Best Kids' Music of 2009: #1 Here I Am! by Caspar Babypants

This is modern folk music at its best, and some of these tunes are destined to become classics. Chris Ballew, formerly of the indie rock band The Presidents of the United States of America, delivers a debut children's album that's full of witty, wordy, silly, gentle, quietly acoustic new traditional tunes. Here I Am!, recorded under the guise of Caspar Babypants, is an endless string of catchy, quiet, and imaginative songs that'll put a smile on your face. It's easy to see that Ballew didn't force the songs, that he didn't set out to write a "children's album:" these are images, tunes, and thoughts that might pop into a real kid's head, making Caspar Babypants' Here I Am! the best kids' music CD of 2009.

Number 1: Here I Am! by Caspar Babypants

Best Kids' Music of 2009: # 2 Family Time by Ziggy Marley

The fact that this album begins with the lines "Lift up your hearts with a smile, Lift up your feet with a dance, Lift up your spirits with a song, It's family time," speaks volumes about the tremendously warm vibes emanating from every tune on Family Time, easily landing it near the top of the list of best kids' music of 2009. Some well-known friends (Paul Simon, Toots Hibbert, Elizabeth Mitchell, and several family members) dropped by to help Ziggy, resulting in an album of loving, fun tunes backed by rootsy, poppy Reggae. Family Time is a great introduction to contemporary Reggae for kids, and Ziggy Marley's message of love and family just can't be beat.

Number 2: Family Time by Ziggy Marley

Best Kids' Music of 2009: # 3 Thank You for Joining the Happy Club by Billy Kelly

Billy Kelly and The Blah Blah Blahs present a super set of indie rock songs for kids on their debut CD Thank You For Joining the Happy Club. Their musical mix will remind you of Jonathan Richman, They Might Be Giants, R.E.M., and Wilco, and those influences perfectly compliment the band's breezy, slyly humorous tunes. Billy Kelly is definitely a new force to be reckoned with in the kids' music field, delivering a 1-2-3 punch of catchy tunes, witty lyrics, and songs that are fun for the whole family, easily landing Thank You For Joining The Happy Club on the list of best kids' music of 2009.

Number 3: Thank You for Joining the Happy Club by Billy Kelly

Best Kids' Music of 2009: # 4 Get Fruity!! by Apple Brains

With the innocent enthusiasm of Jonathan Richman, the eclectic inventiveness of Mr. David, and the general kookiness of The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, Apple Brains bursts upon the kids' music scene with their debut album Get Fruity!! L.A.-based Allen Bleyle is the brainy apple behind Apple Brains, and his free-for-all, lo-fi, indie rock style is a refreshing addition to the children's music world. Some of the best kids' music of 2009, and definitely some of the most unique!

Number 4: Get Fruity!! by Apple Brains

Best Kids' Music of 2009: # 5 Here Comes Science by They Might Be Giants

They Might Be Giants' previous two albums for kids, Here Come the ABCs and Here Come the 123s, were fun romps through the concepts of letters and numbers, but few hard facts were presented. Not so on Here Comes Science, a CD chock full of some of the best kids' music of 2009. The band's trademark quirky, catchy musical style and witty word play meld perfectly with concrete concepts like states of matter, paleontology, the planets, and photosynthesis.

Number 5: Here Comes Science by They Might Be Giants

Best Kids' Music of 2009: # 6 Hello Night by Kesang Marstrand

Kesang Marstrand's kids' music debut is touching and playful, mysterious and warm, and is certainly one of the most beautiful lullaby albums you'll ever hear. Full of pastoral scenes of water and wind, flowers and insects, setting suns and rising moons, Hello Night is an aural testament to the power of simplicity, and deservedly finds a place amongst the best kids' music of 2009.

Number 6: Hello Night by Kesang Marstrand

Best Kids' Music of 2009: # 7 Field Trip by Recess Monkey

The fifth album by these three elementary school teachers from Seattle is full of ridiculously catchy songs, witty and silly lyrics, and a smidgen of fascinating scientific facts, all combining to make Field Trip some of the best kids' music of 2009.

Number 7: Field Trip by Recess Monkey

Best Kids' Music of 2009: # 8 Family Photograph by The Dreyer Family Band

Family Photograph is a remarkable collaboration between East and West Coast members of the Dreyer family, who pull together musical influences from across time and around the world to create their impressive kids' music debut, some of the best kids' music of 2009.

Number 8: Family Photograph by The Dreyer Family Band

Best Kids' Music of 2009: # 9 Beautiful World by Dog On Fleas

This week and next, we're looking at some of the best kids' music of 2009, and the ninth spot is occupied by Hudson Valley musical ensemble Dog On Fleas. Eclectic Americana at its best.

Number 9: Beautiful World by Dog On Fleas

Best Kids' Music of 2009: # 10 Dizzy by Lunch Money

This week begins a rundown of my picks of the Top 10 Best Kids' Music Albums of 2009. Now, this list is, of course, subjective and totally biased, but these are the platters that stayed on my turntable the longest this past year. Plus, I really believe that these 10 CDs provide kids, and their families, with a great starting point for further musical exploration, no matter what genre.

Number 10: Dizzy by Lunch Money

Steambot

Learning all the chords to Robot Dance...

Friday Free-for-All # 24

Ross King - Words that Rhyme with Orange

On Words that Rhyme with Orange, it's clear that Ross King's strength is pop tune composition, much in the fashion of musicians like Chris Von Sneidern or kids' music star Justin Roberts. Check out "Happy to Be Me" and "I Like to Play Outside" for evidence of King's radio-ready style. King has released several modern worship albums over the past 15 years, but Words is his first CD for kids. Words is a cute, well-produced collection of tunes, but based on his witty wordplay and songwriting chops I really think King's future is in television, so listen for a King-penned children's tv show theme song in the future.


Earthworm Ensemble - Earthworm Ensemble

Eclectic roots music by members of the Los Angeles-based Americana band I See Hawks In L.A. The band bring along The Chapin Sisters to round out their blend of country, garage schlock rock, bluegrass, and folk. The Ensemble's self-titled kids' album is full of songs about trains, the extraterrestrial planet-saving duo Bear and Dog, a hip hop jam about pizza, the rhythm workout "Bang a Drum," the weepy lap steel-flavored "We are Birds," the Muppets-meet New Orleans tune "Little Willy Buffalo," and the sweetly trippy "Goodnight, Little Spaceship." Lots of musical influences, yeah, but Earthworm Ensemble is a cohesive grab bag of great tunes for the whole family.

New Americana Music for Kids

The sub-genres in Kids' Music are constantly growing and improving, including the Americana field. I've reviewed five of the best examples of new Americana music for kids over at About.com, and I have room to expand the list, so please feel free to send recommendations or make comments.

***Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem***

This here's what gives credence to the fact that music for kids and their families is a force to be reckoned with: kids' bands are now playing tunes by other kids' bands. Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem cover not one but two family favorites on their latest CD, Billy Jonas' "Bear to the Left" from his 2002 album What Kind of Cat Are You?!, and the title track from Renee & Jeremy's 2007 album It's a Big World. But I digress...let's take a listen at Ranky Tanky.

Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem have been making "new roots music" together for a decade, with three previous CDs of fiddle-driven, harmony-filled tunes under their belt. The Middletown, CT-based quartet are adept at their frontporch, old time, loose-jointed but tightly-played style, no matter what song they attempt, and that's what makes Ranky Tanky work. Most of the album consists of covers, including "Tennessee Wig Walk," made famous by Bonnie Lou (Mary Joe Kath), also covered by Dan Zanes on House Party; "Kee-mo, Ky-mo," found on June Christy's "kids' album" The Cool School; New Folk artist John Gorka's "Branching Out;" Malvina Reynolds' "Morningtown Ride," one of The Seekers biggets hits; and "Bushel and a Peck" from the Broadway musical Guys and Dolls.

But despite the wide range of sources, all the songs sound like daisy mayhem tunes. Lots and lots of kids' musicians and bands attempt a "stylistic showcase" of sorts, especially on debut albums. Rather than attempt a rockabilly style here and a folk style there, followed by the obligatory reggae misstep, Rani Arbo and band maintain their own unique, cohesive sound, even on covers of well-known tunes like Cat Steven's "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out", The Meters' "They All Ask'd For You", Sheb Wooley's "Purple People Eater", and Tom Petty's "Wildflowers."

Great organic Americana music for the whole family. Let's hope we hear more from Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem in the future.

Happy New Year!

2009 gave us lots of great albums for kids and their families, and it was really hard to narrow down my choices to a mere ten. So, without further adoooooo, here's my Top 10 List of the best kids' music of 2009. Enjoy, discuss, and comment!