Review in Brief: Kaleidoscope Songs Volumes 1 and 2 - Alex Mitnick and the Kaleidoscope Band

Kaleidoscope Songs Volumes 1 and 2, released in 2004 and 2006 by Alex and the Kaleidoscope Band would seem to have all the elements of a successful children's music album. Lyrics that target kids and their experiences, a large cast of musicians playing an even larger set of real instruments, and a fine, soulful voice in lead singer Alex Mitnick -- what's not to like? Well, despite all those advantages, there wasn't enough that said to me, "you won't mind hearing this repeatedly." This is partially the result of those lyrics targeted right at the 3-year-old audience -- they're not meant to speak to the parent ("I'm so glad to be alive / I like to learn new things / I like to notice all that I can," for example). The music itself is mostly mellow children's pop, and perhaps I was looking for a hook that never came. Only in a few songs did I find a spark -- "So Blue" and "Rock of Ages" both had a pleasant Van Morrison-vibe to them, while "Water Lily" is a gentle and appealing tune with touches of reggae. Those three songs are off Vol. 2 -- if you're interested in learning more about the band, I'd recommend starting there. You can listen to samples of some songs here. Your preschool-aged kids may like the two Kaleidoscope Songs albums, your preschool-aged kids' preschool teachers may find a lot of songs good for inclusion in lessons on the albums, but you, the parent, may not be so enthused by the albums.

Me and Julio Dancing Down By the Schoolyard

Via the New York Times, a story about how many NYC schoolkids celebrate spring by dancing on the playground.

No one is quite sure when New York City children began celebrating spring by dancing in schoolyards, their teachers leading them, often awkwardly, through the steps, their proud parents gathered round, snapping pictures and clapping along. It is a peculiar urban rite — called Dance Festival in most of the city, and May Fete on Staten Island — that has been around, it seems, for as long as the public school system itself.

And they're worried about this tradition failing? How could an enterprising company not have stepped forward already and offered to sponsor this thing citywide? Why hasn't this spread throughout the country? Couldn't you imagine a Pancake Mountain-coordinated day in Washington, DC? Chica-go-go in Chicago? Setting aside the fact that we'd have to dance around the May Pole in March here in the desert Southwest to avoid burning our hands on the May Pole, this would be great here, too.

You could play local artists -- OK, perhaps not every Prince or Replacements song would be great for the Twin Cities, but there'd be a few from each. You could play international artists, too. Oldies, new stuff, whatever.

If any of you New York readers care to describe in more detail how exactly this works (how long does this take, is this really as cool as it sounds, or is it more pathetic in execution), I'd love to hear it.

This Week: More Thematic Drift

More cool stuff coming up this week -- reviews, interviews, and the like -- but no coherent theme, except perhaps a broadening of the site's scope to look at albums released before, say, seven minutes ago.

If you missed my reviews of Keith Munslow's Accidentally (on purpose) and Josephine Cameron's Close Your Eyes, check 'em out. The latter is the first "Review in Brief" here on the site, designed to get to the point with fewer semi-obscure references. And thanks, too, to Fran for linking to my article on things I'd like to see more and less of in kids' music.

Thanks as always for reading, e-mailing, submitting, and commenting.

Review: Little Red Wagon - Timmy Abell

I doubt Lester Bangs used the word "gentle" to describe music in his reviews, but he probably didn't write reviews of kids music too often. There's no better word, however, to describe Timmy Abell's 2005 album Little Red Wagon.

On his fourth music album (he has recorded albums of stories as well), the North Carolina-based Abell blends modern folk songs of his own with traditional folk songs familiar to many. If there is any unifying component to the album it is the sense of, well, gentleness that pervades the songs in both treatment and theme. Abell is an accomplished musician, and one of the pleasures of listening to the album is the nifty playing of both Abell (who plays banjo, guitar, and hammered dulcimer, among other instruments, on the album) and the other musicians. The musicianship is particularly noticeable on the traditional (and silly) "Turkey in the Straw" and the brief but sweet Abell original "Rounded Glass Jig," with what I believe to the hammered dulcimer making a beautiful sound on the latter. No matter whether uptempo ("Turkey" or "I'm My Own Grandpa") or subdued ("Jig" or the pleasant title track), the songs exude a sense of calm. Over an entire album, it may be a little too much gentleness, but there's a sense of unity to the songs.

Not all of the lyrics are specifically kid-focused, but those that are have some style to them. "Going To Grandma's" weaves various modes of transportation into a zippy little (and true) narrative about the many different types of vehicles used to get from one distant place to another. "Secrets" is a textbook example of how to write a children's song with moral content, illustrating the point rather than lecturing the listener. The song combines a nifty metaphorical chorus ("A cat in a bag becomes very uncomfortable / Birds in a cage become eager to fly") with verses about the progress of a secret through the narrator's circle of acquaintances to show what happens to secrets rather than saying "Secrets Are Bad!" It's a neatly effective track.

Like many folk albums, there's nothing that would prevent playing this album for very young kids, but lyrically it's probably most appealing to kids 4 through 8. You can hear samples and read lyrics for the album here (click on the Little Red Wagon album cover) and purchase the album either at Abell's website or other retailers (online or iTunes).

As noted above, the album is a very gentle folk album, and if you don't think that will appeal to you, there's nothing on the album that would change your mind. But I've heard Abell compared to a younger Pete Seeger and I think that the comparison is a pretty good one. Abell's clear voice and use of the folk tradition are reminiscent of Seeger in his prime. The album is a pleasant retreat from more active, more modern kids' music. Recommended.

Links: Father of Two

A few links to toss out the day before Father's Day. See if you can guess the common theme.

Bill, father of two, has SteveSongs in studio and has pictures of them and Milkshake to prove it. (Yeah, yeah, SteveSongs was prerecorded...)

Chag, father of two, has an amusing dadblog at Cynical Dad. In the all-important sports-world scoreboard, his affinity for the Yankees (a negative for me) is far outweighed by his affinity for the North Carolina Tar Heels (big thumbs up).

Thanks also to Brady Rymer, father of two, who mentioned my interview with him in his newsletter this week. (Sign up at his homepage.)

Oh, and I, father of two, have updated my "Songs for Dads" post.

Enjoy your Father's Day, y'all, father or not.