Here's a link to an article from Toronto's The Globe and Mail about the current state of Kids' Music. Mainly about Barenaked Ladies' Snacktime, but with shout-outs to They Might Be Giants, Jason Ringenberg, Dan Zanes, and Peter Himmelman.
And this is illustrator Kelly Light's winning entry in the BNL Snacktime Cartoon Contest:
Usually I'll wait until an artist can send me a finished CD or at least a burned CDR of premixed tracks before I post a review of their work, but I'm gonna go ahead and review demos from this performer's website because 1) his songs are that good and 2) his material fills a need.
Will Thomas will release his collection of bilingual kids' tunes in August, 2008, on an album called The Spanglish Wrangler Sings Bilingual Songs for the Whole Family. The songs are fun and funny and witty, and, most importantly to adults, stand up to repeated listenings. While Thomas has recorded grownup albums at Birdland Recording Studios in Town Creek, Alabama (very close to my hometown), he laid down the basic tracks for Spanglish Wrangler at his home studio in Miami Beach.
You can practice your Spanish vocabulary by inference in the song "Emociones"; while "(They Call It) Spanish Monday", based on T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday Blues", helps you brush up on the days of the week. "Desayuno Boogie" is a celebration of breakfast, while the swampy funk of "Broccoli" describes a girl's love of that vegetable.
"Eres Mi Vida" is a Spanish-language version of "You Are My Sunshine", and the story of "Cucaracha" is set to the music of Earth Wind and Fire's "September". "Bailla Pollito" is a funny little tale about a reluctant dancer, while "I Love My Dog" is a little reminiscent of the old classic "Down By the Bay". Additional vocab practice is provided by "Gator and Bee" and "Bear's Picnic", directions en Espanol on the former and present tense verbs on the latter ("I sing, canto, y'all sing, cantais", etc.).
Thomas' intimate, downhome, bluesy performance and playful songwriting style make this collection a perfect teaching tool in both the classroom and at home. You're not smacked in the head with ridiculously bombastic production, and the lyrics don't make kids (or adults) feel like dunces. This is a great project from an artist who is a welcome addition to the kids' music world.
Some people go into a kids' album project with the idea that they have to become this goofy alter ego in order to appease the "children's music" preconception. Not so Randy Kaplan. No, Kaplan has a unique style, musically and lyrically, that translates smoothly to the kids' music world without having to change a thing.
The talespinner in Kaplan shines through on his latest children's CD, Loquat Rooftop, with songs like the New Orleans shuffle "Clothes Dryer", the talking blues "No Nothing", the superdescriptive "The Ladybug Without Spots", and "Loquat Rooftop", a stream of consciousness account of a lovely evening atop a Brooklyn apartment building. Randy is a storyteller at heart, and it really shows on Loquat Rooftop.
As with "Over the Rainbow" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" on last year's Five Cent Piece, Kaplan knows how to pick just the right cover songs, tunes that you think would be too hokey to make the cut on a kids' record, but are somehow transformed into classic singalongs. This time 'round, "Tomorrow", from Annie, is given the sweetest treatment you'll ever hear, while versions of Leadbelly's "Good Morning Blues", Leiber & Stoller's "Charlie Brown" and Hank Williams' "Move It On Over" rock enough to make yer kids wanna explore the originals.
Throw in some tunes like the poppypunk "Mazal Mazal", the silly "The Sour Song", the mini-skit "Boogie Woogie Washer Woman", the tender "(Don't Say) Anything at All", and the most "kids' song" song on the album "The Fire Engine", and, hey! you've got yerself a pretty solid CD!
Loquat Rooftop is Kaplan at his best: Memories; images, figurative and literal; sights, sounds, smells, flavors, textures; humor and fun ... all in the form of a song. Randy is one of Brooklyn's hidden gems in the world of kids' music. Get to know him before he breaks out bigtime.
UPDATE:
Just got word from Bill Childs over at Spare the Rock, that Randy has ventured over to the Left Coast to seek his fortune ... Brooklyn's loss is L.A.'s gain! Good luck, Randy. Park Slope'll miss ya.
Karen Jolicoeur & Bill Lewis, The Dream That You Wish
Manhattan-based vocalist Karen Jolicoeur delivers tender operatic lullabyes from sources as varied as Sweeney Todd, The Wizard of Oz, and Brahms, while throwing in a few old-school Disney songs and a couple of originals. Quietly and tastefully accompanied by pianist Bill Lewis.
Moey, Moey's Music Party
NYC mom, songwriter, and musician Melissa Levis rocks out with her band Alan Bennett (guitar), Roger Cohen (drums), and David Weinstein (bass & piano) on songs about manners, sharing, parents, sneezing, getting dressed, and being a kid in New York City. Think Sesame Street meets the Go-Gos!
Lemonsquare, Music For Fun
Alan Schlaifer and Louisette Geiss have created an extremely sunny collection of songs for the younger set, tunes about bathtime, rainbows, teeth brushing, blue whales, and eating veggies. Their sound is a little reminiscent of fellow Los Angelenes Ellen & Matt, and more of Schlaifer's music has been used in television and film through his Wade Street Music company.
So, it's only May and already there are five kids' albums out (or to be released) by major pop/rock/rap musicians and bands who have crossed over into the children's music arena. These are the ones I know of, so if there are more that should be included on the list, leave a comment.
Barenaked Ladies - Snack Time
Medeski Martin & Wood - Let's Go Everywhere
Prince Paul (w/ Chali 2na, Ladybug Mecca, Wordsworth, & Scratch) - Dino5
Lisa Loeb - Camp Lisa (June 3)
Natalie Merchant - as-yet-unnamed (Fall 2008)
Also, who would you like to see record an album of kids' tunes? Matthew Sweet would be one of the artists at the top of my list...
I'm tellin' ya, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo and crew are going to break out nationwide, and soon! Don't be surprised if you see and hear 23 and friends on a kids' show by this fall. Let's hear it for Asheville, NC!
That's right, I'm going to see a They Might Be Giants kids' show tomorrow with my wife and our little boy, and we're excited! So excited that I'm gonna skip a "Friday Free-for-All" and post a live performance of one of my favorite TMBG tunes, "Fingertips". Prepare to be awed.
