Fun Fun Records Sampler

Now here's a record label going forth full steam ahead.  Last year Mike Park released SMILE, a collection of kid-friendly punk.  Now he's created a whole separate label -- Fun Fun Records -- just to release kids music.  Care for a sample of upcoming releases from folks like Play Date, Kepi Ghoulie, and more?  How about a free sample?  Lots of fun, folks.  Download the sampler here.

"Dip N' Flip (The Jacket Song)" - The Flannery Brothers

The Flannery Brothers are very educational.  Here they are, writing a zippity, finger-snapping song that just happens to help kids put on their jackets.  It's a song so catchy it needed its own website. And video.

But if you'd like, you may simply download the song for free below.

Big Stories for Little Ones - Rain For Roots

I've heard quite a few albums of Christian music for kids.  I don't mention many of them here not for philosophical reasons (last fall's religious record roundup notwithstanding), but because they're often pretty uncompelling musically.

This four-song sampler from the new quartet Rain for Roots suggests strongly that their forthcoming (May 15th) debut album Big Stories for Little Ones (based on the poems of Sally Lloyd-Jones) will be in the minority of musically worthy records.  Coal Train Railroad's Katy Bowser is part of the band, so there's a little bit of kids music background already, but singers Sandra McCracken, Ellie Holcomb, and Flo Paris sound like they're ready to jump in.  I don't think Ricky Gervais or Richard Dawkins will be downloading this, but I think Christians who dig this website will dig this.

Groovin' in the Garden - Story Laurie

You can download five of the tracks from Story Laurie's recent album Groovin' in the Garden via Noisetrade for the price of a mere e-mail.  With Laurie McIntosh handling the vocals and songwriting, and a bunch of musicians including Dog on Fleas' Dean Jones on a kajillion instruments (and producing), it's a fresh (pun intended) take on food-friendly folk.

"Roller Coaster" - Kira Willey

Download the bouncy and movement-oriented "Roller Coaster" for free for a limited time from Kira Willey's latest album Kings & Queens of the Forest via the widget below or Willey's Soundcloud page. The track is a finalist in the Children's Music category of this year's International Songwriting Competition.