"Backyard Camping" - Ratboy Jr. w/ Dog on Fleas

This will probably be the weirdest kids' song you hear all week.  It's called "Backyard Camping," and somehow I'm not surprised that a candidate for "weirdest kids' song of the week" comes from the minds of Ratboy Jr. and Dog on Fleas (Dean Jones is producing the upcoming Ratboy Jr. album).  It's a goof, but a goof that evokes both the Dead Milkmen and Prince in its celebration of pitching your tent in your own backyard.

Originally released on, yes, cassette, it's now available in digital format for your free downloading pleasure.  (I don't want to call it a "cassingle" because my memories of those were that they came in cardboard packages, and my copy from the band came in the plastic "jewel case" format.)

"Happy Mother's Day" - The Harmonica Pocket

Seattle-area band The Harmonica Pocket is gearing up for the release of their sixth album, Apple Apple, and one of the tracks on the new album, "Mother Mother," would be perfect for Mother's Day.  If only Mother's Day weren't coming up.... wait a minute...

This is a jazzy, reggae-touched tune with a simple message.  Stream it below, and add it to that mix CD you and the kids are making for the mom-figure (or figures) in your life.

Fun Fun Records Sampler

Now here's a record label going forth full steam ahead.  Last year Mike Park released SMILE, a collection of kid-friendly punk.  Now he's created a whole separate label -- Fun Fun Records -- just to release kids music.  Care for a sample of upcoming releases from folks like Play Date, Kepi Ghoulie, and more?  How about a free sample?  Lots of fun, folks.  Download the sampler here.

"Dip N' Flip (The Jacket Song)" - The Flannery Brothers

The Flannery Brothers are very educational.  Here they are, writing a zippity, finger-snapping song that just happens to help kids put on their jackets.  It's a song so catchy it needed its own website. And video.

But if you'd like, you may simply download the song for free below.

Big Stories for Little Ones - Rain For Roots

I've heard quite a few albums of Christian music for kids.  I don't mention many of them here not for philosophical reasons (last fall's religious record roundup notwithstanding), but because they're often pretty uncompelling musically.

This four-song sampler from the new quartet Rain for Roots suggests strongly that their forthcoming (May 15th) debut album Big Stories for Little Ones (based on the poems of Sally Lloyd-Jones) will be in the minority of musically worthy records.  Coal Train Railroad's Katy Bowser is part of the band, so there's a little bit of kids music background already, but singers Sandra McCracken, Ellie Holcomb, and Flo Paris sound like they're ready to jump in.  I don't think Ricky Gervais or Richard Dawkins will be downloading this, but I think Christians who dig this website will dig this.

Groovin' in the Garden - Story Laurie

You can download five of the tracks from Story Laurie's recent album Groovin' in the Garden via Noisetrade for the price of a mere e-mail.  With Laurie McIntosh handling the vocals and songwriting, and a bunch of musicians including Dog on Fleas' Dean Jones on a kajillion instruments (and producing), it's a fresh (pun intended) take on food-friendly folk.