Summer Breeze, Makes Me Feel Fine...

A few weeks ago over at About.com, I mentioned the Summer Playlist that HYP Radio's Amy Trulock created for Small Magazine. Her compilation inspired me ... oh, who am I kidding ... I totally yoinked her idea and came up with my own list of Summer Songs for Kids, tunes about sun and surf, good books and good food, and laid-back days in the shade.

My 12-song list highlights children's performers exclusively, bands like Dog On Fleas, The Dreamtree Shakers, and The Baby Grands, so this is a great way to shine the spotlight on the huge amount of talent out there in the Kids' Music world. Here's my list of Summer Songs for Kids.

This.Kid.Rocks.

No Nap Happy Hour Rocks the Iron Horse

Hey, live music lovers: the newest "gotta see" kids' concert series is Northampton, Massachusetts' No Nap Happy Hour, produced by Spare the Rock's Bill Childs. Kids' bands and performers, from the legendary Bill Harley to new-stars-on-the-block Lunch Money, will be rockin' the reknowned Iron Horse Music Hall once a month 'till the end of the year, beginning this Sunday.

For at least some of the dates (including Lunch Money), it's the only New England appearance for the band, so fans should check into making the trip to western Massachusetts. Northampton is less than an hour from Hartford and a couple of hours from Boston.

All shows will be held at the Iron Horse Music Hall at 2:00pm. Tickets are $10 in advance, $13 at the door, and are available through the Iron Horse website.

Here's the 2009 No Nap Happy Hour lineup:

July 26 - Lunch Money
August 23 - Justin Roberts & the Not Ready for Naptime Trio
September 20 - Deedle Deedle Dees
October 18 - Uncle Rock & the Playthings
November 8 - Brady Rymer & the Little Band That Could
December 6 - Bill Harley

***Caspar Babypants***

Wait, who is Caspar Babypants?

I Never Get Enough of that Wonderful Stuff

So, Johnny Bregar's a big-time video star now! Check out his version of the classic "Shoo Fly Pie," a tune from his Dragonfly album that's also on the new Putumayo Kids' CD Picnic Playground.

Johnny Bregar - "Shoo Fly Pie"

TMBG get all scientific and stuff...

They Might Be Giants are your new lab teachers as Here Comes Science gets ready for a September 1 release. The full track listing is over here at About.com...............