Are mushy, lullaby-like kids’ album all you can find? Are your young ones falling asleep when you want them awake? Rock out with our selection of CDs that just may get young listeners hooked on all kinds of tunes.
“GREASY KID STUFF 2: MORE SONGS FROM INSIDE THE RADIO”
Fans of the WFMU radio show will enjoy their own copy of “Gimme” by Fatcat & Fishface – also known as the “Birthday Holler song” – on this new collection that cuts across all musical genres. Listen for the gruff robotic voice of “The Mechanical Man,” by Bent Bolt & the Nuts, a cover of “Underdog,” by the Kabalas and the cleverly disguised lessons in songs like They Might Be Giants’ “What Is a Shooting Star?,” Drew Farmer’s “The Dinosaur Song” and “Unpack Your Adjectives,” by the Mr. T Experience. This mix of rock, punk and pop beats teaches kids something about music too. (www.confidentialrecordings.com)
“EVEN KIDS GET THE BLUES”
Here’s one blues album that won’t have you crying into your alphabet soup – even though it addresses real kid-world problems such as sibling rivalry, popularity and being a latch-key kid in an honest, not cheesy way. Vermont’s Unknown Blues Band provides the music and lyrics, and kids take most of the lead vocals – though Bonnie Raitt makes a cameo phone-call appearance on “I Wanna Be Bonnie.” The music ranges from blues, blues-rock, gospel and New Orleans R&B, and the CD sleeve is sprinkled the history of the blues, to give kids insight along with the songs. (www.reboprecords.com)
“STONE AGE WOO: THE ZORCH SOUNDS OF NERVOUS NORVUS”
Nervous Norvus – a.k.a. songwriter Jimmy Drake – had his first hit, “Transfusion,” in 1956. This collection has 33 of his golden oldies that will tickle teens and their parents. Younger kids will enjoy the wacky lyrics and noises – like theTarzan cries in “Ape Call” – while the sweet “Little Cowboy” would be a good accompaniment to a game of Candyland. (www.nortonrecords.com)
“SHREK 2”
This isn’t really a kids’ CD per se – but neither is the movie. Relive the all-out finale of “Livin’ La Vida Loca” with Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas, and hear Tom Waits singing “Little Drop of Poison.” True, Pete York’s cover of the Buzzcocks classic “Ever Fallen in Love” and Butterfly Boucher’s cover of Bowie’s “Changes” make one yearn for the originals – but this collection is one of those stealth mixes that exposes kids to new music and its many moods. (At stores)