Friday Free-for-All # 9

Medeski Martin & Wood, Let's Go Everywhere

If you dig MM&W's grownup albums, you'll equally like their "kids'" CD, a collection of originals, instrumentals, and covers that stays true to the MM&W sound. From Jim Stoten's Yellow Submarine-inspired cover art to the tunes laid down by the bass-drums-keyboard trio, this is a very groovy and funky affair. Especially awesome are the title track's remake of Geoffrey Mack's "I've Been Everywhere", and Chris Wood's original "The Train Song".



Ira Marlowe, Dream Time
(sorry, Ira, no time to scan the cover!)

Marlowe's third CD for kids continues his string of lyrically and musically adventurous songs. Ira paints his unique style with touches of '70's radio pop (Rupert Holmes, Steely Dan, Andrew Gold, etc.), and some of the tunes and production are little reminiscent of fellow kidrockers Mr. Laurence and Gunnar Madsen. "Rise and Shine", "Continents", "Mermaid", and "Lullaby" are great songs, but make sure to check out the epic "Soap Opera", a James Taylor-like surf rock waltz that details the battle of soap vs germs. Really!





Adam and the Couch Potatoes, One Size Fits All...!

Thick with harmonies and heavy on pop hooks, Adam Selzer's songs are fun, silly, and reeeeeeeeeally catchy! He and his fellow Nashvillians draw inspiration from superpop sources like The Beach Boys, Sesame Street, The Hudson Brothers, The Beatles, The Archies ... you get the drift ... to create a great set of giddy rock and roll tunes for kids.