Hello, Hello, Hello! - The Itty Biddies

Artist: The Itty Biddies

Album: Hello, Hello, Hello!

Age Range: 2 to 6

Description: An offshoot of NYC-based pop-cabaret trio The Lascivious Biddies, the Itty Biddies chart a very non-lascivious musical path on their debut EP.  The trio -- Deidre Rodman Struck, Lee Ann Westover, and frequent Dan Zanes collaborator Saskia Lane -- sing sunny songs with bright harmonies.  The songs were originally commissioned by Carnegie Hall's CarnegieKids performing series in New York, and songs like "Safari" and "Jump Around" sound like they were specifically written to encourage interaction.  While those songs are well-done, from a non-interactive distance, my favorite tracks are the 2 bonus tracks, "Texas Girl" and "Neighbor (The Mister Rogers Song)," which are free of any need except to entertain. 

You can listen to the 21-minute album here (it's the only place to get the 2 bonus tracks).  The album is a promising start for this Biddies' side project and if it isn't quite what I'd hoped for given the band's background, maybe that's just me sitting on the other side of the country without a Biddies show to take the kiddo to.

Picasso, That's Who! - Hope Harris

Artist: Hope Harris

Album: Picasso, That's Who!

Age Range: Ages 5 through 8

Description: What makes this album about famous people from the Virginia-based Harris stand out from most albums about famous people?  1) It's much more narrowly constructed, focusing on artists rather than a broader cross-section of people. 2) The participation of Dan Zanes collaborator Rob Friedman, who produced and plays on the album, and who gives Harris' songs a professional polish without stifling the life within.  While the majority of songs take a more straight biographical, I think the strongest and best songs on the album are the ones that capture the art they create more obliquely (such as "Impression, Monet," or "Who Made the Splash?," which raises a bunch of questions I'd definitely encourage kids to ask about David Hockney's iconic painting A Bigger Splash).  This may sound like a backhanded compliment, but it's straightforward praise -- this would fit right in at your local art museum's gift shop.  Families with young art fans should check it out.