Pirates and Disco Balls

Yeah, I know there was a show or two in Brooklyn last week, but I would be remiss if I did not direct you to Belinda and Hova's recap of their Grease Ball on March 18th. Doug Snyder of the Jellydots played, and Captain Bogg and Salty played at least one new song, "Don't Drink Sea Water."

Another report can be found here. I can't decide if their description of one of Doug's songs ("a song about multiplying by three") was either very laconic humor or surprising lack of pop-cultural knowledge, but in either case it made me chuckle.

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.)

KidVid Tournament 2007 Quarterfinals: "Let's Shake" (1) vs. "I Hope My Mama Says YES!" (3)

The last quarterfinal in KidVid Tournament 2007 is here, and duking it out for bragging rights in the Pete Seeger Region are "Let's Shake" from Dan Zanes, the #1 seed, against "I Hope My Mama Says YES!" - AudraRox, the #3 seed.

Vote in the comments below. Rules: Video with most votes wins. One vote per e-mail address, please. Votes due by Wednesday 11 PM-ish East Coast time.

"Let's Shake" - Dan Zanes

Watch the video on Zanes' website by going here and clicking on "Let's Shake."

"I Hope My Mama Says YES!" - AudraRox

To view this video, head to Jack's Big Music Show player. Roll over the picture of a red-hair-streaked Audra on the right, kid on the left.

Kids Write the Darnedest Songs

You might be avoiding your NPR station this week (just pledge already!), but if you are, you would've missed a nice 7-minute interview with Kid Pan Alley founder Paul Reisler on this morning's Morning Edition.

I love this quote from the piece:

"In general, when I've worked with high school kids, the songs are not as good as the elementary kids because they're thinking linearly and logically as opposed to in image and metaphor."

Linearly and logically? No wonder I'm a lousy songwriter.

(Here's my review of the Kid Pan Alley CD.)

Review: Calling All Kids - CandyBand

One of the downsides to the recent increase in attention paid to kids' music -- what, there are downsides? -- is a proliferation of music that uses kids' songs as jokes, applying traditional songs to non-traditional song forms. The albums aren't so much for the kids as they are for the adults.

CandyBand plays punk music for kids and their recently-released fourth album, Calling All Kids is a fine example of why this band rises above the kids-music-as-source-of-amusement genre to make kids' music worth listening to.

To begin with, the Detroit-area band actually rocks. Paula Messner (or, er, "Almond Joy") has nifty guitar work throughout the album, particularly on songs like "Simon Says" and the "Eenie Meenie Song." And the rhythm section of Anita Kelly and Tammy Ristau, along with Daniela Burckhardt's vocals, are strong, too. None of which would matter if the songs weren't any fun or any good, but a lot of them are. For the most part, the band is writing its own songs at this point. While there might not be something as great previous CandyBand songs like "Ken Lost His Head" or "Get Up Already," families will definitely have fun with the bouncy "Octopus On My Head" (the chorus of "I've got an octopus on head / It's messing up my hair / It's sleeping in my ear / I've got an octopus on my head / And I hope it won't make breakfast of me" will live your head for a loooong time). "It's Your Birthday" is deservedly destined for many 5-year-old birthday party mix CDs. And the band re-records an older tune, "Monsters," except this time they go all "American Idiot" on us and add strings from the Detroit Symphony Civic Youth Ensembles.

Kids ages 3 through 7 will probably enjoy the songs here the most. In true punk fashion, the album is brief, running through its 10 tracks in less than 22 minutes. You can hear the first couple tracks here.

CandyBand is a great example of kids' artists who are melding their non-traditional kids' genres to kids' themes and songs in ways that respect kids while providing something for the parents to latch onto as well. If your family sits on the rock side of the pop-rock divide, you'll particularly enjoy Calling All Kids, but even if you don't have the complete Clash and Green Day discography, it's an album worth checking out. Recommended.