Til the Morning: Lullabies & Songs of Comfort - Edie Carey and Sarah Sample

Artist: Edie Carey & Sarah Sample

Album: 'Til the Morning: Lullabies & Songs of Comfort

Description: Funded (or pre-sold) originally as a Kickstarter project, this collection of lullabies from the two singer-songwriters promises to deliver on the promise of its album title (except for the implied 8-hour run time).  The four tracks put up for preview from the June 10 release I think will interest many listeners, both for its gentle style as well as for the song selection (e.g., "California Stars," a Billy Bragg/Wilco/Woody Guthrie track, or "Lullaby," originally recorded by the Dixie Chicks).

Source: Bandcamp

Australian Playground - Putumayo Kids (Various Artists)

Artist: Putumayo Kids (Various Artists)

Album: Australian Playground

Description: So there's a new Putumayo collection out May 27 from a land down under.  It does not feature the Wiggles, which I suspect the Putumayo target audience is OK with.  It does feature some usual Australian suspects ("Waltzing Matilda," natch), some omissions (no "Kookaburra"), and a bunch of folk-jazz artists (with a touch of "world music") who'll be new to the Northern Hemisphere. 

Source: Bandcamp

"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

Band Together - Chicago Kindie Sampler

Artist: Chicago Kindie Sampler

Album: Band Together

Description: Eight previously-unreleased tracks for $8 from eight Chicago-area musicians, including Poochamungas, Little Miss Ann, Super Stolie, Human-Tim + Robot-Tim, and more.  Proceeds go to Chicago-area Intonation Music Workshop, which provides music education to area kids.

Source: Bandcamp

Tales from the Monstrosity Scrolls - Rainbow Beast and the Rock Band Land Rockers

Artist: Rainbow Beast and the Rock Band Land Rockers

Album: Tales from the Monstrosity Scrolls

Description: Kids' songs written by kids, crafted by adults, sung (partially) by kids, sung (partially) and backed musically by adults.  Fantastical in many senses of the word.  (Read an interview with the band here.)

Source: Bandcamp

I Will Go Into the Day - Caroline Herring

Artist: Caroline Herring

Album: I Will Go Into the Day

Description: A solid album of folk music for families, with a theme of exploring the world near and far gently but firmly threading its way through the entire 11-song set.  Fans of her previous album for families, The Little House Songs, will find her strong voice and warm arrangements in fine form.

Source: Bandcamp

Els Animals (Animals) - Various Artists (Minimúsica)

Artist: Various Artists (Minimúsica)

Album: Els Animals (Animals)

Description:  You don't have to speak Spanish or Catalan to figure out that the third collection of kid-friendly indie-pop from Barcelona-based label Sones and their Minimúsica offshoot has an animal-based theme.  As I noted in my review of the 2012 album, the fact that this album is a Spanish album means that the lyrics are a little more subtle and not so focused on teaching Spanish.  (That may be a positive or a negative depending on your point of view.  It's mostly positive from mine.)  Continued fun from Spain.

Source: Bandcamp

Els Transports (Transportation) - Various Artists (Minimúsica)

Artist: Various Artists (Minimúsica)

Album: Els Aliments (Food)

Description:  The second collection of kid-friendly indie-pop from Barcelona-based label Sones and their Minimúsica offshoot, this 2011 compilation focuses on transportation-based themes.  I love "Autobús" but there are a lot of very fun tracks, even the ones about dreamboats, which I think might be stretching the definition of transportation just a bit.  As I noted in my 2011 review of this album and its predecessor, these songs need to end up on a Putumayo collection somewhere.  Another stellar collection of kindie for your bilingual preschooler.  Or even your monolingual preschooler.

Source: Bandcamp