Are We There Yet? - The Verve Pipe

Artist: The Verve Pipe 

Album: Are We There Yet? 

Description:  Don't ask why this particular band should have one of the more unexpected second acts in family music.  Just enjoy the goofy and endearingly earnest album with your family.  The leadoff track is particularly awesome, start there.

Source: Soundcloud 

Desert Island Disc - Recess Monkey

Artist: Recess Monkey

Album: Desert Island Disc

Description:  The follow-up companion album to their much-fun album Deep Sea Diver, Desert Island Disc is more beach-themed.  It's officially released October 15, but you clever monkeys (see what I did there?) can give it an early spin.

Source: Bandcamp

ABC Fiesta - Mister G

Artist: Mister G

AlbumABC Fiesta

Description:  Following up his fun Spanish-language and bilingual album Chocolalala from last year, the Massachusetts singer-songwriter is back with another dozen songs for the bilingually-inclined.  The songs are new, even the couple that were released previously get new recordings.  Album to be released Sept. 28, 2013.

Source: Bandcamp

Birdbrain - Fatcat & Fishface

ArtistFatcat & Fishface

Album:  Birdbrain 

Description:  The seventh album from the New Zealand anarcho-kindie musicians, 2013's Birdbrain  is an avian-inspired set of songs (NZ's Department of Conservation even provided support).  Maybe because of that overarching theme, it's slightly less cheeky, but not too much so.  Give "Kingfisher" a spin, for example -- it's not a Disneyfied take on birds.  (For a sillier song, try the title track.)

Source: Bandcamp 

Sampler - Jazz for Babies

Artist: Jazz for Babies 

Album: Sampler 

Description:  To some extent, this is the jazz equivalent of the Rockabye Baby disks and the like.  But besides the absence of hipster cachet, the five albums this sampler is drawn from (one track each) offer a greater diversity in tone -- vibraphone, guitar, trumpet, piano, and saxophone -- giving you, reader, the opportunity to test your (and your baby's) sonic preference.

Source: Bandcamp 

Blink of an Eye - Frances England

Artist: Frances England 

Album: Blink of an Eye 

Description:  England's lovely, jangly, impressionistic glance at life is available for you to stream.  I suggest you do.

Source: Frances England's website 

 

My Cup of Tea Sampler - Heidi Swedberg and the Sukey Jump Band

ArtistHeidi Swedberg and the Sukey Jump Band

AlbumMy Cup of Tea (Sampler)

Description:  Four tracks from the upcoming Sept. 10 release, the second album from the Los Angeles-by-way-of-New Mexico (and other points in between) ukulele evangelist.  I particularly like the title track and "Johnny Martin" 

Source: Soundcloud