;)
Tuesday
Feb162010
If Music Be The Food Of Love, Play On
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 1:20PM
I was driving my kid to school today, listening to the only decent morning radio I've yet to find in Houston, and heard that the new Angels & Airwaves album is free to download today. Also, if you leave a donation, you get a bonus track. The bonus track is epic. Just sayin'.
Anyway, I got to thinking (and subsequently emailing that morning radio show. Because I'm 12) that, though their target demographic is NOT 12 year olds, or boring old moms, this time it maybe should be. Because Britneyesque teeny-bop makes my brain bleed, and how many parents know the alternatives? My buddy in Denver got his kid hooked on the Who at the ripe old age of 5, which was clever but The Who is mediocre at best *ducks* and kind of hard to find on anything that doesn't involve David Caruso and his Sunglasses of Doom.
And speaking of brain bleed, do you know how many licks it takes Raffi to get to the center of your brain? Neither do I...my kids got Paint It Black sang to them every night at bedtime, because it's the same looping melody and way more interesting than Baby Belugas.
So here's my Public Service Announcement o' the Month: There are alternatives to glorification of premarital gang sex or date rape, people. Here are a few:
Dexter's Hip Hop Experiment. The soundtrack to the best cartoon ever written by man. Artists include Will. I. Am., Coolio and Prince Paul. PRINCE PAUL. He kicks ass, I don't care who you are. The whole CD is based off the cartoon (scientist 8 year old kid Dexter, rainbow-shooting-unicorns humping sister Dee Dee). It's funny and geeky and hip-hoppy. I listen to it WAY more than my kids do. If techo is more your speed, you can get the Power-Puff Girls soundtrack on Amazon as well, also by actual, real musicians.
Weezer: Any of it. I was late on the Weezer train. I only found them 10 years ago, and I honestly don't know how I made it than long without them. If you don't know Weezer, start here. But right after, listen to this. Every single member of this house, from the four year old to the 37 year old, loves Weezer. And they don't cuss, ever, not at all. They sing about Buddy Holly and hanging out with their girlfriend at her parents house, having family dinner. But they, at the very same time, make you want to get on your knees and thank god for the invention of the electric guitar. We took our kids to see Weezer once, and sat 13 rows from the stage, and had our minds bah-lown. They are funny, they are nerdy, they are 100% safe for work, and they inspire children to love, not like but love, music.
They also inspire children to torture their parents. Bygones.
Say It Ain't So from Mr Lady on Vimeo.
Angels & Airwaves and Blink 182, which I unfairly lump into the same pile, though they are two different beasts. A&A is a "side-project" group for Blink 182, but they go hand in hand. Blink is more punkesque, A&A is more stadium-emo-rockish. They are both most excellent. Blink 182 drops the occasional f* bomb, it's true, and can sometimes be a lot like reading Basketball Diaries to your kid, but the fact of the matter is that your kid is already saying Fuck, and in much better context than you, and there is something to be said for reading your kids Basketball Diaries. At the same time, they're writing songs about Jack and Sally. Angels is less edgy in subject matter, and a totally different style of musicianship. But both bands offer something you are hard pressed to find in Top 40 music....musicianship. We've taken our kids to see Blink 182 twice, and Angels once, and we will again every single chance we get. Their shows are grown up. They aren't humping the stage, and they aren't spouting off about drugs and chics, they just play. Very, very well.
*Aside: Am I saying you should let your kids watch their videos? HELL NO. Their videos are for moms and dads and Robert Smith. But a burnt copy of the cd will do nicely.
Devotchka: A little band of tuba-playing, violin-wielding gypsies from Denver, who you may or may not know from the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack. Devotchka is, um, well, errr...they're kind of hard to describe. They're, like, Burlesque meets Beethoven. Their music is most likely way over your kids heads, but it's good. It's soulful. It's complicated. It's MUSIC. And if you ask them pretty please with a cherry on top, they'll play your kids school fundraiser. Which will turn into your 3rd grader getting to play his flute on-stage, in concert with them. You know, if you ask real nice and one of their kids goes to your school. Your kid isn't going to listen to their album straight through, not at first, but they'll play this until their cd player breaks, for sure.
There are more, loads more. The Foo Fighters, The Killers, They Might Be Giants, Jeremy Fisher, Radiohead....I could do this all day. But I won't. What I will do is make 5 kid friendly cd's for 5 random commenters and then probably never mail them out because I suck at mailing things out and even when I do they never seem to make it to where I've mailed them, because the US postal service hates me and wants me to cry. Ooooh, the Postal Service. Another fantastic band you and your kids would both love.
Anyway, I got to thinking (and subsequently emailing that morning radio show. Because I'm 12) that, though their target demographic is NOT 12 year olds, or boring old moms, this time it maybe should be. Because Britneyesque teeny-bop makes my brain bleed, and how many parents know the alternatives? My buddy in Denver got his kid hooked on the Who at the ripe old age of 5, which was clever but The Who is mediocre at best *ducks* and kind of hard to find on anything that doesn't involve David Caruso and his Sunglasses of Doom.
And speaking of brain bleed, do you know how many licks it takes Raffi to get to the center of your brain? Neither do I...my kids got Paint It Black sang to them every night at bedtime, because it's the same looping melody and way more interesting than Baby Belugas.
So here's my Public Service Announcement o' the Month: There are alternatives to glorification of premarital gang sex or date rape, people. Here are a few:
Dexter's Hip Hop Experiment. The soundtrack to the best cartoon ever written by man. Artists include Will. I. Am., Coolio and Prince Paul. PRINCE PAUL. He kicks ass, I don't care who you are. The whole CD is based off the cartoon (scientist 8 year old kid Dexter, rainbow-shooting-unicorns humping sister Dee Dee). It's funny and geeky and hip-hoppy. I listen to it WAY more than my kids do. If techo is more your speed, you can get the Power-Puff Girls soundtrack on Amazon as well, also by actual, real musicians.
Weezer: Any of it. I was late on the Weezer train. I only found them 10 years ago, and I honestly don't know how I made it than long without them. If you don't know Weezer, start here. But right after, listen to this. Every single member of this house, from the four year old to the 37 year old, loves Weezer. And they don't cuss, ever, not at all. They sing about Buddy Holly and hanging out with their girlfriend at her parents house, having family dinner. But they, at the very same time, make you want to get on your knees and thank god for the invention of the electric guitar. We took our kids to see Weezer once, and sat 13 rows from the stage, and had our minds bah-lown. They are funny, they are nerdy, they are 100% safe for work, and they inspire children to love, not like but love, music.They also inspire children to torture their parents. Bygones.
Say It Ain't So from Mr Lady on Vimeo.
Angels & Airwaves and Blink 182, which I unfairly lump into the same pile, though they are two different beasts. A&A is a "side-project" group for Blink 182, but they go hand in hand. Blink is more punkesque, A&A is more stadium-emo-rockish. They are both most excellent. Blink 182 drops the occasional f* bomb, it's true, and can sometimes be a lot like reading Basketball Diaries to your kid, but the fact of the matter is that your kid is already saying Fuck, and in much better context than you, and there is something to be said for reading your kids Basketball Diaries. At the same time, they're writing songs about Jack and Sally. Angels is less edgy in subject matter, and a totally different style of musicianship. But both bands offer something you are hard pressed to find in Top 40 music....musicianship. We've taken our kids to see Blink 182 twice, and Angels once, and we will again every single chance we get. Their shows are grown up. They aren't humping the stage, and they aren't spouting off about drugs and chics, they just play. Very, very well.*Aside: Am I saying you should let your kids watch their videos? HELL NO. Their videos are for moms and dads and Robert Smith. But a burnt copy of the cd will do nicely.
Devotchka: A little band of tuba-playing, violin-wielding gypsies from Denver, who you may or may not know from the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack. Devotchka is, um, well, errr...they're kind of hard to describe. They're, like, Burlesque meets Beethoven. Their music is most likely way over your kids heads, but it's good. It's soulful. It's complicated. It's MUSIC. And if you ask them pretty please with a cherry on top, they'll play your kids school fundraiser. Which will turn into your 3rd grader getting to play his flute on-stage, in concert with them. You know, if you ask real nice and one of their kids goes to your school. Your kid isn't going to listen to their album straight through, not at first, but they'll play this until their cd player breaks, for sure. There are more, loads more. The Foo Fighters, The Killers, They Might Be Giants, Jeremy Fisher, Radiohead....I could do this all day. But I won't. What I will do is make 5 kid friendly cd's for 5 random commenters and then probably never mail them out because I suck at mailing things out and even when I do they never seem to make it to where I've mailed them, because the US postal service hates me and wants me to cry. Ooooh, the Postal Service. Another fantastic band you and your kids would both love.
Reader Comments (39)
I'm so glad you included the Giants. Our lives would never be the same without them. My kids daily ask for John & John. And we gladly give it to them.
All I know is that I'm very lucky to have a 6yo son and 4yo twin girls who are all very, very happy to sing a few rounds of Fleet Foxes' "White Winter Hymnal" or Ra Ra Riot's "Ghost Under Rocks."
(As it happens, they also love The Who's "Squeeze Box" -- although I live in dread of the day when they discover that it may not be as much about an accordian as I've told them.)
Have you checked out Rasputina? Chicks with cellos playing rock music. Yeah. Not all so kid friendly, but very interesting and musical.
Ooh, Rasputina and Apocalyptica are stellar. You know I totally dug what you were putting down, here. And there's a bunch more I could add: Ben Harper, Portishead, Massive Attack, India Arie, Stevie Wonder...
There is nary a Raffi song sung here, even if we do still have the dumbbook. But Zoë probably listens Dave Matthews like she's Secret Agent Mama.
I am blessed that my kid went straight from kid's music (and decent kids music like Trout Fishing in America) to Metallica (which is WAY more SFW than one would think), Pearl Jam and Beastie Boys. Nary a Jonas Bros or Hannah Montana track has ever been played at my house. This was not on purpose. It was just divine intervention, I think.
Holy crap, 2 of 3 looks so grown up with his hair cut short like that. o.O
I freakin' love the Giants and have since I was a tween or whatever. Other than the glory represented by Why the Sun Shines, however, I suck at this. I've almost convinced the five year old that Counting Crows are cool by giving her the oral biography of Albert Einstein and what "Einstein on the Beach" is about. She will sing Queen until everyone in the house has bleeding ears. She's still a sucker for one Hannah, however.
OMG...Thank you so much for the link, I love A&A and never would have known if it weren't for your blog!!! w00t!!!
Seriously though, Try Girls like boys and Manchester Ochestra, silversun pickups and,and, and..... never forget Katy Perry(jk). You have listed some of my fave's, my husbands sun thinks that Johnny Cash walks on water even though he is dead and I can only listen to Folsum city so many times before MY ears bleed. Oh and his other fave song...Handlebars by Flobots. ARGH!!!
Cool. After I tossed the crappy kid music with boy#1 (seriously, Wee Sing?!) I taught the next 2 all about Queen, Aerosmith and Zeppelin. Imagine a wee boy singing the CLASH in preschool. Made me so proud!
And just to appease those parents who HAVE to have kid-sanctioned music for their 3 year-olds, how about a nod to "For the Kids" or BNL's "Snack time" 2 CD I can listen to (and sing along to) without going nuts.
Super post- thx.
You have officially won over my heart. My kids can also sing every Weezer song, thought we were alone in the world on that lil sweet slice of life. Angels & Airwaves have rocked our house from day one also. Seems we have found our music soulmates in a family of strangers but NOT in a creepy, stalkerish sort of way. Promise.
What?!? You didn't include Willie Nelson or Dwight Yokum?
Kidding, although I am a country girl. But I could only sing so many "The Ants Go Marching" or "Twinkle, twinkle" because nursery rhymes? They're like, 27 seconds long, and my kids all took 2.5 hours to fall asleep.
Which is where the Eagles came in - my daughter was singing Desperado by age 2. Or Billy Joel's Piano Man. Or Conway Twitty's Man in the Moon...oh, sorry, probably made you puke a little :)
Dude. Don't forget the Beatles. Or Bob Marley. The Kid likes The Smiths, and now Queen. :)
I <3 u and miss u!
If Music Be The Food Of Love, Play On : http://www.whiskeyinmysippycup.com/2010/02/16/kidsmusic/
This is fantastic!
I grew up on my brother's 80's metal: poison, AC/DC, Guns'n'Roses, Metallica, Motley Crue, etc...
I still have a mixtape that he made for me when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I thought I was THE COOLEST!!! Good times!
Since you're from my town I'll name drop. 6 yo likes KTCL which is good with me except during date rape leads to prison rape song. He'll tolerate KBCO, what does he care that his ole mom grew up with morning show Brent on KTCL back in the day. Devotchka is great. Giants. Feist. And because I always give a nod to my 80s upbringing we listen to old school Madonna . Coldplay. And if you haven't seen it yet there's an awesome YouTube of ps22 singing viva la vida.
Thanks for the link to the album, I like those guys a lot. Also, if you want swear free music, buy it at Wal Mart. I think they still do that, I wouldn't know because I refuse to buy anything there. Especially censored music. ;) For now anyway...
Great choices. My kids also liked Green Day from a young age, and remember that song by System of a Down - the party song? BYOB I think? They're pretty heavy, but my son LOVED that song when he was like, 3 or something.
anyway, we love Blink so I had to pop in out of my lurky spot and give you props for another post well done.
-elizabeth
Thank you. I am writing down this whole list. I haven't kept up with contemporary music since the 90s, so I'm hopelessly behind. I've been mixing up the nursery rhymes with rock n roll and old-time.
hot damn! i heard there was free stuff: you jes go ahead and get your random numberizer to PICK ME. i have a wee one who listens only to DORA DORA DORA THE EXPLORER, and i will have a few more years of this yet as i have the wee-wee one still to get through the Annoying Kid TV Theme Songs phase. i force them to listen to the rock station on the radio as much as i possibly can during the day, but there is too much led zepplin (ENOUGH ALREADY. i am TIRED of listening to ZEPPLIN) and nickelback and not enough of anything else. i could use some kickass kid friendly cd's.
My kids listen to Wilco. Why? Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was released on the day Bri was born and there is nothing cuter than a 2 year old girl trying to sing "Heavy Metal Drummer."
We listen to Ralph's World, but only because they are not old enought to listen to most of the Bad Examples and we figure the transition will be painless. How do you explain hookers, death and women who smile like Richard Nixon to children? I haven't figured it out.
I bought the Dexter's Lab CD to play in my library~I love it so much!!! My son (who I spend the most time in the car with driving to and from baseball)loves 80's rock/metal (and oddly Journey) so we compromise and I control the radio-when he gets his car next month he can be in charge of the radio.
ANYTHING to get my four year old to stop listening to the chipmunks soundtrack!!!
My girl was a fan of The Clash from the age of two and is now the only child in her class, probably Dorset, who can sing EVERY line of the entire 'Madman across the Water' album, EltonJohn (1970). I play them a lot of blues, trad. jazz and swing. Their father plays them a lot of ska, punk and 'odd' stuff. Simon and Garfunkel is always a treat for everyone.
I'm so glad you posted this. I was just looking for some new tunes for Homeslice. There's only so much Wee Sing Silly Songs one can listen to before one goes (more) Crazy.
Thanks for the ideas!
They Might be Giants was a big one when mine were toddlers. I am the mean lady who won't buy kid music. Bleh. Even the Disney Hannah Jonas Milwaki crap, they can own it, but I won't play it in the car. Because of that, my kids have pretty decent taste in music.
Michael Franti and Spearhead is the current addiction. I love it, my kids love it. Win.
I've tried get my wee (not so wee, now) sibs hooked on folk music. It's sort of worked on my sister, but not at all on my brother. Maybe something more rock-y would work for him...
i love this post!
couldn't agree more about the power and positive influence that music has over us. i don't have kids (yet) but my fiancee and i already talk about what songs we'll sing to ours in the car or at bedtime. we've also discussed plans on over-furnishing our house with instruments of all kinds so they are bound to find one they fall in love with.
without trying to sound weird (or like i'm just quoting lyrics from "Who Will Save Your Soul" by Jewel), i really believe that music has saved my soul on many an occasion.
don't know what i'd do without it.
Laughing at "David Caruso and his sunglasses of doom." And I'm with you on The Who.
Awesome to see a shout out for DeVotchka--my hometown peeps!!
Thanks for the heads up. Downloading and I'll take a listen tonight when I get home!
My girls love - LOVE - The Killers. They have made up the most hysterical names for their songs. Soul Butter. Stomach Is Sick. It's a riot. But I cannot get them to like TMBG, which sort of breaks my heart a little.
I'm a big fan of the Carmen San Diego soundtrack and Saturday Morning Cartoon Classics but 99.9% of kids music makes me want to vomit into my Captain Crunch.
Also? Totally with you on The Who. *bleurgh*
Oh yes yes to Weezer AND Sloan and Ben Folds Five (although skip the depressing song). My kid was introduced to Bob Marley (because Buffalo Soldier has the perfect rhythm to mimic a heartbeat ... Man you will believe anything in times of colic) and Iron Maiden (because my husband needed an outlet while dealing with said colic). She's being swayed by Dora and Wiggles but we will get her back in track soon.
We've been listening to Barenaked Ladies and Fountain of Wayne since our girls were little. (Although - as my daughter says- there are a few "inappropriate" words in FOW songs... Nothing like listening to your 8 yr old singing "Stacy's mom has got it going on..." from the back seat.)
Love all your selections - my 13 yr old rocker chick does too.
Ive been following your blog since I found you thru Redneck Mommy. I would love to win a mix tape from you. I have a 5yo girl who loves to dance and sing. All the music you mentioned I grew up listening to along with all the hippy wannabe music my father would have us listen to. My fondest memories of living in my fathers home are Sunday mornings being awaken by whichever vinyl (I know gasp right)he was in the mood listen to. From The Who - to Doobie Brothers, to Chicago and everything in between here and there.
The memories...
ooooh weezer. go back and tell my punk ass teenager self they are kid friendly. or that i was (am?) still a kid. be ready for a tantrum though, or the coldest eat-shit-and-die look you've seen since the last time you talked to a teenager.
i gotta find my weezer cds, man
We've taken our kids to see Def Leppard, Styx, Ringo Starr, John Melencamp, Rush, Collective Soul and a few others my brains can't vomit up. Because we are geeky like that.
Christ, I even sucked it up and brought my daughter to see the Jonas Brothers. Because it was not Miley Cyrus.
I just downloaded Weezer and Blink182 for the 14 year old without a qualm, cause he asked me eer so nicely and took out the trash before he did. I know when I'm being manipulated.
Thanks for the recommendations.
The kids here (3 & 5) generally skip the kiddy stuff and head straight for Oasis, the Black Eyed Peas, Dixie Chicks, Sheryl Crow and Stevie Wonder. They LOVE Stevie. Start with "Superstition"... no one can resist it.
I watched Austin City Limits tonight and it was... Them Crooked Vultures - great music! Dave Grohl, John-Paul Jones, and Josh Homme - quite the superstar band but very listenable, fun, almost math-rock but cool too. I may even pick up a CD. Do people still buy cds'?