Review: All on a Sunday Afternoon - Sugar Free Allstars

There's no secret formula to the success of rising kindie stars Sugar Free Allstars -- the Oklahoma band's high-energy live shows get kids dancing and tire them out.  (It's the musical version of a long post-dinner swim.)

And while their first two kids' albums had moments of groove, neither one fully captured that live energy.  With their third album All on a Sunday Afternoon, however, the duo of Chris Wiser and Rob "Dr. Rock" Martin gets a lot closer to putting on disk (or bits) what gets kids hopping around.

The album kicks off (appropriately) with "Gotta Get Up," a groovy wake-up song featuring Jack Forman from Recess Monkey and Shawana Kemp from Shine and the Moonbeams adding vocals.  While SFA's kids songs are very much kid-focused in their subject areas (this time around there are songs about hiccups, putting away toys, and teddy bears), there is more diversity thematically ("Love Train" features Keller Williams and is as much praise of soul music over the past few decades as anything).  And bringing in some additional instruments, like horns ("Very Best Friend," for example) or strings (the epic slow-jam "Ready To Give Up Teddy") really rounds out the duo's funky sound.

The 36-minute album is most appropriate for kids ages 3 through 7.  The physical copy of the album also comes with a live concert roughly 40 minutes in length which, though simple, features songs from all their albums and does a good job of capturing that live energy I mentioned above.   You can stream the album through the widget below.

The Sugar Free Allstars don't reinvent the wheel on All on a Sunday Afternoon, they just trick out the ride a bit.  It's danceable and goes down smoothly.  Works for me and probably for you, too.  Recommended.

Note: I received a copy of the album for possible review.

Video: "Gotta Get Up" - Sugar Free Allstars

Oklahoma's Sugar Free Allstars are celebrating today's release of their new album All on a Sunday Afternoon with their first video from the album.  Directed by Kyle Roberts, it's for the funky "Gotta Get Up," and it's like a live-action Toy Story with a touch of Soul Train.  Shawana Kemp from Shine and the Moonbeams and Jack Forman from Recess Monkey (I like the surfeit of monkey-themed toys in the video) lend a hand musically, but really, what other reason do you need for watching besides action figures cooking omelettes?

Sugar Free Allstars - "Gotta Get Up" [YouTube]

Radio Playlist: New Music June 2012

Time again to update the Zooglobble radio station, covering assorted tracks collected this spring.  You can see my April 2012 playlist here.

This playlist airs in the mid-afternoons (West Coast time), but if you can't listen in the afternoon, the tracks are scattered throughout the day, too. The listing below is in alphabetical order; the on-air play order is totally random (due to Internet music restrictions).

"Handbone" - Big Don (Big Don's Brand New Beat)

"Oh My Dog" - Billy Kelly (Oh My Dog)

"Come With Me" - Dan Dan Doodlebug (Dan Dan Doodlebug)

"May The Trail Rise Up To Greet You" - Dave Stamey (Putumayo Kids Presents - Cowboy Playground)

"Fortunate Mistake" - Dog On Fleas (Invisible Friends)

"I Used To Think" - Duke Otherwise (Creepy Crawly Love)

"Your Body Is A Zoo" - Ellen And Matt (It's Love)

"Ice Cream Sunday" - Groovy David (Kiddie Lounge)

"Swingin' Little Duck (Alexander Calder)" - Hope Harris (Picasso, That's Who! and so can you!)

"My Neighborhood" - Johnny Bregar (My Neighborhood)

"I Like Summer" - KBC (Milk Money)

"Raised By Trolls" - Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke (Here Comes Chuckers)

"Alphabet City" - KinderAngst (KinderAngst)

"Itsy Bitsy Spider" - Kori Pop (Songs For Little Bean)

"Lines And Dots" - Lucky Diaz And The Family Jam Band (A Potluck)

"Elephant Shrew" - Michael Hearst (Songs For Unusual Creatures)

"Happy Place" - Mista Cookie Jar & The Chocolate Chips (Ultramagnetic Universal Love Revolution)

"Rad" - Play Date (Fun Fun Records Sampler)

"I Could See (Magically)" - Recess Monkey (In Tents)

"give it away" - renee & jeremy (a little love)

"Evening Star" - Steven Elci & Friends (Crayons In A Box)

"Put 'Em Away (Featuring Marty Beller)" - Sugar Free Allstars (All On A Sunday Afternoon)

"Benjamin Franklin" - Yosi (Benjamin Franklin)

"Oh My!" - Your Imaginary Friend Your (Imaginary Friend)

Best Kids Music 2011: Top 25 Songs

Next up in my list of the best kids music of 2011 are my favorite songs. Now, seeing as I listen to literally thousands of kids songs every year, picking out 25 (less than 1%, probably) is very difficult, and if you asked me to make this list up next week I'm sure at least a couple of songs here would be replaced by others. Growing this list to 25 (last year's was 20) didn't make things any easier -- it just shifted the bubble.

But these 25 (listed alphabetically by song title) are definitely among the year's best recordings.

-- Bad Blue Jay - Caspar Babypants (Sing Along!)
-- Bonfire - The Jimmies (Practically Ridiculous)
Bonfire
-- Cooperate - Sugar Free Allstars & Secret Agent 23 Skidoo

-- The Crocodile Synchronised Swimming Team - Too Many Cookes (Down At The Zoo)
-- Dandelion - Steve Weeks (Dandelion)
-- Didn't Know What I Was Missing - Alastair Moock/Lori McKenna (Planting Seeds, These Are My Friends) -- listen here
-- Freeze Tag - The Not-Its (Tag, You're It!)

-- Garbage Man - Mr. Richard & The Pound Hounds (Backyard Astronauts) -- download free here
-- Henry (Hudson), How Ya Gonna Find a Way? - The Deedle Deedle Dees (Strange Dees, Indeed)

-- Hey, Josie - The Hipwaders (Golden State)
Hey, Josie!
-- Hey Pepito! - Key Wilde & Mr Clarke (Hey Pepito!) -- listen here
-- I Think I’m A Bunny - Todd McHatton (Galactic Champions of Joy)

-- John Kanakanaka - Dan Zanes and Friends (Little Nut Tree) (this is a solo performance below)

-- Let's Dance - Lucky Diaz And The Family Jam Band (Oh Lucky Day!)
-- Metaphor - The Alphabeticians (Rock)

-- Mushy Berry Pie - The Thinkers (Oh Zoooty!) -- listen here
-- A Piano Is Stuck In The Door - Beethoven's Wig Featuring Richard Perlmutter (Beethoven's Wig: Sing Along Piano Classics)

-- Place in My Heart - Frances England (Mind of My Own) -- listen here
-- Quarter Moon Shining - Chip Taylor & the Grandkids (Golden Kids Rules)

-- Please Don't Move (to Another Time Zone) - Lunch Money (Original Friend)
-- Skywriter - Baron Von Rumblebuss (Agreeably Loud!!)
-- Soft Things - Brady Rymer/Laurie Berkner (Love Me for Who I Am) -- listen here
-- Waters of March - Jamie Broza (I Want a Dog!)

-- Wisconsin Poncho - Gustafer Yellowgold (Gustafer Yellowgold's Infinity Sock)

-- Your Favorite Book - Recess Monkey (FLYING!)