For The Kids Three
If you've been avoiding children's music because you think it's all too simple and cutesy and you're afraid you might drive off the road if you hear "The Wheels On The Bus" one more time, then look no further than the For The Kids CDs from Nettwerk Music.They've just released the third installment of this series of classic and contemporary children's songs performed by an incredibly eclectic line-up of musicians, including Barenaked Ladies, Moby, Of Montreal, Mates of State, and Rogue Wave.
Every track is a gem, done in a way that will have both parents and kids bobbing their heads and singing happily along. You'll even find yourself joining in on the chorus of Over The Rhine's "The Poopsmith Song" as they sing about toilet training. No, really, the poop most definitely goes in the potty! And try to resist the sweet charm of "I Want To Have Fun" by Of Montreal.
I have two copies of this wonderful CD to give away. Leave a comment telling me your favorite children's musician and I'll pick winners at random. Make sure you tell me how to reach you, either through your blog or via email.
In the meantime, here's a track from For The Kids Three...
Listen: Of Montreal - "I Want To Have Fun"
Check out more sound samples from this CD at Amazon.
Permalink posted by Idaho Dad at 12:01 AM
16 Comments:
My son is three and I currently rate "kids performers" based on how much my son sings along. Fuller has such a sweet voice we try to encourage him to sing as much as possible. We are currently rocking out to Dan Zane. Fuller loves to sing along to Malti, which has a fun chorus. (Fuller also loves Ob La Dee Ob La Da by the Beatles, which was recommended by you, if I recall.)
I have For the Kids One and listen to it often. I'll have to look at two and three.
Well we love Brent Holmes and his "Cow Tunes" and "Mooseberry Jam" CDs, and we can thank you for turning us on to them...We've learned so much about cows and ice cream! they have been played SO MUCH and we need some new kids' music so...(hint, hint, nudge, nudge!)
Seth has a lot of favorites. One is A Year With Frog and Toad, a recorded version of the musical based on the famous books. Another is Some Assembly Required by Tom Chapin.
We are big fans of They Might Be Giants and anything by the Veggie Tales. The kids have been making a strong push into listening to some more grown up music. Stuff from the 60s/70s like Elvis seems to be their favorite grown up music so far.
Trout Fishing in America, definitely. Can't go wrong with Big Trouble.
We can't resist They Might Be Giants' "No!" album. My favorites are "Four of Two" and "The House at the Top of the Tree" and the kids crack up to "Violin". Lots of funny and nonsensical, creative stuff. Also, the Jack Johnson Curious George album is really just grown up music that children can also enjoy, packaged in a way that the kids will think it is solely for them.
It's been a very long time since I purchased a kid's cassette tape (see, they didn't have CD's back then) ... My little guy, Nathan, listens to his older brother's left overs ... including Weird Al. Don't think he listens or understands all the words .. but he sure likes to dance.
Another vote for they might be giants here. We've got the No! album on constantly at the moment, but I'm planning on exposing Amy to their other stuff soon.
We listen to a similar themed CD. A few years back Harry Connick Jr. put out 'Songs I Heard'. He jazzes up songs from classic musicals like The Sound of Music, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Etc. He does a good Oompa, Loompa.
We've put both our kids down to sleep with Kenny Loggins' CD. We especially like the one with theme from "Willie Wonka," and "Fievel."
Heck, I hum the tunes all day long!
brave-28096@mypacks.net
Oh come on...how do I choose? Roger Day, Charity and the JAMband, Eric Herman, Laurie Berkner...those are the ones that have been in our CD player the longest...so they must be our faves! But really I love all children's music (or my music blog would be pointless, eh?), so I'm gonna check out this album you talked about regardless...
I agree with you. I am tired of hearing Barney songs. Our son is autistic, with echolalia, so he sings constantly. I have made an effort to switch him to more grown up songs. He now sings songs from Elvis, Cherry Poppin Daddies, and Simon & Garfunkle. But as far as actual kids music goes, we like Ralph Covert, Trout Fishing in America and the kids CD from They Might Be Giants.
Some favorite kids artists, in no particular order:
Dan Zanes (Any friend of the ukulele is a friend of mine.)
Elizabeth McMahon / aka Mrs. McPuppet
Currently we're listening to a little too much Beach Boys, especially Surfin' USA. But the kids are really into it, so I'm into it.
Also? The VeggieTales CDs are very good, though I'm utterly mortified that I enjoy the dulcet tones of singing vegetables. Especially good are Silly Songs with Larry (I truly dig the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything).
Blessings.
I forgot to mention that we have a download of the Over the Rhine song from when it was available for free on their website. Fuller is potty training right now and I sing it to him all the time. And now he is singing it so I guess I need to go!(pst... I am at alicia AT crumley DOT org if you haven't picked someone yet.)
Well, I just worked my way far enough back through GoogleReader to find this post... that happens when you're out-of-country for a week adopting a baby!
Anyway, we LOVE the original For the Kids (especially Mahna Mahna) and if you haven't given this one away yet we'd be thrilled to be in the running.
Hands down, we are Trout Fishing fans. But I do have a soft spot for good ol' Bob McGrath, yes, Bob from Sesame Street. He recorded a lovely long series of favorite kids' songs called "If You're Happy and You Know It Sing Along" that is our best "favorite kids' songs" album. We also like Laurie Berkner and Sandra Boynton - I can't wait to get my hands on her new album either.
Hello there, thank you for this great post regarding childrens music...We live near Paris, France, and are looking at moving to the CdA area with our three daughters next summer...this will help get them in the groove! :) Our current favorites, if anyone is interested in picking up some cool French childrens music, are Pakita (or "the Redheaded Fairy with Glasses"...any of her albums are winners if you can find them! perhaps amazon in the UK or Canada?), Steve Waring (a French speaking Canadian, again, all of his stuff is great but we especially like "Les Grenouilles") and Alain Schneider (all three of his albums are super, our favorite is his first one, "Plus loin que le bout de ton nez"), and the very 'bestest' of the best is Brice Kapel ("Coloricocola"). If you haven't given your freebies away yet, you can reach me at heather_riviere@hotmail.com...
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