Songs for the Twins - Sharron Kraus

Album: Songs for the Twins

Description: Kraus is an English folksinger who's also spent some time in Philadelphia. This album was originally released 8 years ago but is getting a digital spin. It's a collection of nursery rhymes and folk songs, many -- but not all -- of which will be familiar to parents (or those who remember their childhood). Why would I suggest you give this album a spin when you've probably heard these songs dozens of times before? Because there's an eerieness and deliberate anti-modern sound to the album that is uncommon in today's kids' music. It's cleverly arranged, but one of the strengths of this album is that many tracks sound like they could have been recorded 250 years ago.

Source: Bandcamp

&lt;a href="http://sharronkraus.bandcamp.com/album/songs-for-the-twins"&gt;Songs for the Twins by Sharron Kraus&lt;/a&gt;

Family Values - Charity and the JAMband

Artist: Charity and the JAMband

Album: Family Values

Description: Peace, love, and understanding -- and a healthy helping of RAWK -- from the Bay Area jam-band (and JAMband).

Source: Bandcamp

&lt;a href="http://charityandthejamband.bandcamp.com/album/family-values"&gt;Family Values by Charity and the JAMband&lt;/a&gt;

Easy - Secret Agent 23 Skidoo

Artist: Secret Agent 23 Skidoo

Album: Easy

Description: The debut kids album from the kid-hop king, instantly catchy and endlessly inventive. "Luck" was Skidoo's first big break, and it has all the trademarks of the best of his work -- deft wordplay, positive but realistically so, and a mix of instruments and styles. Don't pigeonhole it as a "kid-hop CD," it's a "really good CD, period." (Original review)

Source: Bandcamp

&lt;a href="http://sa23skidoo.bandcamp.com/album/easy"&gt;Easy by Secret Agent 23 Skidoo&lt;/a&gt;

The Monkey Dance (All the Kids Are Doin' It!) - The Sweet Colleens

Artist: The Sweet Colleens

Album: The Monkey Dance (All the Kids Are Doin' It!)

Description: The Bandcamp page for the Twin Cities band tags their music as "fiddle-fueled accordion-infused celti-cajun folk pop." So I guess this is "fiddle-fueled accordion-infused celti-cajun folk pop... FOR KIDS!" A hodge-podge of styles, yes, but also playful at times. (Original review)

Source: Bandcamp

&lt;a href="http://sweetcolleens.bandcamp.com/album/the-monkey-dance-all-the-kids-are-doin-it"&gt;The Monkey Dance (All the Kids Are Doin&amp;#39; It!) by Sweet Colleens&lt;/a&gt;

Underground Playground - Secret Agent 23 Skidoo

Artist: Secret Agent 23 Skidoo

Album: Underground Playground

Description: Released in 2010, Skidoo's second release for families featured some great tracks, like "Road Trip," "Mind Over Matter," and "Chase the Rain." I reviewed the album on NPR, calling it "first-rate..., with appeal to more than just hip-hop fans."

Source: Bandcamp

&lt;a href="http://sa23skidoo.bandcamp.com/album/underground-playground"&gt;Underground Playground by Secret Agent 23 Skidoo&lt;/a&gt;

Make Believers - Secret Agent 23 Skidoo

Artist: Secret Agent 23 Skidoo

Album: Make Believers

Description: That elephant on the album cover isn't the only one taking risks. The king of kid-hop goes even further afield in blending musical styles on his third album for families, a "great album for the slightly-older kid in your life." (Review)

Source: Bandcamp

&lt;a href="http://sa23skidoo.bandcamp.com/album/make-believers"&gt;Make Believers by Secret Agent 23 Skidoo&lt;/a&gt;

Sweet! - Istvan & His Imaginary Band

Artist: Istvan & His Imaginary Band

Album: Sweet!

Age Range: 3 through 7

Description: You and your kids might want to put the raved-up leadoff track "Fun To Pretend" on constant repeat, but then that would annoy you (though maybe not them). So feel free to move on through the rest of the album from the Chicago-area musician for more kindie rock with a wee bit of alterna-rock thrown in.

Source: Bandcamp

&lt;a href="http://istvan.bandcamp.com/album/sweet"&gt;Sweet! by Istvan &amp;amp; His Imaginary Band&lt;/a&gt;

Neighbor to Neighbor: Family Music for Sandy Relief - Various Artists

Artist: Various Artists

Album: Neighbor to Neighbor: Family Music for Sandy Relief

Description: Produced by Laurie McIntosh AKA Story Laurie, the Neighbor to Neighbor project is a benefit album raising funds for ongoing relief work in the Rockaways & Lindenhurst, Long Island in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Ten bucks gets you tracks from a big group of kindie favorites like Dan Zanes, Pete Seeger, Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke, Gustafer Yellowgold, and... oh, just take a listen.

Source: Bandcamp

&lt;a href="http://neighbortoneighbor.bandcamp.com/album/neighbor-to-neighbor-family-music-for-sandy-relief"&gt;Neighbor To Neighbor: Family Music For Sandy Relief by Various Artists&lt;/a&gt;