Share: "Cat and a Bird" - Cat and a Bird

Like the picture says.

Almost all every track of Cat and a Bird's great self-titled debut album (really, it is) is now free on CD Baby for a limited time. You'll have to pay $0.99 for the album's one cover ("Wanna Be Like You" from The Jungle Book) and download the tracks one at a time, but it's definitely very much worth it. Download the tracks here.

Announcing Kris Kindie: Christmas Music for Kids and Families

It all started innocently enough -- someone makes a comment on Facebook about how there should totally be a kids' music Christmas compilation album. For charity, maybe. (Note: I cannot vouch for the veracity of the word "totally" in there.) Then somebody (I'm lookin' at you, Jeff) suggests that I should head up the effort. Next thing I know I'm downloading WAV files and uploading them to Bandcamp and pondering tracklist order.

So, today, less than one full week after the original suggestion, I'm happy to present Kris Kindie, a collection of 27 Christmas- and holiday-themed tracks from 27 different kids' musicians. In this case, I don't feel like I'm a producer (though I'll call myself that) as much as I am a coordinator -- folks sent me tracks, and I put 'em together in a handy single format. (And got Jeff to do the album art.)

Some were recorded especially for this compilation, some are new, some are old, some are reverent, and some are... less so. But I'm pretty sure that most folks will be able to find at least 5 tracks they like, which is great, because for just $5, not only do you get those 5 tracks (and the other 22), you know that all the net proceeds (which are all purchases minus Bandcamp and PayPal processing fees) will go to KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to creating "great playspaces through the participation and leadership of communities" and, eventually, "a place to play within walking distance of every child in America."

Thanks to Jeff, Bill, Gwyneth, and Deb, who helped out, and most of all, thanks to the musicians who contributed. Listen below, and if you like it, I hope you'll consider purchasing the download.

Christmas Songs 2011, Part II

Part 1 of my list of this year's Christmas songs for kids was out of date as soon as I hit "publish," because I realized that I'd forgotten Billy Kelly's video from Dear Santa Claus (review). Maybe I was distracted by the mindbending song. Or maybe I was just wondering if this video is Kelly's video resume for applying to direct Paranomal Activity 4: The Christmas Special.

Billy Kelly - "Glebells Jing" [YouTube]

I reviewed Rosie Thomas' album A Very Rosie Christmas a few years back -- it's pretty good. (Anyone who can take a Chipmunks song and turn it into something earns lots of bonus points.) Anyway, she's got a new holiday tune out -- I don't think it's quite as good as the 2008 album, but you may like it...

(Or just stream the whole holiday album here.)
Speaking of follow-ups to Christmas albums of years past, the Slugs and Bugs holiday album A Slugs and Bugs Christmas (review) has been reissued with a scripture reading and a new song, "Shepherd Dad." No, the song isn't about me (think about it...), it fits in within the religious songs of the disk as part of a production churches can put on using its music. If you're looking for secular Christmas music, this ain't it. But if that's not what you're looking for, I think you'll like this. Listen to it here.

Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke have released some fine holiday music in the past, and this year is no exception. The duo have a couple new songs out. There's "Christmas Time is Here," which actually is a gentle original tune, not a cover of the Vince Guaraldi classic (listen here). And then there's a cover of "Angels We Have Heard on High," which will have you and your kids singing "Gloooooooria" at the top of your classic rock/head-banging voices.

03 3. Angels We Have Heard On High by wildeclarke

Other notes:
-- Steve Weeks is offering up a free download of his song "Blizzard of '78" here.
-- You can download a new free track from Big Bang Boom, "That's Just Christmas," here.
-- Jeremy Plays Guitar also has a new, free holiday song available for download at his website. Not sure of the name, but worth a spin.

Finally, the socio-political implications of this song from Alastair Moock will go over the heads of younger elementary school students -- it's not a kids' song -- but in the tradition of songs like "The Elf's Lament" by Barenaked Ladies, Moock takes the point of view of Santa's helpers.

Alastair Moock - "Occupy Santa" [YouTube]

I'm leaving other stuff off the list, but that's OK, 'cause I know Part 3 will be coming next week.

Christmas Songs 2011, Part I

There is no shortage of songs from kids' musicians celebrating the Christmas season this year. I expect a few Hanukkah songs, maybe even a Kwanzaa song or two, before December is through. (Still waiting on Festivus kids music, though.) I'm titling this "Part I" fully expecting there will be at least another part or two this year. So let's get to it.

I doubt you're gonna find another Christmas kids music video this year as hyper -- and, frankly, as awesome -- as this new video from Mista Cookie Jar. It's for a new track called "Robot for Xmas," which you can download for free here. But, really, it's the video that makes it.

Mista Cookie Jar and the Chocolate Chips - Robot for Xmas [YouTube]

You think I'm stopping here? Oh, no, there's plenty more...
OK, after that video, you might need something a little more soothing for you and your kids. And there aren't very many kids' artists who are more soothing than the California duo Renee & Jeremy. They released a holiday single last year, and this year they've got an original tune, "Sunny Christmas" for your holiday pleasure. You can download it at iTunes or listen to it at their website.

Laurie Berkner is also getting into the holiday video game this year, creating a new video for her seasonally-appropriate song "Candy Cane Jane," off her Rocketship Run album. She's selling the video as a download on iTunes and elsewhere, but you can watch the whole thing on iTunes. (Odd warning before you watch it with your kids, though -- it's on Berkner's VEVO channel, which runs an ad before the video. Which I don't mind at all, it's just that VEVO doesn't seem to have given any thought to the ads that run before the video -- the most recent time I watched it, it featured an anti-meth ad that seemed pitched at perhaps a slightly older crowd than would typically be watching a Laurie Berkner video.)

The Laurie Berkner Band - "Candy Cane Jane" [YouTube]

Joe McDermott has a new song and video which is totally ecumenical and secular -- it's all about "Holiday Break" and explains why this can be the (second-favorite) time of the year for your kids' teachers. The Official Wife of Zooglobble is in the educational system herself -- she can totally relate.

Joe McDermott - "Holiday Break" [YouTube]

For those of you looking to actually celebrate a little Christmas with your kindie friends, Roy Handy and the Moonshot offers up a version of "The Friendly Beasts" (available on iTunes here). It's a melodic line I wasn't familiar with, but which says comes from a Burl Ives disk (or actual vinyl record) that's nearly 50 years old at this point.

Roy Handy and the Moonshot - "The Friendly Beasts" [YouTube]

Finally, a couple kindie artists have created "holiday cards" for your video perusal. DidiPop and Joanie Leeds have each created an animated card, but beyond that, they're very... different. You will have to decide for yourself which you prefer (and which music is original).