Listen To This: New Music from Elizabeth Mitchell

This has been a long, rough week for me. So what better salve than new music from Elizabeth Mitchell, whose kids music has been part of my kid-filled life from just about the get-go. Head to her Myspace page to hear a couple new recordings. "Little Spring" is a quiet melody (albeit one that builds over its sub-2:00 runtime. "Under the Chestnut Tree" sounds a bit like the Shins (or your other favorite slightly minimalist indiepop band) doing a Japanese folksong -- in other words, totally awesome. Go listen to them now because they're only going to be up for a couple days. Mitchell says there'll be another new song next week. Update: Bill reminds me that he and Ella chatted with Elizabeth Mitchell and the rest of her band in February, including "Spring Song." Go there or here to listen to the song and details.

Listen To This: "David's Mandolin" - Elizabeth Mitchell

New music from Elizabeth Mitchell! It's an original tune called "David's Mandolin," and it's 2:50 of sweetness. It's a Mother's Day gift, though really it's a gift from a mother to a child, perhaps. Don't delay in listening, though -- after the weekend, it "goes back into hiding," as Mitchell puts it. Listen to it at Mitchell's Myspace page.

All Of You Who Thought Ziggy Marley Would Duet With Laurie Berkner, Raise Your Hands

That's what I thought. You know an album is a big deal when Laurie Berkner issues a press release notifying folks she's going to be on somebody else's album. So I think we can officially call Ziggy Marley's upcoming Family Time album a Big Deal. Berkner's singing "Future Man, Future Lady" with Marley, and since Berkner's got one of the nicest voices in the kids music genre, that's definitely worth looking forward to. Also on the album - Paul Simon, Jack Johnson, Willie Nelson, Toots Hibbert, lots of Marley family members, and Elizabeth Mitchell (who already gave the album her two thumbs up). So, yeah, Big Deal. Family Time is out on Tuff Gong Records May 5.

New Dog on Fleas Music, Video (With Bonus Elizabeth Mitchell!)

My Dog on Fleas cup runneth over this evening. First, head on over to the band's Facebook page to give their new bonus track "Love" a spin. The word "love" makes up maybe 80% of the total lyrics, so it'll probably fit well on your kid's mix CDs they're making for their 2nd grade class for Valentine's Day. (What, they're not making mix CDs?) Second, head on over to Jitterbug to watch a new video for "Cranberry Sauce Flotilla", the super-fun title track from the album of the same name. Lots of men in hats. But not Men In Hats. Finally, I told you about the High Meadow Songs album about a year ago, and in January 2008, there was a benefit concert. Luckily, someone captured Dog on Fleas, Elizabeth Mitchell, and Daniel Littleton doing "Jenny Jenkins" live. (Sadly, it took me a year to discover it.) Great version.

New Music From Elizabeth Mitchell (and Suni Paz)

Elizabeth Mitchell has posted a couple new tracks on her Myspace page. The first, "Little Bird Hops," she posted before (and it's still there for the taking, if you'd like to). So the bigger news is a new track from Elizabeth Mitchell and fellow Smithsonian Folkways artist Suni Paz, whom she sang with in LA back in September. Mitchell's posted a duet of the traditional Argentinian lullaby "Arrorro." The lyrics (courtesy of here) sound like a balm to tired parents of newborns: Sleep my baby, sleep my sun, Sleep piece of my heart. This beautiful baby wants to sleep But the sandman won't come. Sleep piece of my heart.