Artist: Walter Martin
Album: We're All Young Together
Age Range: 4 through 10
Description: I said almost everything I'd care to say about the debut solo album from The Walkmen's Walter Martin in my NPR review of the album. It's nearly a 180 from his work with the Walkmen in that it's goofy, heartfelt, and sometimes swoony. There's such a sweetness to this album, it's hard not to smile at some point while listening. Highly recommended.
Artist: Lolly and YoYo
Album: An Adventurous Day
Age Range: 3 through 7
Description: Unlike America, whose kindie streams tend to have strong rock or folk influences, sounding a lot like music made for adults, but with kid-friendly subject matter, kids music in modern-day Canada has a much larger Raffi strain. By that I mean many albums are sealed away in a gentle pop/folk world that does not recognize the influence of gaming consoles, distortion pedals, and irony.
For some readers, that's going to sound perfect for their families, while others will find it perfectly annoying. This 43-minute album from the Pennsylvania duo could totally have been recorded in Canada, it could have been recorded 35 years ago (albeit sounding a little more sonically punched-up). Don't be misled by the emphasis on fitness and health on the website or the album packaging -- while the songs definitely encourage that, your kids will be just fine playing LEGOs while listening. And songs like the fiddle-based "Row Down the River," the samba "Snowflakes," and "Honey Bee" wouldn't sound out of place on those Elizabeth Mitchell albums on your shelf.
As I've suggested above, some readers will find this album not the right fit for their families (though I think those songs I've listed above would appeal to just about everyone). But if your family loves the comfort from those albums in the Raffi family tree, you will find An Adventurous Day an excellent example of the form. Recommended.
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.
Artist: Various Artists (The Secret Mountain)
Album: Songs from a Journey with a Parrot: Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes from Brazil and Portugal
Age Range: 0 through 6
Description: The latest book/CD combo from Canadian publisher The Secret Mountain heads to a couple Portuguese-speaking countries for a selection of lullabies and nursery rhymes. The selection (originally published in France in 2003) is well-produced and diverse in its musical stylings (the songs were collected by Magdalene Lerasle). Unlike the Putumayo disks, which are typically compilations of previously-recorded material from a wide range of artists, each Secret Mountain production tends to keep itself to a narrower range of artists. Here arranger Paul Mindy leads a handful of vocalists. The adults may want to turn to the detailed liner notes (lyrics, translated lyrics, song backgrounds, credits) in the back while the kids will probably stick with the front half and Aurelia Fronty's vibrant illustrations and brief lyrical snippets.
The 45-minute album is a lot more uptempo than the subtitle "Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes" might suggest, so if you're looking for a lullaby album, look elsewhere. But for a playful collection of Latin melodies (and non-Spanish-language ones at that), this is an excellent introduction. Recommended.
Artist: Marc Imboden
Album: Wooden Spoon!
Age Range: 3 through 8
Description: The first half of this 2011 album features the Indiana-based Imboden leading his band through folk/roots-rock-y renditions of classic kids' songs -- "This Old Man," "Wheels on the Bus," and the like. They're well-done, but it's not exactly a new approach to the songs. I was more interested in the second half of the album, which features some originals, like "I Like To Sing This Song" (6 minutes long, but flies by in what seems like half the time) and the title track. Half of the proceeds of the album (listen to the whole thing here) will be distributed to Reece's Rainbow, which helps orphans with special needs find families. A solid album, even those familiar songs I'm apparently less enthused by, but if Imboden wants to record a whole album of originals, I'd be very eager to hear them. Recommended.
Artist: Caroline Herring
Album: I Will Go Into the Day
Age Range: 4 through 8
Description: The story of how Herring went from Kickstarting two albums based on children's literature to releasing this album of new material and a couple folk song covers is a long and, for Herring, very frustrating one. (Short version: children's book authors and publishers can be very possessive of their creations.)
But that doesn't mean the end result is frustrating to listen to. Songs like "Make It Yourself," with a kids' chorus, and "Today," are exuberant, while some tracks like "Music of the Mountains" are more thoughtful. (You can listen to the album over at Bandcamp.) A solid 32-minute album of folk music for families, with a theme of exploring the world near and far gently but firmly threading its way through the entire 11-song set. Fans of her previous album for families, The Little House Songs, will find her strong voice and warm arrangements in fine form. Recommended.
Artist: Luscious Jackson
Album: Baby DJ
Age Range: 2 through 6
Description: In reviewing the album for NPR, I can't discuss this (or any) album in quite as much detail as I might normally. So here are a couple of additional points to note:
1) The middle of the album is really solid stuff -- "Yeah Yeah No No," "Free," "Hula Hoop," and "Coconut Icee" are fun tracks that would sound just as good on an LJ album for adults as they do here. The album is pretty much worth picking just for those 4 tracks.
2) Your mileage may vary when it comes to the first 2 tracks, "Freeze Dance" and "Baby DJ," and the last track, "It's All Goo." They are definitely more jokey, silly, and goofy in nature. I would not have sequenced the album in that way. Definitely for the younger kids -- you may tire of them.
But overall it's a fun album, recommended, especially those middle 4 tracks.
Artist: The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
Album: The Dirty Socks Come Clean
Age Range: 4 through 8
Description: New York's DSFB comes back with their third and most insane album yet. "Insane" is really a positive term here -- the album is nothing if not an audio soundtrack for the TV show the DSFB should really have (and have even produced some episodes for). Songs like "Robots from the 4th Dimension" and "Monster's Lullaby" have a silly theatricality that works well in audio-only form, but would be even better with visuals to go along with them. The power-pop is leavened with a great deal of humor, a lot courtesy of "Mr. Clown," whose duet with a very game Laurie Berkner on "We're In Love" is one of the album's highlights. This is an album where songs like "National Hiccup Day" are the rule and earnest songs like "Mama's Song" are the exception. You can stream the album here. The melodies here are nice, but if your family are fans of "Weird Al" Yankovic or other "funny song" artists, this'll be a great kindie transition. (And if those things make you cringe, well, then, this ain't for you.) Recommended.
Note: I was provided a copy of the album for possible review.
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