The Best Kid’s CDs, Songs, & Album Art of 2011

Posted by Jeff on December 8, 2011 at 10:23 pm

A couple of things to keep in mind here:

2011 is, for the purpose of these lists, defined as 11/1/10-10/31/11 (with special exception being made for one disc, “Strange Dees, Indeed”, officially released on 11/1).

I went out to 52 top songs for 2011 because I had to. In fact, I could’ve went out to 100 but I kept it at one per week of another great year for kid’s music.

OWTK’s Top 10 Kindie Albums of 2011 (in order, as submitted to the Fids & Kamily Music Awards):

“Galactic Champions of Joy” – Todd McHatton
“Original Friend” – Lunch Money
“Love Me For Who I Am” – Brady Rymer
“Flying!” – Recess Monkey
“Little Nut Tree” – Dan Zanes
“Things That Roar” – Papa Crow
“Infinity Sock” – Gustafer Yellowgold
“The Family Garden” – Billy Kelly
“Mind of My Own” – Frances England
“Sing Along!” – Caspar Babypants

and to be honest, if I had a bit more time with it earlier on, I’d have found a way to get The Deedle Deedle Dees “Strange Dees, Indeed” into the top 5. It’s a great, great album one that gets better the more you listen to it; the hallmark of most brilliant recordings. Don’t ask me which of these 10 I’d remove, but one of them would certainly have to slide down to #11 to make way for the Brooklyn band’s masterpiece. Actually, you can ask me because I recorded myself counting up this list of 11 which is in a different order because, well, this is a moving target sorta thing. Plus, I was winging it in that video. I was still on a honeymoon with Papa Crow when I submitted my list, then fall hard for Deedle Deedle Dees at the hotel pool. It happens folks. I’m a kindie polygamist. In a genre this ripe with hotties, it’s kinda hard not to play the field a bit.

OWTK’s Favorite 52 Kindie Songs of 2011 (in no particular order):

“Bunk Bed” – Recess Monkey
“Covered in Band-Aids” – Recess Monkey
“Invisible Friend” – Recess Monkey w/ Molly Ledford (Lunch Money)
“Don’t Stop It Won’t Pop” – Todd McHatton
“These Random Fields” – Todd McHatton
“I Think I’m A Bunny” – Todd McHatton
“That Old American Flag” – Billy Kelly
“The Invention of the Straw” – Billy Kelly
“Skating in Old Bryant Park” – The Deedle Deedle Dees
“Camperdown Elm” – The Deedle Deedle Dees
“The Peek-A-Boo Waltz” – Papa Crow
“If I Cry” – Papa Crow
“Wisconsin Poncho” – Gustafer Yellowgold
“Question Marks” – Gustafer Yellowgold
“Beehive” – Gustafer Yellowgold
“Come Over To My Dollhouse” – Lunch Money
“You And Me And A Bottle of Bubbles” – Lunch Money w/ Frances England
“The Very Long Shopping List” – Nick Cope
“In The Nick Of Time” – In The Nick Of Time
“I Don’t Need Sunny Skies” – Dan Zanes w/ Andrew Bird
“Summer Trains” – Dan Zanes
“Love Me For Who I Am” – Brady Rymer
“So Many Ideas” – Brady Rymer
“Something You Learn” – Lori Henriques
“If I Had A Twin” – Lori Henriques
“Green Lead On The Ground” – Lori Henriques
“Otto’s Orange Day” – The Boogers
“Didn’t Know What I Was Missing” – Alastair Moock
“Uh Oh” – The Fuzzy Lemons
“Place In Your Heart” – Frances England
“Mind Of My Own” – Frances England
“Red Balloon” – Frances England
“Tumblebee” – Laura Veirs
“Soldier’s Joy” – Laura Veirs w/ Colin Meloy
“Bonfire” – The Jimmies
“Mathematics” – The Not-Its!
“Puppy Dog” – The Not-Its! (good song gets great at the 1:30 mark, if you love mid-90’s college rock)
“Let’s Dance” – Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band
“Light Beams” – Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band
“Bad Blue Jay” – Caspar Babypants
“Baby Cloud” – Caspar Babypants
“Love Makes Life So Sweet” – Sunshine Collective
“Night Owl” – Cat and a Bird
“Bat Bada Bing” – Cat and a Bird
“If You Go” – Joanie Leeds
“I’m Little But I’m Loud” – The Hollow Trees
“Gonna Take My Hat” – Mister G
“Paper Airplane” – The Baby Grands
“Flyaway Katie” – Tom Gray (of Gomez)
“Whoosh Into the Picture” – Tom Gray (of Gomez)
“What’s Mama Doin” – Istvan and his Imaginary Band
“Waters of March” – Jamie Broza

OWTK’s Top 10 Kindie Album Art/CD Covers of 2011

Here I am taking into account the cover art/layout/font selection(s) and/or the complete album packaging. Yes, you can judge a book (or in this case a record) by it’s cover, because these 10 discs not only look great, they sound superb as well (in no particular order):
Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band “Oh Lucky Day!”