Listen To This: Vol. 4 (La Educación) - minimúsica (Various Artists)

I've been a long-time admirer of the fine folks at minimúsica, the young-person's offshoot of Spanish/Catalan label Sonos.  They've previously released 3 albums of first-rate, mostly Spanish-language indie-pop for the kiddos about food, transportation, and animals, and now, after a successful crowd-funding campaign, they've released their fourth album, La Educación.

Even if you're not proficient in Spanish (or Catalan -- L'Educació), I think you can understand the theme of this latest venture -- it's all about education.

Because Spanish is not my second language, I can't vouch for the educational nature of most of the songs, but even the English-speaking among you will recognize the energy of the opening track, Joan Colomo's "A, e, i, o, u" and its follow-up, Christina Rosenvinge's take on "Do, Re, Mi."  There are 3 other tracks in English, though they're not my favorites.  Stream the album below, and if the songs move you, 5 Euros is less than $7 for a download.

Listen To This: Follow Me - Little Miss Ann

Oh, look, it's a new album from Chicago's Little Miss Ann.  It's Follow Me, and although it's officially released May 1, she's put it up for the world to stream.  The album, pushed out into the world courtesy of a Kickstarter campaign, features some sprightly originals like the title track and "Can You Make a Circle?," not to mention the classic "Bushel and a Peck" from Guys and Dolls.  Worth some time to check out.

Little Miss Ann - Follow Me [Bandcamp]

Listen To This: We're a Club in the Woods - Bears and Lions

I've already talked about how Florida's Bears and Lions strode into Kindiefest 2013 and knocked us all over with their slightly anarchic energy.

Well, it's taken nearly a year, but their debut album We're a Club in the Woods can now be streamed so everyone can hear for themselves their gloriously goofy stories about pancakes and dogs and much more.  (Official album release is in mid-May.)

At the very least, give "Pancakes" (the first track) a spin with your kids and tell me at least one of you isn't shouting "PAN-CAKE SWEEP-STAKES" by the end.

Listen To This: Buy One Get One Flea Sampler - Dog on Fleas

It started as a trickle -- an offer of a free track, "Hinterlands," from the next Dog on Fleas album, punnily titled, Buy One Get One Flea.

And now, while I hesitate to call it a flood -- a stream, perhaps -- more music from the beloved New York everything-including-the-kitchen-sink band is making its way to the public's ears.

The sampler below not only features "Hinterlands" but three other tracks in the same jazzy, picnic blanket sound of some of the band's earlier work.  It also features the "Grand March" from Verdi's Aida, which you'll probably recognize once you hear the melody, though I feel confident in saying James Levine never conducted a version like this.

Buy One Get One Flea will be released February 2, 2014.

Dog on Fleas - Buy One Get One Flea Sampler [Bandcamp]

Listen to This: In Your Ear - fleaBITE

Not too much kids music from New Zealand crosses my desk.

OK, no kids music from New Zealand has ever crossed my desk, at least virtually.

So let's hear it for the digital revolution, which has made it possible for a Yankee like me to listen to a song about the hairiest person in the world, followed by a semi-classical piece featuring only the word "Meep," followed by a Mantovani-esque tribute to a cat that doesn't reciprocate its owner's love in a particularly gentle manner.  Yay for digital!

As a result, those of us stateside can easily give In Your Ear, the 2011 debut album from New Zealand's fleaBITE, a spin.  The concept is that it's a band of fleas, but aside from a couple songs, the concept is not as developed as it was with the Wee Hairy Beasties.  But it's delightfully absurd (and sometimes, on songs like "Time Goes By" and "Far Away," beautiful).  If it sounds like the silliness of New Zealan's Fatcat & Fishface, that's because F&F's producer started this project as well.  Give the album a listen, and decide how eager you'll be to hear their forthcoming album Circus of Fleas to be released this spring (that's this fall for those of us in the Northern hemisphere).