Category Archives: Featured

DVD Review: Tinkerbell & The Neverbeast

Leave a reply

The Tinker Bell movies have been far more popular in our household, more so than any of the Disney princess movies. (Including Frozen. Seriously) At first I couldn’t quite pinpoint why. However, after the latest installment from the franchise, it clicked with me. The Tinker Bell movies don’t have the darkness and scary villains that are often found in other Disney movies.

That changed with Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast.

Enter scary darkness into the Tinker Bell series. Uh-oh. Based on the cover and title of the movie alone, I knew I needed to do some prep work with our daughter before we watched this one. It took a week before she would even agree to watch it. Just when I thought I would be watching the movie alone, she cracked under the lure of Tinker Bell and Pixie Hollow.

Overall, the movie does not disappoint, there is plenty of colorful scenes, catchy music and laughs from Tink and her fairy friends. We were even introduced to a new set of fairies – the scout fairies – charged with protecting Pixie Hollow. Wait. Protection in Pixie Hollow? The glowing green eyes of the NeverBeast and the intense lightning storm are right out of a Marvel comic book movie. A little much for both of our daughters (5 & 2 yrs old). I’m envisioning 2 a.m. nightmares already.

All that said, the movie has a great message. The value of having an open heart and looking for the good in others enables you to make new friends and learn things from others that you never thought possible. At a very impressionable age when our daughter is surrounded by new experiences at school, it opened the door in a different way to talk about being misunderstood and that you shouldn’t make assumptions about someone based on what is on the outside – good or bad. You can miss great opportunities when you fall into this pattern.

As with most of the Disney movies, we loved the music and downloaded the songs several minutes after the movie was over and we’ve listened to it every day again and again … and again. (even more than ‘Let It Go’) And I don’t even mind. The music was written by one of the more underrated song writers around, Bleu. With the the help of KT Tunstall, the songs fit great within the movie, but would easily stand on their own outside of the film. Note: There is a DVD that comes with purchase at Wal-Mart titled “Making Music with Bleu.” We didn’t receive a review copy of it, but based on the songs written for the movie (and songs we’ve enjoyed by Bleu for years) I have no doubt that it is wonderful.

TinkerBellAndTheLegendOfTheNeverbeastBluray

SHARE ARTICLE

Record Store Day 2014 – Sugar Free All Stars

Leave a reply

What does Record Store Day mean in the Kindie world? Sadly, not much. The cost of vinyl isn’t exactly the cheapest thing in the world to produce and the family genre isn’t exact a cash cow. Dan Zanes has done a Record Store Day release in the past, Justin Roberts Lullaby was released on vinyl and the lovely new Walter Martin record We’re All Young will be released on vinyl next month. So in short, there is not much vinyl in the Kindie world.

I grew up on music and a heavy dose came on vinyl (or 8 track.) But here’s why I want more Kindie records for families. The records I listened to were mine. My older siblings had their records, my parents had their records. But I had my own. The Muppets record, the Pete Seeger Sesame Street record, Larry Groce’s Disney records. I liked my parents music, but I couldn’t connect to it. I did with my records. We need to create that environment for our kids today.

Fear not vinyl enthusiasts, at least one* Kindie artist is putting out a release this Saturday at your favorite record store, Sugar Free Allstars. They’re releasing a 45 of “My Daddy’s Record Collection” which you can listen to right here.

Can’t make it to record store day? That’s OK. You can pre-order the 45 on their website. Those who do buy the record will also receive a download card to receive the digital version of the songs. The songs will also be available via the iTunes store and various streaming services.

*It’s not listed on the Record Store Day website, but according to this interview, Caspar Babypants will be releasing some vinyl this Saturday too.

SHARE ARTICLE

Review: Lishy Lou and Lucky Too Radio Hour

Leave a reply
My first love was radio. I still love radio. I have old 1950’s microphone tattooed on my right arm. (Probably not one of the wisest choices in my life, but still.) While in high school I interned at local radio stations and jumped at the chance at college radio when I arrived on campus. Radio was all and everything I ever wanted to do. I got my first real radio job while still a college student and I was in heaven. I spent the next 10 years of my post college years working in radio.

Years have passed since I stopped working in radio, because everything became automated and humans were no longer needed. My dream to be Johnny Fever or Venus Flytrap or even Les Nessman, was dead. Which in a long winded way, brings me to Lishy Lou and Lucky Too Radio Hour. It was a reminder of why I fell in love with radio in the first place. Radio can be engaging. Radio allows for ‘Theater of the mind.’ (as Steve Allen once said ‘and TV is theater for the mindless’) Radio can let your imagination run wild.

The new album from husband & wife team Lucky Diaz and Alisha Gladdis (and now GRAMMY award winners), is the reason why I love the Kindie music scene so much. There are no walls. It is creative freedom at it’s finest. Albums are made out of pure love. Not because a record label needs to sell a certain number of downloads. The Kindie scene allows for artists to make beautiful art.

The Lishy Lou and Lucky Too is an ode to times past, yet sounds as fresh as tomorrow. It’s campy, clever, and smart. Its a little bit Laugh-In, a little bit Pee Wee’s Playhouse, and a whole lotta fun.

Now, I’ve never been a fan of skits, I just want the music. However, my 4 year old wanted to hear them over and over again. And then the light bulb went off in my head. The skits reminded me of my old Muppet and Sesame Street records that I grew up on. I’ve been pulling those records out lately and I remember word for word exactly what is said by Kermit, Fozzie, Statler, Waldorf or Oscar the Grouch in between the songs.

With any luck my kids will be doing the same thing with Lishy Lou and Lucky Too 30 years from now.

Oh, the songs are pretty damn good too. But they need to be experienced with the whole album. So, no teases about which songs are best, just a big nudge from me to you to get the whole album and let your kids experience ‘Theater of the mind’ themselves.

Buy the album here. Find out more here. Enjoy for years to come.

*my apologies, I’ve been so off the grid I thought I hit publish on this in November*

SHARE ARTICLE