It's Not Fair To Me - Bill Harley & Keith Munslow

Album: It's Not Fair To Me

Age Range: 5 through 10

Description: Let's see, an album featuring Harley and Munslow -- probably a somber, abstract, mostly instrumental album, right?

Of course not.

The two musicians have helped with each other's albums in the past, but this is the first featuring both of them equally. Most of the ten songs on the 34-minute album go for humor, if not broad (the title track, featuring some very funny banter between the two, "Copycat") then just in attitude ("My Eraser," an ode to, yes, an eraser). Their observations about squabbling siblings resonate because they're true to life generally (not just families. Harley and Munslow know their way through slightly older musical styles, exemplified best by "Give Me Back My Hat," a rollicking 12-bar blues and one of the album's highlights. The duo's enjoyment of the other's company is never more obvious than in the album closer, "Hideous Sweater." Give it to your kids' aunt or uncle -- they'll understand. Recommended.

Chocolalala - Mister G

Artist: Mister G

Album: Chocolalala

Age Range: 4 through 8

Description: After recording a handful of Spanish-language songs on his previous albums, the Massachusetts-based Mister G goes all-in on his 2012 album. The result is an album that gives his energetic folk-pop-rock a 90% Spanish spin. The title track's got a fun sing-along chorus (it's great live), while "Señorita Mariposa" gently sways along. Listen to the whole album here. For families seeking to expand their Spanish-language kids music collection, the album will definitely do so, but even those families who don't care about the album's bilingual basis will probably find a lot of the songs fit well in their daily kindie rotation. Recommended.

Note: I was given a copy of the album for possible review.

Puppy Dog Jig - Owen Duggan

Artist: Owen Duggan

Album: Puppy Dog Jig

Age Range: 1 through 5

Description: It's been a long time to wait for the follow-up kids' album from Texan Owen Duggan, nearly eight years since An Elephant Never Forgets. But here it is! And while the target audience for his first album has long since aged out of his demographic, there's a whole new preschool-aged crowd who can be introduced to Duggan's sweet, gentle voice and song selections. There are a bunch of animal-related songs, a mix of Duggan originals and covers, including, just as I'd requested eight years ago, a cover of "Puff the Magic Dragon." There is no sly humor targeted at the parents here, just child-focused folk music with touches of bluegrass, Celtic, and jazz. The 28-minute album isn't meant for the families look to RAWK, but for families looking for a Raffi old-school sound that isn't, you know, Raffi himself, Puppy Dog Jig is worth a listen. Recommended.

Note: I received a copy of this album for possible review.

The Colored Pencil Factory - Astrograss

Artist: Astrograss

Album: The Colored Pencil Factory

Age Range: 3 through 8

Description: There's not a lot of bluegrass available for kids, but Brooklyn-based band Astrograss flies the newgrass flag proudly. There are few traditional songs on the album ("Shortenin' Bread" and "Sail Away Ladies," to name a couple), but for the most part they're originals. Some are more traditional in their approach to their subject matter ("Playground"), but more of the originals are songs that meander into and out of wild Shel Silverstein-inspired territory (a sick kid wishing for a "Brand New Nose," dreaming of life in colors from "The Colored Pencil Factory"). Although the subjects are geared toward kids, the solos are every bit as complex as what you'd hear on albums targeted at adults.

The 49-minute album is most appropriate for kids ages 5 through 9. Recommended for bluegrass fans and for families looking for some variety in their daily diet of 3-minute kid-friendly pop-rock songs.

Raise a Ruckus - Hullabaloo

Artist: Hullabaloo

Album: Raise a Ruckus

Age Range: 3 to 7

Description: Hullabaloo has always taken a fairly low-key approach to its music on record, but over time Steve Denyes and Brendan Kremer have gradually widened the number of folks present in the studio so that it's a full band. For their 2012 album Raise a Ruckus , the duo brought in producer Tor Hyams and a number of guest musicians, including Lunch Money's Molly Ledford, Marcy Marxer, and Buck Howdy. The result is an album that retains the "organic, free range" folk-music feel that's always been essential to the band but opens up just enough stylistically to make it the most well-rounded release yet from them -- "My Eyes" is a refinement of Denyes' celebration of nature, while "Trash Is My Treasure" marries that natural sensibility to a silly celebration of seagulls -- it's a fine, fine song. The band's best album yet. Recommended.

Note: I received a copy of the album for possible review.

Shine and the Moonbeams - Shine and the Moonbeams

Artist: Shine and the Moonbeams

Album: Shine and the Moonbeams

Age Range : 4 through 10

Description: Most of what I wanted to say about the long-awaited debut album from the New York City band I said in my NPR review of the album, but I wanted reemphasize how happy that Shawana Kemp finally got her album out into the world. While it's not really the first R&B and soul album in kids music, it's the first that got the sometimes insular "kids music world" excited. And while it's the songs that deal with real-life social issues like bullying and self-respect that could give this album a long shelf life with schools and families, I'm also looking forward to sillier, groovier, jazzier songs along the lines of "Do You Ever Stop" and "Shake for Eight." Lots of fun, lets hope the success of this one makes the follow-up come out faster. Definitely recommended.

Note: I received a copy of this album for possible review.

Good Morning My Love - Vered

Artist: Vered

Album: Good Morning My Love

Age Range: 0 - 3

Description: The New York-based musician Vered tackles a mostly-overlooked niche -- original songs (not lullabies) for the very youngest kids. There are tons of albums for the 4-to-8-year-olds, or collections of traditional songs and lullabies, but Good Morning My Love is targeted directly at babies (and maybe young toddlers). Songs about exploring things orally ("Hands In My Mouth") or the desire to have parents nearby ("Don't Leave Me") speak to the developmental needs of the very young). Produced by fellow kindie musician and relative Jon Samson, there's a light, organic feel to the music (lots of a capella and hand/finger rhythms in addition to the occasional guitar, uke, and random real instrument), which is appropriate given that the hope is that the listener then sings these songs to his or her baby. (Listen to a sampler here.) These are fun songs, and while they're targeted at the very youngest set, some are catchy enough that parents (and kids) might remember a couple of them at the kindergarten swing set. Recommended.

You're Happier When You're Happy! - Boxtop Jenkins

Artist: Boxtop Jenkins

Album: You're Happier When You're Happy!

Age Range: 3 to 7

Description: If you're going to title your album "You're Happier When You're Happy," you darn well better deliver an album that makes listener happy (or happier). And on his debut, floppy-eared Boxtop Jenkins, the creation of singer-songwriter Franklin Bunn and producer Glenn Matullo, do indeed. "Wag More," featuring the Indigo Girls, from which the album title is cribbed, is a perfect dog-based attitude correction, while the take on "Five Little Monkeys" with Shawn Mullins enlivens a song that often gets boring long before that last monkey falls off the bed. The album covers a broad stylistic range (swing on "Swingin' Monkeys" or spooky on "Rattlin' Rattlin' Bones") but as you might expect from the presence of the Indigo Girls and Mullins, it hovers around an earthy folk-alt-rock sound. (Listen to the album here.) With Bunn currently living in Germany, it makes it hard for Boxtop to fully participate in the American kindie scene, but I know that he and Matullo are trying hard to get Boxtop in front of more North American ears. I hope they succeed, because this album could have a lot of fans. Recommended.