Monday Morning Smile: "Light As A Feather" - Cat Doorman

Light As A Feather cover

Typically these Monday Morning Smiles focus on tracks that weren't conceived as kids music, but I thought this track was just the thing needed for a sunny spring Monday morning.  It's "Light As A Feather," in both title and effect, and it was released last December by Portland's Cat Doorman, with help from fellow musician and artist Alexis Gideon.  You can not only stream the track below, but all proceeds from buying the track (just $1) will go towards Save the Children's Syrian Refugee Fund.

Win win, all the way 'round.

Video: "When I Get Bald" - Alastair Moock

I have a feeling that Alastair Moock's Singing Our Way Through: Songs for the World's Bravest Kids is going to be one of those (unfortunately) few kids' albums that breaks into wider recognition.  In part, that's because of the album's inspiring story (Moock's young daughter is diagnosed with leukemia, Moock sings a lot in hospital, is inspired to record an album for families meeting the same challenges).  But it's also because the album is a) really good, and b) humorous as much as it is somber.

"When I Get Bald," the song, nails that tightrope, and so does the video. 

Alastair Moock - "When I Get Bald" [YouTube] 

Listen To This: Singing Our Way Through - Alastair Moock & Friends

I was pleased to hear that Alastair Moock had turned the devastating news that his Clio had been leukemia into a fundraising project to record an album of songs to share with kids and families "traveling similar paths," as Moock puts it.

The result -- Singing Our Way Through: Songs for the World's Bravest Kids​ -- is now available.  It features a bunch of guest artists (hi, Elizabeth Mitchell, hi, Rani Arbo!) and songs that are much more upbeat than you might expect given the topic matter.

The whole album is now available [Ed: the album has been pulled from public view for the moment].  The first couple tracks are fairly cancer-specific, but after those tracks, it's accessible to listeners regardless of medical situation (if any).  You should definitely take a listen [when, er, it becomes public again].

Video Premiere: "Swimmy Swim" - Little Miss Ann

One little conversation at an Elizabeth Mitchell concert, and before you know it Jeff Giles and Bill Childs are working on a Woody Guthrie tribute album.  It's called Keep Hoping Machine Running (the title is from list of New Year's resolutions from Woody in 1942), and it's being released July 31 on Childs' Spare the Rock Records.  Appropriately enough, given the 100th anniversary of Guthrie's birth, all net proceeds from sales will benefit the Woody Guthrie Foundation.

You can read more from Jeff about the album as well as see the complete tracklist, but I think listening to Chicago's Little Miss Ann perform her contribution ("Swimmy Swim") while a little video scrapbook explains how her track came to be might be even more worthwhile.  As with many of Guthrie's songs, "Swimmy Swim" is pretty simple in its construction, but Little Miss Ann and her band do right by the track.

 Little Miss Ann - "Swimmy Swim" [YouTube]