Listen To This: "Spring Day" - Karen K and the Jitterbugs

Karen K and the Jitterbugs' "Spring Day"

As a resident of Phoenix, Arizona, I am careful not to talk about how wonderful the weather is on social media because I don't want to seem like I'm taunting my friends in more northern climes in the winter months.  (Really!  I actually prefer the weather in northern climes!)

I say all that as a way of introducing "Spring Day," a brand new song from Karen K and the Jitterbugs.  From its opening guitar riff aping Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69" to the abundance of "la la las," it's a pure pop confection celebrating the arrival (please!) of spring days.  But as I look at weather forecasts of highs in the mid-90s this weekend, forgive me if I'm already dreaming of songs celebrating fall.  Stream the song below and pay what you'd like for the track.

Karen K and the Jitterbugs - "Spring Day" [Bandcamp]

Newborn: Buni Kimono

There aren't a lot of musical niches that haven't been invaded by the kids music world, but glam rock is one of the more sparsely used genres.

I really dig, though, the brand new song "Neon Nursery" from Buni Kimono, which is the brainchild of Boston-area musicians Gabrielle Brennan and Jake Brennan, who co-wrote and performed the song as a "passion project" for their son's first birthday.  The birthday party had a "record release" theme, so OF COURSE they wrote his first single.  (I mean, right?)

It's just a fun song, which you can stream and download for free below.  Here's hoping there's a second song and no sophomore slump.  (They've only got a year to write and record the follow-up, right?)

Buni Kimono - "Neon Nursery" [Bandcamp]

Itty-Bitty Review: Bear Hunt! - Josh and the Jamtones

Those of you who've seen Josh and the Jamtones in concert know that to call them high-energy is to underestimate the degree of enthusiasm they bring to a live gig.  The band Brings It.

You can hear a lot of that energy on Bear Hunt!, the third album from the Boston-area band.  The exclamation at the end of "Everybody Dance!" isn't window-dressing, it's a near command, and those kids who are still standing after that song probably won't make it through the next song, the just-as-energetic "Pirate's Life."  ("Snow Day" and the  similarly amped.)  The band gets an assist from occasional Dan Zanes collaborator Father Goose, an appropriate guest artist given the band's reggae and roots rock tendencies, on a couple tracks -- who knew "Swing Low" was a song about coming home from school?

I am not generally a big skit fan, and while Josh Shriber and chief musical collaborator Patrick Hanlin, generate quite a few laughs in their 4 skits that reenact in a skewed way the classic "Bear Hunt" song, devoting about 40% of their album's 44 minute run time to the skits takes away a lot of the energy generated by the songs themselves.  They felt more appropriate for live show banter.  (Judge for yourself, perhaps, by listening to the stream of four of the songs album, best for kids ages 3 through 7, below.)

Josh and the Jamtones are definitely a band to watch as their live shows have attracted a lot of attention.  The music on Bear Hunt!  doesn't try anything new, but is given a bit of flash and shine and if it doesn't make your family laugh, at the very least it's probably gonna make you dance.  Recommended

Note: I received a copy of the album for possible review. 

Video: "When I Get Bald" - Alastair Moock

I have a feeling that Alastair Moock's Singing Our Way Through: Songs for the World's Bravest Kids is going to be one of those (unfortunately) few kids' albums that breaks into wider recognition.  In part, that's because of the album's inspiring story (Moock's young daughter is diagnosed with leukemia, Moock sings a lot in hospital, is inspired to record an album for families meeting the same challenges).  But it's also because the album is a) really good, and b) humorous as much as it is somber.

"When I Get Bald," the song, nails that tightrope, and so does the video. 

Alastair Moock - "When I Get Bald" [YouTube] 

Video: "(I Woke Up) In a Firetruck" - Karen K and the Jitterbugs

This video from the East Coast artist Karen K and the Jitterbugs starts out a bit slowly -- my first thought was, "well, that's nicely produced, but..." so when I say that you should give it a couple minutes before rendering a verdict, I speak from experience.  It's a simple kids' song designed for interaction with preschoolers, but it takes a while for the interactive nature to become clear.  It also gets funnier as it goes on.

Also: ask your kids if they get the pop culture reference the video's organizing structure is based on. 

Karen K and the Jitterbugs - "(I Woke Up) In a Firetruck" [YouTube]

Listen To This: Singing Our Way Through - Alastair Moock & Friends

I was pleased to hear that Alastair Moock had turned the devastating news that his Clio had been leukemia into a fundraising project to record an album of songs to share with kids and families "traveling similar paths," as Moock puts it.

The result -- Singing Our Way Through: Songs for the World's Bravest Kids​ -- is now available.  It features a bunch of guest artists (hi, Elizabeth Mitchell, hi, Rani Arbo!) and songs that are much more upbeat than you might expect given the topic matter.

The whole album is now available [Ed: the album has been pulled from public view for the moment].  The first couple tracks are fairly cancer-specific, but after those tracks, it's accessible to listeners regardless of medical situation (if any).  You should definitely take a listen [when, er, it becomes public again].