Thursday, March 31, 2022

Kid Vids: Baseball, Allergies, and Car Rides

My son is locked and loaded for spring little league, where he generally gets placed in the outfield (although he sometimes lucks out and is assigned to third base). At least he's trained (through years of t-ball and instruction) to stay vigilant for a ball that might get hit at any instant). That's the theme of "Dancing in the Outfield," the new single from Baze and His Silly Friends – paying attention to make the play and contribute to your team's possible victory. It's well-trod ground (check out "Pop Fly" from Justin Roberts) but Baze and company use their own Jersey topspin. The video features the work of noted fellow children's musician and illustrator Key Wilde (from Wilde and Mr. Clarke fame):

When my son Ben was four, he underwent allergy testing. They asked if I also wanted the testing, so I said "Sure, why not." I learned that the reason my eyes water and my throat gets a tickle for two weeks every spring is an allergic reaction to Kentucky bluegrass – in Queens! Sometimes there's a similar outburst in the fall, depending on the volume of lawn-cutting and wind. During a pandemic, the last thing you want to do is have people running away, when the culprit is allergies, not COVID. Matt Heaton and the Outside Toys addressed that topic in their whimsical throwback song, "Allergies." Heaton wrote the Americana-themed tune in tribute to his son, himself a long-suffering allergist himself. You can purchase the song at Soundcloud and watch the video here:

Ay car-umba! Jim "Mr. Stinky Feet" Cosgrove is revved up, thinking about what people think and talk about when they are driving in their vehicles. His new song, "Car Talk," recalls his days as a backseat voyeur, watching the scenery (and traffic) and imagining conversations to fill the hours on family road trips (including some "stinky" references to keep everyone on brand). Produced by Donny Brown of the Verve Pipe, "Car Talk" will ignite similar chatter if played while in motion:

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Kelli Welli's Rainbows, Marko Polo's Mammals

Our country is at an interesting crossroad. The word "rainbow" has become a polarizing term when applied to social activism. However, in the realm of children's music, rainbows are still the go-to for teaching the interdependency of colors and emotions. Kelli Welli invited a host of other artists to perform guest vocals on "Rainbow Love Song" from her upcoming ROBOTS DON'T TELL JOKES release (from 8 Lb Gorilla Records):

If all of the colors of the rainbow were my love for you
Together we'd be purple and apart I would be blue
We'd have happiness in yellow
And our kindness would be green
Darling, you are everything to me


"Rainbow Love Song" blends the voices of Red Yarn, Flor Bromley, Kymberly Stewart, Twinkle, James Dallas, Elena Moon Park, Claudia Robin Gunn, Maddy Heart, and Bryan Daste into unified orchestral harmony. The album will arrive next month, but until then, here's some unified kindie power:

 

 What if you wanted to produce your first children's music release but were unable to coordinate with your producer in person? FIRE DOG frontman Mark Pagano and über producer Dean Jones decided to tackle the pandemic-related issue head on, producing Mark's debut MAMMAL MUSIC, a kids CD under the monicker Marko Polo, entirely remote.

The duo heated up the wifi between St. Louis and upstate New York, where Mark and Dean live, respectively. The 10 tracks on MAMMAL MUSIC are mostly acoustic with a variety of keyboards and horns augmenting the subjects, such as "Heart Muscle" and "Big Brains."

You can definitely hear the "Dean Jones" influence in the often-silly but well-polished tracks. For instance, Mark extols the strange noises made by worms (!) on "New Sound," featuring what must be a theremin. A running theme on MAMMAL MUSIC is self-empowerment ("Be Brave" and "Planet Earth") and that's become more common as children witness other segments of the population stand up for their rights (think 'Kids Lives Matter'). MAMMAL MUSIC marks Mark's gentle entry into children's music, and he's prepared to entertain families and other mammals with his songs.

MAMMAL MUSIC is available from Mark's website and Bandcamp.

Here is the debut of the video for Mark's song, "Mammal Music":

Sunday, March 27, 2022

Ben's Playlist - Monday, March 28, 2022

Side Scroller – Eric Herman And The Puppy Dogs
Is It True – Tame Impala
Fanga Alafia – Aaron Nigel Smith
Doppelganger – Dog On Fleas
Yellow and Green – Steve Elci and Friends
Finally – Franz Ferdinand

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, March 24, 2022

Lost In Yesterday – Tame Impala
Go - Eric Herman And The Puppy Dogs
Who, What, When, Where, Why – The Bazillions
One – Aaron Nigel Smith
Lazy Boy – Franz Ferdinand
Daffodil Girl – Steve Elci and Friends
Lost And Loving It – Kepi Ghoulie

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Eric Herman Is Full of Magic Beans

The genre of children's music is a better place when Eric Herman is an active contributor. A whole new audience has been born and potty trained in the six years since the last full-length album from Mr. Herman and his band, the Puppy Dogs. They've returned with MAGIC BEANS (plus a host of accompanying videos) and it's like they've never been away.

In a career that has spanned more than 20 years, Herman has learned to cram a lot of references and asides into his songs, which means kids will need at least two listens to interpret and appreciate the elaborate playfulness it takes to make these songs sound so distinctively "Eric Herman." For example, how many children know David Attenborough (mentioned in the topping-shaming song "Mushroom Pizza"). And there are callbacks to previous tunes (mushroom pizza is used as a taunt on "My Brother"), which weaves a collective tissue throughout the entire CD.

"Magic Beans" originated from a joke about paying his hand members with something relatively small and seemingly insignificant. Upon further naval gazing and reflection, Herman ascertained that we are all human beans and there is something unexpected and wonderful about our connection to the universe:

Magic beans made you
Everything you've ever done and seen
Came from just a tiny magic mean
And now you're a magic bean

MAGIC BEANS is not all fun and games. There's no pandemic fatigue to be found on the 12 tracks. Instead, Herman (and guest vocalist Brady Rymer) tackle the difficult subject of dementia on "Remember," where a five and a 1/2 year old promises to remember things that his grandmother can no recall, such as walking her dog, giving big hugs, or even his name. The band segues effortlessly into "Side Scroller" to ponder the way life sometimes mimics video games and vice versa. Herman may have taken half a decade to recharge his batteries, but MAGIC BEANS shows he's well-rested and back at full strength with an auspicious arsenal aimed to amuse audiences.

MAGIC BEANS is available from Eric Herman's website, Spotify, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Here is the video for Eric's song, "Magic Beans":

Monday, March 14, 2022

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Stars – Ants Ants Ants
snowy blanket – Caspar Babypants
Finally – Franz Ferdinand
Taco Tuesday – The Lucky Band
Lo/Hi – The Black Keys
Inkpot – Kepi Ghoulie
Merry-Go-Round – Eric Herman And The Puppy Dogs

Sunday, March 13, 2022

Ben's Playlist - Monday, March 14, 2022

when I was little – Caspar Babypants
New Pair Of Shoes – The Bazillions
Village d'Ãtoile – Dog On Fleas
White Whale – Kepi Ghoulie
Googly Eyes – Eric Herman And The Puppy Dogs 4:08 Eric Herman And The Puppy Dogs
Shine A Little Light – The Black Keys

Thursday, March 10, 2022

Twinkle Time Is Live in LA; Pay Attention to Formidable Vegetable

It only took a few decades, but Twinkle Time (Alitzah Dallas) is returning to the La Mirada Theater, where she made her professional stage debut at 7 years old (playing Bielke in a production of Fiddler on the Roof). Twinkle won't be singing any of those Tony Award-winning songs (unless heavily coaxed and prepped to sing one in Spanish), but she's pumped to headline her first live indoor showcase for kids in more than two years on Sunday, March 13. 

Twinkle's full high energy ensemble was all dressed up and ready to go when the pandemic hit in March 2020. Now they are gleefully fulfilling their contractual obligation as part of the theater's Programs for Young Audiences series. Fully vaccinated guests will be allowed to unmask indoors. Guests that are not fully vaccinated must continue to wear a well-fitting mask while indoors. Everyone five years old an dup must show proof of full COVID vaccination or a negative COVID test taken within 48 hours (2 days) of the performance for PCR tests; or, for antigen tests, taken within 24 hours (1 day) of your performance time. Tickets are $12 each for two separate performances (1 PM and 3:30 PM). To order tickets, call the box office at (562) 944.9801 or place your order directly through their website.

Here is one of Twinkle's bilingual educational YouTube shows:

Mother Nature's best musical friends Formidable Vegetable have released a brief slice of commentary with their latest tune and video, "Short Attention Span." Led by ukulele-strumming ecological troubadour Charlie Mgee, the band is prepping an upcoming EP for 8 Lb Gorilla Records. In the meantime, they seek to point out the virtues of living "IRL" (in real life) as opposed to focusing your attentions on devices. These convenient gadgets are helpful but have come to monopolize our time and subvert our interactive experiences. It only takes a minute to view below, and you can stream the song on Spotify.

Monday, March 07, 2022

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, March 8, 2022

The Kiss Of Venus – Paul McCartney
It's A Wonderful Life – Kepi Ghoulie
That's My Style – The Bazillions
Buenos Dias – The Lucky Band
Loving & Kind – Aaron Nigel Smith
It's a Miracle – Dog On Fleas
caterpillar jazz – Caspar Babypants

Sunday, March 06, 2022

Ben's Playlist - Monday, March 7, 2022

Helicopter Leaves – Ants Ants Ants
Remedy – Maroon 5 Feat. Stevie Nicks
Summer's Here – The Bazillions
I'm an Optimist – Dog On Fleas
Winter Bird / When Winter Comes – Paul McCartney
17 the ballad of the babypants – Caspar Babypants
Clown Shoes – Ratboy Jr.

Friday, March 04, 2022

Sylvia Dreams of Childrens' Imagination

It may be the bout of vertigo I'm currently battling, but Sylvia's new children's music song cycle, NATURE CHILD: A DREAMER'S JOURNEY, had me feeling dizzy. Known to adult contemporary country music fans for her 80s songs, “Nobody,” “Tumbleweed,” and “Drifter,” Sylvia Hutton set out to create an entire fantasy world where all kids can live out their dreams, unencumbered by such things as adult supervision, naysayers, and bullies. The result is a utopian chimera known as Avalon, with 12 songs so light and hallucinatory that they practically evaporate after being played.

Showing her range and pitch, Sylvia provides all the vocals and harmonies on NATURE CHILD, while calling forth all sorts of collaborators and contributors to deliver unimpeachable instrumentation and production to the CD. The standout track is the anthemic "Don't Be Afraid To Dream," which should have kids diving for their pencils and paper to birth their own vision quests.

Among other highlights is "My Best Friend," a sweet take on one of the most-selected kids music topics. "If I Only Had Wings" gallops along with percussive, kinetic motion. "Imagination" explores a parent's wide-eyed awe as children develop their own sense of wonderment and creative abilities:

I follow your every move
Your wish my command
No matter what you do
I know where you stand
I'm along just for the ride
A silent partner at your side

Avalon exists only in the imagination, but perhaps due to her Celtic roots, Sylvia's trek features "Dancing Over An Emerald Isle." The trip back from Avalon to your child's bedroom features the lullaby "Good Night Sleep Tight My Little One," a conceit that is almost unavoidable given its context as a journey with an arrival and departure. The songs on NATURE CHILD all come back to one central concept, as referenced on "Home Is": No matter how much you wish for, there's always plenty of joy right here at home. 

NATURE CHILD is available from Sylvia's website, Spotify, Bandcamp, and Apple Music.

Here is the storybook video for Sylvia's song, "Avalon":

Wednesday, March 02, 2022

Kids Vids from Big Idea Committee, Eric Herman, and Joanie Leeds

I spent many years in a corporate environment where every so often I'd be asked to join a committee. My usual response was "Yes, but not this one!" Parents learning to preach the power of positive energy may choose to sign their families up for Big Idea Committee (BIC), a new two-woman children's performance group established by Christine Petrini and Melissa Brun. They have released a self-titled song from their upcoming spring album, "Welcome to the Big Idea Committee," which lays out their goals and aspirations (and introduces audiences to Karl the Cello). BIC hopes to merge and acquire similar spirited free thinkers through an interactive theatrical experience. You can purchase the song below and watch their new video:

 

 For many parents, the announcement that COVID vaccinations were approved for children ages five and up was a huge, life-improving moment. Veteran award-winning children's musician Joanie Leeds prepared her daughter Joya but also sought to share knowledge that a split-second pinprick could also provide protection for an entire community. A staunch pro-science advocate, Leeds attempted to keep her recording persona apolitical during the pandemic. However she and Joya felt it was time to laud "America's Doctor" and his 40-year career in the public health services sector. The duo have recorded a duet called "Fauci Ouchie," and an accompanying animated video that delivers a visual representation of how vaccines help your body battle against infectious disease. Grab the song from Spotify, Amazon, or Apple Music and watch the video here:

Eric Herman and the Puppy Dogs are releasing MAGIC BEANS, their first new CD in six years, later this month. To celebrate, Herman is releasing five music videos to build excitement for the CD. "Stinker" features a braggadocious lead character whose exploits are not exactly as clear-cut as he would lead you to believe (hence the title). The video is by Foo Tze Wei and the song features the elegant violin of Jude Noah on violin and Ben Macy on accordion:

Monday, February 28, 2022

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, March 1, 2022

I Spy – Ants Ants Ants
Fanga Alafia – Aaron Nigel Smith
Who, What, When, Where, Why – The Bazillions
Anything Can Be A Hat – Ratboy Jr.
Doppelganger – Dog On Fleas
car with the lights left on – Caspar Babypants
Go – The Black Keys

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, February 24, 2022

weird weird dream – Caspar Babypants
Leave The Door Open – Silk Sonic
Taco Tuesday – The Lucky Band
Beautiful Mistakes – Maroon 5 Feat. Megan Thee Stallion
It's A Mistake – Men At Work
One More Hour – Tame Impala

Trauma Response Through Music Therapy

Some children's music is uplifting. Some children's music is educational. Another important component is healing, especially after (or sometimes during, in relation to a pandemic) a traumatic event. President of the New York Art Therapy Association Nicole Porter created a series of everyday tools that could be used outside a clinician's office, and directed her attention to assembling You and Us, a band featuring these concepts with the assistance of instrumentalist and producer Wyndham Garrett (known for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Lola Kirke, among others). Their collaboration, FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES, is a song cycle through the stages of art therapy trauma response – a technique Porter developed after the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. 

The Newtown strategies inspired Porter to establish Emerald Sketch, a mental health therapy trauma  response team that circles the wagons around traumatized children and families. She has subsequently led trauma response projects at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, the March for Our Lives in Washington, DC, and others.

FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES is not meant as casual "trip to Grandma's" music, unless Grandma has also suffered PTSD from lack of direct access to her family. The album shifts from country ("Nowhere Now Here") to 60s British pop ("Mary Faery"). Ironically, "Soul Survivor" is not a beat-heavy blues tune, instead a dreamlike feel-good anthem about making through a tough situation and "facing inward to win."  Then there's the "Raw Emotional Power" that can make us shake, but that we can control and shake in a positive way.

You and Us is seeking to make a statement to children – terrible experiences do not necessarily need to define us. As long as our community bands together and shares its strengths, children of all ages are resilient enough to get over seemingly unsurmountable ordeals.

FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES is available from Nicole Porter's website, Apple Music, and Spotify.

Thursday, February 17, 2022

Winter Songs About Valentines and Mermaids

The legendary singer Nat King Cole released "L-O-V-E" two months before his death in February 1965. The song has been covered before, however children's musicians Uncle Dox and Vivi Melody have chosen to take the key elements of the chorus and mash it into "Four Letter Word," a hummable ditty, just in time for Valentines' Day:

L is for the way you look at me
O is for the only one I see
V is very, very extraordinary
E is even more than anyone that you adore can

The original ballad by Cole is a smoky, wistful affair. Dox and Vivi break down the four-letter nature of how love can make you feel silly, empowered, and generally at peace. "Love is part of the master plan," Dox informs listeners. "The sweetest [four letter word] you've ever heard," Vivi chimes in. "This word letter word describes you and me." Who couldn't use a dose of affections this mid-pandemic February?

You can listen to and purchase "Four Letter Word" from Uncle Dox and Vivi Melody on Soundcloud, Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music. 

If you're sick of winter and looking forward to post-pandemic life this summer, New Zealand's Itty Bitty Beats, have a hallucination for you. Lucy Hiku and Jenny Payne have released "Mermaids," a fanciful song about the mythical creatures who swim and frolic in the green, blue ocean waves. Since forming in 2014, the award-winning Christchurch children’s music duo celebrated four years in a row of being nominated for New Zealand children’s music awards, winning once for Best Children's Song and Best Children's Album. Jenny’s husband Rob Payne produces all of their music. "Mermaids" features the Beats' harmonies over slide guitar, ukulele, and drums, sending out Hawaiian beach vibes. Keep that in mind while you're busy shoveling out your car.

You can listen to and purchase "Mermaids" on February 11 from the Itty Bitty Beats' website, Spotify, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

'Shooting Star' Highlights New Zealand Youth

The distance between Nashville, Tennessee and Arrowtown, New Zealand is thousands of miles and takes more than a day of flying (Don't even try to Google Map the mileage). Originally from Gore, New Zealand, singer-songwriter Jackie Bristow decamped to the United States to pursue her musical career. She returned to her homeland in 2000 as coronavirus put the country into lockdown.

As Bristow's touring plans were put on hold, she created SongCatcher, a music education program to teach self-expression through songwriting to 7-10 year old kids in the local Wakatipu basin. The resulting, intensive 19-week workshop for seven youngsters turned into a group dubbed Jackie B and The Mini Band. The resulting five-track EP, SHOOTING STAR, documents their recordings, courtesy of 8 Pound Gorilla Records. 

The vocals for SHOOTING STAR were recorded in St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Arrowtown, the backing music was recorded and produced by Bristow's long-term musical partner Mark Punch in Nashville, and the entire track was mastered at Studios 301 in Sydney, Australia (Their first song, "It's Christmas," was released in December and is not on the EP, but it still available on Amazon and Youtube). 

While it's not addressed directly, the pandemic certainly has made children seek answers from all corners about returning the world to normalcy. "Shooting Star" tackles the topic in an oblique manner:

I see a shooting star
It's flying very fast
To make my wishes come true
For me and you

Climate change and the planet's future is addressed on "Earth Guardian," with a smidgen of New Zealand flavor when the kids sing "Every day is a little scarier like a wild boar trying to knock your door down." But they come full-circle and rejoice in having too much fun on "It's A Beautiful Day." Bristow is planning to take SongCatcher nationwide across New Zealand in 2022. It will be fun to chart her progress and what her charges produce on their own in the future.

Download SHOOTING STAR from Jackie Bristow's website, Amazon, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal, or Spotify.

Here is the music video for the title track, "Shooting Star":


Friday, February 11, 2022

New Kids Videos from Claudia Gunn, Todd'n'Tina, and Daria

Television had Game of Thrones. Film had The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Kids music has Claudia Robin Gunn's series of songs about the seasons. The latest, "Winter Snow" showcases two blue penguins frolicking in the middle of winter. They look at snowflakes, go ice fishing, shovel out their car, and have a snowball fight. Don't worry for these critters – they were blue in the previous videos, so the extreme cold didn't turn them blue. You can find more of Claudia's music on her Soundcloud page, including her "Sing Through the Year" collection of tunes. Here is the debut video for "Winter Snow":

Minneapolis-based Todd'n'Tina (songwriter Todd Millenacker and educator Krissy Mondelli) have released a new video for their song, "Silly String," featuring a classroom of kids with containers of the multi-colored string spray. What could possibly go wrong?


Bilingual folk singer Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou celebrates first responders with her pandemic kids song, "Thanks to the Doctors and Nurses." The tireless, thankless work done to protect families in the world community motivated Daria to write an inspirational anthem, in the tradition of her idols such as Ella Jenkins, Raffi, and Pete Seeger. 

Daria spent her pandemic running virtual workshops with children around the world. While working with a group of immigrant children in Australia learning English as a second language, Daria was galvanized to compose “Thanks To The Doctors And Nurses,” based on those kids' sincere expressions of gratitude for the professionals who had “saved their lives.”

Ancillary materials for "Thanks to the Doctors and Nurses" are available for families and educational programs on the Teachers Pay Teachers website. You can download lyric sheets, a karaoke version, posters, and thank you cards for classroom use that can be personalized to thank specific doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals.

Hear "Thanks to the Doctors and Nurses" at Spotify, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Watch the video for the song here:

Wednesday, February 09, 2022

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, February 10, 2022

Summer's Here – The Bazillions
Lo/Hi – The Black Keys
14 sour sweetheart – Caspar Babypants
Seasons – Maroon 5
Where We Are – The Lumineers
Word is Love – Alphabet Rockers
It Might Be Time – Tame Impala

Songs of Love from Sonia De Los Santos, Alphabet Rockers & Mista Cookie Jar

A trio of children's music performers are releasing a pair of tunes celebrating tenderness and affection, just time for Valentines' Day. On the East Coast, bilingual songstress Sonia De Los Santos has released a new song, “All I Need Is Your Smile.” On the West coast, the Alphabet Rockers and Mista Cookie Jar have teamed up for "The Word Is Love."

De Los Santos's third CD, ESPERANZA ("hope" in Spanish) still qualifies as "new," since its release last May. However the genre is transitioning as individual songs (don't call them singles anymore) and videos are becoming the industry norm. "All I Need Is Your Smile" demonstrates that her time performing with Dan Zanes flavored her songwriting and delivery, right down to the choral refrain "When everything is not quite fine/my sweet little Valentine."  The song is an easy-to-learn ballad about how the simplest human gesture can lighten a person's spirit, with some Spanish phrasing that highlights the universal appeal of a sunny disposition.

Listen to and download "All I Need Is Your Smile" from Spotify, Amazon, and Apple Music.

The Alphabet Rockers are once again in the running for a Grammy for Best Children's Album through their participation on ALL ONE TRIBE from the One Tribe Collective. They've teamed with a master of kindie collaboration, Mista Cookie Jar (C.J. Pizarro) on "The Word Is Love." CJ and Kaitlin McGaw and Tommy Shepherd (the Rockers) deliver a fresh slice of kid-hop with a message of the power of positivity:

Love is way more than the fabric we fit in
We rep these colors every shade of our melanin
We say what’s not fair without fear of tellin em
(that’s love) It’s not a secret that we’re keeping
It’s the password that keeps mean words from creeping

Grab "The Word Is Love" from Spotify, Amazon, or Apple Music.