Sunny days…

By Bill Childs

Fire up the grill, get a pick-up soccer game going, hook up the outdoor speakers, and blast these summer family favorites.

Sunny days…

By Bill Childs

Fire up the grill, get a pick-up soccer game going, hook up the outdoor speakers, and blast these summer family favorites.

Shall we rock a bit? Yes, we shall

By Bill Childs

This month, let’s look at some music that’s just good straight ahead rock for kids. It’s not, to be clear, all headbanging, and some of the CDs below are certainly varied in styles, but these folks set out to make various flavors of rock records, and that’s what they did.

Photo courtesy of Lunch Money

South Carolina-based Lunch Money plays melodic, expressive pop music beloved by kids and adults.

Kid music: Great music for getting moving

By Bill Childs

It's the depths of winter, and my inclination is to curl up on the sofa and moan piteously until spring. But that's not good for us, nor for our kids, so this month, some brand new music that will get you — and them — up and dancing.

Photo courtesy of Justin Roberts

Justin Roberts plays poppy alt-rock for kids and parents.

Kid music: The best of 2008

By Bill Childs

1. Here Come the 123s — They Might Be Giants
On their third CD for kids, TMBG continued what made their first two essential listening: a combination of hook-filled music with lyrics that will get parents and kids cracking up. Here Come the 123s is not really intended as an educational CD, and that's good — instead, it's pure entertainment.
TheyMightBeGiants.com

Photo courtesy of Randy Kaplan

Randy Kaplan sings covers and quirky originals about Asian fruit.

Kid music: Music to give by

By Bill Childs

The winter holidays are sneaking up on you. (Honest, they are. Look around the corner. Boo! There they are.) And you probably haven’t finished shopping. The best thing about giving your kids music — at least good music — is, of course, that you get to listen to it, too, and it won’t be broken and in the corner within a few days. Unless you’re really clumsy with your CDs, in which case you probably shouldn’t even be reading this; you might get hurt.

Anyway. This month, I’m showcasing some good CDs for your kids, your friends’ kids, your nieces and nephews, and so on:

Photo by C. Taylor Crothers

They Might Be Giants delight kids and parents.

Kid music: Back to the tried and true

By Bill Childs

In recent months, I realize this column has focused on new releases, especially folks exploring new genres for kids’ music or pushing in new directions. This month, I’m shifting gears. Instead of the bright and shiny CDs, let’s look at the beat-up ones, where the jewel case is cracked and the liner note booklet is worn or outright missing. We go to these releases week in and week out for the radio show, and you could do a lot worse than using them to form a foundation for your kids’ music collection.

Dan Zanes & Friends: Rocket Ship Beach — Any current discussion of family music is required (if not by law, then by good judgment) to talk about Dan Zanes, and this 2000 release — his first for kids — is where it all got started. In a recent New York Times piece, John Flansburgh (of They Might Be Giants) called Zanes’s later Catch That Train “shockingly good,” and that was my reaction on first hearing Rocket Ship Beach, too, about a year after my daughter was born. It’s got all the ingredients that Zanes continues today to develop: a great band, savvy guest spots (here Sheryl Crow and Suzanne Vega), a good blend of familiar covers and instantly familiar originals, and gentle humor. DanZanes.com

They Might Be Giants: No! — Speaking of TMBG, this release from 2002 was their first, and probably most eclectic, kids’ release. While their subsequent releases (Here Come the ABCs and Here Come the 123s) were themed, albeit sometimes loosely, this one wanders more, from the slightly creepy (“Robot Parade” and “The Edison Museum”) to almost traditional (“Clap Your Hands” and “In the Middle, In the Middle, In the Middle”) to the just weird but still engaging (“I Am a Grocery Bag,” “Violin”). TMBG.com

Photo by Jeff Wasilko

The Nields sisters

Kid music: New to the carpool canon

By Bill Childs

As you read this, you’re probably getting ready to send your kids back to school (or possibly to school for the first time). If gas prices are affecting you the way they are us, that probably means more carpooling. And nothing helps the carpool like good music. (As an aside, the free podcast of the Radio Adventures of Doctor Floyd, at DoctorFloyd.com, is an utter hoot for all ages, but only airs about 10 minutes a week. You need more than that, and so the music below will help.)

Me 3 — The Thin King: Indie violinist, violist, and fiddler Jason Kleinberg, the main force behind Me 3, pitches the CD as “‘Yellow Submarine’ for the post-grunge era,” but I’d identify it as more of a combination of Jonathan Richman and Jack Johnson. The breezy CD has catchy melodies and lyrics that kids will relate to (in “Tulip,” he describes the titular flower as being “as pretty as my mom”), and some gentle irony-free humor (most notably in the trilogy of “Short Song,” “Shorter Song,” and “Shortest Song,” and the quirky “Spork”). The performances are just loose enough to feel welcoming but not sloppy, and Kleinberg’s voice is similarly accessible and warm, but it never feels like he’s singing down to the audience. And I haven’t heard better whistling recently than on “I Don’t Know.” Me3Music.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL HARLEY

Bill Harley tells funny stories for adults on NPR’s ‘All Things Considered’ and funny stories in song for kids on his album ‘Yes to Running.’

Kid music

By Bill Childs

CDs aimed at kids are rarely what the industry calls “high concept” — that is, with a Big Theme running throughout or a clever idea at their core. Sure, you occasionally get the food-themed record or the alphabet/number collections, but rarely anything more than that. This month, we’re featuring a few releases that break the mold and, mostly, do it well.

Sesame Street Playground: There’s no better concept yet this year: “Sesame Street” songs from around the world, plus a DVD with a handful of videos from international editions of the essential kids’ series. And Putumayo pulls it off, from the Dutch opening to a Chinese “Rubber Duckie” to a French “La Chanson de l’Amité” that sounds exactly as French as you’d hope, to the driving Israeli “En Den Dino.” It’s not perfect — I can think of a lot of U.S. songs I’d put ahead of “Elmo’s Song” to represent the domestic version of the show — but the highs easily outweigh the lows. (And I probably just resent Elmo, coming as he did after I was done with the show. Like Scrappy on “Scooby Doo” — can’t stand him either.) The DVD just adds to the fun, giving kids a look at what “Sesame Street” is like overseas. Putumayo.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF KRISTA EYLER

Krista Eyler is one funky mama.

Women who rock

By Bill Childs

In the rock-and-roll boys’ club, women are making strides playing for kids.

The world of rock has long been considered a boys’ club. While that’s been changing over the past 20 years or so, it’s still disproportionately male — as of this writing, seven of the top 10 on Billboard’s rock charts are from men or male-led groups. Happily, there are real efforts to do more, from the terrific rock camps for girls to lots of bands made up of kids
featuring girls.

Joel Derbas

Jim McAllister, Daniel Boone Daniel, and Alan Selvedge are the Deep Fried Pickle Project, whose “Pickle Juice” makes a hilarious start to the Ditties for Kiddies compilation CD.

Compilation junction, what's your function?

By Bill Childs

Rocking in the summertime

By Bill Childs

Be really good at what you do

By Bill Childs

Photo courtesy of Frances England

No slumps here

By Bill Childs

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEDESKI, MARTIN, AND WOOD

Parents love Medeski, Martin, and Wood’s improvisational jazz and funk. Kids will love, well, their improvisational jazz and funk.

Family boogie

By Bill Childs

Top 10

By Bill Childs

Confound expectations

By Bill Childs

Give indie kids rock as gifts

Hey! You got kids' music in my huge rock festival!

By Bill Childs

The Texas duo Telephone Company turn out low-fi, hilarious music.

What's so funny?

By Bill Childs

Music DVDs that won't rot your kids' brains (much)

By Bill Childs

Shiny new music

By Bill Childs

Most months, I come up with some sort of theme for this column, even if it's a bit of a stretch ("This month: all records released by artists with the letter 'm' in their names!"). This month, though, I looked at what I wanted to tell you about, and couldn't come up with a single unifying idea, except that it's all a lot of great new music. So let's get right to it.

Renee & Jeremy: It's a Big World! This record is flat-out gorgeous. At the time they recorded it, Renee (Stahl) was pregnant with her first child, and Jeremy (Toback) had a 1-year-old, and the music has that utter awe so common with early parents, never more obvious than on the lead-off track "Miracle." And sometimes that simple and pure joy is what you want, especially in what is in most cases a low-key (and low-fi)

Compilations worth the bother

By Bill Childs

Pity the underachieving compilation CD.

To do so, you may find it helpful to first anthropomorphize the underachieving compilation CD - perhaps imagine it with arms, legs, and a little CD face. Done? Now, pity it. Well done.

You know the CD I'm talking about. You're digging through the used bin and you come across it - a clever name, perhaps, and maybe a worthwhile beneficiary - say, the International Association to Reduce Moderate Irritability in Gym Teachers. You dig some of the artists, haven't heard of others, and figure you might as well give it a try. You buy it, put it in the CD player, frown vaguely, and never listen again.

The problem with most compilation CDs is that they're filled with leftover tracks, the ones that weren't good enough to even be the filler

The fish are jumpin' and the music is rockin'

By BILL CHILDS

As I write this, we're only a week or so out from what I hope was our last snowfall. Today promises to be a lovely spring day, with hints of actual summer around the corner. And so my thoughts turn to the music of summer.

I don't mean music about summer - that exists, certainly, but often ends up feeling forced ("You will cheerfully frolic outside if you know what's good for you!") - but CDs that feel like summer, the ones you listen to with the car windows down or on your porch while you curse your landlord for the broken air conditioning. Think back, and you'll know what I'm talking about. For me, the category runs from the Replacements and Us 3 to, for this summer, the Hold Steady and Fountains of Wayne.

The good news is that there's summer music for kids, too. Below, a

Kids' music goes global

By BILL CHILDS

Dan Zanes caused a stir a few months ago by noting the overwhelming whiteness of a particular national parenting magazine. (I won't mention which magazine because the criticism is pretty fairly addressed to almost any of them.) His point, which is a sound one, is that a "healthy, inclusive, celebratory society is, I think, where the music flourishes." Well said, Mr. Zanes.

Think for a moment about your local record store's kids' section (pretend you have one and it has more to offer than four copies of The Hamster Dance). I bet it's filled with tremendously diverse styles of music - played mostly by white musicians.

So, this month, I'll highlight a handful of the many, many great modern artists of color.

Putumayo Records: Any discussion of world music for kids has to

Family-friendly as folk
(and bluegrass, and so on)

By BILL CHILDS

In my last column, I talked about how to bring rock to your kids, and featured rock music for kids performed by bands who actually listen to rock music. And I hope you have a sore neck from (carefully) banging your collective heads.

"But Bill!" you protest. "Billy Bob! Billiam! Billy Budd! Dollar Bill! What about music for those of us who fear the distortion pedal or, indeed, any instruments that plug in? What about some bands for those of us who still haven't forgiven Dylan for going electric?"

Have no fear, my pre-Newport-1965 friends. If you'll cut it out with the Herman-Melville-inspired nicknames, I'll hook you up.

Asylum Street Spankers: Mommy Says No! The Asylum Street Spankers, out of Austin, Texas, are generally not a band for kids. But their

For those about to rock

By BILL CHILDS

One of the frustrating things about listening to a lot of kids' music is the ubiquitous faux rock song on far too many records. Typically, the number will open with something that resembles an actual rock drum beat, then there will be quasi-distorted guitar wonking that wants to be rock music, and then the band chimes in with a "Whoo!" or "Yeah!" here and there. Confidential note to musicians: a randomly placed "Whoo!" or "Yeah!" does not by itself create a credible rock song.

This introductory material is all just as convincing as the rock 'n' roll grit of Sha Na Na at Woodstock. I always feel like what I'm about to hear is the product of some sort of How to Write a Rock Song for Dummies book, and it'd be more at home at a Lutheran potluck or played 14 times daily at ValleyFair!

The Fids & Kamily Awards: THE GIRLS' FAVORITES

By BILL CHILDS

Last month, I talked about some of the winners of the Fids & Kamily poll (FidsAndKamily.com) that I helped put together, focusing on the artists that seem to resonate the most with my son Liam. This month, let's take a look at the favorites of my daughter Ella. As with last month, they're all great for girls or boys. Your mileage may vary. Here they are, with their rankings in the poll indicated:

2. Elizabeth Mitchell - You Are My Little Bird The latest kids' album from Mitchell (of the grown-up band Ida) doesn't break any huge new ground over her previous records, and that's just fine. These are intimate, warm, and more or less perfect songs. The addition of her daughter singing just adds shivers (good shivers). Her cover of Lou Reed's "What Goes On" is exactly right, and

The Fids & Kamily Awards:
THE BOYS' FAVORITES

By BILL CHILDS

As you've probably noticed, this month's Minnesota Parent is all about boys; next month, we'll be all about girls. By a happy coincidence, I have my own very small focus group, with soon-to-be-5 Liam and pretty-soon-to-be-8 Ella. And, since I'm a co-founder of the Fids and Kamily Awards (along with two family-music bloggers: Stefan Shepard of Zooglobble.com and Amy Davis of TheLovelyMrsDavis.com), I thought it would be fun to use my next two articles to explore the Awards, based on votes from family-music critics, writers, radio programmers, and such, first with an eye toward boys, and then toward girls. This month, then, I'll focus on the music I've noticed resonates with Liam. (Of course, all the Fids and Kamily choices are actually great for boys or girls.) The numbers here

HONEST, I READ TO MY KIDS, TOO

By BILL CHILDS

Kids' music takes up an ever-growing chunk of my family life - enough that sometimes I feel compelled to tell friends and others that our kids spend a lot of time doing things other than listening to music and responding to my incessant questions about whether they like a particular album.

Fear not: the Childs children are not destined to be illiterate record store clerks. (My 7-year-old, Ella, was recently witnessed reading while roller skating. She will, no doubt, be a highly literate record store clerk.) We read a lot, and we've found some terrific book/music combinations. Here are a few of our picks:

ScribbleMonster/ScribbleBooks (ScribbleMonster.com):ScribbleMonster (the band) is headed by James Dague (aka ScribbleJim), a Chicago-scene veteran who also plays in

You say it's your birthday? Um, well, here's a CD

By BILL CHILDS

In September, I wrote about a bunch of Brooklyn-based kids' artists, ranging from (relatively) huge stars like They Might Be Giants (TMBG)to indie family artists like the Deedle Deedle Dees. And, not surprisingly, I think they're all pretty great. But some of them might be a little bit too esoteric - not to you, understand, because you are undoubtedly a sophisticated hipster who listens to, and loves, Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music. But your kids probably have some friends who could use a gentler introduction to non-Barney, non-Wiggles, good kids' music.

So this month, I'd like to suggest some albums that are creative, original, varied, and also immediately accessible. Let's be clear - this music isn't boring in the least, and "accessible" doesn't mean "saccharine." Instead,

No nap 'til Brooklyn!

By BILL CHILDS

When thinking about kid-appropriate music, few parents think, "More music from Brooklyn, that's what we need!" Especially in Minnesota, since such sentiments might trigger thoughts of the dreaded Yankees.

But here I am, and I'm here to tell you: Music-wise, Brooklyn's got it going on. It's hard to say why. Is it just part of the more general hipsterization of the borough? Some side effect of Coney Island and its rapidly departing vibe? The simple fact that if you've got 2.6 million people, some of them will probably create good tunes for kids?

Who knows - but if you check out these artists, you'll have to agree that you can flush Disney Radio and just hang out by the Williamsburg Bridge. Listed in order from best-known to show-your-friends-how-cool-you-are:

They