After you read the Family Man Recommends review of Debbie and Friends’ More Story Songs and Sing Alongs, check out this free download of the band’s “So So Happy.”
And, grab this coloring page for your young one, too.
It’s difficult to show as much appreciation for the joy family-music entertainers as I feel. It’s even more daunting to select just 10 of the best. But I’m confident that parents cannot go wrong with acquiring this list of fantastic recordings, which represents the finest albums I had a chance to sample. Congrats to the winners and a tip of my hat to the numerous other excellents albums released during the time period of November 1, 2008, to October 31, 2009. (Click on the album titles for full reviews where applicable.)
1. Milkshake - Great Day - The hearts, minds, and talents of this group were in the right place. So is their ranking on this list.
2. Billy Jonas - Happy Accidents - Waiting such a long time after What Kind of Cat Are You? could have been a diaster. It wasn’t.
3. The Sippy Cups - The Time Machine - Clever themes and fine musicianship make for a great time for all.
4. Peter Himmelman - My Trampoline - This guy’s the Pixar of music. A hit every time out.
5. They Might Be Giants - Here Comes Science - They’re making edu-tainment cool again.
6. Recess Monkey - Field Trip - They may have the deepest well of zany creativity of any trio out there.
7. Ziggy Marley - Family Time - Can I take some credit for this album after sharing a Piano Play classroom with Ziggy and his kid?
8. Lunch Money - Dizzy - One of my favorite surpises of the year.
9. Captain Bogg & Salty - Emphatical Piratical - How do they keep making the priate theme so fresh and well seasoned?
10. Buck Howdy - Pete Seeger Tribute - It sounds like Buck is singing these timeless tunes just to your kid.
For the third time, I joined the Fids and Kamily - Kids and Family Music Awards, run by Stefan Shepard of the Zooglobble family music blog. To be eligible, albums had to be released during the period of November 1, 2008, to October 31, 2009. A stellar group of family music critics, ranging from Gwyneth Buter of Gooney Bird Kids to Robbie Schaefer of Sirius/XM Radio (the Kid Place Live channel) each sent in their 10 favorite picks. This year, the They Might Be Giants snagged the #1 poistion, followed by Lunch Money. Get the entire poll and read about the runners-up and everyone else who was nominated.
And watch for the fourth annual Family Man Recommends list of the year’s best albums to be posted in January.
Decades after we last ran between high-school classes and around the campus track and field, Jeremy Toback sent me an e-mail to say hello and talk about our common interest of family music. Jeremy’s been performing and recording for many years, but he’s never sounded so good as on his newest album, C’mon (a review of which will appear on this site in a coupla weeks). In the meantime, check out this free song to hear what makes the duo of Renee and Jeremy such a warm and vibrant treat for the early holiday season.
I’ve already revealed my fatherly adoration for Peter Himmelman in the review I did for his My Green Kite album. It’s not like I need to run down all the singer-songwriter’s accomplishments, such as his long career as a performer for grown-ups, his film and TV scoring (i.e., the show Bones, his entertaining Web site and the five family recordings — including his new My Trampoline on the aptly named Minivan record label. So, I’ll let the singer-songwriter do some talking for himself.
FM: What kind of grown man writes songs about African leopard tortoises and pinheads?
PH: I guess you could say that I’m a man who, for better or worse, is way tapped into to his seven-year-old self. Turtle wise: I love my tortoise as much as any man has ever loved a reptile. He’s wise, gentle and extremely big on patience, which is something I’ve discovered is important. As for the pinhead thing…it’s what my wife calls me (in the most tender way I might
add) when she compares the size of my head to my 19 year old son’s.
FM: What’s different or particularly outstanding about this bouncy new album of yours compared to your previous family-friendly discs?
PH: Oh, that question. It’s for the marketing department. My honest answer is that there’s nothing inherently unique about this record. No special new formula. No laboratory tested techniques on display. Just a continuation of the themes of wonder that I will most likely keep pursuing for a long time.
FM: In your live shows, you improvise songs with children’s names and random concepts. Is this talent the impetus for writing music for kids?
PH: No, I’d say that talent (which is partly innate and partly developed), has served me well in almost everything I do — from fatherhood, to being a husband, to my life as a creator in general. Notice I didn’t use a capital C in creator…
FM: How does making music for kids differ from making tunes for adults?
PH: The only real difference is the context from which I’m writing. With kids for example, I’d never write a song about losing a woman or a too high tax bill — these kinds of things are just outside of the experience of a kid and they’d go right by them just as if I were reciting a terse poem to you in Pashtun…which I assume you don’t speak.
FM: What do your children think of your music?
PH: It’s funny how uninterested they’ve always seemed. It’s as though I were an accountant who’s been crunching numbers at his desk after dinner. Making music is just something I’ve always done since they were babies. But, to be more reflective, I happen to know that they are all very proud and inspired to have been raised in a loving home where their father has been doing something rather daring and interesting.
FM: How has family music changed from the time you were a child…assuming you really are a grown-up?
PH: Oh I’m grown up all right. It’s just that at 49, I can’t (or refuse) to forget age 6 or 10 or 25. As far as the family music business or the adult music business goes, I’ve always been a bit outside of what goes on. I do remember some wonderful music by a the Animals, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, even Burl Ives and Mitch Miller that I enjoyed a lot as a kid.
FM: Who are some of your favorite musicians, classic to contemporary?
PH: Stravinsky, Debussy, Miles Davis, Pete Seeger, Mel Torme, Thelonius Monk, Bob Marley, JJ Cale, The Monkees, Woody Guthrie, Fats Domino, John Lee Hooker… and The Guess Who.
FM: What’s the best way to turn young people on to playing music and being open to listening to different artists?
PH: Keep them off network television, keep them tuned into Pandora radio, bring home new recordings for them to listen to, and open up yourself to new sounds and musical experiences.
*****
For more about Peter Himmelman, listen to/visit his podcast/blog at Furious World, go to his Web site, and be sure to read the review of My Trampoline.
Since its inaugural staging in 2005 as part of the Lollapalooza Festival, the celebration of music and interactive activities has shown that family music can be the glue for three days of dancing, singing, and bonding. This year’s event will run on August 7, 8, and 9 at Chicago’s Grant Park.
Tor Hyams, who co-founded Kidzapalooza with Perry Farrell, took time from a whirlwind schedule of performing, producing, and parenting to talk about the festival.
FM: How did Kidzapalooza come about?
TH: I had just finished writing and producing my first “family music” album, A World of Happiness. Gary Oldman suggested he would direct a music video from the album. We chose the song “The Patience Bossa,” which was sung by Perry Farrell and Deborah Harry. Next thing you know, we’re on the set of the music video and I saw Perry furiously typing on his Blackberry. When I inquired, he told me he was talking to bands about that year’s Lollapalooza. Then I exclaimed, “Kidzapalooza!” It just popped out of my head without any real idea behind it, but Perry said, “What’s that?” I then spent about a week putting together the concept. A couple of months later, Perry called me out of the blue and asked if I had ever written anything up as he was about to meet with his new financier for Chicago and wanted to see if Kidzapalooza could be included. His investors loved it and we launched it in 2005 with the “new” Lollapalooza in Chicago.
FM: Why did you think adults would be interested in a day of family music?
TH: Adults love it. I have been told by many Chicago parents that they end up having even more fun than their kids. Perry and I have constructed the event to be appealing for families so it’s all about creation. Kids create music and art with their parents so it’s inclusive. It’s truly a family experience. In fact, the main conceit for the fest in the first place was sired out of the frustration Perry and I both felt for kids’ events in Los Angeles. I always found myself looking at my watch when taking my daughter to events, mostly because kids’ events are made for, well, kids. Kidzapalooza is about an immersive family experience.
FM: What else besides music will be going on there?
TH: We have a slew of activities, from the School of Rock Jam tent and the Hip Hop Workshop to breakdancing lessons and an exploration of the fine arts.
FM: Do you make family music? How is it different from making grown-up songs?
TH: My first family project was A World of Happiness, which I wrote and produced. It was the property that launched a thousand ships. Since I am a record producer, I have now produced several more projects, including the band Jambo, Milkshake, and the band Lunch Money. I make family music because I have to. For me, it’s one of the only genres that is wildly untapped and filled with potential. I feel like I am at the birth of jazz when everything was new.
FM: What do you think kids look for in music today? What tickles their fancy?
TH: Simply, it just has to be good. It’s what we all look for, something that moves us emotionally, makes us want to dance or is just plain fun. Family music has legitimized us all. It’s proof that parents and kids alike can appreciate the same music at the same time. It has evolved in the sense that family music can be genuine rock-n-roll or jazz or whatever as long as it’s not patronizing, not talking down, but rather “falling up” the hill of authenticity.
FM: Why Chicago? Do you have plans to stage the concert in other cities?
TH: It is where Lollapalooza takes place every Summer. We are blessed to be nestled within the confines of the larger festival. It’ s really great for families because kids 10 and under get in free.
FM: How hip do you have to be to be part of the festival? What are the criteria for bands to make the bill? Do they have to be bestselling artists?
TH: You don’t have to be hip at all. In fact, we discourage hip. It’s an affectation and there’s very little room for affectation amidst a festival that preaches truth. The criteria for bands are as simple as they just have to rock. I don’t care if they have press or a big following. They need to be excellent musicians, charismatic performers and, most of all, truly care about family.
FM: Do you have acts you feel are particularly outstanding for people to pay attention to?
TH: Secret Agent 23 Skidoo is the best hip hop artist for families on the planet. Lunch Money is a breath of fresh air for anyone. Francis England is a beautiful singer from San Francisco. Ralph’s World is, well, in the history books! There are so many. I could list bands for days
FM: What do you think parents should do to make music more prominent in their children’s lives?
TH: Just play it more often. I grew up listening to my mother’s jazz records so I grew up as a jazz piano player and singer. She never forced me to take lessons (which I probably would have resisted as most kids do). She just put great music out there for me to discover. That’s the key. If we allow our children to discover it for themselves, the music will do all the parenting work for us.
The other thing parents can do is try making music with their children. If both parent and child are learning something together, the lessons become much more powerful and the skills we acquire will be remembered forever. Our children are a mirror of us parents. We do and they copy. If you play an instrument, have a sing-a-long night. Your kids might resist at first, but I guarantee you they will be mushy very soon.
*****
The full lineup of performers for Kidzapalooza includes, Care Bears on Fire, Frances England, Zach Gill, Lunch Money, Yuto Miyazawa, Paul Green’s School of Rock All Stars, Perry Farrell, Peter DiStefano & Tor Hyams, The Q Brothers, Quinn Sullivan, Ralph’s World, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo. A number of special guests will be showing up as well.
“Let the Sunshine In” is a concert in San Francisco to be held this Monday (May 25) that exhibits the power of a community to help young people in need. The musical extravaganza honors Christopher (Chris) Rodriguez, an 11-year-old Oakland boy who was in the midst of a piano lesson when he was hit by a stray bullet and paralyzed from the waist down. Produced by musician-producer extraordinaire Narada Michael Walden, the event will feature Sting, Bob Weir, the Narada Michael Walden Band, and other new and established musicians. Proceeds from the concert will go to the Narada Michael Walden Foundation, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music scholarship fund, and music education programs in the Bay Area. If you live in the Bay Area or happen to be visiting San Francisco, check out this benefit concert to be held in Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall.
With my own kids starting to be really critical of the choices I make for the top albums of the year, the pressure was almost too much this time around. Add to that the bounty of ambitious and crowd-pleasing CDs in the kid music marketplace and the choices were almost painful make. But weather the stress I did and the result is the third annual Family Man Recommends list of the year’s top 10 family albums! Congratulations to the finalists and kudos to the many other fine albums that graced our ears. (Click on the album titles for full reviews on most of the titles.)
1. Gunnar Madsen - I’m Growing - So original and so in tune with the humor of kids while sporting superb songwriting.
2. Laurie Berkner Band - Rocketship Run - Berkner’s new one is a joyous romp.
3. Medeski Martin and Wood - Let’s Go Everywhere - Score one for being both cool and kid friendly.
4. Ellis Paul - The Dragonfly Races - Transcendent kid-folk music. Great voice.
5. Barenaked Ladies - Snacktime - This CD is all kinds of happy from the zany Canadians.
6. Recess Monkey - Tabby Road - A clever follow-up to their debut, which placed #2 on my list last year.
7. Trout Fishing in America - Big Round World - They’ve never lost their inner child, even after so many recordings.
8. Dan Zanes - Nueva York - Zanes is kindie rock royalty and this celebration of Latino music shows that he never lets his crown rest easy. Lucky us.
9. The Terrible Twos - Jerzy the Giant - A worthy sophomore effort from one of the premiere alt-rock acts for kids.
10. Frances England - Family Tree - With her gentle folk-rock sound and sweetly rendered lyrics have made England a darling of critics and preschoolers.
Among the great groups and albums that deserve honorable mention are They Might Be Giants (Here Come to the 123s), Justin Roberts (Pop Fly), Danielle Sansone (Two Flowers), Buck Howdy with BB (Around the Campfire), Brady Rymer (Here Comes Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could), Bill Harley (Yes to Running!), Daddy A Go Go (Rock of All Ages), Randy Kaplan (Loquat Rooftop). ScribbleMonster (Songs With No Character), Lisa Loeb (Camp Lisa), and Secret Agent 23 Skiddo (Easy).
If you’re looking to purchase any of these albums, I highly recommend the PokeyPup.com, the most dedicated family music store in the galaxy.
With the winter holidays in progress, here’s something that comes in a small, free package. Charity and Jam Band delivers a sweet and languid version of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” as a free download off their Web site. The new recording is part of the group’s new Song of the Month offerings and marks a happy return of a recording artist whose last album earned numerous accolades, including the Family Man Recommends title of album of the year for 2006. Welcome back Charity and the Jam Band and Happy Holidays to everyone!
Stefan Shepard of the Zooglobble family music blog invited me to join in on the fun of voting for the 2008 Fids and Kamily poll. To be eligible, albums had to be released during the period of November 1, 2007, to October 31, 2008. Twenty-two family music critics, ranging from Bill Childs of Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child to Sienna Wildfield of Hilltown Families, each sent in their 10 favorite picks. This year, the consistently bright and catchy tunes of Justin Roberts earned him the overall top spot in the poll with folk-pop weaver Frances England snagging rung number two. Get the full poll for yourself and read about the wonderful runners-up as well.
And watch for the third annual Family Man Recommends list of the year’s best albums to be posted in January.
