihanna
Robots Can't Cry – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Take Your Kid To Work Day – Recess Monkey
Let 'em Know – Milkshake

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Why I Love The Seasons – Jon Samson
Summer Day – Stacey Peasley
I Am the Wind – Underbirds
Together We Can Fly – Danny Weinkauf
Early Days – Paul McCartney
Everybody Talks – Neon Trees
Mystery – Dean Jones
The Pick Song – Jason Didner And The Jungle Gym Jam
Wander 'Round the World – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Peaceful – Cat Doorman
Shot Reverse Shot – Jack Johnson
Sing-A-Long Song – Lloyd H. Miller
Manatee – The Whizpops!
Sunflower – Josh And The Jamtones
Here Comes Peter Cottontail – The Hipwaders
Bananas (Plum Crazy) – Tangerine Tambourine
Ice Cream Girl  – Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could
This Is How We Do – Katy Perry
Flannel Jammies – The Not-Its!

Ben's Playlist - Monday, September 1, 2014

Not Too Young for a Song – Randy Kaplan
Anybody Got A Watch? – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
My My My – Mista Cookie Jar & The Chocolate Chips
Handy – Weird Al Yankovic
No, No, No – The Little Rockers Band
DJ All Day – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Big Green Party Machine – David Heatley
Nose In A Book – The Not-Its!
The World Is Ours – David Correy

Ben's Playlist - Friday, August 29, 2014

If Red Tastes Like Strawberry – The Whirlygigs
Marsupial – Danny Weinkauf
Be a Little Angel – Mista Cookie Jar & The Chocolate Chips
Turned Out – Paul McCartney
I’m Alive (Life Sounds Like) – Michael Franti & Spearhead
Grandpa-Land – Bill and Karlee Goffrier
Fun Day (feat. Roxanne Farrell) – Father Goose
Kings & Queens – The Hipwaders
The Baron's Bicycle Balloon – Banana Baron

New Releases Show Depth for Hipwaders, Nunes

Immersing yourself in the kindie music culture is a bit like playing Alice in Wonderland. Every time you go one level deeper, you discover new concepts, interesting hotbeds, and motivated performers.

We've enjoyed the Hipwaders for many years, thanks to Spare the Rock and then through review copies of their material. Based in the San Francisco bay area, the trio has not performed on the East Coast in quite a while. Thus, our enjoyment has been strictly of the music itself. The band has existed for a decade and has a dedicated following.

Some hardships and changes in the lineup have slowed their output, but Hipwaders bandleader Tito Uquillas has stayed the course. The group's sixth CD, YEAR-ROUND SOUNDS, marks their 10th anniversary with a bittersweet farewell to bassist DJ Kinville and a rousing welcome to replacement Smilin' Hal Imbrie.

Hailed by Time Out New York as "one of the 25 best bands for kids," the Hipwaders latest is all over the place, by design. "(Here Comes) Peter Cottontail" rubs furry shoulders with "Here Comes Santa Claus." We were nowhere near ready to toilet train our youngest when "You Gotta Hold It" arrived as a single. Now we're completing the process and we witness the song's irony every time we deal with the obstinate little one.

There's some social consciousness with "Gaia She Knows" tackling Earth Day (put down the pesticides) and a cover of Frances England's "Books I Like to Read" celebrating Read Across America Day. An overall sense of fun shines through, especially on tracks like "Smile About" and "We Can Be Heroes."

Across the country, Vincent Nunes has been recording and performing children's music for more than two decades. Based in Rochester, New York, we were unaware of his material until just recently. A longtime attorney, it was the birth of his daughter that drew Vincent to the world of children's music. With his kids now grown (and into the music world themselves), he is seeking to extend his reach past the tri-state region.

Vincent's new CD, SMART SONGS FOR ACTIVE CHILDREN, is about as self-explanatory as one could imagine. You get some story songs, like Bill Harley. You also get songs that sound right out of the Raffi catalog ("The Rain Falls on Everyone"). There are many performers (I've just named a couple) who are doing exactly the same thing, for just as long, with much more success. But that's a credit to them and not necessarily a knock on Nunes. One makes choices in life and chooses their priorities. Time will tell if he can maneuver into a prime position on the kindie scene.

Vincent uses his past as the song of a Portuguese musician with songs such as "They Speak Spanish (But in Brazil, They Speak Portuguese)" and "Lullaby for Lucy (A Portuguese Lullaby)." But the multi-cultural component is underplayed. The album certainly does not play like each song is a lesson unto itself. And you get some nice child harmonies from the Big Bad Kitchen Band Choir on "Mr. Murphy's Most Amazing Super Savings Store."

In the end, it all comes down to what your kids like to listen to, and what you want them to hear. We're still looking for new artists. And sometimes "new" means "existing" (who wants to call someone old). Whether it's the Hipwaders or Vincent Nunes, there's lots of stuff arriving on the scene. This fall, back to school also means back to the iPod and CD player.

YEAR-ROUND SOUNDS is available September 23 from the Hipwaders website, Amazon, iTunes, and CDBABY.

SMART SONGS FOR ACTIVE CHILDREN is available from Vincent Nunes' website and Amazon.

Here is the new video to Vincent's song "Nobody's Going to Keep Me Down":

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, August 28, 2014

When You're Smiling – Elizabeth Mitchell & Dan Zanes
Ben – Zee Avi
I Love the Rain – The Real Tuesday Weld
Roar – Katy Perry
My Daddy's Record Collection – Sugar Free Allstars
National Hiccup Day – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
I Love Music (feat. Wordsmith) – Rhymezwell
The Girl With the Squirrel in Her Hat  – Caspar Babypants
My Dad – Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Twirl! Twirl! Twirl! – Mr. Leebot
Sisters and Brothers – Bari Koral Family Rock Band
Be a Mime – Eric Herman
Speeding Motorcycle – The Pastels
The Roach Waved Hello – Chibi Kodama
Callooh Callay – Pointed Man Band
Pretty Crabby – Caspar Babypants
When I'm Ten – Recess Monkey & The Not-Its

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Getting A Sunburn – Recess Monkey
The Bicycle Song – Eric Herman
Thingamajig – Lucky Diaz And The Family Jam Band
Caught in the Screen – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Apple Tree – Bari Koral Family Rock Band
Fill It Up – Josh And The Jamtones
Freak Out – Astrograss
Bird in an Airplane Suit – Caspar Babypants
Nutritious – Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights

Ben's Playlist - Friday, August 22, 2014

Broken Record (Featuring Mista Cookie Jar) – Stacey Peasley
Alligator – Paul McCartney
Me And Julio – The Little Rockers Band
Archaeology – Danny Weinkauf
Boo! – Trout Fishing In America
Brave – Sara Bareilles
Food Fight – Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights
Love The Way You Lie (Part II) – Rihanna Feat. EminemAM

Arise! More Reasons to Babypants Your Kids

Prolific.

I'll say that about Caspar Babypants (aka Chris Ballew).

I don't mean it in a bad way, either. His stuff is consistent. Consistently good. For a guy who is producing one CD every nine months, on average, Chris has a pretty high batting average.

His eighth release, RISE AND SHINE! is no exception. After a Beatles-esque detour last year, Chris is back to mining the minds of preschoolers with a collection of original tunes and reworkings of chestnuts like "Rock A Bye Baby" and "Hush Little Baby." Instead of being reverent and treating the songs as sacrosanct, Mr. Babypants stretches them like taffy to their logical conclusions.

For pure silliness, you also get "The Girl With the Squirrel in Her Hat" and "Bird in an Airplane Suit." Chris is happy to provide the "stories behind the songs" on his website. However he has yet to get around to whatever original thoughts provoked these two tunes.

Chris is seriously dedicated to delivering silly and sweet children's music. With guest vocals from Rachel Flotard and Jen Wood, his latest disc is crammed with ideas, characters, and concepts. If there's any theme to RISE AND SHINE!, it's a "day in one disc." After "Good Morning," the littlest worm and the silly bird get their own songs (for some reason, the early bird helps close out the CD). The album ends with the one-two drowsy punch of "Sleepy Eyed" and "Bye Bye Day."

Let me be clear: Caspar Babypants is not trying to teach your children. He is not trying to force them to their feet to dance. He is not even interested in indoctrinating them to new styles of world or multi-cultural ethnic homogenization. He wants to entertain your kids, however long their attention spans may be. And if 19 songs in 49 minutes can't keep your wee ones from nipping at your heels, then you've got bigger fish to fry. Hmm, that's a concept ready-made for Chris.

RISE AND SHINE! is available Tuesday, September 19 from Caspar Babypants' website, Amazon, CDBABY, and iTunes.


Here is the video for Caspar Babypants' song "I Found You":

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, August 21, 2014

Sing To Me – Walter Martin
I Got You – Jack Johnson
Pendulum – Pearl Jam
Kangaroo! – Alex & The Kaleidoscope Band
Now Let's Dance – Elizabeth Mitchell & Dan Zanes
Jump On The Moon – Human-Tim + Robot-Tim
Don't Touch My Stuff! – Trout Fishing In America
Brick By Brick – Recess Monkey
Swing Low – Josh And The Jamtones

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Effervescing Elephant – Cat Doorman
You Remind Me Of You – Jack Johnson
Swinging on a Star – Zak Morgan
Lose My Mind – The Wanted
My Own Detective – Tom Chapin
Shrimp – Recess Monkey
The Flying Fox – Davy Andrews
Jim-A-Long Josie – Jr. Madness
Full Tilt – The Not-Its
Flat Stanley – Play Date

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Turn! Turn! Turn! – Elizabeth Mitchell & Dan Zanes
Electric Guitar – Laura Doherty
Danceology – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
You Can Do This – Hullabaloo
Hide & Seek – Princess Katie & Racer Steve
A Million Ways to Play – Eric Herman
Unstoppable – Salim Nourallah
Born To Rock – David Tobocman
Raise Your Hand – The Not-Its!

Ben's Playlist - Monday, August 18, 2014

Till the Sun Goes Down – Poochamungas
Dream a Little Dream of Me – Zee Avi
The World Is a Wonderful Place  – Nora and One Left
Ice Cream Soup  –  Jambo
Show Me A Sign – Michael Franti & Spearhead
Rock Melon – Gustafer Yellowgold
Stay in the Pool  – Jason Didner And The Jungle Gym Jam
Metaphor  – The Alphabeticians
Working On A Bridge – Lloyd H. Miller

Ben's Playlist - Friday, August 15, 2014

Change – Jack Johnson Feat. Ben Harper
Who Loves the Sun – Zee Avi
Smile in My Heart – Suzi Shelton
Don't Fill Up On Chips – Randy Kaplan
Roller coaster – Bari Koral Family Rock Band
Constant Sorrow (feat. Dan Zanes & Coolie Ranx) – Father Goose
Up Periscope – Recess Monkey
Human Bean – Dean Jones
Throw Me Something Mister – Jazzy Ash

Multicultural Movement Celebrates Jenkins' 90th

Twenty years ago, Smithsonian Folkways released MORE MULTICULTURAL CHILDREN'S SONGS FROM ELLA JENKINS. Over time, that CD has gained traction and become a perennial favorite for families. Now the label is re-releasing it as part of a celebration of Jenkins' 90th birthday.

Many would say that current kindie performer Laurie Berkner has usurped Jenkins' title as "First Lady of Children's Music." However those would be the parents who are unaware that Jenkins has 60 years in the trenches, educating and entertaining kids around the world before Berkner was even conceived. She received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 for her contributions to the recording industry. And the plaudits keep arriving in her golden years.

MORE MULTICULTURAL SONGS is pretty self-explanatory…it's a trip around the world (Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Germany, China, Greece, Russia) with tunes in many languages. As with most of Jenkin's oeuvre, there's a lot of call-and-response as well as hand clapping and other body movements. And there's nothing to a song as simple and expressive as "Shabbat Shalom" (repeat 300x).

The truest test is always exposing one's own children to the music and gauging their interest. Both kids recognized several songs and sang along, even to numbers that they had been unfamiliar with. Jenkins was a master of her craft and MORE MULTICULTURAL SONGS remains one of her seminal works. In her 90th year, she can rest well knowing her legacy is being preserved and that the traditions she fostered are being cultivated by her kindie disciples.

MORE MULTICULTURAL CHILDREN'S SONGS FROM ELLA JENKINS is available from Smithsonian Folkways' website, Amazon, and iTunes.

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, August 14, 2014

Les Petits Poissons – The Good Ms Padgett
When the World Was New – Dean Jones
Just a Normal Day – Lesley and the Flying Foxes
Alive – Eric Herman AM
The Owie Song – David Tobocman
H-U-L-L-A-B-A-L-O-O – Hullabaloo
Imaginationology – Jon Samson
Monsters – Edukator, Jr.
Unconditionally  – Katy Perry

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Till There Was You – Lucky Diaz And The Family Jam Band
Changes – David Bowie
Recess – Justin Roberts
Hundredaires – Dog On Fleas
Light of Love – Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could
Shutterbug  – Recess Monkey
Kids in America – The Muffs
Take Back the Night – Justin Timberlake

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Radiate – Jack Johnson
Sleepover – Ellen & Mark
Unwind – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Jamaica Ska (feat. Coolie Ranx & Little Goose) – Father Goose
Just Say Hi! – Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could
The Hustle – Van McCoy
Combination Pizza Hut – Das Racist
Sunshine – The Twigs

Ben's Playlist - Monday, August 11, 2014

Talkin' Bout Love – The Little Rockers Band
Lucky Day – Stacey Peasley
New – Paul McCartney
Let The Records Play – Pearl Jam
This Moment – Katy Perry
Mooshpie – The Whirlygigs
Join a Rock and Roll Band – Dean Jones
Loose Change – Joe Hall And The Treehouse Band
Up In Cat's Room – David Heatley

Ben's Playlist - Friday, August 8, 2014

Great Day – The Not-Its!
Lightning Bolt – Pearl Jam
Mothership – Mr. Saxophone
Can We Buy a New Car (So I Can Have a Balloon) – Eric Herman
Glass Bottom Boat – Jason Didner And The Jungle Gym Jam
Mockingbird – Lee Alexander
Shake It Off! – Uncle Rock
Puppet Playground – The Pop Ups
Voodoo Doll – 5 Seconds of Summer