eMusic and eTickets

I've been waiting weeks and weeks to show you this -- a guest column I wrote for eMusic.

Also, I'm making travel plans to attend the big "Spare the Rock" Brooklyn Bash on March 24. Bill has an amazing line-up of bands and artists -- AudraRox, Astrograss, Ernie & Neal, Robbi K, Milkshake, Uncle Rock, Molly from Lunch Money, Princess Katie & Racer Steve, Yosi, Rebecca Frezza, and many more!

While I'm there, I'm planning to stop by the Park Slope Parents CD release concert/party on March 25, so I get to do actual "research" (heh) on hipster parents in their natural environs. I'll be like Jane Goodall studying chimps in the wild. Except I'll be in Brooklyn. And there will be no chimps.

Important Decisions in the Life of a Seven-Year-Old

Walter turns seven this weekend, and he is such a typical seven-year-old in so many ways. He's missing a couple of nearly-front teeth, he's reading at a level where he's truly enjoying it, he's asking tough science questions (which I am often unable to answer on the spot), and he has a long list of favorite superheroes and cartoons (The Hulk, Wolverine, Superman, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, and Avatar, just to name a few).

So when we were at the store this afternoon looking at cupcake decorations and napkins for the treats he will take to school on Friday, I was surprised at how he made his choice. On the shelf, we saw several super hero options, several girly-pink options (princesses or Strawberry Shortcake or Barbie), and Scooby Doo. Walter initially gravitated toward one of the superheroes, then chose Scooby Doo. That, in itself, was not terribly surprising. It was his rationalization: "Scooby Doo napkins will be better because the girls like Scooby Doo, too."

Wow.

He learned on Valentine's Day that the girls didn't respond enthusiastically to most of the licensed-character valentines that were handed out by boys, including his Avatar valentines. Clearly, he remembered that today. Yes, my son the first-grader has already learned some important things about pleasing the ladies. More importantly, he's perceptive, considerate, and empathetic. At age seven.

I suspect that Walter is on the path to becoming an excellent movie date when he's older. (Much, much older.) He will not drag his date/girlfriend/wife to movies featuring giant fighting robots. Unless he's lucky enough to find a girl who loves giant fighting robots as much as he does. I hope he finds that girl.

A Harrumphing Codger Disapproves

Neoconservative baby boomer David Brooks addresses the hipster parenting movement in today's New York Times. He says, to paraphrase, "Hey you kids, get outta my yard!"

Brooks takes aim at Babble.com (I'm fine with that), mommy-bloggers (I'm mostly fine with that), "musical Antoinettes who would get the vapors if their tykes were caught listening to Disney tunes" (I can't help but take that personally), and women and mothers in general. He also takes personal aim at Neal Pollack, who responds here. And Rebecca Woolf responds here.

I anticipate further response to Brooks' opinion from around the blogosphere (updated Monday to add just a few of them, plus a response from Salon.com). At the moment, my only thought is this:


* Harrumphing Codger is a term from Christopher Noxon's book Rejuvenile. His definition, which seems entirely fitting for Brooks, is: "Social critics who see the rejuvenile impulse as destructive, regressive, and quite possibly, a harbinger of the collapse of Western Civilization....Harrumphing Codgers...look back wistfully to a time when young people endured epic hardship (world wars, economic depression) and emerged as restrained and productive adults. "

The Friday Confab: 2/23/07

Welcome to the very first edition of the Friday Confab, a weekly discussion on kids' music where I'll highlight several artists/albums/issues and package them neatly (or perhaps somewhat randomly) into one (con)fabulous essay. Today, we're going to heed the advice of Jerry Seinfeld, and look to the cookie. Cookie magazine, that is.

Dan Zanes recently shared a link to this letter to Cookie, which points out the magazine's lack of color. I loved this part:

But I can't enjoy a parenting/lifestyle magazine that doesn't even attempt to speak to anyone outside upper middleclass white yuppiedom. Last I checked there were black yuppies, Asian yuppies, and of course Hispanic yuppies. The thing is, yuppiedom and conspicuous consumerism aren't the exclusive domain of white folks. Not every black woman pushing a Bugaboo is a nanny.

I'm bringing up Cookie for a number of reasons -- the above issue is one reason, but the other is that the magazine has done a good job (I'm saying good, not great) of highlighting some of the same kids' artists and albums that are discussed here. I was excited to see a glossy mainstream publication covering Frances England, Uncle Rock, Elizabeth Mitchell, and other indie kids' artists that I've reviewed. I was less excited when I noticed that nearly all the moms (or the models portraying moms) featured in the magazine were tall and thin and mostly blonde. But I'm still excited about their music coverage.

So when Cookie arrived in my mailbox earlier this week (yes, I'm a subscriber), the first place I looked was in the Reviews section. I saw a review of Milkshake's album Play! (yea!), The Sippy Cups' Electric Storyland! (yea!) and Randy Kaplan's Five Cent Piece (yea!). This is an amazing album, and I think Cookie's review doesn't quite capture the amazing-ness of it (because they gave it only two out of three Green Dots, your album must be a "surefire hit" to earn all three Green Dots from Cookie). So I must tell you more.

One of my favorite things about Five Cent Piece is that the CD itself looks like a giant nickel. But it sounds even better than it looks. Kaplan covers folk songs like "So Long It's Been Good to Know Ya" (Woody Guthrie) and "Freight Train" (Elizabeth Cotton), as well as standards such as "You Are My Sunshine" and "Over the Rainbow." His interpretations of these songs are artistic and original -- so much so, that I felt like I was hearing them for the first time. He also covers the Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (similar to and yet very different from Parker Bent's cover that I mentioned earlier this week), and it was interesting to me that this was the only track mentioned by name in Cookie's mini-review. It's noteworthy, but definitely not the album's artistic peak.

Kaplan's original songs, including "Mosquito Song" and "Shampoo Me," are as imaginative and rambling as a pre-schooler, and musically brilliant. The folksy acoustic sound throughout Five Cent Piece is beautifully mixed. Again, this is an amazing album. If I gave Green Dots, this would get a three out of three.

If you're looking for more mainstream media coverage of quality kids' music, look to the Cookie. But keep looking here. And here and here and here. Because even though we're not glossy Conde' Nast publications that you can read on the beach or in the bathtub, we are pretty darn fabulous.

Remember 1988?

Because today was my older son's fourth snow day in that last two weeks (in addition to there being no school on Monday because of President's Day), my plans for getting serious work done had to be adjusted at the last minute. In an attempt to accomplish something -- anything at all -- I spent a significant chunk of time this morning searching for YouTube videos for another project on my massive to-do list. And oh, what treasures I found! Here is one just for you:



I remember these network fall promos so fondly. But this one raised a number of questions. Perhaps you can help.

Is that a very svelte Marie Osmond?

Were the Jeffersons still on in 1988? (And have I ever told you about the time I met Sherman Hemsley?)

Did anyone really watch Alf?

Soundcheck

We had a great discussion on "Soundcheck" this afternoon. Of course I was thrilled to have the opportunity to spout off about Gen X parents and kids' music in a new forum. And I think I managed to keep my voice in the low, calm, NPR-approved range rather than the screechy-excited range. In case you missed it, here is audio of the segment:



Welcome to any of you who are just stopping by after hearing the show! You can find more of my thoughts on Gen X parents here, and my review of All Together Now (the album of Beatles covers from Little Monster Records that was discussed) here.

Also, it felt incredibly strange and wonderful to be discussing my generation and its influence on music today -- what would have been Kurt Cobain's 40th birthday. Who knows how different the music world might be if he were still around.

Pre-School of Rock

There are a million reasons I would never want to live in any part of Los Angeles. Just to name a few: the traffic, the cost of living, the celebrities, the smog, the earthquake potential. And if I ever did relocate to Los Angeles, chances are slim that I would settle in that famous 90210 zip code -- Beverly Hills.

But let's just imagine for a moment that my husband, Jim, got a massive promotion which required us to relocate to Beverly Hills with our kids, Brenda and Brandon Walter and Ralph. One reason I would be happy about living in Beverly Hills is that I know of an incredible pre-school music teacher and performer there named Parker Bent.

As a pre-school music teacher in Beverly Hills, Parker performs for kids every week. Based on what I've heard on his 2005 EP and his recently-released album, Charlie Davidson's Tricycle Club, Parker seems like the kind of music teacher my kids would absolutely adore. Even Walter, who now calls a lot of kids' music "baby music" was hooked throughout the entire album and asked to hear several songs over (and over) again.

The songs on Tricycle Club are all Parker Bent originals, except for a live pre-school version of the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" -- a very pertinent lesson for four-year-olds. It's clear that Parker draws some of his musical inspiration from the Stones, but he's cultivated a sound that is all his own. Interspersed in and among his original kid-rock songs on Tricycle Club, we hear Parker introduce listeners to various instruments, and musical concepts like notes and chords. We hear songs with lessons ("Allow Me," "Scooch Back") and songs in which Parker acts out various parts ("Spaceman Steve/Farewell"). He does all of this with a "Blue's Clues" sincerity and with a total commitment to engaging young listeners. And in the process, he manages to keep the grown-ups on board as well.

Check out some of the sample tracks and order you own copy here.

It's going to be a wild ride

Something for you all to look forward to after the three-day weekend: Mrs. Davis on New York public radio. Next Tuesday afternoon, I'll be part of a panel of guests on WNYC's "Soundcheck," a talk show about music.

Between now and then, I'll be practicing my low, calm public radio voice. And watching old SNL clips of "Delicious Dish." And spiffing up my vocabulary. I was so proud of myself for using the word "eschew" in my review at eMusic. I need another impressive word to casually drop on "Soundcheck." Any suggestions?

If you're not in New York, you can listen live online. The show airs from 2 to 3 pm.

Updated Saturday: To clarify (because one of you emailed me to ask about this), I'm "phoning it in," not traveling to NY for this. If I was going to NY this weekend, you would have definitely heard more about it! Also, because someone asked, the title of this entry is a quote from the old "Delicious Dish" SNL sketches.

Almost Famous

Today I became a professional music critic, when my first paid review showed up over at eMusic.

More big news coming soon. Really.

Just Don't Call Me "Late For Dinner"

As Huey Lewis once opined in a catchy mid-80's ditty, "It's hip to be square." I never could have guessed how prescient Mr. Lewis' words would be.

I've given the Baby Boomers a hard time on a number of occasions. But today you Boomers can relax. I'm going to rant briefly about my own generation -- Gen X. There's been a lot written lately about parents of my generation, and I've been fascinated by some of the discussions that have taken place.

It shouldn't surprise anyone that Generation X has approached parenting differently than prior generations. And as more Gen X-ers have become parents, some common behaviors and trends have begun to emerge. Some Gen X parents are setting the trends, and others are oblivious to them. Most of us are somewhere in the middle. Something is going on, but we're not discussing it. We're just going on about our business.

Then suddenly someone gives it a name. No, not a name -- a label. And we all scatter like cockroaches when the lights have been turned on. Someone dared to label it, to define it, to analyze it, to theorize about why and how it became what it is -- and we must now deny that it ever existed. Or that we were ever a party to it. Hipster parents? Oh, no, not us. We're so un-cool. Grup? Who, me? Alternadad? Surely not I. I've always despised labels.

We put it down and suggest that anyone who actually behaves that way is flawed. How lame. Look at those people trying so hard to be cool.

We question the credibility of those who dare to analyze it and theorize about it. What credibility to they have? They don't speak for me.

We don't take the time to consider the strengths and weaknesses of someone's analysis or theory (yes, I see his point here, but I don't quite buy this later part). We don't bother to examine the possibility that hipness and coolness aren't really the defining traits in all of this. Instead, we just reject it in full, saying don't you dare try to label me.

As Gen X-ers (and this is where I part company with my generation), we refuse to allow ourselves to be labeled, defined, categorized. Why? Are we that unable to acknowledge that our behavior isn't entirely unique? Are we that unable to look at ourselves in relation to others?

Maybe our ironic detachment prevents us from embracing any type of label. Maybe we're fighting the battle of who could care less. Or maybe, deep down, we are so obsessed with being hip and cool and indie-alterna-whatever that when the lights come on and the trend is revealed and the labels are applied, we must quickly move on to the next thing to avoid becoming part of the dreaded mainstream.

I hope that's not it.

Because sadly, in running from the hipster parent label, we're running smack into the mainstream -- back into the Boomer parenting model that we were so successfully turning on its ear.

An Owl Goes "Buzz Buzz"

Hey, New York readers! Bill at Spare the Rock is giving away tickets to a show this Saturday. And it's not just any show -- it's the Terrible Twos. There has been a nearly audible buzz around the blogosphere in anticipation of their upcoming release of If You Ever See an Owl, a buzz to which I have not contributed until right this very moment.

To find out what all the buzz is about, go listen to some samples from the album.

The Terrible Twos are actually the kid-friendly alter ego of the New Amsterdams, and If You Ever See an Owl has been available for over a year at their live shows. So the band already has a dedicated fan-base in advance of the album's April release on Vagrant's Poquito Records. My prediction for the album's release looks like this:

Excellent Music + Fans + Buzz = Big Huge Hit

How I Watched the Grammys

1. Get kids riled up and frenzied before show starts; dance around the living room with them while the Police open the show with "Roxanne."

2. Take kids upstairs for baths and pajamas. Act surprised when they aren't immediately sleepy.

3. Get back downstairs in time to see Gnarls Barkley perform.

4. Stay up until 11:30 to watch every last minute of the show.

5. Complain loudly when awakened by younger child at 6:45 this morning.

My recap of the show is over at MamaPop.

We'll just never watch the news again

While I try to keep our sons (especially our almost-7-year-old) from seeing or hearing a lot of news, I've had a few unfortunate moments in the last two weeks where my older son caught wind of stories that are difficult to explain. I often have CNN or the Today show on in the mornings while everyone is getting fed and dressed. And in the evenings, I sometimes try to watch listen to Keith Olbermann on MSNBC while getting the kids ready for bed.

Yesterday, Walter caught a bit of the news about Anna Nicole Smith. His first question for me, naturally, was "How did she die?" I explained to him that we really don't know yet, but he was still very concerned, since he had also heard them mention her baby, her age (just 39), and her weight issues. I could see the wheels turning in his mind, as he pieced together that Mommy had a baby (nearly two years ago), Mommy is 38, and Mommy has been going to the gym a lot and trying to get rid of her flabby belly. In his mind, Anna Nicole Smith and I had lots in common. And now Anna Nicole Smith is dead. He looked even more concerned.

In order to distance myself from her, without divulging too many details about her life (because how do you explain ANY of that to a little boy?), I said that she had made a lot of bad choices, and that some of those bad choices might be the reason she died.

"So she was kind of like Elvis, then?" he asked.

"Yes. Exactly," I said, wondering what exactly he knew about Elvis and how he died.

"Did she eat fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches?" he asked.

"Yes," I said. "Lots and lots of them."

And he left it at that.

Ernie and Neal: Rock the House

The last time I reviewed an album that fell into the "classic rock for kids" category, I didn't have many good things to say about it. And while classic rock is still not at the top of my list when it comes to sounds or styles I like to find in kids' music, I've found a band that is making it work.

Ernie and Neal refer to themselves as "the Aerosmith of kids' music," and that very accurately sums them up. Besides Aerosmith, Ernie and Neal also pay homage to AC/DC, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Their recently-released fifth album, Rock the House, demonstrates their ability to make rock accessible and exciting for kids. Their target audience seems to be children in pre-school and early elementary grades, and their songs are filled with positive messages about friendship, family, and coping with stress. Some songs, like the funky "Pluto" and the reggae "The Great Barrier Reef" have a semi-educational bent, without any heavy-handedness.

Favorites around our house included the Skynyrd-influenced "Count on Me," the rebellious "Hooligan," and "(I Like) My Life." The band ventures into ska, swing, reggae, and punk at various times, while staying true to their own style. They seem most in their element in hard-rocking songs like the opening track "This Whole Band" and "Wise to the Ways of Whatever." Ernie (lead vocals) and Neal (vocals and guitar) are back by three (yes, three) drummers, bass, horns, and two female back-up singers, who are billed as "girl that rocks, vocals" and "she rocks too, vocals." I love that.

You can hear sample tracks and order your own copy at CD Baby.

But wait! Don't go there just yet! Ernie and Neal have a CD release concert this Saturday, February 10, at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, and they have a set of four free tickets for the first Philly-area reader who emails me (thelovelymrsdavis@gmail.com) with the name of another famous Ernie or Neal.

Sophistication in a Blue Flowered Jumper

In college, we had an art professor who was famous for using the phrase "layers of sophistication." Actually, because he was from the Northeast, it was "layuhs of sophistication." This was high praise -- something many students strived for.

I don't believe I've ever used that phrase in a music review, and it may surprise some of you to find me using it to describe an artist who wears a flowered blue jumper, knee socks, and pigtails. But I'm saying it now. Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang's new album Get Up & Dance! has layers of sophistication. Oh, wait. Make that layuhs of sophistication.

To the untrained ear, the Los Angeles-based band Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang might sound somewhat Wiggley. And it's true, there are some similarities. Both have a happy pop sound with lots of 1950's rock influence, a child-like persona, and first names only. But Gwendolyn seems to have more awareness of her place in the musical universe. And her band seems to know a lot more chords than the Wiggles.

Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang has had a cult following among LA-area families for several years, and in 2005 had one of their songs produced as a music video for Noggin. Gwendolyn was also highlighted in Christopher Noxon's book Rejuvenile, which is how I first became aware of her.

Most of the 11 songs on Get Up & Dance! are co-written by Gwendolyn and members of her band, and the writing is one of this album's major strengths. The album opens with the pop-tastic title track, which sounds much like any number of other kids' songs. But by the end of the second track -- the funky "Red Means Stop" -- it's clear that there is a lot more going on here. Songs like "Bicycle Ride" and "Ode to Pets" showcase some excellent honky-tonk piano, and all of the songs have a full pop/rock band sound. The album is high-energy throughout and slows down only briefly for "Snuggle Wuggle," a sweet lullaby sung from a child's point of view.

Several songs have "hey, kids"-style spoken intros that made me laugh more than cringe. The only problem with these intros is that kids past age 5 or 6 may find them a bit too childish. Gwendolyn also sings in a child-like voice, which makes her jumper-clad persona very nearly seamless. The "layuhs of sophistication" beneath Gwendolyn's persona enable her to pull this off convincingly and to hook parents as well.

And speaking of the jumper, it's available on the band's website, along with CD's, a live concert DVD, t-shirts and more. You can also hear several sample tracks and learn more about Gwendolyn's grown-up music.

I'll have a scoop of Triple Talent with sprinkles and nuts

Season six of American Idol is underway, and the voyeuristic, slow-down-at-the-scene-of-an-accident side of me has taken some brief peeks at the "audition" shows that have aired so far. What a mistake.

Since I just can't handle watching any more of this staged ridiculousness, I'm swearing off Idol until they narrow it down to the top 24. That's when the whole family will start watching. Because a major part of Idol's appeal (for me, anyway) is that I can watch it my kids. These early shows are nothing that my kids need to see. (But neither were all the Super Bowl commercials I exposed them to on Sunday. My older son now yells, "K-Fed! Fries!" at his younger brother, thanks to this now-famous Nationwide commercial.)

With the new season of Idol, though, comes the marketing. Last year, I was surprised (but at the same time not so surprised) to see American Idol birthday party favors and American Idol fruit snacks. Fruit snacks. Something I've fed to children as young as two. (Not the AI kind, but still. Fruit snacks?)

I recently spotted my first Idol product of 2007 at the grocery store -- American Idol ice cream. At least this isn't so blatantly targeted to kids. And with flavors like Take the Cake, Triple Talent, and Hollywood Cheesecake, it's obvious that someone is having fun with it. But I'm still not buying any. It's easy to pass up when it's currently 9 degrees outside.

We're Gonna Zooma, Zooma, Zooma, Zoom

This just made my day. Listen.

It's the original theme song from Zoom, courtesy of Way Out Junk, where Tony has unearthed an entire original-cast Zoom album. He even mentions my favorite cast member, Bernadette -- "she of the magic twirling arms."

That'll Move the Chains

Stop over at MamaPop later this afternoon (starting at 5:30 EST) for some Super Bowl Live-Blogging by yours truly.

Pre-game festivities! Commercials! The half-time show! And football!

And now, let's look back at the coolest team in NFL history: McMahon, The Fridge, Walter Payton, and everyone's favorite second string QB Steve Fuller. Watch the video -- he has his own verse.

The Groundhog Didn't See Her Shadow, But She Did See Jon Stewart in a Funny Hat

Photo credit: Peter Thompson / Noggin

So the much-anticipated Groundhog's Day episode of Jack's Big Music Show aired today. And as it aired, parents ran to their computers Googling phrases like "Jon Stewart kids TV" and "Steve Burns Groundhog video." The subtext of these various search terms, I believe, was something along the lines of: "Holy cow! Is that Jon Stewart on Jack's Big Music Show?" or "Did I really just see Steve Burns in a totally rocking kids' music video?"

The answer is yes. Yes!

Maybe some of these parents are searching for someone to affirm their own opinion that what they saw today was really great.

I'm with you on that. It was really, really great.

I just hope all those searchers weren't looking here for some sort of critical analysis of today's show, because I most of what I've written about the Stewart and Burns appearances has been along the lines of "Squeeee! Jon Stewart! Steve Burns! On Jack's Big Music Show!"

There's not a whole lot to say in the way of critical analysis. This is certainly not the first time a grown-up celebrity has shown up on kids' television. Sesame Street has been in that business for years. Dozens of stars from the 70's and early 80's had cameo roles in the early Muppet movies. And, more recently, animated shows like Higglytown Heroes have been incorporating "celebrity" voices. But that doesn't mean that today's episode of Jack wasn't fairly remarkable. The Jon Stewart guest role was fantastic, and surprisingly substantial. (I really was expecting to see him pop into the clubhouse for about 20 seconds of witty dialogue, and disappear for the rest of the show.) And Stewart was an excellent choice of celebrity guest to get the attention of today's 30-something parent crowd.

I think creators of kids' television are just catching on to the fact that today's parents are a pretty tough crowd. In most cases, we're much more selective about what our kids watch than our own parents were when they were raising us. And we're much more likely to be watching along with our young children. So we're demanding quite a lot. To quote Kurt Cobain, "Here we are now; entertain us." Yes, us. The parents.

Thankfully, Jack's Big Music Show knows how to do just that.

Mrs. Davis Tells You What to Wear, First Edition

Utter Wonder has absolutely THE best take on the great Boston Lite-Brite terror debacle of 2007, also known as how NOT to promote your movie/TV show. (I was truly relieved to learn that my husband is not the only almost-40-year-old man who watches Aqua Teen Hunger Force.) Read and enjoy.

To commemorate the occasion, my husband ordered this "ATHF is the bomb" t-shirt last night (but be warned, that link may or may not be working, as I think the site has been a bit overwhelmed with traffic and/or orders today):


And while we're on the topic of funny, pop-culturally relevant t-shirts, take a look at what we've been cooking up over at MamaPop: the first of hopefully many Monthly Limited Edition designs.

If that Police reunion tour falls through

...maybe you could consider one of these options. Truly, I'm so glad we live in a time where "family entertainment" means this:

I'm especially drawn to that part about "delicious snacks available" -- all concerts, even grown-up shows, should have delicious snacks. Mmmmm.

More family entertainment:

This triple bill has Astrograss for Kids, The Toxic Muffin (that's a Brooklyn rock band whose members are all ages 8-10), and Audra Rox.

I have just two words. Wah. Hoo.

Okay, I have six more words. Kinda wish we lived in Brooklyn.