Ice Cream Rag, one of the singles off the newly released “Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie,” was recorded by during one of Randy’s live shows at McCabe’s guitar shop in Santa Monica, CA. And since it’s the summer, it’s very appropriate as ice cream is a yummy necessity for the enjoyment of this season. Enjoy!
[Courtesy of YouTube]
Check It Out: Randy Kaplan – Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie
Oh yeah, it’s time for another Randy Kaplan release! Randy is a regular listen at our house and his latest release, “Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie,” has been played so much that we have now started referring to him on a first name basis. As in, “I want Randy, Mom!”
Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie, recently awarded a 2012 Gold Award from NAPPA (National Parenting Publications Award) and included in People Magazine’s “8 Cool Kids’ Albums Now!” is Randy’s fourth not-JUST-for-kids release and probably our favorite to date. The album is a period piece of sorts in which Randy brings us the blues! And boy am I a sucker for the blues. On this album we are taken on a journey through the great musical heritage of country blues and ragtime from the 1920s, 30s and 40s and actually taught a thing or two about the masters who made up the genre. Some of the most mysterious and wildly talented bluesmen and women are covered here from the likes of Robert Johnson, one of the most influential artists of his time to Muddy Waters, Blind Blake, Blind Boy Fuller, Bessie Smith and Elizabeth Cotten whose “Freight Train” was covered on Randy’s first kids album, “Five Cent Piece.” So, although Randy has dabbled in the blues before, we now get to experience a full-length celebration of one of the greatest periods of music. And it’s fantastic!
Various segments of the album are introduced by the craggy voice of Lightnin’ Bodkins, a blues historian extraordinaire who got his blues name because he was a lightning fast knitter back in his day (emeritus president of the Mississippi Mitten Guild, to be exact). Lightnin’ not only provides tidbits of history and sources for each song that Randy covers on the album (both in-between songs and throughout the liner notes), but also participates in some comedic interplay as he tries to cajole Randy into having a blues name for himself. Lightnin’ gets pretty crafty as he strings together hilarious combinations based on things like pools (“Chlorine Kaplan”), breakfast food (“Papa Waffle Kaplan”) and even goes as far as creating a formula based on ailments + fruit + a president of the United States to produce Chicken Pox Kiwi Cleveland, for example.
Randy’s talents lie within his ability to recognize other artists’ talents and successfully blend them together with his own. On Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie, the sound of the original songs is mainly intact with the addition of Randy’s masterful storytelling, as well as, accompanying instruments such as drums, bass, trombone, tuba, banjo, mandolin and even a washboard, giving the songs more depth and in some cases a jazzy New Orleans type of feel. Additionally, kids play an integral part in bringing some of these songs to life, adding some serious laugh out loud moments as they interject, inquire, make irrational demands, shake their tushes and even yodel along with Randy. There is even an inquisition in the song “In A Timeout Now” in which a girl from the chorus challenges Randy on whether timeouts existed when he was a kid by asking “aren’t you being anachronistic?” It’s basically an example of Randy’s approach to making kids music. He plays it straight, assuming kids are capable of understanding a lot more than we might expect.
Opening the album is a fiery Robert Johnson ragtime number which Em refers to as “the tasty song.” “They’re Red Hot” is a fast paced ragtime jig with a catchy chorus “Hot Tamales and They’re Red Hot” that will get you and your family up and moving as if you just ate some hot tamales.
There are several songs about bullies which provide enough of a message to kids about the consequences of being mean. “In A Time Out Now,” adapted from Jimmie Rodgers’ “In The Jailhouse Now,” does an excellent job of drawing a parallel between timeouts and being in jail. The song features a troublemaker named Carl who is constantly trailed by his Mom and consequently gets “throwed in the can” for tormenting Randy and his friends. “You’ve Been a Good Ole Wagon”, a Bessie Smith tune, features some hubris on Randy’s part as his 10-year old self defends his right to help a girl in his class with her math homework by referring to a bully as a metaphorical wagon who is past his prime (which was his single digit years). As a result, the bully starts to fake cry and, as Randy says “he let out a counterfeit hoax of a howl and a dissembling invention of attention.” And then there is a Blind Blake inspired tune called “That Will Never Happen No More” featuring Denise, a childhood tormentor whom Randy was in elementary school and sleepaway camp with. In this song, Denise comes up with ways to terrorize Randy including giving him lice and dropping a bowling ball on his big toe.
Other notables songs include “Ice Cream Rag”, a rag about getting the Ice Cream Man’s attention in which Randy comes up with a plan to do a dance called the “Pigeon Wing” which he is sure will not only capture the Ice Cream Man’s attention but may just crown him the Official Ice Cream King. Not only does the song feature some tap dancing but we get to hear some mighty fine scat singing along the way.
“Green Green Rocky Road” is a sweet, sweet Dave Van Ronk inspired song in which Randy asks the chorus of kids who they love. As Randy sings “Green Green Rocky Road/ promenade in green/ tell me who you love/ tell me who you love,” the kids reply with things like their dog, Dad, brother, pet bird, and even piano teacher. It’s a perfect song to engage in with your kids and what better topic to discuss than those you love.
Finally, “Black Mountain Blues” is a creative song about a land where babies cry grape juice tears and it’s illegal for cats to sharpen their nails. I happen to personally know two cats who wouldn’t live a free life if they found themselves on Black Mountain, ahem. Kids are also able to make irrational demands and are prompted to dole them out at the end of the song and they gladly do with things like wearing shorts in the snow and even having the power to have all the powers in the world.
Randy Kaplan has made quite a name for himself in the kindie music scene. With his serious storytelling chops and musicianship, he has won over both kids and adults alike. In my mind, Randy is a pioneer who is able to tackle a wide range of styles from broadway to blues underscoring the fact that he is one of the most versatile and creative voices in kids music today.
Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie is being released by MyKaZoo Music and runs for about 1 hour containing 17 songs with 7 segments featuring Lightnin’ Bodkins. The CD contains 20 colorful pages of liner notes giving kids more information on what they are listening to, and features Randy posing as some of the great bluesman he pays tribute to, creating a pleasing visual element to tie it all together.
I could totally see this as a Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 series but I will gladly take the full-length of Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie for now. Very highly recommended and appropriate for kids ages 3-10, but adults may just find themselves reaching for a listen without their kids.
As the almost eponymous title track suggests, listening to this is good for your health and will put a spring in your step.
You can preview the album on Randy’s MySpage page here, as well as download and/or purchase Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie from Amazon.
Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this album for review.
View This: Mates of State – “I am a Scientist”
I am so absolutely looking forward to this release of this album which contains a killer all female lineup from the “Science Fair” album, a charity compilation being released by Spare the Rock Records. According to Paste Magazine, who premiered the video and lineup, “The album is themed around science and engineering education for girls, who, according to research, often avoid scientific fields.”
The first video, “I Am A Scientist,” is a cover of the Guided By Voices song and it is awesome. For those of you Yo Gabba Gabba fans out there you might be familiar with Mates of State from their appearance on the show doing “No One Likes to Be Left Out.”
Full lineup and video below.
1. Babe the Blue Ox – Surfin’ Minnesota
2. Moona Luna – H2O
3. The Deedle Deedle Dees and IMPACT Repertory Theatre – Time Machine
4. Frances England – Goldilocks Zone
5. The Nields – Butterfly
6. Laura Veirs – Little Black Rock
7. Elizabeth Mitchell – Phytoplankton
8. Mates of State – I Am a Scientist
9. Wunmi – Rainbow
10. Cat & a Bird – Constellation Bound
11. Lunch Money – To Be a Fossil
12. MC Fireworks (with Secret Agent 23 Skidoo) – Rocket Science
13. Renee & Jeremy – (I Wanna Be Like) Madame Curie
14. Rachel Loshak – Oh Girl (with John Munson)
15. Alison Faith Levy & Rudy Trubitt – Deja Vu
16. Lori Henriques – Heisenberg’s Aha!
17. Barbara Brousal – I Wonder
18. Ashley Albert – The Science Fair.
Check It Out: Sugar Free Allstars – All on a Sunday Afternoon
The Sugar Free Allstars are back with their third kids’ album, “All On A Sunday Afternoon.” This album, like other releases from the duo of Chris “Boom” Wiser and Rob “Dr. Rock” Martin, contains the usual infectious funk/soul/rhythm and blues sound while also paying tribute to Motown and Stax Records. And, they’ve brought some additional friends to, er, pump up the jam.
“All On A Sunday Afternoon” is filled with sentiment and love and feels as though it is coming from the personal parenting experiences and musical influences of its creators. This is most evident in “Sunday Afternoon,” (featuring additional strings from Keith and Ezra of Trout Fishing in America) which talks about spending time with family, as well as, a couple of smoother jams like “Very Best Friend,” a sweet little song about love and companionship, “99 Questions,” a gospel number featuring Wiser preaching about gaining a better understanding of the world by asking lots of questions and “Ready To Give Up Teddy,” a heartwarming ballad expressing a child’s feelings about being ready to give up sleeping with their teddy bear. But, instead of being sad about the separation, the child is reassuring Mom and Dad that they are ready for it. The song coincidentally has some parallel melodies to “Easy” by the Commodores which further supports the bands appreciation for Motown.
The album starts out strong with the high-energy “Gotta Get-Up,” featuring the addition of Shawana Kemp from Shine and the Moonbeams and Jack Foreman from Recess Monkey who make excellent and very convincing advocates for getting out of bed in the morning. I like to think of them as sort of a power-up brigade. Along with the album release, the duo released a video featuring stop motion animation by Kyle Roberts of Reckless Abandonment Pictures. The video is packed with action, literally and figuratively, as the duo are turned into action figures while other toys are taking over and trying to get Wiser out of bed which includes everything from cookin’ some eggs to a firetruck rolling Wiser’s clothes over to him. And in true Sugar Free Allstars fashion, we are called to participate in a funky dance called the “Stretch and Yawn.” It’s easy and gets your energy flowing.
The following song, “Hiccup” a fun and educational song which is filled with the beloved Allstars organ sounds and some handclaps while adding commentary informing us about the science behind those little buggers.
“Put ‘Em Away,” is a fast paced funk-venture that puts a fun little twist on the traditional clean up song and it features awesome auxiliary percussion by Marty Beller of They Might Be Giants, as well as some sweet bass by Jay Wilkinson.
Another notable song is “Love Train” which not only features Keller Williams giving the song a psychedelic edge with the addition of a guitar and kaosilator, but also features the family funk host Sir Groove-A-Tron.
As a big fan of the Talking Heads, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the Allstars perform their own version of “Stay up Late” which is an excellent rendition of the original version but with the bonus of some sweet organ noise.
The Sugar Free Allstars have once again produced a fun series of songs that are sure to be enjoyed by the 3 through 8 yr old crowd. The 36-minute album also features a full-length concert DVD which provides some insight into just how energetic and powerful the live shows are.
I will leave you with one last thought that embodies the spirit of this album: Just like Mr. Don Cornelius used to say “we wish you peace, love and soul.”
You can stream the album below, as well as, view the video for “Gotta Get Up.” Enjoy!
All On A Sunday Afternoon courtesy of YouTube
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the album for possible review.
Happy Father’s Day!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Father’s Day! I meant to post this earlier but being sick has taken its toll on me. Nevertheless, it still isn’t too late to reminisce over some fond fatherhood memories while listening to the sweet sounds of Frances England singing “Daddy-O.”
Also, for a belated treat, CoolMomTech featured a free e-card download with this song playing in the background. Enjoy!
via YouTube
View This: “Gotta Get Up” – Sugar Free Allstars
The 3rd family album from the Sugar Free Allstars, “All On A Sunday Afternoon,” dropped today – hooray! But, that’s not all….there is a new video as well. Directed by Kyle Roberts, the video is a stop action toy adventure featuring Boom and Dr. Rock in the form of Ken dolls singing and playing the drums. The song also features Shawana Kemp (in the form of a cute little teddy bear) from Shine and the Moonbeams and Jack Forman from Recess Monkey, adding lots of funky flavor.
So, get ready to put those hands up in the ay-yah and do the stretch and yawn cause it’s time to get up!
Sugar Free Allstars – “Gotta Get Up” via YouTube
Upcoming Release: Little Seed – Elizabeth Mitchell: Songs for Children by Woody Guthrie
In July, Elizabeth Mitchell will be releasing a new album from the Smithsonian Folkways label. The album, “Little Seed,” is the only album containing Woody Guthrie’s children’s songs just in time to for his centennial celebration.
Mitchell is featured on the album along with her husband Daniel Littleton, daughter Storey and friends, including Amy Helm, daughter of the late Levon Helm, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, and Ruthy Ungar.
“Little Seed” will contain 13 songs (totaling 29 minutes), 8 of which are new recordings while 5 are previously released recordings by Mitchell. Below is a track listing plus 2 sample sneak peaks which existing fans and newbies are sure to enjoy.
We are eagerly awaiting this release! Anytime we get to hear Elizabeth Mitchell (and family), it is always such a delight and the pairing of her with Woody Guthrie’s work just seems so right.
Enjoy a sneak preview of Bling Blang and This Land is Your Land.
TRACK LIST:
1. Riding in My Car
2. Bling Blang*
3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8*
4. Why, Oh Why *
5. Sleep Eye *
6. Who’s My Pretty Baby?
7. Rattle My Rattle*
8. This Land Is Your Land*
9. Merry-Go-Round*
10. One Day Old
11. Little Sugar
12. Grassy Grass Grass
13. Little Seed*
*Previously Unreleased
Check It Out: Ellen and Matt – It’s Love
Listening to the second release from Los Angeles-based Ellen and Matt is like a journey through time. “It’s Love” presents itself as a comprehensive music box containing classic sounds from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. It also once again showcases the band’s musical talent and solid songwriting skills.
Since their debut “Best Friends,” released about 5-6 years ago, Ellen and Matt have been busy trying to balance raising their 3 sons, touring and producing a new record. And it’s from their familial experiences that the couple drew inspiration for “It’s Love,” which includes relatable topics packaged up with a retro vibe and some serious rock n’ roll.
The recording of the album was made successful due to the fund raising campaign that took place on indiegogo, a crowd funding site which provides a platform for people to raise money for the projects they are working on, much like Kickstarter. The money that was raised helped make this record possible and, in an offering of gratitude, the couple included a candid thank you song at the end of their album for those who made contributions.
Ellen and Matt’s music is honest and they stick with their roots which is what I think makes this album so special. With each song, “It’s Love” evokes a different emotion and overall carries a more diverse sound within the kids music scene. It reminds me of the awesome music we used to listen to on road trips growing up. Blending progressive rock, soft rock, new wave, punk and even some good ole country twang, the two clearly inject their musical influences into their sound, channeling greats like Karen Carpenter, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash and The Sex Pistols, just to name a few. Ah, sweet nostalgia.
As I’ve listened to the album, I’ve grown very fond of it. There are so many levels to each song and with each spin I hear something new that impresses me even more about the band’s musical talents, whether it be sweet guitar licks in “Tickle Bug,” overall composition, storytelling skills or Savannah Duplissea’s echoey vocals at the end of the funky disco track “Drive Thru” (which are reminiscent of Clare Torry’s vocals at the end of Pink Floyd’s “Great Gig In The Sky”). They even have a steady cowbell workin’ the beat in the title track “It’s Love,” which also features a killer guitar solo by Tony Atkinson. It reminded me a lot of the movie “Dazed and Confused” and is sure to be a regular summer jam in our house.
Ellen and Matt’s songwriting abilities are stellar but you might just find yourself falling into the groove of the music before catching onto the lyrics, which is not a bad thing, but more of a case to replay the album and listen to the message within each song. In general, I think the target audience is mainly the 5-8 crowd. However, there are some sweet songs that the under 5 crowd will catch on to and enjoy as well like “Playground” which goes through all the exciting things that can happen where “all the active kids meet,” “Shadow” which features Ellen’s soulful Carpenter-esque crooning and is E’s favorite song and “Your Body is a Zoo,” a fun little honky-tonk number with a catchy refrain (“moo oink bow wow chicka licka meow meow”). Even Matt does a solo in the sweet song “Teddy Bear” which is about the companionship that only a soft little friend can provide.
“It’s Love” provides an eclectic mix of music aiming to bring families together. And without a doubt, Ellen and Matt show us that rock n’ roll is here to stay!
You can find Ellen and Matt here as well as sample and download their album here.
Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of the album for possible review.
Below are two videos which further show the band’s ability to get the kids’ movin’.
Drive-Thru
Shadow
Sneak Preview: Sugar Free Allstars – Very Best Friend
“Very Best Friend” is the second single release from the upcoming album “All On A Sunday Afternoon” from the Sugar Free Allstars. Below is a sample clip courtesy of You Tube. This song carries such a meaningful message and we are very much looking forward to the album drop currently set for June 12, 2012.
Check It Out: Lucky Diaz and The Family Band – A Potluck
If you just take a look at the deliciously colorful album cover of Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band’s latest release, “A Potluck,” you will get a sense of how the album feels. It’s bright, bold and filled with tons of charm.
Los Angeles-based Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band is led by the recently married Lucky Diaz and Alisha Gaddis. “A Potluck” is their second full-length release which brings us a diverse listening experience made up of many different musical styles aiming to bring fun and delight to children (and grown-ups alike!). Throughout the album, you can feel the pleasure Diaz and his bandmates derive from making good kids music. Each song is like a sweet piece of optimistic pie.
Right off the bat, the first 3 songs open the album with true (k)indie-pop flare. Starting with their first single, the electro-pop appetizer “Lines and Dots,” followed by “On My Bike,” which actually includes the sound effect of a bike bell (true bike awesomeness), and “Lemonade Stand” are all hand-clapping, upbeat numbers that are sure to get your body moving.
My favorite song on the album is the fiesta filled “Monkey Jones” which includes a solid beat and lots of horns that take you to the Caribbean, dancing barefoot on the beach. Even better is the fact that “Day-O” (The Banana Boat Song) can be heard echoing in the background as the song ends.
Kids will also enjoy crowing like a rooster in the swing-a-delic Lil’ Red Rooster and the “meow meow meow” chorus of “Tres Ratones,” which was inspired by Lucky’s Mexican heritage. Although the song is in Spanish, E has already learned the words and exclaims “Oh, this is my song!” every time she hears it.
The album wraps up with another poem called “Night” which brings us to the start of the Potluck where people are gathering together for the delicious feast while reminding us that “…we’re all so different but connected every one. We each bring something special to the table and that’s what makes it so much fun.” I love how both “Morning” and “Night” act as a prologue and epilogue, tying the album together while making clever references to either a character or message within a song.
I can’t express enough love for Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band. Their enthusiasm is infectious and “A Potluck” is sure to be a delicious summer treat!
Read an interview with Lucky and Alisha (courtesy of Dadnabbit) here.
Kids Can Groove 