Review: Shy Kid Blues - Hullabaloo

Steve Denyes and Brendan Kremer -- AKA Hullabaloo --have spent more than a decade cultivating their audience in the greater San Diego area with their "free-range, organic kid-folk."  That's their PR description, but it's a pretty accurate one from where I sit, and one they've not strayed far from during their career.

They are not the first band that came to my mind when the phrase "spoken word" pops up, and I suspect even Denyes was unsure of the reaction to Shy Kid Blues, the band's tenth and latest album.  The album intersperses new Hullabaloo tunes between spoken word scenes -- essentially a kid-friendly origin story of the band itself, how Steve and Brendan met, developed a love for music, and started a band together.  It's also the story of how a shy kid -- Denyes (and Kremer, too) -- found the inner strength to conquer shyness and make music onstage.

Now, I am typically not a big fan of spoken word interludes, or musical stories (on record), so I was surprised to discover just how fun this album is.  The dialogue and scenes feel natural, not at all stilted, and the moral -- Kid Conquers Shyness -- is delivered subtly, almost as an afterthought, and with a sense of how things will be different but not totally so.  (Turns out, Denyes is still pretty shy.)  I think the music also benefits from the structure which breaks up the tracks (dialogue is played between each song) and gives Denyes an anchor from which he can write songs in different styles and on different topics.  I've sometimes wished for more variety in the sound of a Hullabaloo album, and this album provides that.  And the final song (save for the reprise), "Like a Bird Must Feel," is genuinely moving in the context of the album.

The 41-minute album is most appropriate for kids ages 5 through 9 (a slightly older age group than many of the band's albums).  You can hear clips of certain songs here.

In an interview with the site, Denyes noted that he'd previously written and performed 2 one-man musical plays.  Based on the results in the kids' arena with Shy Kid Blues, I think he should  start planning kindie play #2.  It's my favorite Hullabaloo record.  Definitely recommended.

Review: No School Today - Danny Weinkauf

Kids music is not exactly short on shimmery, shiny pop with a hint of crunch.

But good shimmery, shiny pop for kids and families, that's a little more rare.

Lucky for familial connoisseurs of said music, Danny Weinkauf is pretty good at it, and his debut family music album No School Today has a handful of excellent, singable power-pop songs for the very young.

Weinkauf is not a stranger to the world of kids music -- he's played bass for a little band called They Might Be Giants, and his handful of songwriting credits for the band include "I Am a Paleontologist" -- so he's not coming to this cold.  At its best, No School Today has that same spirit of "anything goes" that animates much of TMBG's work for both adults and kids.  The heart of the album -- "Ice Cream," "No School Today," "The Moon Is Made of Cheese," "Whipped Cream" -- features songs that are a little hyper, a little silly, and with little in educational value.  In fact, while the songs with a modicum of educational value -- the (appropriately) bouncy "Marsupial" or "Archaeology" -- are fun and poppy, too, I think Weinkauf shines when he's most goofy and least educational.  (Though he does have a sweet side as well, shown to best effect on his duet with Laurie Berkner, "Our Love Fits.") There's room for more of that purely silly stuff in modern kids' music, and I suspect that Weinkauf has more of those nuggets in store.  I'd also note that the album does have a very synthesizer-y sheen to match its power-pop sound, so those of you looking for a more organic sound may not be interested.

The album's going to be more appropriate for kids ages 5 through 9.  You don't have to be a They Might Be Giants fan to appreciate this album (though TMBG fans are most likely to go nuts for this), just a fan of nicely-crafted, occasionally goofy, kid-pop.  Which probably includes a lot of you.  Definitely recommended.

Itty-Bitty Review: In a Heartbeat - Laura Doherty

Chicago-based musician Laura Doherty is one of a number of kids musicians who should probably be more well-known nationally than they are.  Doherty makes the same kind of gentle folk-pop for preschoolers that has helped make Raffi and Laurie Berkner superstars, but without all the attention they receive.

I would be surprised if fans of Raffi and Berkner -- no matter if they're 4 years old or the minder of such 4 year olds -- didn't recognize in Doherty's music many of the same things that give those two a timeless appeal.  On her new album In a Heartbeat, Doherty uses her warm, inviting voice to sing simple (in a good way) songs about ocean creatures (the wonderful leadoff track "I'm a Little Fish"), feelings ("It's OK To Be Shy," "Butterfly"), and making music ("Electric Guitar" and "Drum Kit," the latter of which features Wilco's Glenn Kotche on yes, the drums).  Doherty and producer Rich Rankin have surrounded themselves with musicians who give the songs are solid musical footing, unfussy but sophisticated.

The album is most appropriate for kids ages 3 through 7.  There are many kindie artists who are producing (wonderful) kids music that stretch the boundaries of the form in topic and musical approach -- Doherty is not traveling this path.  Which is perfectly OK.  This is reassuring music and what it lacks in "edge" it makes up for with the warm fuzzies.  I like it a lot, and there's no reason why your favorite preschooler with a pig on her head wouldn't groove to the music here, too.  Definitely recommended.

Review: Tales from the Monstrosity Scrolls - Rainbow Beast and the Rock Band Land Rockers

The longtime reader of this site will deduce that I have not been the biggest fan of music for kids written or performed by kids.  There are exceptions, more on the performing than songwriting side, but they tend to be the accent on music from adults, not the other way around.

Enter Rainbow Beast, the San Francisco trio of Brian Gorman, Marcus Stoesz, and Jen Aldrich.  Brian Gorman and Marcus Stoesz run “Rock Band Land.”  Over six weeks they take a class of 4-to-8-year-olds, help them craft a story, and turn it into a song they perform together on stage.  And earlier this year Rainbow Beast, along with the "Rock Band Land Rockers" (AKA some of their prepubescent collaborators) released Tales from the Monstrosity Scrolls, an album of what's essentially a "best of" those songs.

This collaboration between adult musicians and some very young songwriters is the kind of thing that I approve of, but in theory have little interest in listening to.  But these songs are far afield from the musical styles and subjects of many kids' music songs.  Have folks in your family who like The Flaming Lips, the Kinks, Built to Spill, or Metallica?  They'll hear echoes of those bands here.

And once you add the surreal imagery to the often tripped-out arrangements, you can hear just how... tame kids music can sometimes be.  You'll hear songs about poisonous snakes ("Remblin Race"), a girl who shoots ice -- and ice cream -- from her fingers ("Ice Girl"), and a pool that traps people who dive within it as a jewel forever ("Pool of Light").  A character's flesh falls off in "Fish Wife," while the title character in "Oliver in the Wrong Cast" loses his skin and is known as the "polka dot skeleton boy."

Puts those songs about learning to brush one's teeth into perspective.  The songs really aren't violent -- they're just epic adventures starring the kids at the center.  In fact, probably the biggest problem with the album as a whole is that it's one epic song after another, and after 71 minutes, it can feel exhausting.

Done well, a lot of kids music speaks to kids’ everyday experiences in language they understand.  But kids ages 4 through 8 -- the same ages as the songwriters -- will also respond to these flights of fancy and stories of worlds far, far away.  This album speaks to that need in kids, and, just maybe, might inspire a few new tales.  In the end, the album's mere existence should be considered a victory because it was the result of dozens of kids creating their own songs.  The fact that it's often eminently listenable to the outsider is just a bonus.  Definitely recommended.

Itty-Bitty Review: Home - Jazzy Ash

Kindie as a genre is moving away from the folk and rock that were its bread and butter, but oh-so-slowly.  Some hip-hop, sure, some classical and other genres represent, but it's still rock (and folk-rock) that kindie is known for.  I have to guard against my own tendencies in that regard, otherwise it'd be nothing but power-pop and indie rock here ALL THE TIME, and what would be the usefulness of that?

Of course, it's possible to make a perfectly dull album for kids that just happens to mine a less-traveled musical seam.  Luckily, that's not the case with the latest album from Los Angeles-based musician Ashli Christoval, AKA Jazzy Ash.  Her new album Home explores the sound of New Orleans, and while it's not the first to tackle the Big Easy's big musical history, it's definitely one of the most vibrant.  She moves from the unmistakeable sound of the city's famous second-line bands on the Mardi Gras-themed duet with Mista Cookie Jar on "Throw Me Something Mista" to her zydeco reworking of "Shortenin' Bread" on "Baby Loves Beignets."  There's a hint of the overtly educational here (see "Every Family's Different"), but there are more hits than misses, like "Jitterbug," which swings (and dances), and the graceful "Tuba Lullaby."  Musically, Ash has put together a solid backing band, and her own voice is one of the most appealing in kindie.  She's not at the level of the Okee Dokee Brothers in terms of her songwriting -- to be fair, they're on their fifth album at this point -- but as I listened to the album, there was something about this album that reminded me of the bluegrass duo in their playfulness and exploration of American musical traditions.

The 32-minute album will most appeal to kids ages 3 through 7.  Home is a big step forward for Ash, and as she continues her career as a kids musician, I'm eager to see where she lands next.  Recommended.

Itty-Bitty Review: D Is for Django - Django Jones

The band Django Jones was born out of the folk-pop band Girlyman -- then on hiatus, now defunct, Girlyman was known in part for its tight harmonies and sometimes sweet, sometimes goofy songs and live shows.  The trio -- Doris Muramatsu, Nate Borofsky, and JJ Jones -- turned to Kickstarter to raise funds and attention for their album, and the result, D Is for Django, is formally released this week.

Inside the good 53-minute album is a great album of maybe 30-35 minutes or so in length.  Songs like "Counterpoint," which manages to be about counterpoint the musical term and counterpoint the metaphorical concept while being mostly in counterpoint, demonstrate heart and humor and (natch) tight harmonies.  "Jack of All Things," about a personal muse, and "Smallest Breed," about Django Jones (the band's namesake, a Chihuahua), effectively convey big thoughts and emotional learning at a kid's level.  "Breakfast" is a goofy folk riff, dorky and catchy.

But for me the skits between many of the tracks (which sound a lot more awkward than they would done loosely live) and some of the more obvious "kid" songs like "P-O-P" (about popcorn) and "Bigfoot" sit a little flat next to those tracks.  The band may have been trying to make a "kids album," but the album works best when the songs aren't obviously aiming for that target -- they can write good enough songs, sweet or silly, and need not try so hard to please that demographic. The kids'll come along for the ride.

The album will appeal most to kids ages 5 through 8.  It's a fun debut from the trio, and I hope that this foray into music specifically for the younger set won't be their last.  There are enough wonderful tracks that even though I didn't like all of them, the scale is safely in the band's favor.  Definitely recommended.