From snappy album art to punchy power-pop, this Seattle quintet makes quite a splash in the kiddie pool with their debut “We Are The Not-Its!” Fans of Sub Pop Records and mid-90’s indie rock will likely recognize the lead vocalist of The Not-Its. Sarah Shannon (of Velocity Girl) picks up […]
A couple Sundays ago in a swanky New Jersey hotel, “Welcome to the Music Room”, mr. RAY’s 4th family album, was officially released upon the world. The crowd that gathered to greet the new tunes was strong and very familiar with mr. RAY’s oeuvre. Ray Anderson played a mix of […]
This Review is brought to you by This Rant:Generally, when a band’s press release describes the CD as “music for kids that won’t drive adults crazy” I have one immediate reaction:I imagine that the label/band haven’t a clue about the current state of kid’s/family music into which they have entered. […]
The latest Putumayo Kids disc is a delightful musical romp through the European continent. While I have nominal experience with European musical traditions, I was more excited about the European Playground CD then any other from the leader in handsomely packaged world music compilations. This is largely because I’m an […]
All the childhood staples are present on “Pop of the Tots”: trains, colors, nature, farm animals, animal sounds and robots.So what’s the difference between this indie pop effort and, say, a Raffi disc? Terrific musical chops and a diverse palate for starters. Tim Knuth (that’d be the Human Tim) also […]
Much like urban street corners and mid-western farmhands, Americana and Hip Hop, as musical genres go, don’t often find themselves intersecting. Naturally, I was a tad dubious when Banjo To Beatbox arrived in the mailbox. I mean, a MC and a washboard? A rapper and a fiddle? Really? Yes, really! […]
Seattle’s Recess Monkey return with a pristine collection of kindie rock songs on “Field Trip” (to be released 6/9/09). The new record, the band’s 5th, maps a traceable progression from quirky & goofy to quirky & great. As the boys of Recess Monkey spend their days surrounded by 5 and […]
On “Christmas Cove”, “Two Thumbs Up” and the outstanding title track, Johnny Bregar’s 3rd children’s CD springs forward with sheer beauty. The remainder of the 15 song set represents a sturdy collection of Americana/rootsy tunes that, while pleasant and enjoyable in their own right, fall short of fulfilling the lofty […]
