I have written multiple times (OK, twice thus far) about the band Central Services Board of Education, the kids' music offshoot of Seattle indie-pop band Central Services. Count myself as a CSBOE fan, though one of just a few because, you know, they haven't actually released an album.
Well, soon enough that group will expand, because this afternoon the band said that they've finished the album and will have pre-release copies at their first-ever full-band performance Sunday along with Recess Monkey at Northwest Folklife. The band says they're targeting a release right around "back to school" time.
Can't make it to Seattle to pick up a pre-release copy to tide your family over this long summer? Well, then get yourself over to their Myspace page, where they've posted a zippy new track, "8 Is A Number" ('cause everyone's doing number songs this spring, dontcha know?). It's available for download in handy mp3 format, along with a "director's cut" version of the totally awesome "The Lonely Tomato." Both now with added horns!
1, 2, mp3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 -- What About 9?
I promised you more Barenaked Ladies stuff today -- this time it's a heads up that if you liked "7 8 9" from the video earlier today, for a limited time you can download that song for free here.
Gordie Howe fans need this in their collection, pronto.
Listen To This: "Crayola Doesn't Make A Color For Your Eyes" - Kristen Andreassen
The kids music genre includes, of course, those songs explicitly written for kids. But it also includes those songs re-appropriated for kids, though perhaps not originally intended for that audience.
It was in the latter category that I thought "Crayola Doesn't Make a Color For Your Eyes," from Boston-based artist Kristin Andreassen and her solo album Kiss Me Hello, fell into when I first heard it (or, rather, saw the YouTube video below).
It's a love song, ostensibly, but it's about crayons. What a perfect re-appropriated song!, I thought.
And then I found out it won the "Children's Song of the Year" in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest back in 2006. Other winners in the category include Joe McDermott, Thaddeus Rex, and Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, so clearly it's not some out-of-left-field award. Andreassen wrote the song when she was teaching dance in grade schools.
Oh, well, loss of my preconceived notion is your gain, as you can go to the link above and download the track. Lots of fun.
Or you can just be mesmerized by the live rendition of the patty-cake on the album track. If your kids are anything like Miss Mary Mack, they'll be fascinated by the fact they keep that up for nearly 4 minutes.
Easter's On Its Way, So Let's Go To Myspace
Easter's coming way too early -- the earliest you will ever see it (unless you live to, like, 203) -- so you'll forgive me if I barely get this out in time. The Bay Area's Hipwaders have posted a pretty cool version of "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" at their Myspace page for streaming and downloading. Their shuffling Bakersfield-sounding rendition will have you hip-hip-hoppity-hip-hip-hoppa-ing until you run screaming because the phrase is lodged in your brain. Permanently. Like it is in mine.
So maybe that's why I waited 'til now...
A Last-Minute Valentine's Day Gift (or Two)
Never called the florist? Didn't have time to buy chocolate? Oh, well, the Internet has provided a couple free mp3s for your listening pleasure.
First up, Charity Kahn from the Bay Area-basedCharity and the JAMband has posted "Moon Hug," a mellow love song just as appropriate for a parental mash note to a child. Kahn says in an e-mail that she's working on a new album and the track is from that upcoming album.
And, across the Bay, the Hipwaders have posted "Valentine" at their Myspace page. It's more of a puppy-love song straight out of the '60s.
Both are available for download today only...
New Music From Astrograss
The New York band Astrograss has, at least in its music for kids, always had an affinity for words -- after all, its first EP for kids (review here) set its bluegrass-y jazz (or jazzy bluegrass) to the lyrics of Shel Silverstein.
So it's no surprise that the first song the band's made available from their upcoming album, tentatively called Let Me Stay Up All Night continues with the fanciful wordplay. Called "There Their They're," it includes the zen-like phrase, "Someday, when I learn to spell 'spell'..." and is set to Astrograss' adventurous musical stylings.
Plenty of kids' bands say that they don't sound like anyone else -- Astrograss is one of the few that can back up that claim.
Listen to (and download) "There Their They're" here. Let Me Stay Up All Night is out March 9.
