You Are My Something Something

News from Elizabeth Mitchell that she's spending the rest of 2007 finishing her next children's music album. "If you have any song suggestions, now is the time to let us know," Mitchell says. (For the lazy among you, that address is: mail AT youaremyflower DOT org.) If it's half as good as any in her You Are My... trilogy, it should be great.

And for those of you around New York City next weekend, Mitchell is playing Symphony Space November 10. How is that different from any of her other shows? Well, Mitchell's Catch the Moon compatriot Lisa Loeb and Laurie Berkner partner-in-crime Susie Lampert will be joining in on the fun. Admit it, those harmonies might be sweet.

Listen To This: Rowland's Ramblin' Family Band

I've written before about the slight conflict I feel when hearing new stuff -- keep it secret until it's ready to be unleashed upon the world or let everybody know, right away? I almost always err on the side of sharing (it's in my mission, duh) and so that's what I'm doing here.

Go forth right now and listen to the 4 songs posted on the Myspace page of Brooklyn's Rowland's Ramblin' Family Band. It's a very rootsy/folk blend of original and traditional songs, some written for kids, others merely kid-friendly. The songs come from a home-recorded EP that guitarist Chris Mills admits sounds a little rough around the edges, but the songwriting and solid musicianship come through. (A couple band members are also in Bloodshot Records' The Silos.)

The song you're mostly likely to hear when you get to the page is the raggedy and sprightly "The Lemon Drop," but make sure you also listen to the lullaby "Little Dreamer." It's the last track that gave me the most Band-like vibe. Which makes it not-too-surprising to hear that they're playing this Saturday's Kid's Ramble with Levon Helm. Heady company for a band who only just posted songs to their Myspace page yesterday.

Fans of Dan Zanes, Dog on Fleas, the Hollow Trees, and Session Americana should especially check them out...

Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang Doin' Their Part to Eliminate East Coast Bias

I tend not to report on single-artist tours, but a note from Gwendolyn of Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang made me realize that we're starting to see more cross-country tours here. I mean, sure, Dan Zanes is like the Bob Dylan of kids' music, playing anywhere they'll have him, and Ralph's World and Justin Roberts are racking up the frequent flyer miles, too. (Laurie Berkner would as well, but she's not touring much, period.)

But now we're seeing slightly less familiar artists making the trek across the country. Brooklyn-based The Deedle Deedle Dees are heading out to Texas, Arkansas, and Kentucky. Melissa and Ellen & Matt, both LA artists, recently trekked out to the New York area (they popped up on Spare the Rock last week. (The The Sippy Cups are playing everywhere in between, too.)

And now Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang are putting together an honest-to-goodness East Coast tour. If you're in the neighborhood of the following venues at the following times, do stop by...

Sat/Sun Oct 21 & 22
Children’s Museum of the East End - Bridgehampton, NY

Sat Oct 27
11am: PB & Jams at World Café – Philadelphia, PA

Sun Oct 28
10am: Citibabes Annual Halloween Bash - Manhattan, NY
2pm: Brooklyn Botanic Garden – Brooklyn, NY (“Ghouls and Gourds” festival)

Mon Oct 29
4 pm: Brooklyn Central Library, Dweck Center - Brooklyn, NY

Tue Oct 30
4 pm: Bay Ridge Library - Brooklyn, NY

Wed Oct 31
6:30pm: Mamalu – Brooklyn, NY (Halloween show)

Thu Nov 1
10 am: Williamsburgh Library - Brooklyn, NY

Fri Nov 2
9:30am: Elephant Steps - Norwalk, CT
6 pm: Borders Books - Simbsbury, CT

Sat Nov 3
2pm: The Children’s Art Museum – Shelburne Falls, MA

Sun Nov 4
11am: First Act – Boston, MA
3:30pm: Brookline Music School – Boston, MA

Dan Zanes' Slow-Moving Plan To Rule The Kids' Music Industry

Remember when I said that I thought there was room for some more small kids' music labels?

Well, Dan Zanes has obviously been thinking along the same lines, because in his latest newsletter he's announced that he's signed up both Barbara Brousal and Father Goose to do albums for his Festival Five label. Now, Zanes has released a couple less-kid-specific albums of his own, and re-released an old album featuring David Jones, but this is the first step toward creating a family music empire and total Zanes-ian domination.

Or maybe it's just a couple CDs from his bandmates. CDs which ought to be cool, to varying degrees.

I'm going with the latter option.

Anyway, it more than made up for hearing that Brousal won't be making the Tucson stop on his upcoming tour. (Oh well, Charlie Faye's voice is pretty good, too.)

Review: Freedom In A Box - The Deedle Deedle Dees

I don't know if the New York-based band The Deedle Deedle Dees are the most erudite kids' musicians currently recording, but they certainly wear their erudition on their sleeves more proudly than anyone else. One listen to their 2nd album, the recently-released Freedom In A Box (2007), will make that abundantly clear. Here is a random sample of topics covered and phrases used on the album: sampan ("Is that a boat? It's a Chinese boat!"), aphids, the Niebelungenlied, Teddy Roosevelt's charge up San Juan Hill, and the short arms of a tyrannosaurus rex.

And that's just scratching the surface.

Led by Lloyd Miller and some fellow NYC-area music teachers, the Deedle Deedle Dees are, as you might suspect from the short list above, a little obsessed with history, and it's the history tracks that initially grab your attention, telling the story of Nellie Bly's trip around the world ("Nellie Bly") and of Teddy Roosevelt's transformation ("Teddy Days"). And if you're not familiar with the band, I know what you're thinking -- that sounds really dry. But you'd be wrong, because what makes these songs different from most kids' history songs is the rollicking and earthy musical approach. The could-be-a-hundred-years-old "Nellie Bly" starts out with a "doodley-doo-wah" singalong that instantly lodges in your head while "Henry Box Brown" tells the compelling story of Brown, who mailed himself to freedom in a box, with "This Side Up!" printed on the side (the "This Side Up!" being another great singalong). "Henry Box Brown" is probably the best of the history songs here. Some listeners may find the lyrics overly precious at points, and the other songs succeed to varying degrees depending on how much they're telling stories (I think the country-rock "Aaron Burr," which retells the story of the Burr-Hamilton duel, is pretty awesome, but "Teddy Days" just tries to cram too much in, lyrically). Some listeners may find the lyrics overly precious at points,

Now, the band isn't just obsessed with history, and only about half of the 13 tracks on the 39-minute album are history songs. There are nature songs, for example, including the midtempo folk-poppy "Vegetarian Tyrannosaurus Rex" and "Obedience School," which is just about the most punk kids' song you'll hear all year. There are simpler music/movement songs, too (the very simple "Play Your Hand" or "Drum!"). While the band may mix all the songs together in concert, on the album it doesn't blend perfectly -- it just seems to lurch back and forth. Your thoughts may vary, but I'd've probably ordered the tracks differently.

Musically, however, it's all good, with the band taking a mostly Americana/rock approach, throwing in a few curves along the way (the Beck stylings on "Baldy," for example). The band sounds great together and along with their guests the album has an appealing raggedness. (Except on the completely awesome "Major Deegan," a beautiful, slow paean to New York City's traffic -- that fever dream of a song is not like the rest of the CD, but it's a perfect final song.)

Given the range of topics here, the album is appropriate for kids ages 2 through 12 (parts of some of the history songs will go over the heads of the youngest listeners, but are boogieable enough and with musical hooks enough for those youngsters to enjoy). You can listen to four full tracks at the band's Myspace page or samples of all the tracks at the album's CDBaby page. When you order the CD, you'll also get a coloring book with lyrics. That book, along with the information found at the band's Blogspot page for the album, serve as a great resource not only for teachers using the CDs, but interested families, too.

So here's the deal: if you teach American history in the K-12 system, you need this album. If you're interested in history, you need this album. But if history isn't quite your thing, you still probably need this album, too. Even the songs that don't work out are energetic and fun. It's one of the most ambitious and diverse -- not to mention fun -- kids' CDs of the year. Definitely recommended.