There’s some freshly released albums for families jamming in our CD player…
Ranky Tanky :: Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem
Incredible arrangements from a string quartet with rich, warm vocals. Music Americana at its best. Far more sophisticated and vintage than other albums in the “family music” genre–it’s simply a treasure trove of classic songs that all ages will adore.
Top tracks: #15 Bushel and a Peck, #16 Wildflowers
Note: As much as I love the gritty and bluesy feel of the title track, the entire song is about a woman whining about how depressed and down in the dumps she’s feeling while naming all the pains she feels throughout her body, including her “butt.” I skip right over that track simply to avoid hearing my son repeat those words. It’s not a foul-mouthed song, it’s just not the attitude nor vocabulary I want to hear from my two year-old. Otherwise, I am in love with this album that is on repeat in my car (going on two months).
Ranky Tanky retails for $15, and it’s available at the Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem store.
More Story Songs & Sing Alongs :: Debbie & Friends
If Karen Carpenter performed songs for younger audiences, she’d sound like Debbie and Friends. The sophomore release by a band with dinstinctly gorgeous lead vocalist who bring to stories to life through music with a style that hearkens back to the seventies (with a little rap thrown in for good measure). 10 tracks.
Download track #1 So, So Happy for free from the Debbie and Friends website.
Top Track: #3 Home Run Ronnie
More Story Songs & Silly Sing Alongs retails for $9.95 (plus $2 shipping) from Debbie & Friends and Amazon.com.
The Big Picture :: Uncle Rock
Eco-friendly message wrapped up in country rock–David Bowie, the Rolling Stones merged with Johnny Cash. Former bassist for the late 70’s punk group Fleshtones who’s also played a lead in a musical in London’s West End, Robert Burke Warren, (a.k.a. Uncle Rock) loves writing and performing for his son’s generation and their parents. 14 tracks.
Free download of There is No Way available on Uncle Rock’s website.
Top Track: #9 You Look Good in the Rain
The Big Picture is available for purchase on CD Baby for $13.97 for CD and $9.95 (MP3).
Note: I received samples of each album for the purpose of this review. Read my full disclosure.
Filed under: Reviews & Giveaways | Tagged: cd baby, debbie & friends, more story songs & sing alongs, music for children, Music for Families, rani arbo & daisy mayhem, ranky tanky, the big picture, uncle rock | Leave a comment »
Traveling with Baby 