Elizabeth Mitchell is on a roll, just coming off of a tribute to Woody Guthrie, and now with an upcoming release in October called “Blue Clouds.”
“Blue Clouds” is another Smithsonian Folkways release and it is sure to be yet another beautifully arranged album. With some originals, renditions of traditional songs and covers from David Bowie, Van Morrison and even Jimi Hendrix I’d say we’re in for a treat.
Below is a sneak preview of a few songs from the album, which includes the Bowie cover “Kooks”, a rendition of “Froggie Went-A-Courtin” and the title track “Blue Clouds,” a lullaby written by Daniel Littleton (Mitchell’s husband) for their daughter Storey when she was 3 years old.
“Bikeride” is a sweet little video from Vered‘s album “Good Morning My Love.” It was this album that won Vered the 2012 Parents’ Choice Gold Award-winning CD. A remastered version of “Good Morning My Love” will be released this October.
Beyond being a composer, performer and mother of two young sons,Veredis a music therapist who has pursued advanced studies in clinical psychology and has put her extensive training to good use, leading more than fifty parent/baby workshops each year. For ten years she devoted days to her studies and clinical practice, while singing by night. Her beautiful voice has been compared to Norah Jones.
Vered’s main goal is to give parents tools to use music in order to connect and communicate better with their baby. She aims to help parents become aware of the use of rhythm and its benefits, certain vowel sounds and vibrations, the use of music to establish routine, to play, and to soothe.
In her own words:
“I am a music therapist with an MA in music therapy from NYU and then I went on to study clinical psychology at City College in NY where I got my MA. My BA isalso from NYU in music and philosophy. I am particularly interested in merging theory from music therapy with theory from attachment research. My main goal is to give parents tools to use music in order to connect and communicate better with their baby. I help parents become aware of the use of rhythm and its benefits, certain vowel sounds and vibrations, the use of music to establish routine, to play, and to soothe.
Music therapy teaches how to use music to communicate in a way that bypasses intellect, and that originates in different parts of our brain than language. Attachment research teaches the benefits of consistency, attentiveness and engagement for a healthy relationship between parent and baby and the healthy development of the baby. My goal is to bridge the two disciplines.”
We introduced music to Em in her infancy and she would kick and squawk and coo with certain changes in inflection or tone in a song. Even when we read “Brown Bear Brown Bear” by Eric Carle we noticed that she would anticipate the next part simply because of the repetition and rhythm of the story, as well as, the pitch and tonal changes in our voices.
In her video for “Bikeride” you will see just how enjoyable music and movement can be for both mom and baby. It’s a delight to watch Vered and her baby going through the physical motions of pedaling and a swimming in this video. It’s sure to bring delight to new parents. Even my 3.5 year old gets a kick out of playing this game. And the fact that she can sing along with me now makes it even sweeter.
“Animal Alphabet” from Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke presents a beautifully illustrated video with all original artwork done by Key Wilde. Once you get past longing for a giant poster of it all, you realize how punk the song is. It rocks and I love the literary approach they take in describing each animal. Although there are many renditions of the alphabet song out there, none have an “…unusual unicorn in his underwear.” I like how the children chime in at the end of the song singing the alphabet in reverse which is always a fun game to play (even as a grown-up). After listening to this song, you can be sure your kids will learn their letters with a smile! Kids 0-4 should get a kick out of this artistically arranged animal alphabet adventure.
You can learn more about Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke at the Little Monster Records site.
“Five Little Monkeys” is a song from Story Laurie’s most recent album, “Groovin’ In the Garden.” The video portrays Laurie’s take on the classic, beloved tale of those silly little monkeys. The video has the same elements as the book, except in this version the Mama is wearing funky striped socks. Jazzy sounds along with a special appearance by Dean Jones from Dog On Fleas who can be seen helping a monkey play the cuica, as well as, playing a little whistle solo himself make both the video and the song more fun than a barrel of well…you know…
Now that I’ve seen this video I think I’ll go have a little jump on the bed as well. Who says Mamas can’t have fun, too?
Fall is approaching and that means beautiful colors, cozy sweaters and delicious apples. What better way to celebrate the upcoming season than with a new release from The Harmonica Pocket.
Apple Apple, the third children’s release from The Harmonica Pocket, is a melodic dream. The eloquence with which the words and instrumentation flow throughout the album leave you feeling like someone just whispered a gentle lullaby in your ear. It’s very sweet and the stories these songs tell contain simple words and familiar concepts which the wee ones should easily identify with.
The Harmonica Pocket is primarily made up of Keeth Apgar (main vocals, master songwriter, multi-instrumentalist) but also features a regular group of folks, one of which includes partner, Nala Walla, who delivers rich harmonic vocals throughout the album, as well as, fellow Seattle-based Kindiependent artists such as Johnny Bregar (banjo), Jack Foreman from Recess Monkey (bass throughout) and Caspar Babypants (vocals). The recording of this album, as well as their previous albums, took place in a solar powered studio on a tiny island in Puget Sound, Washington.
Many of the songs on Apple Apple are like poems, with each line complementing the one before it. What I particularly love about the album is how it plays with linguistics, character development and timing. The songs are multi-dimensional, containing carefully paired lyrical and musical melodies. The instruments in many of these songs are just as important as the words, often times acting as another voice with the pluck of a chord or the warm, rich tone of the saxophone at just the right time. They even serve to heighten a climatic moment within a song just by a change in time signature. A great example of this is in “Afraid of Heights,” a beautiful song about a bird who comes out of its shell and is afraid to fly. The song starts in 4/4 time and makes a transition to 3/4 time when the bird sees the sky, faces its fears and flies. It’s this simple change that evokes a feeling of exhileration that comes from overcoming your fears, just as the little bird did.
The sentiment behind Apple Apple is somewhat different than the previous, highly acclaimed “Ladybug One” as both Keeth and Nala have become parents. As a result, several of the songs, i.e. “Diaperman,” “Monkey Love,” “Reflections” and “Little Baby,” to name a few, are inspired by this new development. The songs carry a calming, chilled out vibe with some notes of folk, jazz, pop and even some reggae.
Conceptually, there is also this notion of experiencing life “naturally” and having that be the driving force behind the creative process. A great example of this is the smooth, jazzy little song “Bare Feet,” which was inspired by Apgar’s personal experience with climbing trees as a child (and somewhat occasionally as an adult). The song describes kicking off your shoes, climbing a tree with bare feet and observing the feeling of the bark, the wind blowing, as well as, looking with wonder at the birds and the leaves on the trees. I love the lyrics “Kick off my shoes/Pull myself up by my own hands/A breeze blows through/Everything moves and we slow dance/Above me only clear blue sky/So good to be outside/I forget sometimes/That I need to play/Everyday/…And all I need are my bare feet/climbing up to the top of this apple tree.”
In addition to apples, the album covers a variety of topics. There is counting in “I’m Gonna Count” which invites listeners to count stones on the beach by single digits (1, 2, 3), leaves on the trees by even numbers (2, 4, 6, 8) and stars in the sky by 5’s (5, 10, 15, 20…) and syllabic playfulness in the title track “Apple Apple” where each word is broken up and sung with one syllable. It’s a great game to play with the actual lyrics of the song, but also in making up your own words. It’s always good for a few laughs.
Em particularly gets a kick out of the baby tooting in “Little Baby” and laughs with a slight squeal after waiting for it. She knows it’s coming and waits in anticipation with a smile, repeating “just wait, it’s comin’ up, it’s comin’ up, the baby’s gonna toot!” until she hears it.
Other notable songs include one of our favorites “Monkey Love,” features Caspar Babypants as Monkey two. The song basically uses the word Monkey repetitiously to tell the tale of three monkeys who come together and become a family. “Monkey one Monkey two Monkey three/Monkey me Monkey he Monkey she/ Monkey love Monkey we Monkey be family….” “Turkey in the Straw,” one of my personal favorites, is a slowed down rendition of the original with a funky kind of groove.
Rounding out the album are some slower songs which make perfect lullabies and embody the love that Apple Apple was premised on. ‘Reflections,’ for example, was written while Keeth was out walking with his son, sometimes in the middle of the night or early in the morning, to help him fall asleep. I think most parents should either relate to or remember this very vividly.
Apgar, along with the rest of The Harmonica Pocket contingent, create a rich environment that carries the message of love, acceptance, wonder and respect for the world around us. Apple Apple is sure to be enjoyed by the 0 – 5 crowd and their grown-ups. Without a doubt one of our favorite albums of the year so far. I encourage all of you to tempt your palate and take a bite out of this record. It will absolutely satisfy your “aural” taste buds.
Full Disclosure: I received a copy of the album for possible review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are based solely on my honest opinion.
From her upcoming (Sept. 4) album, Middle of Nowhere, Elska brings us “Hiddi Hiddi” which means “Hello.”
Curious, colorful, magical, Elska is from a little island where she enjoys fantastic dreams and pals around with a cute little green monster, The Goobler, who grows all of his food in a geothermally heated hydroponic greenhouse. I could go on, but why take up any more of your time when you should be enjoying this quirky, playful video. And by the way, should we ever find life on other planets, I sure hope they look and sound like Elska and her pals. Or, perhaps we should take a little break and spend more time on the Island of Elska. I’m game!
Here’s a new video by North Carolina’s favorite “Power Pop” band for kids, Big Bang Boom, based on the song “Make Me” from their upcoming (Sept. 18) CD, Because I Said So!
The video was shot at the Greensboro Children’s Museum which looks like a pretty sweet place. Filmed by Brian Wimer of Amoeba Films, the video is captivating, not just because of the hypnotic spirals featured throughout but because of all the awesomeness going on at the museum (a giant train, mini shopping carts, even a large set of teeth and a toothbrush!).
“Make Me” is a bouncy kindie rock tune with a great message that is sung from a kid’s perspective, almost like a musical postcard to mom and dad. “Make Me” suggests that although it feels like kids repeatedly make mistakes they aren’t completely ignoring our corrections as parents. In fact, they want to understand why their mistakes matter.
While listening to the song, I found myself thinking about my own approach in conveying cause and effect to my daughter. With lyrics like “…it’s not about the rules I’m gonna break/I’m livin in mistake-land/sometimes I don’t see that you have a plan” and “I know it don’t/seem fair/when I didnt learn a lesson that you tried to share./ I wanna learn/ so make me/I need a little push that’s all.” So, while taking extra time may not prevent all mistakes (after all, part of being a kid is living and learning through mistakes, right?), with a little more understanding the lines and dots might just connect enough for them to remember to shut the lights off or stop slamming the door every other time.
If this is just a glimpse of what’s to come from the Daddy trio, I’m in. Enjoy!
We are really diggin’ the new song and video for “Inner Rock Child” from Mista Cookie Jar & the Chocolate Chips‘ Ultramagnetic Universal Love Revolution album. The song is a direct thank you to all the chocolate chip fans around the world, which is explicitly stated in the beginning of the song and especially evident in the repeated mantra of “we heart you/and we mean it/we heart you/you all stars you/you’re all stars” and then later on with “…we feel so grateful….we thank you thank you thank you…” It’s so catchy that I find myself singing the chorus “We heart you!” at the most random times; like waking up in the middle of the night after drinking too much water before bed and BAM the next thing I know I’m singing it. Or, while washing the dishes, there it is again and I’m even singing out loud and dancing a little bit this time. But, it’s all good. It’s not the kind of song that gets in your head and you have to listen to it just to get it out of your head. It’s the kind of song that you want to listen to over and over because it’s so much fun to sing and compels you to get up and bounce right along.
The video is a technicolor love fest featuring MCJ’s adorable kids and the rest of The Chocolate Chips rapping, singing and dancing. There’s even a gorilla playing a pink guitar, known as Mr. Gorilla.
Throughout the song, Mista Cookie Jar refers to the love bubble and in the beginning of Inner Rock Child he even says “y’all be the reason it’s love bubble season.” In his own words, Mista Cookie Jar explains “The Bubble itself is an imaginary forcefield that protects and guides the inner-child. It is strengthened by the collective love in a village. As a child gives back that love, the bubble grows.” Illustrating this idea of a love bubble, several segments of the video are shot through a fish-eye lens creating the illusion that the MCJ crew is actually broadcasted from inside a bubble. Although, the overall vibe of the video feels more like the inside of a disco ball.
“Inner Rock Child” is likely to be enjoyed by kiddos 12 and under although the lyrics are so fast they may not catch most of what Mista Cookie Jar is saying. So, if you are seeking a more educational song this may not be your bag, however, the music is enjoyable enough that it is sure to get little bodies moving. Em digs it and every time she hears it her foot starts tapping and a big smile crosses her face as she sings along with The Chocolate Chips. Moreover, according to the song’s lyrics the song is “Infinitely young in touch with magic wonderful and wild. Ages 1 to 101, no stopping…the smile. Always with unending style. Rocking for the inner child.”
The song can be sampled and downloaded for $1.00 by clicking on the “Buy” link below. It’s also available on iTunes here.
Lyrics to the song can be found here which help decode the speedier parts of the song. Or, in my case, answers for when I’m asked what they’re singing about.
The first concert I am hosting in the hopes to increase awareness and bring awesome music to families in the Bay Area of California. Event details below and you can purchase tickets hereor by clicking on the flyer in the sidebar. Details are below for those who have not already been introduced to these amazing artists.
The main act will feature Randy Kaplan, recently listed by People Magazine in their “8 Cool Kids Albums Now!” piece (in the August 6, 20120 issue) for his new album, “Mr. Diddie Wah Didde.”Randy is a Los Angeles stage and film actor, poet, and acclaimed singer and songwriter who blends American Roots, Country Blues, and Comedic Storytelling in his songs for children and their families. He fingerpicks his way through unpredictable live shows which, in addition to original compositions, include Tin Pan Alley gems, Broadway numbers, Delta Blues songs, and Ragtime tunes. He has toured throughout the US and released four children’s CDs, one of which, his third release “The Kids Are All Id,” won top honors from NAPPA, their Gold Award, and was voted a Top Five CD in the Nickelodeon Parents’ Picks Awards. You can listen to clips from “Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie” here, as well as, view a video of “Ice Cream Man” from the same release at the Kids Can Groove website here.
The opening act is an award winning Bay Area group by the name of Orange Sherbet who is comprised of 3 talented musicians, 2 of which (Jill and Steve Pierce) will play at the show. Jill and Steve are also known for their exciting and highly popular music classes and camps through Mary Ann Hall’s Music For Children program. Orange Sherbet’s new CD Delicious is a tasty, jazzed-up, seventeen-song musical celebration of the joys of growing, preparing, and enjoying nourishing, delicious, local, seasonal meals. Time Out Chicago recently had this to say about Delicious “……miraculously blended the nearly impossible olio of educational messaging, dazzling musicianship and clever songwriting.” You can view a video of “Springtime,” listen to audio clips, learn more about the band and get information on classes here.
Previously I posted a video of “Ice Cream Man Rag” from Randy’s latest release “Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie.” But now there is a real, official, non-live version. It’s tons of fun! Enjoy!
Elizabeth Mitchell is on a roll, just coming off of a tribute to Woody Guthrie, and now with an upcoming release in October called “Blue Clouds.”
The opening act is an award winning Bay Area group by the name of 
Kids Can Groove 