Hey! Yeah! Yay! - Cinema Cycle

Artist: Cinema Cycle

Album: Hey! Yeah! Yay! (Music for Parents and Kids)

Description: Nashville indie-pop for a good cause.  Cinema Cycle is Nashville musician David Arnold, with some help from others, and it's got a wonderful polyglot/Beck-ian sound reminiscent of the great Bunny Clogs.  Sometimes heartfelt, sometimes just danceable, and, heck, there's a song on the six-song EP about financial stress ("Broke as in Whoa").  All proceeds from the album's download will go towards finding a cure for ALS aka Lou Gehrig's Disease.  (Watch this video for more on the inspiration behind one of the songs.)

Source: Bandcamp

Assorted Tracks from The Okee Dokee Brothers

Artist: The Okee Dokee Brothers

Album: N/A

Description: Seven tracks selected from the Minnesota band's four albums, including three of the best tracks from their forthcoming Can You Canoe? CD/DVD, and one from the relatively unknown Spanish-language ¡Excelente Fabuloso!.

Source: Soundcloud

Can't Wait - Grenadilla

Artist: Grenadilla

Album: Can't Wait

Description: Sunny kwela-inflected kids' pop from the five-woman New York collective.  If you're able-bodied and you're not swinging along at some point, then you may in fact be a surly person.

Source: Bandcamp

The First Album - The Board of Education

Artist: The Board of Education

Album: The First Album (AKA their debut)

Description: As I said in my review of the album many years ago, it's for "that 9- to 12-year-old kid who's probably the smartest kid in class. School is the central part of their life, learning something so freakin' cool, even if the rest of the day doesn't quite measure up."  Also, it rocks.

Source: Bandcamp

Walk with Me - Little Miss Ann

Artist: Little Miss Ann

Album: Walk with Me

Description: Lo-fi rock meets upbeat vocals and lyrics on the Chicago artist's third album.  With support from Suzi Shelton and Charlie Hope.

Source: Bandcamp

Piñata Party - Moona Luna

Artist: Moona Luna

Album: Piñata Party

Description: Pop meets Alt-Latino (or Alt-Latina) meets Sesame Street meets (at least on one track) Dan Zanes

Source: Bandcamp / Zooglobble review

Songs For Learning - Future Hits

Artist: Future Hits

Album: Songs for Learning

Description: Chicago lo-fi alt-rock meets curriculum standards.  Features support from Chicago kindie stalwart Little Miss Ann and Chicago proto-producer Mark Greenberg.

Source: Bandcamp