CD Review: The Flannery Brothers, “Love Songs for Silly Things”

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51CSbGXafKL._SCLZZZZZZZ_[1]The Flannery Brothers – Love Songs for Silly Things (2009, self-released)
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I know we aren’t generally in the habit of giving bad reviews here — if we don’t think something is worth a dad’s hard-earned time and money, we simply won’t cover it — but the Flannery Brothers‘ Love Songs for Silly Things is a special case. As in an especially wonderful case. My house is a constant stream of kids’ music, and my 3.5-year-old daughter has reached the point where she doesn’t even bat an eyelash when a new CD or DVD arrives in the mail “for her.” With all that entertainment going on, it’s hard for one album to stand out, but Silly Things has done it, becoming an instant summer favorite for my daughter, my 21-month-old son, my wife, and even our visiting nephew, who turns 11 in September. Rare is the kids’ CD that doesn’t advertise itself as “fun for the whole family,” but this one really delivers on that promise; my nephew spent the better part of a week singing the chorus of “Broccoli Yet” under his breath, and my wife yelled “I love that CD!” when she walked in and found me writing this review. Continue reading →

CD Review: Hot Peas ‘N Butter, “Best of the Bowl: Ingles y Español”

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516felH8tkL._SCLZZZZZZZ_[1]Hot Peas ‘N Butter – Best of the Bowl, Ingles y Español (2009, self-released)
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Bailando!

As you might guess from the big “volume 5” slapped on Best of the Bowl‘s artwork, Hot Peas ‘N Butter have been around for awhile — in fact, their bilingual music should be familiar to anyone who spends time on the Nick Jr./Noggin end of the TV dial. They’ve certainly earned enough success to pause for a reassessment of their most popular material, which is exactly what co-founders Daniel Lapidus and Francisco Cotto do here, re-recording 11 favorites that, in the words of Lapidus, “are the songs that audiences ask for over and over again.

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Even for Hot Peas ‘N Butter novices, it shouldn’t be hard to hear why the band’s fans love these songs — they’re deliciously fun, danceable pan-cultural blends, and whether or not you live in a bilingual house, or are interested in exposing your children to world music, you should find Best of the Bowl wonderfully, instantly addictive. And if you do happen to be raising a miniature army of merengue listeners, well…it’s hard to imagine a better album to share with your kids this fall. To sample music, videos, and more from the band, visit their website — just be prepared to stay awhile, and probably spend some dinero while you’re there.

DVD Review: “Field Trips with Recess Monkey”

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51OFZt9rX7L._SCLZZZZZZZ_[1]Recess Monkey – Field Trips with Recess Monkey (2009, Monkey Mama)
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Our love for Recess Monkey has already been well documented, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t alert you to the imminent release of Field Trips with Recess Monkey, a DVD companion of sorts to the band’s most recent album, the stellar Field Trip.

For those not already in the know, Recess Monkey is a fun-loving, award-winning trio whose previous forays into kids’ music — including the aforementioned Field Trip, 2008’s Tabby Road, and others — have earned them a devoted following, as well as stacks of glowing reviews from outlets like NPR, Real Simple, and the notoriously cranky and difficult-to-please Stefan Shepherd of Zooglobble. (Just kidding. We love Stefan and he’s nothing but charming.) Field Trips with Recess Monkey is the band’s first DVD, and includes videos for four songs (“Marshmallow Farm,” “Haven’t Got a Pet Yet,” “Fort,” and the wickedly catchy “Hot Chocolate”) as well as a handful of vignettes following the Monkeys around Seattle. Continue reading →