Podcast Review: Story Pirates Podcast

Arrrrrrrrr, this review be easy to write.

OK, that's the one and only pirate joke I'll make in this review, else I'd be afeared that you, dear audience, would make me walk...

There is, truth be told, nothing outwardly piratical about the Story Pirates. There is, however, something slightly subversive about the group, which turns stories written by kids into sketch comedies (often with a musical number thrown in). They do this live and in schools (more commonly in the New York City and Los Angeles areas, but also nationally). They also perform a weekly radio on SiriusXM's Kids Place Live, and that's where this podcast is drawn from.

The format is fairly simple -- the host reads the story as sent in by the child, the troupe performs the story, and then the host talks to the author. The stories are what you'd expect from kids -- the ones from 5- and 6-year-olds are less fully-fleshed out than the ones from the 10- and 11-year-olds, but they all have an imaginative spark that let the comedian/actors go off in crazy directions. The subversive nature of the show -- that kids' ideas are worth exploring and celebrating -- is carried through the entire performance. I don't think the Pirates are changing a single word of the story sent in -- the dialogue is performed as written, even if it's not grammatically perfect. It's the performances, though, that keep the show entertaining for the parents and kids who are listening. The show could be very boring if it merely consisted of dry readings of brief, unedited stories from first graders, but there's a verve and zippiness to the affair.

The podcast is most appropriate for kids ages 4 through 10. The iTunes link for the show is here, although you can of course find it elsewhere (here's their hosted podcast page). Episodes are generally 10-20 minutes in length, released a couple times per month. Aside from asking for donations for their organization at the start and end of the show, the show is ad-free.

Story Pirates would be valuable just for its idea of treating the ideas and creative output of kids as worth exploring, but there's lots of valuable stuff that as exciting as a day-old loaf of bread. This is way better than a day-old loaf of bread, with laughter and heart to spare.

Podcast Review: Ear Snacks

Ear Snacks logo cover

Well, with this the plural in "Podcast Reviews Are Now a Thing Here" is in fact true.

The Los Angeles-based kindie duo Andrew and Polly first became known to the kids music world for their melodic and occasionally quirky music, but it's their podcast Ear Snacks that is, I think, their most forward-thinking creative effort for audiences of kids.

They call it a "radical new podcast for kids," and while I tend not to believe most descriptions that try to hype the individuality of the product, in this case I think the phrase fits. Each episode is loosely structured around a single theme -- the most recent one, Episode 9, is "Rain," but they've also covered beeps, pairs, disguises, balls, and more. The duo (married, with a kid of their own) tackle the topic by talking with one another, playing audio clips of kids talking about it, talking with adult experts, and playing music. The adults they talk with are sometimes scientists, but sometimes they're just people with a hobbyist's interest (like Polly's father or a friend who just really digs seahorses). The music, well, as you'd expect, it's really good. (The song at the end of the "Rain" podcast is one of the best kids' songs you'll hear this year.) And all of this is wrapped into a single, well-edited whole.

The podcast is most appropriate for kids ages 3 through 7. The iTunes link for the show is here (you can find it elsewhere, of course, including at the podcast's main page above). Episodes are roughly 15-20 minutes in length, and are released roughly monthly. (Sometimes there are much shorter bonus episodes released in between the main releases.) Aside from a suggestion of supporting the show, perhaps by buying a t-shirt, the show is ad-free.

I recently called Ear Snacks a half-absurdist podcast for kids, and I stand by that assessment. Yes, it features kids, and curious ones at that, and that's nothing new, but its blend of music and its deemphasis on straight-forward storytelling is certainly unique for the emerging genre. It's a hoot.

Podcast Review: "Shabam!"

Shabam logo

There are lots of really good science-based podcasts for kids, and I'll get to them in the not-too-distant future as I start to review podcasts for kids, but I'll start off with Shabam! because who knows how long before the zombie outbreak takes over?

I should probably explain that Shabam!, produced by a collective known as Foolyboo, differs from a lot of science-themed podcasts in that it folds its non-fiction topics -- pathogens, epidemics, cognitive biases -- in a fictional wrapper, that of a zombie outbreak. I think the mix serves the podcast well -- the fiction does provide sufficient context for the non-fiction components, while the non-fiction parts ground the fiction (which I'll remind you is about a zombie outbreak, so take the phrase "ground the fiction" with a grain of salt). It's possible to tell interesting stories about, say, epidemiology, in a non-fiction setting, of course -- yay, John Snow! -- but this fictional story works well for that subject, too.

I'm going to peg the age-appropriateness of the show at best for kids 8-13. That's based on the science and zombie-ishness thus far, which isn't for younger kids, but definitely lacks Walking Dead-like grossness. The iTunes link for the show is here. Episodes are roughly 25-30 minutes in length, and it's as yet unclear how frequently they'll be released -- I'm guessing monthly from here on out. Aside from a brief statement near the beginning and the end of the show that it's partially sponsored by Google, there are no ads during the show. (Also of note: they do a really good job of editing the closing credits, telling the story in between all the various credits, giving the listener a reason to not hit the fast-forward button.)

The other reason I wanted to lead off my podcast reviews with Shabam! is that in its narrative structure, it's going to be best if you listen from the beginning. Since they're only 3 episodes in, now is a good time to jump in and listen with your kids. You know, before the zombie outbreak hits your town.

Review: Explorer of the World - Frances England

Frances England didn’t plan on becoming a kids musician when she made her first album more than a decade ago. She just wanted to contribute something to her son’s preschool fundraiser, and wrote songs for a homegrown CD while supervising her son’s baths. But that album’s popularity far surpassed the small world of that San Francisco school. Last Friday she officially released her fifth album for families, Explorer of the World.

As the album title suggests, England is concerned with themes of exploration, observation, and investigation. But rather than traveling long distances, she pays close attention to the world literally outside her front door -- walking her dog around her neighborhood, for example, noticing patterns and colors. She’s inspired as much by visual artists like Wendy McNaughton and Keri Smith as by musicians, and like those artists, she encourages her listeners to pay attention to the art around them daily.

England’s music isn’t as shiny and poppy as that of her peers, but this new album is even more experimental than most kids music. Instead of using chord progressions as the jumping-off point for songs, on some tracks she used field recordings she made walking around San Francisco. “City Don’t Sleep,” for example, started with recordings from late-night walks along North Beach.

Co-producers Dean Jones and Dave Winer bring a lot of different perspectives in terms of the musical production, and the result is an album that vibrates as their approaches (Jones: earthy kitchen-sink sound; Winer: try-anything sonic collage and percussion) differ, but resonate with each other and with England.

I was trying to come up with the appropriate age range for the album, and while I'm going to put at ages 5 through 9, like much of England's more recent work, it's probably broader than that. Not for toddlers, perhaps, but also for kids older than 9, if you get them to sit down and really listen. (You can listen to this album -- along with the rest of her music -- here.)

Even though this album celebrates exploring her own backyard, Frances England is more interested in the process of keeping her eyes open to the world around her. In discovering her own neighborhood, she reminds the rest of us that we can do the same with our own streets and sidewalks. Highly recommended.

Review: Why? - They Might Be Giants

They Might Be Giants have been making clever and subversive pop music for more than 30 years. Late last year, they released their second album of 2015, but this one is for kids of all ages.

In the year 2002, They Might Be Giants did something thought to be a little crazy - they released an album for kids. That record, titled No!, was both a commercial and critical success, and sent the band down an unanticipated path as part-time kids’ music superstars. They then released 3 themed albums through Disney -- one each about letters numbers and science -- while continuing to make music for adults. If you’ve paid any attention to kids music over the past decade, you certainly have run across the band.

Six years after that last kids’ record, the band returned in late 2015 with a new kids’ music album. Free of a Disney collection, the new album is a spirited, free-form follow-up to No! appropriately titled Why?.

On the song “Out of a Tree,” everybody thinks it’s a disaster that an 8-year-old has gotten stuck in a tree... everyone, that is, except the adventurous 8-year-old himself. And while the album doesn’t have a specific theme, many songs celebrate kids’ independent streaks. Of course, sometimes that leads to decisions that aren’t the wisest in retrospect.

Despite the frustration the parent of such a kid might experience, a song like “Definition of Good” shows that sometimes moments of random curiosity spark warm family memories.

The freeform nature of the roughly 40-minute album makes it a little more difficult to nail down a specific target age range, but I'd peg it at about ages 4-10.

Many of the people the band sings about or to on this album question authority and explore the world in messy ways, coming up with answers to new questions. That attitude is useful for not only 30-year-old rock bands but also much younger listeners -- it’s what helps give me hope that the world’s problems can be tackled head-on.

Review: Christmas and Holiday Music 2015 (Albums)

Every year brings a handful of Christmas and holiday-themed albums from the kindie world, and 2015 is no exception. (Here's my review of 2014 holiday kids music, in case you want to reminisce around the fire about last year's efforts.) This year, I'll be splitting my holiday posts into at least two -- this post will focus on reviews of full albums and EPs, while a follow-up will take a look at holiday singles and videos.

Without further ado, then, let's get into it.

Andrew and Polly - Other Days

This is the shortest holiday album I'll be reviewing, but it's also my favorite. It's non-religious but ecumenical -- Hanukkah and Christmas happily coexist (especially in the leadoff track "Thank You for the Box") -- and in less than 12 minutes the four indie-pop tracks celebrate the season with a decidedly sunny attitude (there's a song called "L.A. Christmas" featuring Mista Cookie Jar, after all). But the closing track "A Mapmaker's Song" is a kindie successor to "I'll Be Home for Christmas." (Listen to the album on Bandcamp and Spotify.)

Rocknoceros - Happy Holidays

Ranking a close second on my holiday list this year is this collection from the Washington, D.C.-area trio. They ease into the holiday with a Halloween song ("Halloween Masquerade") and "This Thanksgiving" before turning their attention to the December holidays with songs original and traditional. (Or, in the case of "Oh Christmas Brie," silly puns.) One of the things I look for in holiday albums is something that distinguishes the music from the tens of thousands of other such albums, and besides the power-holiday-pop, I guess for me it's their mashup of "Auld Lang Syne (Enjoy Yourself)" -- not quite a Christmas song, but a great song with which to head into 2016.

Greg Page - Here Comes Christmas

Best known in the United States probably for being the original Yellow Wiggle for the massively successful Australian preschool rockers, Page hasn't been totally silent in the meanwhile -- he's done a TV show, Butterscotch's Playground. But this is his first newly-recorded album in a long time. The best tracks here are the originals that lead off the album, particularly "Here Comes Christmas" and "Christmas Bells." They're appealing pop songs that should entertain kids and families who have no memory of the Wiggles. The rest of the tracks feature a wide variety of secular and religious Christmas songs. Page's strong voice is sometimes undercut by electronic accompaniment -- if releasing a kajillion different holiday albums with a big band works for Brian Setzer, I think it could work for Page, who has a clear affinity for traditional arrangements.

Rain For Roots - Waiting Songs

Rain For Roots consists of four vocalists (including Coal Train Railroad's Katy Bowser) who make Christian kids music that's devotional without being tacky. This new album, specifically designed for the waiting season of Advent, sees them continuing that approach. The album features original songs from the quartet (with some kids singing along in places), along with traditional songs "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" and "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus" bookending the new songs. The explicitly Christian approach will limit the audience for this album perhaps, but if you are celebrating the Christmas season from a Christian perspective, this is an excellent addition to your holiday music rotation. (Stream the album on Bandcamp.)

Little Rockers Band - Yule Be Cool cover

The Little Rockers Band - Yule Be Cool

Yule Be Cool is, as you might guess from the album cover, fairly ecumenical in its approach to the holiday season, with a number of Jewish Hanukkah songs to go along with the Christmas songs (or, sometimes, both in one, as in the reworking of "Feliz Navidad"). The 47-minute album is a mix of old and new, and most interesting when it emphasizes the band's pop sound, like on the '60s sound of "It's Christmas Time Again." Finally, after hearing their take on Madonna's "Holiday," I can't believe that we haven't heard that particular song on more holiday albums.

London Philharmonic Orchestra (Maestro Classics) - The Nutcracker

Finally, it's another take on what must be a top-10 Christmas album subject, Peter Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker." What differentiates this version from most (if not all) of the hundreds (thousands?) of other recordings is twofold -- first, the recording features narration to go along with the music. Lots of kids have probably seen some form of the ballet either live or on TV, so it's not like the narration is necessary, but it might actually help those kids who've seen it to remember more of the story, particularly in the first act. Second, the recording pares down the 90-minute ballet to just shy of an hour. I doubt any but the most obsessed listeners will notice the difference. I wouldn't recommend this version as a family's primary copy of "The Nutcracker" -- it's much-beloved for good reason -- but as an alternative, it'll do just nicely.

Note: I received copies of all albums in physical or digital format for possible review.