Sneaking in toward the end of 2008 is the fourth family-oriented release from the upstate New York trio that’s been playing together since 1999. I’m new to the band, but felt compelled to check out the tunes from a group whose eccentric take on kids’ music leads them to name themselves after a physiological improbability.
This latest collection has made me a fan. Dean Jones (guitar, trombone, vocals), John Hughes (bass, guitar, vocals), and Chris Cullo (drums, cymbals) mix in all kinds of exotic sounds -- including musical saws, piccolo, and Udu drums – on music that makes you dream and dance. Among the disc’s numbers are the jazzy, global-music suffused title track, the spacey and imaginative “Where Would You Fly,” and the Calypso swaying “Sittin’ in the Fields.” Every musical turn Dog on Fleas takes is one you haven’t made before, especially on their more danceable tracks, such as “Star Tonight” and “Do You Wanna Know My New Dance Step.”
Frances England and others guest star on Beautiful World, helping to make this is a welcome, offbeat way to bring in the New Year of listening with your kids.
