Remember when I told you about about the new album from Seattle band Central Services Board of Education?
Well, I’ve been spinning a pre-release version for the past few days. I can’t tell you what my final verdict on the album (I need to figure that out myself) but I can tell you this, the new album sounds like nothing else you’ll hear in the kids music genre all year. I can’t think of another album that will generate the chatter this one will. “Audacious” is a pretty good adjective here. One they’d probably use.
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Filed under Upcoming Releases.
We’re all about sharing here, right? So, I’ve got a copy of Dan Zanes’ fine, new, 99%-Spanish CD Nueva York! yours for the winning. All you have to do to enter is list your favorite non-English language song(s) (kids’ or adult) in the comments below. I’ll randomly select one entry to receive the CD. All entries due by 9 PM West Coast time Thursday night; one entry per person, please.
(Really, it’s good. I’ve got to get a review up soon.)
Tags: contest, dan zanes, nueva york
Filed under Uncategorized.
You know what I like about Offsprung? (You know, besides, the six-figure salary.) The fact that I can never get around to posting my list of songs for moms, but post a list of songs for dads, and nobody thinks that’s weird, or bad, or anything. Right?
Anyway, Father’s Day is hardly a holiday that inspires much in the way of music (it probably ranks just above Arbor Day and below Flag Day in that regard), but at least the kids music genre has a few entries if you’re looking to put together a kid-friendly list.
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Tags: dads, father's day, kids music
Filed under Lists.
It’s safe to say the path San Francisco artist Frances England took to get to Family Tree, her second album, has not been often duplicated. England, who had never been a working musician, recorded her first album, Fascinating Creatures, as her contribution to her son’s preschool fundraiser. And then somehow others heard the CD and soon enough England began sending copies of it, as she puts it in the liner notes of the new CD, “half way around the world.” She was no longer a secret, as those of us who first heard her described England. But while Fascinating Creatures was certainly a fine album (with all the accolades to prove it), the question remained — could she duplicate her success?
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Filed under Reviews.
It’s been awhile since I’ve talked about Robbert Bobbert and the Bubble Machine, but that doesn’t mean I’m not looking forward to the debut kids’ CD from Apples in Stereo head honcho Robert Schneider. According to Little Monster Records, the Robbert Bobbert CD will drop in “fall 2008.”
But we’re into instant gratification here, so I’m here to show you how to instantly, er, gratify yourself.
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Tags: apples in stereo, kids music, puppies, robbert bobbert, robert schneider
Filed under Live Shows, Upcoming Releases.
I know that the kids’ music genre is flowering when less popular subgenres such as kids’ hip-hop or kids’ country are starting to bubble up. I especially know that that’s the case when those genres start producing albums that aren’t just “kids songs done in a [fill-in-genre-name] style,” but fully realized albums on their own.
Case in point: Easy, the debut kids’ CD from Asheville, North Carolina’s Cactus.
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Tags: gfe, kids music, Reviews, secret agent 23 skidoo
Filed under Reviews.
While I can’t say that the ’80s synth-pop of “Drawing,” off Barenaked Ladies’ new kids music CD Snacktime is my favorite track off the album, the new video for the song, featuring bandmember Kevin Hearn’s visuals, is certainly distinct. (Go Team “DRAW”!)
But I think we need to put a moratorium on animated kids’ music videos. Time for the live action, folks!
Barenaked Ladies - “Drawing” (sorry, our video-player doesn’t seem to like Veoh. But I do! Link here.)
Tags: bnl, kids music, Video
Filed under Video.
While I think that the Asylum Street Spankers’ Mommy Says No! was definitely one of the best dozen or so CDs from last year, there’s no doubt that it was definitely on the edge as kids’ CDs go — it’s not for everyone, and some families won’t like it at all.
On top of that, one song — “You Only Love Me For My Lunchbox” — has achieved what I believe to be a singular achievement in the kids’ music genre. It is, to my knowledge, the only kids’ song — recorded specifically for kids — to be edited for language. That’s right, XM Radio is playing the song, but without the last part of the tongue-twister breakdown.
Why?
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Tags: asylum street spankers, kids music, Video
Filed under NSFK (Not Safe For Kids), Video.
Tyler Stewart was the last of the founding members of the rock group Barenaked Ladies, which means he’s only been with the band for 18 of its 20 years of existence. He’s been the band’s drummer ever since. Stewart chatted by phone last week about what his kids listen to (Neil Young and High School Musical, just to begin with); his views on the relative merits of Barney, Sesame Street, and Beethoven; the genesis of their first kids’ CD Snacktime; and what’s to come for the band. (Photo courtesy Wikipedia.)
Zooglobble: I’m going to start the with the question I always ask whenever I interview someone and that is — what were your musical influences growing up?
Tyler Stewart: Well, my parents are pretty young so they were into popular and good music. My dad was a big fan of British rock bands like the Who, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones, and my mom was really into Motown music and soul. There was always good music playing in my house.
Specifically, what do you listen to with your kids?
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Tags: barenaked ladies, bnl, interview, snacktime, tyler stewart
Filed under Interviews.
Andy Blackman Hurwitz, mastermind of the ever-expanding Baby Loves Music empire, recently released the first CD from his Baby Loves Hip-Hop brand, Baby Loves Hip-Hop Presents The Dino-5. With hip-hop producing legend Prince Paul on board, along with a whole host of well-known names from the hip-hop world telling the story of five hip-hop dinosaurs, the expectations for the project were pretty high.
The end result? Well, it’s a mixed bag…
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Tags: baby loves hip-hop, Dino-5, dinosaurs, kids music, prince paul, Reviews, the roots
Filed under Reviews.
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