Christmas Songs 2011, Part I
Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 5:12AM 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).
