EARWORM: Chicago based Animal Farm releases 2nd Kindie album: We Are One

Chicago Kindie band Animal Farm is getting ready to release their second album for kids and families, We Are One.  They are celebrating that fact with a joy-filled live show at 11 am on   Sunday, August 26th at The Den Theatre  (1331 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622)

Pre-order the album on Amazon.

The band uses animal characters to tell stories and get their message across.  Sometimes the message is humorous and fun-filled and sometimes it's a positive life-lesson or even a lesson about fairness or the environment.  Through songs, skits, stories, and audience participation, Animal Farm gives kids and their families positive messages and fun times.

Animal Farm features David Ladon and Seth Adams, who originally met in Boston in 2008.  They started the band in 2010 and by 2013 they had both moved to Chicago, and added husband and wife team Thor Bremer and Stephanie Young to fill out their sound.    I met David Ladon last year when he became my son's teacher at the Workmen's Circle Sunday school.  I can attest that David and his compadres are full of energy, joie de vivre, and equal amounts education and entertainment.  They are good people to have around your kids!



I've listened to their latest album, and I really enjoy their ability to meld characters and music together.  They have a number of influences, including novelty music, klezmer, rock and roll, jazz, and Latin music, to name a few.

Below, I've included a video of the band performing one of their crowd favorite songs, Cranky Pants, which is on the new album.

Some of my favorite tracks off their latest album including Totes McGoat about an angry goat who needs to let some stuff go, which has a little bit of a Beatles feel, and It Always Could Be Worse, about a kid whose problems are always being one-upped by different animals, including a giraffe with a 6 foot long sore throat.

This song has a vaudeville feeling.  I also really like the song The Abyss , about what is going on way down under the ocean.  Other songs that are great include Awesome Possum, Cranky Pants, and the title track We Are One.

Here's a video of the band performing Awesome Possum, which has an old-school Elvis Costello feeling.

 

Animal Farm is an official touring artist for Urban Gateways, the premier community arts programming organization for youth in Chicago, and is a recipient of the 2018 Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Individual Artist Program Grant.

We Are One will be released on August 24 and will be available at CDBaby, iTunes, bandcamp, and other major outlets.  It will also be available at the event on Sunday August 26.

Animal Farm painting by Amanda Atkins

Fans will be able to pick up copies of We Are One and the previous Animal Farm CD, Run Free, along with stickers, t-shirts, and temporary tattoos. There will also be coloring stations with free coloring pages where kids can color in their favorite Animal Farm characters.

WHEN: 11:00 a.m. Sunday, August 26, 2018.
WHERE: The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
ADMISSION: $5 for kids 12 and under. $10 for humans over 12.
TO PURCHASE TICKETS: Visit Eventbrite HERE.
MORE INFORMATION: 303-908-8732  or Visit the Animal Farm website

Win Two Tickets to See Raffi in Chicago on April 8!

Raffi is one of the foremost children's singer/songwriters in the world.  He's turning 70 this year, and to celebrate, he's doing a  #belugagrads special tour.  Many of the kids who first turned on to Raffi now have kids themselves, and are therefore "Beluga Grads."  The concert will be an amazing singalong for kids and families.

He'll be coming to Chicago (The Harris Theatre at Millenium Park 205 E. Randolph Drive ) on Saturday, April 8, and we've got a special arrangement to give two tickets away to the show! Read on for details on how to win your tickets!

Raffi has had an amazing career for over 40 years as a singer, songwriter, producer, author, lecturer, and tireless advocate for children. He is best known for his work as a children’s entertainer and advocate whose string of gold and platinum-selling recordings includes his iconic song, “Baby Beluga,” He was once called “the most popular children’s singer in the English-speaking world” by the Washington Post and “Canada’s all-time children’s champion” by the Toronto Star.

 Raffi is a recipient of the Order of Canada and the United Nations’ Earth Achievement Award. He has published three books for adults and holds four honorary degrees.

“I love singing with and for children and families,” says Raffi. “In 2018, I look forward to hearing more ‘Beluga Grads’ and their kids singing favorites like “Baby Beluga,” “Down By The Bay,” “Bananaphone!” plus more from my recent Best of Raffi album.”

In 2010, Raffi founded the non-profit Centre for Child Honouring. With the motto “Respecting Earth & Child,” the Centre is at the heart of a global movement that views honoring children as the best way to create sustainable, peacemaking societies. The concerts that he is preparing will all benefit that Center.

For more about Raffi or the Centre, visit www.raffinews.com or www.childhonouring.org.

HOW TO WIN TICKETS TO SEE RAFFI IN CHICAGO

There are a number of ways to get entered into the giveaway, including spreading the word on Facebook, Twitter, or checking Raffi out on Amazon.  However,  the easiest and best way to enter is to honor Raffi's career, and just do something nice for a kid.  See the entry form below for details.  The giveaway ends on March 28, so enter today!

a Rafflecopter giveaway




If you just want to buy tickets for the Chicago date, they range from $29.50 to $75.Tickets are on sale now for the Harris Theater performances.  The VIP $75 tickets will include an opportunity to meet Raffi in person after the show. (Please note, the tickets in the giveaway do not include that opportunity.)

Here are some of the other dates, in case you live in a different city:

Saturday, April 7, 2018 - Minneapolis, MN - Pantages Playhouse - 1:00 PM

Sunday, April 8, 2018 - Chicago, IL - Harris Theatre - 1:00 PM

Saturday, May 5, 2018 - Fresno, CA - Tower Theatre - 1:00 PM

Sunday, May 6, 2018 - Modesto, CA - Gallo Centre for the Arts - 1:00 PM

Saturday, June 2, 2018 - Kingston, ON - Grand Theatre - 1:00 PM

Sunday, June 3, 2018 - Kitchener, ON - Centre in the Square - 1:00 PM

Saturday, June 9, 2018 - London, ON - Centennial Hall - 1:00 PM

Sunday, June 10, 2018 - Toronto, ON - Roy Thomson Hall - 1:00 PM

Saturday, June 23, 2018 - Burlington, VT - Flynn Centre - 1:00 PM

Sunday, June 24, 2018 - Concord, NH - Capitol Centre - 1:00 PM

To get tickets to those events or to find out more, visit Raffi's Concert Page.

Okee Dokee Brothers Add 2nd show! Chicago Sept 23

Due to the 11 am show selling out, Old Town School of Folk Music has added another show for the Grammy award winning duo The Okee Dokee Brothers.

 I've extolled the Okee Dokee brothers (Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing, not actually brothers) before (when their book Can You Canoe came out).


I'm a big fan of their music and their style of music:  A little bit folk, a little bit pop, but full of life and the wonders of having adventures.  And perfect for the whole family!

The Okee Dokee brothers aren't really brothers,
but they have a lot of fun outside!

Since that time they've won a Grammy, had an interstitial series on Kid's Place Live, and have continued to create music, write songs, and encourage kids and their families to get creative and get outdoors.

Now you've got a chance to see them live on stage, and it's well worth bringing your family, plunking down your credit card and having some fun.



Saturday, September 23 at 1:30 pm 

Old Town School of Folk Music,
4544 N Lincoln Avenue in Chicago
Tickets: $14 general
More info/Purchase online: OLD TOWN SCHOOL OF FOLK MUSIC

Find out more about the brothers at http://www.okeedokee.org

And here are some Amazon links to get you ready for the show!

   

fyi: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I only recommend products or services that I use personally and/or believe will add value to my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

EAR WORM: Andrew & Polly's Odds and Ends

Andrew & Polly with ukelele & accordion

I've been admirers of Andrew & Polly's work for some time.  I hear them a lot on Kid's Place Live, and their work is kooky, fun, and original.  I just got a hold of their new album Odds & Ends, and it collects a lot of the songs that I've heard over the last year.

Andrew Barkan and Polly Hall are a married couple that live in Los Angeles, where they work and perform.  Andrew, originally from San Francisco, has been instrumental (yes, I meant that pun!) in all kinds of film music and scoring, working on the Smurfs movie, and has composed the scores for over 30 independent films.

Polly, originally from Arkansas, co-founded a music for interactive company in Brooklyn, holds an MA in Computer Music from Brown University, and is a former Suzuki violinist.  Together, they have written music for Nickolodeon, lots of commercials, and they won the  2012 ASCAP Foundation Joe Raposo Childrens' Music Award for their first album Up and At' Em!

There's a great interview with them on ZooGlobble,  where you can find out that among other things, they are parents of an 18 month old, that they met in college where they both sang for A Cappella groups, and that they lived in Providence in 2006 when I was doing Bright Night.  I would have totally hired them for the New Year's Eve Festival, if I had known about them then!

Zooglobble, by the way, is a great resource for all things Kindie music.  You should definitely be reading it!

Buy Odds & Ends on Amazon.

The album Odds & Ends is a collection of songs that they've written over the last 5 years.  I've heard a few of them over the last couple of years. for a few years on Kids Place Live.  They do really delightful cover versions of Ghostbusters, the Beatles song Here Comes The Sun, and the Dylan song Forever Young.

 But it's their original songs that are the real winners.  I especially liked their song Grapes, which has a Laurie Anderson meets kid's music kind of feel, with a lot of talking/story.  It's funny and quirky and weird, and most importantly it's catchy.  It caught my attention, anyway.

 Most of their original songs are like that.

 Here's the song Grapes on Youtube:

The album came out on Friday (although it apparently previewed in Los Angeles at a 1 year old's birthday party!) Awesome party favor!

Other than the album, their latest project together is a cool  podcast for kids called EarSnacks.  It's for kids, featuring kids, and has lots of interactive features, questions, and just some wacky stuff.  Their latest episode is about all kinds of Balls (get your mind out of the gutter!) They play sounds of different bouncing balls, talk about boogers, which leads to a discussion of atoms, planets, and just about everything else.  It's a fun hang out session with them.  They produce a new podcast once a month or so.  (And I believe it also airs on KPL.)

You can listen to their podcast for free on iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud or tunein.

Find out more about Andrew and Polly on their website:  http://andrewandpolly.com/

Laurie Berkner at Ravinia this weekend!

This weekend kindie music icon Laurie Berkner comes to the Ravinia festival for an amazing afternoon of music.

I met up with her a couple of years ago at Kindie fest,  (and again when I reviewed her musical Wanda's Monster in NY for the City Dads Group)

She's a great person. a great musician, and has the magic touch with kids.  She's delightful and a little magical in person, and it shows in her music.

Her concert is sure to be a blast (in fact, lawn tickets are already sold out!)

If you want to go, you should get the reserved tickets.  Your kids will have a great time!

Here's the link to buy tickets directly from Ravinia.

The concert starts at 1 pm, but there's a kids lawn that is supposed to be a lot of fun from 12-1 pm.  Bring plenty of sunblock, and plenty of delicious food!

To get you in the mood, here's some links to some of her best albums via Amazon.

These albums should have links to listen to song samples on them.

EAR WORM: SteveSongs: Song Without A Rhyme

I've been listening to and enjoying the SteveSongs album Orangutan Van for about a year now.

One of the songs on the album is a song in which two performers try to sing a song that doesn't rhyme.  It's harder than you think, although it can be done (In the song itself, Steve is undone by the other performer quoting his grandfather, who insisted that he not be misquoted.  Ie, he could have done it.)

What has been keeping me captivated in that song is how easily we are led to rhyme, and how hard it is to fight against what seems so darned obvious.   obvious leaps of rhyme it's easy to make, and how hard it is to fight against them, once everything else is set up in motion.

Here's the first set of lyrics.  The two singers (Steve and Anand) trade off and have to finish each other's phrase without rhyming.

STEVE: We're going to make a song without a rhyme
So we can sing it for you.
A song without a rhyme,
Yeah, That's what we are gonna... 

ANAND: ACCOMPLISH.
You know it's going to be tricky
Yeah, It's going to take time.
To make a song without words
That end with a... 

STEVE: REPEATED SOUND.
There was a man from Nashville
Who was a songwriting star,
One day he got inspired
As he strummed his... 

ANAND: GILDED UKELELE

They probably trade off about 20 times, and although it's rehearsed, I love this game!

SteveSongs is the work of Steve Roslonek, a Connecticut resident who has been performing on PBS since 2008.  There, he is one of the main interstitial presences in between shows and episodes of Curious George, Clifford, and many of the other shows on the station.  He acts as a host and helps introduce some of the concepts after the animation is over.  If you've seen those shows, you probably know his work.

His work is engaging, clever, and not condescending at all.

Another song I love on the album is the title track Orangutan Van, about a guy named Dan who lives in Orangutan land and drives a van that transports Orangutans around .  It's a counting song, but it's done so cleverly (and the concept is so clever) that kids learn to subtract as they fill up the van with a band, some cheerleaders, some reporters, some banana flanne, and a whole bunch of orangutans.

He's got lots of other great songs, including a song about Martin Luther King Jr.  (All In This Together), a song about being a Superhero (with a special appearance by Secret Agent 23 Skidoo!), a song about Flat Stanley, and lots of other educational/entertaining songs.

You can listen to tracks/purchase his album online on Amazon, or visit his website to find out more.
(he actually has 5 albums available on Amazon.  Orangutan Van is his latest)

http://www.stevesongs.com

The Pop Ups New Animated Series Launches Today!

Brooklyn-based, twice Grammy-nominated band The Pop Ups  are launching a new web series on their YouTube channel starting today.  The series features 4-6 minute edu-taining videos that touch on different subjects.  They all engender a sense of wonder

There will be five videos that are available today:

Box of Crayons - This animated series teaches kids how to write different letters. The first video focuses on O's, with Ollie the Owl.

Make it a Puppet – Kids learn about their world through objects around them.The Pop Ups turn everyday objects into puppets to answer questions about the world.The first episode is focused on a houseplant and the process of photosynthesis.

What's That Smell? - A cooking show with Chef and her sidekick DJ, Glen where viewers learn about the world through the lens of FOOD. The first one is about the color yellow.

Music video -- Animated videos based on Pop Ups hit songs. The first one is "Robot Dance."

Sock Puppet Orchestra -- Jason and Jacob sing and play along with their puppet friends and learn something new every day. The debut video explores "Body Parts."

New content will then start rolling out regularly beginning on June 10th.

To listen to Pop-Ups Music, click the albums below:

Happy Mother's Day, Peoples!

This is one of my favorite Mother's Day songs.

Happy Mother's Day One and all!

CONCERT: Justin Roberts & Cathy & Marcy: May 3 at Martyr's

Cathy and Marcy Join Justin Roberts for Chicago Family Concert on May 3rd

This Sunday, in addition to having an early mother's day feast that can't be beat, my son and I are going to an awesome concert at Martyr's.

Multiple GRAMMY Award winners Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer will be joining Chicago-based kindie superstar Justin Roberts for an all-ages concert at Martyrs (3855 N Lincoln Avenue, Chicago) on Sunday, May 3rd at 3 pm. Tickets ($12) are available now at Martyr’s online, and at the door. Call (773) 404-9404 for more information. 

The concert is in support of Cathy & Marcy's new album Dancin' In the Kitchen, in which they cover a Justin Roberts song. (hence the collaboration).  

We are big fans of Justin Roberts in our house, who has a number of songs on Kid's Place Live that we love, including Willy Was A Whale and Otis, which is a song about his best friend, an elevator.  When we were living in Yonkers, (home of the Otis Elevator Company) we would listen to that song and really feel like he was talking about us.

We are less familiar with Cathy and Marcy, but they sound great!  Cathy & Marcy are folk musicians who have two GRAMMYs, 14 GRAMMY nominations, and over 100 major awards.   They play dozens of instruments, and over the last 30 years have entertained the Queen of Thailand, sung at the White House, sung in Congress, and appeared on television, radio, and on stage hundreds of times.  While they are in town, they will also be giving some music intensives for adults at the Old Town School of Folk Music.

Chicago-based Justin Roberts is one of the "all-stars" of the national kindie family music scene. A former Montessori teacher, he has performed all over the country to great critical acclaim (and two GRAMMY nominations) His new picture book The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade is a 2015 finalist in the EB White Read Aloud Book Award. He wrote the score for Chicago’s Emerald City Theater holiday  hit, “Hansel and Gretel,” and will perform a weeklong residency of a new concert experience "The Mysterious Hat" at the New Victory in NY before returning to Chicago for the Martyr’s show.

Here's The Justin Roberts video of Willy Was A Whale:

EARWORM: Keith Munslow Tiny Destroyer

I need to warn you in advance that I am prejudiced towards Keith Munslow.  I have been listening to him play for nearly 25 years, in a ton of different musical incarnations, and I've loved all of it.  So if you are looking for an unbiased review, you should look elsewhere.  My opinion of his work is biased by experience and knowledge.

I first met Keith in 1989.  I was stage managing a vaudeville festival in Maine, and Big Nazo Puppets was playing the festival, and the closing night party was a fundraiser being held in a giant mansion.  Keith was playing piano for the puppets, and we all ended up at 3 am playing ping pong and eating pizza in the attic of this huge house.

A couple of year's later, I was performing with Big Nazo, and spending time with Keith in rehearsal, in performance, and then at very late night diners, eating breakfast at 3 am and trading stories about gigs.  Keith also taught me what a jazz monster Fred Rogers was.

I have also enjoyed Keith's work as a composer for the Perishable Theatre's original musicals that toured around the state; his work with the Neo 90's Dance Band, the house band for AS-220; his barrel-house blues bands The Smoking Jackets (and later the Superchief Trio);  and a variety of other gigs, bands, and other musical configurations and conflagrations.   And Keith is also an excellent visual artist.

When I was the director of Bright Night Providence, I hired Keith nearly every year to perform, both his kid's performances, and his blues band.  He's that good.

So without even listening to his new cd  Tiny Destroyer, I can tell you with confidence that it's really good and you should get it.

After listening to it, I think you should run out and get it right away.  I will wait.

Keith's work over the years has matured, and his abilities to blend the comic and the sweet have deepened with time.  I think it's a combination of practice and good mentoring (Keith has played and worked with Bill Harley for a number of years, and you can hear Bill's influence in Keith's storytelling.)

Luc and Keith (photo from Providence Journal article)

I also think that Keith's work has benefited from the arrival of his own Tiny Destroyer, 2-year-old Luc (or Prince Luc if you are so inclined)  Keith's work has always been funny and original, but I think Luc has changed his understanding of kids (and parents) in a way that makes most of his funny songs hit home a little harder, and his more soulful songs have a little something something.

My favorite song on the album is probably "Dad Is Takin' A Nap"  (click to hear a sample) which lays down a funk groove while warning kids not to wake the big man, and that perhaps they should consider practicing their mime routines.  It's got Munslow's blues feeling, with some funk and rap thrown in for good measure, and it's a song that will leave you humming it for months.  I also really like "Coffee Breath" which exposes a major flaw in java-juicing adults.  And also "Intelligent Clam" which tells the story of a marvelous mollusk.  And the title song "Tiny Destroyer" an anthem to the destructive power of toddlers.

Basically I like all the songs, and I think you will too. (But I'm biased by experience.)

Here's where you can get the CD on Amazon.

KindieComm: Where I wish I was going this weekend

I want to shout out to a festival that I've never been to that's happening this weekend-- it's KindieComm, which will be happening in Philadelphia this weekend (March 20-22.

 I'm sadly not breaking my perfect record of two years in non-attendance.

It's not that I don't want to go.  It's not that I don't even have a couple of legitimate reasons for going.  I just can't swing it.  Or, to put it another way, if I swung that, I'd have to not swing some very important other things in my life.

It's a gathering of Kindie musicians, bloggers, fans, agents, radio hosts, and everybody else that's interested in the Independent Kid musician business/area of art.

Now I hear you saying:  "But Adam, I'm an ardent follower of your blog, and you went to a festival just like this a couple of years ago, didn't you?  Or am I crazy?"

Yes, I did, and no you aren't.

I went to the progenitor of KindieComm, called KindieFest, and you can read all about why in this previous post.

Oh what the heck, you are probably not going to click.  Here's what I wrote back then:

If you read more of that, you'll always find some wisdom imparted by the Paul McCartney of Kid's Music, Laurie Berkner.  Go ahead.  I'll wait. (<--- this is a call back)

Bob McGrath of Sesame Street will be
there, but I will not.

It turns out, that first KindieFest that I went to was the last one ever.  I hope I'm not a jinx.

In its place, KindieComm. Different wonderful producers, same wonderful musicians, same wonderful concept.

This year, Ella Jenkins won't be keynoting again (in her place is the inestimable Bob McGrath of Sesame Street), and lots of great music. And musicians. And of course, dad blogger extraordinaire and a huge writer about all things Kindie, Mr. Jeff Bogle.

If you are in the Philly area, the website says there are still tickets.  And even if you don't want to go to the conference part and hobnob with the musicians, there's a Sunday Public concert featuring  three super great bands-- The Pop Ups, Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights and The Not Its!  With a special guest star Tim Kubart from the SunnySide Up Show on Sprout.

Here's where you can buy tickets and find out more information.

Maybe I'll be there next year!



I've included some Amazon links so that you can listen to Joanie Leeds, The Not Its, and the Pop Ups.  And Ella Jenkins, of course.  Enjoy!

EARWORM: How Great Can This Day Be? by Lori Henriques

Lori Henriques is a Portland based singer whose music I just love. I hear a lot of it on Kid's Place Live, and everytime it comes on I smile.  Soon I'm tapping the steering wheel.  She's very catchy!

Listen to this NPR review for a great overview of her latest album :

http://www.npr.org/2014/12/18/371721047/music-review-lori-henriques-how-great-can-this-day-be


She's got a cabaret/blues/jazz feel, with very smart and clever lyrics, an amazing voice, and real music chops.  She was classically trained, and it shows.

 I especially love the song "How Great Can This Day Be?" which gives you a great question to ask yourself every morning, and "Vocabulary" (from a previous album) which encourages the listener to collect large words as a hobby instead of stamps, or record albums.


Speaking of which, click on any of these albums, and you could soon be collecting Lori Henriques songs, which would not be a bad thing at all.



Watch the video of "How Great Can This Day Be?"