"Pie" - Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could

Artist: Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could

Song: "Pie"

Album: N/A

Description: A celebration of all things sweet and crusty.  OK, just one type of sweet and crusty thing.  Featuring, as Rymer puts it, "tasty slide guitar by Larry Campbell."  The sort of bluesy, gooey Americana that Rymer and his band do so well.

Source: Bandcamp

"Mama" - Mista Cookie Jar and the Chocolate Chips

Mama - single cover

Artist: Mista Cookie Jar and the Chocolate Chips

Song: "Mama"

Album: Forthcoming

Description: Another jumble of styles from King Jumbler himself Mista Cookie Jar.  This midtempo bouncer is autobiographical, telling the story of how his parents emigrated from the Philippines to America, but it's primarily a love song to his mom (and, therefore, of broader interest than just to those fans of one of kindie's most interesting characters).

Source: Bandcamp

"The Dot Song" - Emily Dale and Peter H. Reynolds

Artist: Emily Dale

Song: "The Dot Song"

Album: N/A

Description: There is a good chance that you and/or your kids have read The Dot, a lovely little picture book from Peter H. Reynolds about creativity and in particular the importance of simply starting anywhere.  Now Los Angeles-based musician Dale has teamed up with Reynolds to pen this poppy song to accompany the book.  If you were charmed by the book, the song is a nice accompaniment.

Source: Bandcamp

Photo: Christine Eaves

"Follow Me" - Little Miss Ann

Artist: Little Miss Ann

Song: "Follow Me"

Album: Follow Me

Description: The first single from the Chicago artist's Kickstarted album is the sprightly title track.  With spring right around the corner, this'll fit in quite nicely.

Source: Soundcloud

"In All of the World" - Papa Crow

Artist: Papa Crow

Song: "In All of the World"

Album: Full Moon, Full Moon

Description: A mellow track emphasizing the universality of emotions from the Michigan-based musician, who says he wrote the song "sitting by the plastic kiddie pool" on the 4th of July in 2010, long before his fine debut album Things That Roar came out.  A hint of Van Morrison in the song, which'll be on Papa Crow's upcoming album, due out later this year.

Source: Soundcloud

"Freight Train" - Elizabeth Cotten

Artist:  Elizabeth Cotten

Song: "Freight Train"

Album: Freight Train and Other North Carolina Folk Songs and Tunes

Description: An all-time classic, kids or otherwise, performed by its creator, Elizabeth Cotten, who came to national attention relatively late in life after she -- entirely coincidentally -- found herself working for Ruth Crawford Seeger..  It's from the reissue of Cotten's first album, recently reissued by Smithsonian Folkways.

"Bubble Wrap" - Baron Von Rumblebuss

Artist: Baron Von Rumblebuss

Song: "Bubble Wrap"

Album: N/A

Description: It's been a little while since we've heard new music from the North Carolina-based power-popper, so glad to hear that Tray Batson hasn't lost his touch.  It didn't arrive via "ups" man, but digital will do just fine.  (Except for the bubble wrap popping -- gotta have the real thing for that.)

SourceReverbnation

"Doggy in the Diner" - Jesse Olsen Bay

Artist: Jesse Olsen Bay

Song: "Doggy in the Diner"

Album: N/A

Description: A delightful little single from the Bay Area-based, er, Bay.  Animals in places they probably shouldn't be, doing things they probably shouldn't be doing, with lo-fi ("mason jar percussion") accompaniment.  (The "explicit" version is 99% a joke, by the way -- it earns it for using the word "cigarette.")  It's a name your price download, if you'd like...

Source: Bandcamp