Share: "Sing-a-Long With Lloyd, Vol. 1" - Lloyd Miller of the Deedle Deedle Dees

Here's a nice early Christmas (or late Hanukkah) present -- a free album from Lloyd Miller of New York's Deedle Deedle Dees. It's a bunch of recordings from Miller's community sing-a-longs in Brooklyn this November. They're chaotic, and I'm pretty sure that if he'd have done this in December (or January, or June) it would've sounded different. They're also lots of fun (who wouldn't to sing along with the version of "Wheels on the Bus"?), and I don't think that changes from month to month. Pick it up here for the price of an e-mail, or just stream it below.

A Very Brooklyn Hanukkah

No sooner than I suggest that there wasn't much in the way of new Hanukkah music than I'm reminded of a couple YouTube videos and another song is released. Both releases, as it happens, come from Brooklyn and from folks who are, I'm pretty sure, not Jewish. But I think you'll like 'em regardless of whether you (or they) are lighting the menorah the week.

First up is Dan Zanes, who recorded a new track, "Ner Li" with collaborators Rob Friedman and Sonia De Los Santos. It's a Hanukkah song that Wikipedia reports as being popular in Israel. Zanes' version is characteristically lovely. Download it here.

Second up is Lloyd Miller from the Deedle Deedle Dees. He offers up another couple traditional tunes on his YouTube channel. Simple, but fun.

Lloyd Miller - "Oh Hanukkah!" [YouTube]

Lloyd's other video after the jump...
I love the way Miller sorta turns this into a country song.

Lloyd Miller - "The Dreidel Song" [YouTube]

The Ketchup Report, Vol. 2

I optimistically titled my first attempt at a generic roundup of Volume 1, but, hey, here's Volume 2! All the news too small for its own post, super-sized for you.

-- As previously noted, Tor Hyams was developing a new podcast and the first episode of Kindiecast premiered last weekend. Thirty minutes, 8 songs -- stream or download it here. (And today the website notes that Recess Monkey has another batch of songs ready to go, but those guys write songs in their sleep, I think.) Anyways, iTunes podcasting will be happening shortly...

-- Speaking of Hyams, Frances England's Mind of My Own (produced by Hyams) is released Nov. 9th and she's got a lot of new stuff associated with the release. This weekend she's got a new show on Sirius-XM's Kids Place Live (check there for details), she's selling artwork, and, while I have a vague memory that Frances told me about these "Creative Family Challenges" contests, the first one is now here and embedded below:

-- Speaking of upcoming albums, The Baby Grands release their new album The Baby Grands II on Nov. 16, and today only they're running a deal on Plum District's Atlanta site to get that and their debut album for just $9 plus shipping... I like the creative thinking on getting their music out in front of a wide audience...

-- To complete the upcoming album trifecta, The Boogers' second album Let's Go! comes out Nov. 23rd and they're letting you have one of the energetic album's best tracks, "Otto's Orange Day," for the price of an e-mail address. Go here to grab it.

-- The Deedle Deedle Dees' Lloyd Miller will be recording his November sing-a-alongs in Brooklyn for a new album to be released soon. For free. Woot!

-- Gustafer Yellowgold has a blog. Yes, a blog.

Live Video: "Sojourner Truth" - Deedle Deedle Dees / Dean Jones

I know, I already mentioned the Elizabeth Mitchell / Frances England release concert for the release of Many Hands: Family Music for Haiti. But the Boston-area show last weekend, featuring The Deedle Deedle Dees (and a bunch of other folks), featured another collaboration -- the aforementioned Dees along with Many Hands creator/producer Dean Jones on trombone for their unrecorded (though couple years-old) tune "Sojourner Truth." Good stuff.

The Deedle Deedle Dees with Dean Jones - "Sojourner Truth" [YouTube]

Following the jump, another tune from the show, a raved-up (relatively) version of a track from the Dees' latest album, plus their contribution to Many Hands
The Deedle Deedle Dees - "Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga" [YouTube]

The Deedle Deedle Dees - "Zora" [YouTube]

Video: "Major Deegan" - Lloyd Miller (The Deedle Deedle Dees)

First the Deedle Deedle Dees' Lloyd Miller breaks down the financial life of a kids musician, and then he starts up not one but two YouTube channels. (He's so busy he's apparently auditioning for the role of the next Dan Zanes.)

One channel, titled The Lloyd Lloyd Lloyd (ha!), features songs he's co-written with students in his wife's class, but it's the other that's really of interest here, and that's Sing Along with Lloyd. It showcases Miller singing tunes from his weekly sing-alongs. It's 75% Dees-less, and it's just him, his guitar, and a Flip camcorder (hey, those things are great), but it's nice to hear his interpretations of Dees classics and traditional tunes. For parents or early education professionals who might wonder how to spice up songs you might have sung (or heard) dozens of times, Miller's got some fun ideas. And he's not averse to spur of the moment changes of plans -- see the video after the jump for proof. More is coming, Miller promises.

Anyway, I have always loved this song, even though I've never been caught in any of the traffic he sings of. So I have to post it.

Lloyd Miller (The Deedle Deedle Dees) - "Major Deegan" [YouTube]

A more traditional tune or two after the jump.
Lloyd Miller (The Deedle Deedle Dees) - "O Susanna" [YouTube]

Lloyd Miller (The Deedle Deedle Dees) - "The Wheels on the Bus" [YouTube]