Happy Halloween

Here's a little Halloween treat from The Muppet Show....ghosts singing the Beatles' song "I'm Looking Through You." Enjoy!

New Music: AudraRox

The debut album from Brooklyn-based AudraRox is getting lots of attention -- and with good reason. I Can Do It By Myself! is full of straight-ahead fun songs that capture many of the highs and lows of the parent-child dynamic of the pre-school years.

Lead singer Audra Tsanos is a mom and music educator who is backed by an impressive crew of New York musicians – a mix of parents and non-parents, male and female. The band has a high-energy power pop sound with a punk rock sensibility. All 13 super-catchy tracks are originals, written by members of the band or the album’s producer Andrew Ure (of Muckafurgason and The Quiet Ones).

Tracks represent a variety of styles and genres (funk, blues, jazz, country, disco), but the band maintains their own distinct sound throughout. The influences I heard here were wide ranging – from REM on "Pick Things Up" to the Roche-like harmonies on "Procrastination" to the early-80’s skinny-tie sound on "Short Attention Span". From the rebellious "Short Attention Span" to more heartfelt songs like "Don’t Wake the Baby", the lyrics are consistently clever and fun. Kids will find the songs energetic and at times, empowering. Parents will find many of the songs funny because they're true.

While it has a punk energy and feel, the album is a bit too slick to qualify as true punk rock. But slick, in this case, isn't a bad thing; and I'm definitely not going to call this over-produced. The band identity, the arrangements, the mix, the packaging – they’re all thought-out and well-done.

Starting in January, you can catch AudraRox on NOGGIN’s Jack’s Big Music Show with their video "Hope My Mama Says YES!", but trust me – you don’t want to wait that long. Check out samples of all 13 tracks and order your own copy here.

The Great Pumpkin

We're watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" tonight. Are you?

Bedtime...schmedtime. At least for Walter. Poor Ralph is going to have to wait until next year.

And check out that photo. Have I mentioned that it's unusually flat where we live? That's Ralph, searching for the Great Pumpkin last Saturday.

Tell Me Something I Don't Know

We listen to a lot of music around our house. I'm talking lots and lots of music -- especially, these days, kids' music. And while I really do love great music for kids, I must admit it's nice to hear something else once in a while.

When I got Tell Me a Story: Timeless Folktales from Around the World earlier this month, it was kind of a breath of fresh air. As the title suggests, it's a storytelling album. But it's better than some anonymous, mellow, relaxation-tape kind of voice reading Peter Rabbit, which is what comes to mind (for me) when I think of a storytelling album.

Writer and co-producer Amy Friedman had a vision for developing a series of CDs with stories from her syndicated column (also called Tell Me a Story), so she gathered an impressive team to do it up right. Laura Hall composed the music that accompanies the stories, and a line-up of eight great actors do the actual storytelling.

I first played Tell Me a Story for Walter one night after tucking him into bed. We had read some books together, but he seemed not quite ready to go to sleep. Listening to these stories should do the trick, I thought, as I popped the CD into his player. I went downstairs, folded laundry, made microwave popcorn, sorted through mail, watched TV, and basked in the "ahhhhh, both kids are asleep before 8:30" sense of accomplishment. For a full hour.

At 9:30, Walter came down to excitedly tell me about the wonderful stories he had heard. He had been awake for the last hour listening to the stories. He wanted to look at the moon with me and tell me about "The Rabbit on the Moon." He wanted to tell me about Anansi the spider and a woman who went to court for stealing smells from the bakery.

Like I said, these are definitely not "bore your kids to sleep" stories.

Jack McGee, who reads Friedman's adaptation of the Japanese folktale "Two Frogs from Japan," sounds like the missing Magliozzi brother from Car Talk with his animated and sometimes gruff voice. Lauren Tom has a more softspoken approach to "The Selkie Bride," but keeps listeners hooked all the way through. Kathleen Wilhoite (remember her as Susan Lewis' crazy little sister on ER, or as the voice of Pepper Ann?) provides the album's big finish with a wild reading of "The Boatman's Howling Daughter."

The stories represent many cultures, and the beautifully illustrated liner notes give simple synopses and background. Laura Hall's compositions help in telling the stories, and provide each story with its own musical personality and style. Tell Me a Story is recommended for ages 6 and up, as the stories are fairly long and involved. They range from just under 5 minutes to 13 minutes in length, and the entire album (8 stories) runs 71 minutes.

Visit CDBaby to hear sample tracks or to order your own copy.

How Did Walt Disney Get Into My Kitchen?

I would have loved to be in one of the marketing focus groups for Disney's new line of food for kids. In fact, I may as well have been in there, because they pretty much nailed me on this.

Disney has come out with their own line of food products, and they're in nearly every aisle of our grocery store. On my last trip there, I had at least six different Disney products in my cart.

Oh, I resisted at first. I was highly suspicious of Disney getting into the food business. In fact, it's taken me years as a parent to get comfortable with the whole World of Disney Stuff that is so readily available for kids. We're the people whose son, at age three, told his pre-school teacher that "Walt Disney is a dirty capitalist" when another child was sharing a story about some new Disney toy or movie or trip. (We were lucky this teacher had a great sense of humor.)

But after passing the shelves and coolers full of Disney foods on several weekly shopping trips, I started reading the labels and comparing prices. And I found myself tossing Disney waffles, cheese, yogurt, and graham cookies into my cart.

I'm still going to pass on the mouse-ear-shaped hamburger patties, though.

So it seems that Disney hit their target market on this one. But there is one way Disney could make their line of foods more appealing to me -- points. Give me points toward the Disney Cruise that I dream of every day. With that kind of incentive, I might put our family on an all-Disney diet.


On a completely unrelated note, check out the updated list of holiday music guest posters! I've added Neal Pollack, Audra Tsanos from AudraRox, and Chag from Cynical Dad. Fun, fun fun!

Two-Fer Tuesday

Bloodshot Records has two big releases today - one that's very much targeted to kids, and one that seems targeted more to adults, but both are music for all ages.

Animal Crackers by Wee Hairy Beasties is a collaboration of Jon Langford, Sally Timms, Kelly Hogan, and acoustic blues/jazz combo Devil in a Woodpile. The Beasties have an eclectic sound, and a remarkable chemistry among them.

I was especially looking forward to hearing them when I learned that Hogan (of the former Atlanta band The Jody Grind, an old favorite of mine) was part of the team, but her vocals were a bit of a let-down. She seemed to be doing more of a character voice, as Marjorie the Singing Bee - which was fine, just not the voice I expected to hear.

But the vocal combinations of Langford, Hogan, Timms -- as well as Rick "Cookin" Sherry and Joel Paterson from Devil in a Woodpile, who take on occasional lead vocals -- were highly enjoyable. The harmonies on "Cuttlefish Bone", the creative cover of the classic "Glow Worm", and Hogan's lead on "Housefly Blues" all stood out. Sherry on "Flies on My Taters" is also quite memorable, for his Hee-Haw-like delivery, including his opening count-off of "one-two-shoo".

The songs are all focused on animals and bugs - so kids who are in that stage where they love things that are "icky" and "gross" will be in heaven. Kids (bug-loving or not) will also enjoy the album's overall high energy and vivid lyrics. Hear a sample track and learn more here.

Musically, this ensemble is having way too much fun. (That is spoken by this classically trained musician, who gets itchy and tense when asked to improvise.) The Beasties are a reminder that, in the world of children's music, you can't take yourself too seriously. Judging from the amount of kazoo that you hear on Animal Crackers, it's clear that the Beasties are not taking themselves too seriously -- but because they are such accomplished musicians, they are able to put forth a fun and relaxed, yet tight and technically strong album.

The other big release from Bloodshot today is Old Town School of Folk Music Songbook: Volume One, a collection of 23 "archetypal" songs performed by artists ranging from big names like Dan Zanes, Jon Langford (see above), and John Stirrat (Wilco) to lesser-known yet highly talented instructors from the Old Town School.

Many of the songs ("Cripple Creek", "Down in the Valley") are early 20th century Americana, but they range back as far as "Amazing Grace" (from the 1760's) to as recent as "Aragon Mill" (from the 1970's). With work songs, protest songs, spirituals, ballads, and more, Songbook is an incredibly broad representation. Highlights for me were Erin Flynn's vocals on "Amazing Grace", Jon Langford's "Take This Hammer", and Weavermania's "Goodnight Irene".

Check out some of the sample tracks here, and read more about the Old Town School here.

While the music here is just plain amazing, what's even more important about this album is that it highlights the significant contributions of the Old Town School of Folk Music. In addition to offering classes, concerts, and outreach to schools, the Old Town School is an artists community, where musicians spend time together and have the opportunity to collaborate in ways that they might never consider if they weren't spending so much time together under the same roof.


And finally, be sure to check out Cool Mom Picks today for my review of Ginger Hendrix! I'll be posting more on her soon.

Sunday Odds and Ends

There's an excellent article in today's Allentown (Pennsylvania) Morning Call about kids' music. And it's not excellent just because it mentions my blog. And other kids' music blogs. And the Fids and Kamily Music Poll. Check it out!

It's been a while, so I updated my Big List of Children's Music Reviews. It's kind of amazing to how much new music has been covered here in the last month. And there's so much more still to come.

And now, a question for my lovely readers. Who ARE you people? Okay, I know who some of you are. Most of you are parents. Most of you are fans of kids' music. Some of you are musicians. Some of you are bloggers. A few of you are here accidentally because you were doing a Google search on "shirtless Wiggles" or "Disney Channel stars with belly piercing" (really, who are YOU people?).

But you are such a quiet group. Except when I'm talking about muppets or mini-vans or philosophical questions about the kids' music industry. The comments? I love 'em. Especially these days, as I spend large amounts of time with an 18-month-old who says things like "haw bat bibby poo" and "iiiieee maymay phhhhhhbt" and "cracker cracker cracker heeeeeoooo". People communicating with me using actual words and sentences is nirvana. While I love to come here almost every day and tell you what to think, I want to hear your opinions, too. So jump in anytime.

Speaking of comments, be sure to check out this post at the Fids and Kamily site, where readers are being asked for their opinions on the best kids' and family music of the last year. We want to hear from you!

Only 66 Days 'til Christmas

I bought a Christmas CD yesterday. And I listened to it. Do you see that date up there? That's right - October 20. This is normally the time of year when I start to eye my Christmas music collection. I'm not the only one who starts this early, right?

Right?

Oh, and when you start to see holiday merchandise in the stores already -- when we haven't even hit Halloween yet -- just blame me. I am totally driving that market.

But this year there's a good reason to start early with the festive music -- the blog, of course. I'm lining up several artists and bloggers to drop by here during November and December to share some of their holiday music favorites. I thought about going in-depth on my own holiday music collection, but I honestly worry that would send many of you running for the hills.

Trust me -- you will find these guests much more interesting and cool. And probably less scary. Definitely less scary. Also, imagine the variety from a line-up that includes:

Frances England
Rebecca Frezza
Brady Rymer
Lisa and Mikel from Milkshake
Audra Tsanos from AudraRox
Jeff from Jefitoblog
Stefan from Zooglobble
Bill from Spare the Rock
Clea from ((sm))all ages
Bryan Townsend from The Pokey Pup
Neal Pollack
and Chag from Cynical Dad

I can hardly wait to have a peek inside their holiday music collections! Kind of like when Oprah shows celebrity kitchens, but way more fun.

In case you're wondering what CD I bought....here it is.





I'm still forming my opinions on it, but my first impression is that sometime in her youth, Sarah McLachlan was denied the big "Oh, Holy Night" solo at her school's Christmas pageant, and this is her attempt to make up for it. (Although "Oh, Holy Night" isn't even on this album - that would be too obvious.) She's probably secretly sending a copy to her junior high choir director with an anonymous note.

For the most part, though, it's great stuff. And I love it because it's Christmas music.

Ta-Da!!!

Look what Stefan, Bill and I have been cooking up -- a year-end poll of the best kids and family music. Exciting stuff! Check it out.

The Rest of the Story

Believe it or not, there is more to the story of our weekend than just me saying "Look! Look at the pictures of my adorable Walter posing with Star Wars characters!" Here it is.

While we went to Detroit for the Motor City ComicCon, we happened to also be there for the Tigers winning the ALCS (granted, we were miles away in the suburbs when it happened, and we only saw it on TV), and we got to meet the Junipers on our way back on Sunday (what a lovely family!), so we had the Total Detroit Experience.

We drove up Saturday morning after soccer and went straight to the convention center in Novi (a far north Detroit burb). In addition to ComicCon, there was a home and builders show going on there, so when we pulled in, the parking guy tried to direct us to the right end of the lot. "Home show, right?" He asked.

Um....no.

"Comics? Go left! Enter by the flagpoles." He barked.

Easy mistake, I guess. A minivan with a family of four - probably the target market for the home show. We parked and headed inside. We spotted two Jedi near the entrance, and this was the first indication Walter had of what was in store. He quickly shifted from his "are we there yet" whine to "OHMYGOSH THERE ARE JEDI OVER THERE! LOOK! LOOK!" And his mood stayed LIKE THIS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS!!!

But when we got in the door, the staff again mistook us for home show folks and tried to direct us down the wrong hallway. We objected strongly and found our way to the ComicCon ticket booth. Once we were finally inside the exhibit hall, Walter was literally jumping up and down.

The pictures really do tell the story better than I could. It was incredibly festive and fun. There were geeks everywhere (please know I use that term affectionately, and with the "obsessive fan" connotation - some of my best friends are geeks). We saw a few other families, and lots of dads with sons in the 6-10 age range. Not many moms, and not many strollers, so I stood out a little more than I would have liked. I thought there were a lot of people dressed as characters from Clerks - especially Jay and Silent Bob types - but then I realized that was just who they were.

The floor was lined with booths - mostly dealers selling comic books, collector cards, toys, and all kinds of stuff we don't need. Lots of it was really inexpensive (especially Sunday, when several dealers marked down comic books to 25 cents), so we were able to "splurge" and get Walter a few really cool things without spending much. But while there were lots of goodies for $5 or less, there were also plenty of $200+ toys and high-priced books, so I was a little on edge worrying that Walter or Ralph would accidentally grab (and damage) one of those.

There were also booths for various artists and writers, where you could buy their own books or prints and get them signed. A few booths/artists had more adult-oriented material, and the convention planners had made NO EFFORT whatsoever to separate them from the very kid-friendly booths, so we had to keep our eyes peeled. But as it turned out, Walter never noticed any of it.

There was a huge Star Wars presence, especially among the attendees who came in costume. I was surprised to find several fan groups not representin' - Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek (aside from Worf on "celebrity" row), and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (which has a huge presence at the San Diego ComicCon).

The celebrities were a major disappointment to me. Lumpy and Eddie Haskell were so old and washed up, they were beyond recognition. I felt guilty asking Ken Osmond (Haskell) to pose for a picture with me when I wasn't "buying" an autograph from him. All the stars charged $10 or $20 for autographs. Quite a racket, but none of them ever had a line, so I doubt they were raking it in. My husband talked briefly to Bill Daily and sat in on part of Robert Culp's presentation (each of the "celebrities" gave a talk in a conference room nearby at some point during the weekend), and he was not impressed either. I think this is kind of a sad place for former stars to end up, and it was just depressing to think too much about them.

The closest I came to mocking the geeks was when I ran up to a friend of ours from the University here (he was the one who let us know about the ComicCon) and asked him if he would pose for a picture with me. I was so entertained by the whole event atmosphere, there really wasn't much mocking to do.

A few highlights for Walter:

- Meeting one of the artists who draws The Backyardigans and Dora The Explorer. He got a signed Backyardigans book from him.

- Meeting two of the writers for a comic strip from the Disney Adventures magazine, which he loves. He got a signed 11x17 print for $5.

- Meeting emerging comic book artists he had never heard of and getting to talk with them at length about their work.

- Watching the costume contest Saturday afternoon.

- Swimming in the hotel pool Saturday night and going back for more ComicCon on Sunday.

Sunday was much less festive, and there were not nearly as many people in costume. But, as I mentioned, there were some major markdowns, and there were more families. Two days was more than enough time to spend there, but it was a great learning experience. When we do this again (and I'm sure we will), I know so much more about how to approach it. Also, having been through it, I'm not at all surprised at myself for deciding to take our family there.

And now, here is my big revelation of the weekend. One thing that struck me was the number of apparently single thirty-something and forty-something men who were there alone, looking at some of the high-priced books and toys that dealers had at their booths. They were not geeky-geeks. They appeared to be well-adjusted, well-groomed, and I imagine highly educated and nicely employed. What a great place for single women my age to hang out if they are looking for men. Seriously. If you are a woman in your 30's with a sense of humor and some of your own interests, these men are out there waiting for you. Unfortunately, due to their less-than-stellar social skills, they are waiting for you at comic book conventions, but NOW YOU KNOW. Go find them.

Kidified Ramones

Remember when I said I'd like to issue a cease and desist order on all further uses of the Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop" in music for kids?

Well, I guess these people didn't get the memo. Brats on the Beat: Ramones for Kids is now available for pre-order - it's due for release in November. It sounds a lot like KidzBop, except for the part where they bring in "real" punk talent to sing lead. Here is an excerpt from their site:

The Ramones' timeless classics have been "kidified" by the Gabba Gabba Hey Singers. Each song features kids singing all the choruses and background parts. And we have assembled an amazing array of punk talent to sing the leads, including Jack Grisham (TSOL), John Feldman (Goldfinger), Blag Dahlia (The Dwarves), Nick Oliveri (Queens Of The Stone Age), Keith Morris (Circle Jerks, Black Flag) and Josie Cotton (of the '80s hit "Johnny Are You Queer Boy").

Instead of pre-ordering, I'm leaning toward pre-judging. But their site didn't mention that option, so I'll wait quietly until I hear it.

In other news, the full report on the Motor City ComicCon is coming up soon. For now, check out more pictures - just click on the Flickr badge over (and down) in the sidebar.

Almost-Live Blogging from ComicCon

Costumed characters everywhere! Walter is beyond thrilled. We posed with lots of Star Wars characters, plus Spiderman and the X-Men. Here are just a couple highlights from today - we're back for more tomorrow.

Walter trying on a Storm Trooper helmet. Obviously this Storm Trooper is a Michigan fan:

Walter and me with an Imperial Pilot:

Observe!

Just a quick video for you today. This is Walter taking cold medicine - recorded several weeks ago. He was demonstrating how easy it is to take medicine (believe me, this was not always the case with him). The best part is when he exclaims, "Preserve!" (observe) just before gulping it down.

We Came Here Tonight to See You, Sir

Call me crazy.

Go ahead. Do it now, and after you read what I'm about to tell you, you can elaborate on just how crazy I am.

I'm taking our family here this weekend. It was my idea. None of us have ever been to a comic book convention, but I'm quite sure that at least some of us will enjoy it. My husband has a collection of comic books from when he was younger (and some Milk & Cheese comics from more recent years), and Walter likes to read comic books whenever he gets the chance, but they are not as wrapped up in comic culture as most of the people who will be attending this convention.

And the idea of me, the Lovely Mrs. Davis, at the Motor City Comic Con - well, those of you who know me in real life can attest to the absurdity of this. It will be kind of a surreal, modern-day take on Green Acres.

The closest I've been to such an experience was the night my husband and I went out with friends to the opening of one of the Star Trek movies (or "Star Track", for those of you who are even less into this than I am) - I think it was 1996 or 1997. Our thought was that the audience for the movie - hard-core fans dressed as various Star Trek characters, geeks brimming with excitement - would be more entertaining than the movie itself. And we were right. In fact, as we spotted a man dressed as Lieutenant Data in the ticket line, our friend Bob approached him and said, "We came here tonight to see you, sir!" and reached out to shake his hand. Later, as we sat in our seats and watched the last of the previews, I leaned over to my husband and said (loudly enough for the costumed people behind us to hear), "Is Boba Fett in this one?" I was booed and had popcorn tossed at me, but it was worth the laugh.

My husband says I can't dare behave like that this weekend. I cannot mock the geeks.

I will be a little geeky myself there, I'm afraid. Besides comic guests and costumed characters, there will be a whole slate of third-rate celebrities, and you know I will be standing in line for a photo with Ken Osmond (Eddie Haskell) or Robert Culp or Bill Daily. Also, Michael Dorn (Lt. Commander Worf from Star Trek) will be there, but I'm not sure I'll recognize him without his Wookiee costume.

No mocking. No mocking. No mocking.

As enthusiastically as have I approached this, I do have one bit of hesitation. I was looking through the Motor City Comic Con website last week, and I saw this on their Volunteer page:

Volunteers must meet the following requirements:
1. Be at least eighteen years old by the month of the show
2. Be willing to work one six hour shift on one of the convention days.
3. Shower or Bathe prior to attending the convention (VERY IMPORTANT!)

Whaaaaaaat? Shower or bathe???? That's verbatim. I thought perhaps they were being self-deprecating. My husband says probably not. So although the convention volunteers will all be clean and spiffy (VERY IMPORTANT!), I am now concerned about how many attendees are going to be greasy and smelly. It will be much easier to NOT mock the geeks if they have showered.

Tell me how crazy I am. Or tell me how fun this will be.

More on Those Awards

Thanks to an anonymous commenter, I've been inspired to do a little research into the Parents Choice Foundation Awards that I mentioned last week. It turns out PCF charges a sizeable entry fee for artists to even have their album considered. I got a quick and informative response to my initial questions from PCF, but I'm awaiting answers to some follow-up questions before posting further on this.

I don't want to take away from the artists who were honored in the Fall 2006 Audio Awards from PCF, but I think it's important to know some of the background on these awards, so I'm continuing to explore. Artists and reps (or any of the rest of you who have been involved with awards), what do you have to say? Feel free to comment here or email me privately. I'm curious to hear other perspectives.

And on a completely unrelated note, I'm looking for suggestions for a clever sticker to put on the back of the new mini-van. Send your ideas! If I choose yours, I'll send you a lovely prize - your choice of several kids/family DVD's. Respond by 10 pm (EST) Sunday!

Ultrasonic, Super-Fantastic Live Music

Even though summer is over, there are still plenty of opportunities to see live kids and family music. One reader attended the Ultrasonic Super Fantastic Kids Day Weekend in New Jersey yesterday and emailed me this great report:

Ultrasonic, super-fantastic kids fest??? You bet! My family ventured out to Holmdel, NJ this weekend to take part in an annual kids extravaganza. Not only did they have a musical roster of star-studded kids artists, but they had the LARGEST sandbox I've ever seen, a Crayola craft station, Legoland, a musical instrument petting zoo, jugglers, clowns, carnival rides, face painting, and more! The biggest attraction for my family was the music. Where could you see Rebecca Frezza and Big Truck, Yosi and the Super Dads and Justin Roberts for FREE??!! We were not in the least disappointed.

Rebecca Frezza and Big Truck played to quite the crowd; their performance showcased many of their new songs and they had a special guest violinist who rocked! There were so many different musical instruments on stage, you didn't know where to look first! Rebecca and her vocalists do an amazing job of harmonizing and dancing - parents and kids were rockin' and groovin'. My kids were up front and center, and didn't miss a beat!

Yosi and his band put out such a great vibe. Yosi has a new CD out and it's all about food. Fun stuff! I really liked his drummer's tie dye outfit and knee high socks! Yosi had a nice mix of music from his catalog of CDs. He always manages to get people up on their feet and singing along.

Justin Roberts was on late in the afternoon and our youngest was already in overdrive from a busy day, needless to say we weren't able to stay for his set. I'm sure he was amazing.... maybe next time (sigh)! It really is a cool thing to experience live music with your kids. What's even better is that this music is really fun for the whole family.

For those of you who have never taken your kids to a concert like this, I can't recommend it strongly enough. There are several big-name artists touring these days (check out Dan Zanes' dates or Justin Roberts' dates), as well as plenty of up-and-coming artists and local and regional performers. Also, Jamarama Live is in full swing with Ralph's World, Milkshake, Buck Howdy, Farmer Jason and more. Look around wherever you live! Find a show!

Oh, and it's less than six weeks until my family and I see Dan Zanes in Ann Arbor! Woohoo! I'll have a full report on that one.

19 Cupholders and 18 Miles per Gallon

Look what I got today. A silver pearl metallic Honda Odyssey. And it really does have 19 cupholders. We picked it up after Walter's soccer game, and this afternoon I drove it to Gymboree to spend my Gymbucks. I'm officially part of the problem now.

Yesterday for a brief time I was still part of the solution - I was at a political rally and got to see James Carville. Ohio is an exciting place these days.

So does anyone wanna go for a ride? You can bring a beverage. Or two.

Get Started on Those Acceptance Speeches

It's been quite a year for Frances England. Her debut album Fascinating Creatures was released back in the spring and was met with rave reviews all around the blogosphere. Over the summer, Fascinating Creatures was highlighted in Cookie magazine, giving it a nice sales boost. And in the middle of all that, Frances and her family welcomed a new baby. (Imagine looking back at the list of things you accomplished in 2006 and seeing "make album" and "give birth" both checked off. I'm still working on getting past "organize closets" and "replace washing machine hoses.") Can things get much better for Frances?

Well, yes they can.

Earlier this week, Frances learned that Fascinating Creatures had been named the sole winner of the 2007 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio award for music. Congratulations, Frances!

In more awards news, the Fall 2006 Parents Choice Audio Awards were announced this week. Zooglobble has some great highlights of the Music category, which included high honors for Raffi's Quiet Time and Dan Zanes' Catch that Train, and a silver award for Trout Fishing in America's new release My Best Day. Rebecca Frezza, Hullabaloo, Beethoven's Wig, and Monty Harper were among those receiving the "recommended" award. In the Storytelling category, I was pleased to find Tell Me a Story: Timeless Folktales from Around the World, a beautiful collection of stories that I'll be discussing here next week. Congratulations to all the artists that were honored by Parents Choice!

Don't Try This at Home

With the amount of kids' music I have found since starting this blog nearly a year ago, there are some days when I think there is just TOO MUCH - that everyone and their brother has decided to try a kids' album. And honestly, not everyone should be making a kids' album. Just because you're a rocker-turned-parent doesn't mean you have a great kids' album in you. Just because you're a kindergarten teacher who can play guitar doesn't make you the Next Big Thing in kids' music.

But then there are days when I come across something so unexpectedly great that I think, "Oh, thank goodness." Thank goodness new people are giving this a try. Thank goodness it's so easy to make an album without a major label. Thank goodness I tried this CD today.

This was my reaction to Songs for the Coolest Kids, the debut album from the New York-based couple Princess Katie and Racer Steve. (Another married couple making an album together....and still married! Wow.) They've hit on the right musical mix of kid-appeal and parent-appeal. And the right lyrical balance of positive, nurturing messages and intelligent humor. Lead singer Princess Katie has a stand-out voice, high energy, and comic timing and delivery unlike any kids' artist I have yet heard. The band has an amazing chemistry - and a drummer who seems to be a big fan of Stewart Copeland.

I've said more wonderful things about them over at Cool Mom Picks.

Go listen for yourself. Or order your own copy. There is a lot to love about this one.

Just Released and On the Way

Last week, the folks at Nick Jr./NOGGIN very quietly (and by very quietly, I mean without TELLING ME - the lovely blogger who regularly posts about their little puppet-variety show, and without posting a press release on their corporate website, where I've been stalking Jack and waiting for news on the next season of the show) released a collection of songs from the first season of Jack's Big Music Show. The album was released September 26 on the Nick Records label, which will earn it prominent placement at the big box stores - unlike most other music that I recommend. Watch for this one to quickly land in the top 10 of Billboard's Kid Audio category, especially now that I've mentioned it here....heh.

The Jack album includes tracks by Milkshake, Rebecca Frezza, Laurie Berkner, the Dirty Sock Funtime Band among others, plus the show's opening and closing themes and a few tracks performed by Jack, Mary and Mel (the puppets). You can hear sample tracks here.

Now on to some new albums that are on the way....

There has been a lot in the news and on the blogs lately about another album that's in the works. I was excited to hear that Luscious Jackson has recorded a kids' album, although the name, label, and release date are yet to be determined.

Colours are Brighter, a compilation album put together by Belle and Sebastian to benefit Save the Children, is being released October 16 in the UK. The album includes tracks by Franz Ferdinand, Jonathan Richman, The Flaming Lips, Snow Patrol, and of course, Belle and Sebastian. You can read more and hear several tracks on the album's website. "Go Go Ninja Dinosaur" is the best track I've heard, but my overall reaction to Colours are Brighter so far is very similar to my reaction to the MTV Video Music Awards.

Also due out later this month, a new Christmas album from the Muppets. A Green and Red Christmas showcases the vocal stylings of Kermit, Miss Piggy, The Electric Mayhem, Rowlf, and more Muppets. For those of you who just can't get enough of the Muppets or Christmas music, here's some big news: From Friday November 24 (the day I get up at 5 am to go shopping) through Christmas Day (the day I get up at 5 am to stop my children from tearing into all their presents), you'll be able to hear 200 Muppet Christmas songs playing on Muppet Central Radio.

There are 200 Muppet Christmas songs?

Am I the only one who finds that surprising?

New Music Monday: Ellen and Matt

There are some amazing things happening on Best Friends, the debut album from LA-based husband and wife team Ellen and Matt, released in August. But the most amazing thing about this album has very little to do with the music. The most amazing thing, from my perspective, is that a husband and wife made this album together - and they are still married. On top of that, they did all of the writing and recording while Ellen was pregnant with twins.

Working with your spouse on a creative project is far more stressful than it looks. Believe me - I've worked with my husband on many music and theatre performances and projects over the years, and it's not always the fun, romantic, hand-holding artistic adventure we expect it to be. Had this album been made by my husband and me, it would not be called Best Friends - it might be called Still Speaking. And had it been made while I was pregnant, it would likely be called Quietly Seething.

So first and foremost, I applaud Ellen and Matt for their teamwork and collegiality.

Ellen and Matt bill themselves as "a fusion of high-energy indie pop and harmony-driven ballads." That sums up their sound very well. They mention influences ranging from the Pixies and the Ramones to the Beatles and the Carpenters. (Can I just say Hooray for mentioning the Carpenters - laugh if you will, but in my opinion they are one of the most under-rated bands of the 70's.)

The writing is excellent - lyrically clever and musically complex. Ellen's vocals are deep and throaty (sometimes a little too throaty, perhaps due to recording some of these tracks when she was eight months pregnant), so when Matt joins in with tenor harmonies on songs like "Airplane" the blend is close and tight. Many of the songs seem to have been written at the piano, rather than on guitar. It's a subtle difference, but it makes for more interesting chord progressions. The band keeps things simple with guitar, bass, drums and piano. The piano is prominent on the first three tracks, but from there on, the sound is more guitar-dominated. The best songs are in the middle of the album - tracks five through eight.

Clever writing, a strong band, distinct vocals, tight harmonies....this should make for a fabulous combination, right? Well, it should. But this is where I had some difficulty with the album. The mix is not as smooth or balanced as I would have liked. When an album is mixed well, the listener shouldn't even be aware of it. But when the mix is a little off, as in this case, it's noticeable. As an example, "Best Friend", the third track, starts with a beautiful piano intro (very Carpenters), but then the mix suddenly turns really heavy.

The other weakness for me was "Juice Box Rock" - an homage to the Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop", although I must give Ellen and Matt credit for being a bit more original (and less obvious) than others who have attempted this. So many kids' artists have done either a cover or an homage to this song, I'm issuing an official notice to ALL musicians: It's time to back off of "Blitzkrieg Bop". If you want to include a song on your album that shows your audience how "punk rock" you can be, there are plenty of other great songs to work with. Go find them.

As I mentioned, the middle tracks are the best, and they are strong enough that I ended up really enjoying the album overall. "Airplane" and "Under Construction" are both reminiscent of early REM, and made me feel an odd connection to Ellen and Matt - like we had gone to college together or had some other common experience. Overall, the album is kid-friendly, and aside from "Side by Side" the songs don't seem targeted to a specific age group, so it could easily appeal to toddlers and pre-schoolers on up through third or fourth graders. Best Friends is fun for adults, too, and the sounds will resonate especially well with those of us in our 30's or early 40's. You can hear samples and order your own copy here.