Austin Kiddie Limits Schedule Set (along with a few other bands)

Well, the schedule for the 2007 Austin City Limits Festival was announced today, which is a good thing, seeing as the three-day passes are sold out and those without tickets must now resort to individual day passes. (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3)

Of course, you don't really care that Bjork is headlining Day 1, do you? Or that you'll have to choose between the Arcade Fire and the White Stripes on Saturday? Oh, yes, you probably do, because even if you don't care about Bjork, there are lots of other people who do, and so if you want to see particular bands on the Austin Kiddie Limits stage, you better keep in mind that those lots of people who want to see Bjork don't care that you really want to see a kids set from Sara Hickman -- they'll have bought all the tickets in advance.

Unfortunately, the organizers have done a good job of forcing people to buy all three days' worth of tickets spreading the quality acts all around -- there's no single day that's head-and-shoulders above the rest. (Except, of course, when they're scheduling great acts at the same time -- I'm lookin' at you, Wilco and My Morning Jacket on Sunday night.)

Anyway, here are the Austin Kiddie Limits times:

Friday, Sept. 14th
Sara Hickman, 11:30 - 11:50
Bummkinn Band, 12:30 - 12:50
Jambo, 1:30 - 1:50
Daddy-A-Go-Go, 2:30 - 2:50
Paul Green School of Rock All-Stars: 3:30 - 3:50

Saturday, Sept. 15th
Bummkinn Band, 11:30 - 11:50
Jambo, 12:30 - 12:50
Sippy Cups, 1:30 - 1:50
Sippy Cups, 2:30 - 2:50
Farmer Jason, 3:30 - 3:50

Sunday, Sept. 16th
We Go To 11, 11:30 - 11:50
Farmer Jason, 12:30 - 12:50
The Jellydots, 1:30 - 1:50
Q Brothers, 2:30 - 2:50
Paul Green School of Rock All-Stars, 3:30 - 3:50

Review: Everybody Plays Air Guitar - Joe McDermott

With all apologies due to Spinal Tap, there's a fine line between sweet and schmaltzy in children's music. Topics that in one musician's hands produce a moment of "A-ha! That's how life is!" in another's hands produce a moment of "Duh. Of course that's how life is." Frankly, the same track can produce those two moments in two different families.

On his very recently released fourth CD for kids, Everybody Plays Air Guitar, Austin-based Joe McDermott very carefully walks that fine line. How you feel about the CD depends on how sweet you and your family like your music.

Let me start out with the album's strengths, which I found to be the simpler tracks in concept (if not necessarily execution). The leadoff title track (bolstered by its simple but catchy chorus) basically just talks about how great it is to "air guitar" (yes, that's a verb). On the closing track, "Anything Is Possible," McDermott channels a little mid-career James Taylor in a sweet ode to possibility. And the album's strongest cut, the poppy "Dolphins," is a trifle of an idea with far-ranging lyrical flights of fancy (Hemingway, AFLAC insurance). "Ride, Ride, Ride," a live cut, while out of place mixed in with its more polished companions, shows off McDermott's sense of humor.

There are other tracks, however, that a number of listeners will probably tune out, "Sport Comes to the Rescue" and "Our Family Car Is A Helicopter" are a little goofy, but there's something about the humor that doesn't pack much of a punch. (They're not as sharp as McDermott's earlier, classic track, "Baby Kangaroo," which worked so well on so many different levels.) It's not that the songs are bad or arranged poorly -- in fact, McDermott's attention to detail is well-appreciated (check out the string quartet on "Momma's Gonna Have a Baby"). But some listeners -- and you know who you are -- will just find those tracks a hard slog.

The songs on the 36-minute album are most appropriate for kids ages 3 through 7. You can hear samples from the CD at its CD Baby page or previous cuts (including "Baby Kangaroo") here for his last album, with links to other albums, too.)

In the end, if I sound a little conflicted in this review, it's because I am to some extent. There are some great songs here, and there are some that, while, expertly done, just don't have much "pop." So while I'm recommending the CD, it's really a combination of the people who will find this album absolutely wonderful and of the people who will find it, well, just a bit too safe. But, overall, recommended.

Songs For Dad (Updated)

I originally did a list of songs for dad last year, but I thought I'd update it, even if the idea of making a mix CD for your dad for Father's Day just seems weird. It's not really a mix CD holiday, I think.

I've updated the list a little bit, but I'm sure you can tell me what I've inexplicably left out:

The list, after the jump:

-- "Daddy-O," off Frances England's Fascinating Creatures
-- "My Dad!," off Alex and the Kaleidoscope Band's Kaleidoscope Songs, Vol 1
-- "Cat's in the Cradle," Harry Chapin (just kidding!)
-- "I'm So Glad To Be A Dad," off Dennis Caraher's Bow Wow Baby
-- "My Daddy Is Scratchy," off Jamie Broza's My Daddy Is Scratchy
-- "My Daddy (Flies a Ship in the Sky)," off the Daddy-O! Daddy Woody Guthrie tribute
-- "Courtship of Eddie's Father"
-- "Dad" by Father Goose
-- "Thank You, Daddy"
-- "The Coffee Song," by Ralph's World, off At The Bottom of the Sea. (Yeah, I used it for the mom's list, but it mentions D...A...D.D.Y.)
-- "Father and Daughter," by Paul Simon (off a number of CDs, but including The Wild Thornberrys soundtrack)
-- "Don't Wipe Your Face On Your Shirt," by the Cornell Hurd Band, off the fabulous The Bottle Let Me Down comp.
-- "Me and My Dad," by David Weinstone, from his Music for Aardvarks and Other Mammals #7.

A reader also recommended Daddies Sing GoodNight: A Fathers' Collection of Sleepytime Songs, which isn't really a collection of songs about dads, but close enough...

And, a few for the adults (from commenters and e-mailers)...

-- "My Dad (My Pa)" by Nancy Sinatra
-- "Bein' a Dad" by Loudon Wainwright III
-- "The Kids Are Alright" by The Who
-- "Slow Turnin," "Your Dad Did," and "Stolen Moments" - John Hiatt
-- "Still Fighting It," Ben Folds ("You're so much like me / I'm sorry.")

New Dan Zanes CD: I've Got Good News, I've Got Bad News

So, if I hear that Dan Zanes is releasing a new EP and a book described as a "sing-a-long activity booklet," I get excited.

Until I hear that it's only being sold with his first four albums.

Now for $43.97 for the boxset at Amazon and from Zanes himself, it's an excellent price, particularly if all you have is Catch That Train!.

But for the DZ fanatics among us (raises hand), that's just a bit too steep (and not worth the effort to eBay all the copies we currently have).

Music just wants to be free, Dan! Stop the double-dipping!

Tracklist:
1. Jug Band Music
2. Jim Along Josie
3. Sloop John B. (previously released)
4. All Around The Kitchen (previously released)
5. Home In That Rock

The Top 50 Kids Songs of All Time: Songs 1-5

Without any further ado, here they are, the top 5 kids songs of all time.

(OK, a little further ado.)

Previous entries
Songs 6 through 10
Songs 11 through 15
Songs 16 through 20
Songs 21 through 25
Songs 26 through 30
Songs 31 through 35
Songs 36 through 40
Songs 41 through 45
Songs 46 through 50

(Oh, and I'll figure out the contest winner soon.)

5. "Lullaby" - Johannes Brahms: Yeah, I didn't really want to cover too many lullabies here, but this one is so common that it seemed churlish not to include it. Our daughter calls it the "Doo doo doo" song, but we usually get bored of singing that sound to the familiar melody ("Lullaby / And goodnight / Something something and something.."). Try quacking the melody. Not particularly soothing, but a fun bedtime routine nonetheless. I am not going to link to the samples of Celine Dion's, Aaron Neville's, or Olivia Newton-John's take on the song, because I am going to make the blanket assumption that your child or niece or grandchild or random kid off the streets will prefer your version to what I assume is an incredibly overwrought version by an actual professional singer.

4. "Miss Mary Mack" - traditional: Sure, it's traditional (dates back to the 19th century at least), but I've always associated it with the first lady of American kids music, Ella Jenkins. I was (pleasantly) surprised to hear my daughter singing it one day at home -- they're still teaching it in kindergarten, thousands of miles away from Chicago. Hand-clappin', jump-ropin', rockin' out, whatever, it's still an simple tune with fun lyrics. (You can hear a traditional version here, sample a Sweet Honey in the Rock tribute here or a sample of Erin Flynn's half-traditional/half-revisionist take here.)

3. "Three is a Magic Number" - Bob Dorough: Like this was going to be anywhere else on this list. Here's the thing about this song -- I've yet to hear a bad version of it. Blind Melon? Check. The Jellydots? Check. Jack Johnson blended the song with lyrics about recycling to energetic effect on "The 3 Rs." It teaches math, it teaches history, and it's incredibly catchy. (And if those YouTube and Myspace references aren't enough, here's the original.)

2. "You Are My Sunshine" - Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell: This is one of those kids' songs that's more popular, I think, because people don't bother singing the verses, which aren't necessarily full of unconditional love ("you have shattered all my dreams"), and instead sing the chorus. It's not that the chorus is all sunshine and light, either, but it's close enough (or with a tweak or two, "and I love you more everyday..," completely innocuous). And that melody -- so totally singable. (You can listen to Davis' 1931 recording here. You can also listen to Elizabeth Mitchell's version here -- click on "Sunshine," then "Listen.")

1. "ABCs/Twinkle Twinkle/Baa Baa Black Sheep" - trad. lyrics, music is a French folk tune ("Ah, vous dirai-je, maman") arranged by Louis Le Maire: I really don't know what else to say here. It's a melody that's been adapted to at least three classic songs, songs that are part of the English-language canon, really. (Which isn't to say that other countries with other languages aren't familiar with it, either.) People (including me) think that Mozart wrote the melody (he didn't -- he just adapted it.) That song is so ingrained in your head that you can sing it over and over half-asleep at a 2 AM feeding. There's no need for a sample -- go ahead and sing it to your kid, your friends' kids, whomever. There is no other choice. #1.