tunes for toddlers
Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. It's been hard to find the time/ideas to write about. Sometimes you just don't have that much to say.
I’ve been trying to take in some new music lately: The Magnetic Fields, Broken Social Scene and The New Pornographers. So far my favorite is the New Pornographers and their poppy melodies. It’s free and easy fun. I hadn’t spent much time looking for new music in the last few years or so, but lately I’ve been so inundated with toddler music I think it’s inspired me to ingest more for myself. And I mean inundated. Zoey has two CDs that she adores and wants to listen to over and over again. Sometimes it is a specific song. A lot is said about the shortness of the toddler attention span, but when they love something, they can really do it into the ground.
One of the albums is actually pretty good: “Sesame Street Platinum.” It’s basically their greatest hits, and as sentimentally beautiful to you as it is entertaining and danceable for your kid. I highly recommend this CD to all you baby-types out there (at this point basically everyone except the Sweeney’s….). It has all the classics: “The People in Your Neighborhood,” “Rubber Duckie,” “It’s not easy being green,” and many, many more! (Imagine high-pitched sales voice.) Plus, there’s a lot of more recent Sesame Street songs that are fantastic, like “I don’t want to live on the moon,” sung by a plaintive and homesick Ernie; Oscar celebrates in “I Love Trash;” and Bert turns in the performance of a lifetime on his “Doin’ the Pigeon.” It’s extremely listenable, which is good because at my house we listen to this CD over and over and over again.
Zoey’s other favorite is, hmmm, not so good from an adult perspective. It’s a three CD set called “Tunes for Toddlers” that I picked up on a rack near the check-out counter at Marshall’s for about $6.99. There are about a hundred songs, mostly classic children’s ditties and nursery rhymes like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” “Jack Sprat”—he of the no-fat eating lifestyle, while his wife could eat no lean (porker alert!). Between the two of them they licked the platter clean, and then took turns with the Milk of Magnesia. These are sung either by a well-trained woman’s voice or a chorus of British kids. It just doesn’t really rock, ya know? Zoey’s favorite is “Skip to My Lou,” and again, she must hear it over and over and over and over again. Unfortunately, our stereo doesn’t have a repeat song button, so one must be interactive. But then, she makes you dance with her, so you really can’t do anything else anyway.
Zoey dancing…it’s a sight to behold. She doesn’t dance like you would expect most babies to dance. Olivia was over the other day and she danced like a proper toddler, bouncing at the knees vaguely to the beat of the music. It was cute. Zoey on the other hand walks intensely in a circle, like she’s a one-baby mosh pit, sometimes shaking her doll violently to the beat. I’m afraid that this means she’ll grow up and become some kind of self-loathing skinhead like the kid Paul who used to live next door to me on Barkdull. He was a half-Mexican skinhead whose friends would regularly scream “White Power” while they hung out at his apartment every weekend night. It was awkward.
Anyway, she’ll dance for hours. I have lots of video on this and I’m hoping to edit together some examples to share with you guys at some point. It takes time, though, so bear with me.
I love that she loves music, though, and would much rather her listen to cheesy nursery rhymes than watch lots of TV. I’m sure she’s destined to be a rock star…or at least, really into music, when she gets older. She’s already learned how to crank it up. Literally, she turns the volume way, way up. I have to tell her to turn it down (because I’m too old). But really, only Zoey wants to hear “Skip to my Lou” at 11. We play a fun game (fun for me) where she turns it up and I use the remote to turn it back down, which confuses her, so she turns it up more. At some point, I turn it way down, so when she turns the knob upward we end up at a compromise.
I wonder sometimes if the neighbors just think we’re jamming to some Tejano, because the bass line of the song is remarkably similar to a polka.
I’ve been trying to take in some new music lately: The Magnetic Fields, Broken Social Scene and The New Pornographers. So far my favorite is the New Pornographers and their poppy melodies. It’s free and easy fun. I hadn’t spent much time looking for new music in the last few years or so, but lately I’ve been so inundated with toddler music I think it’s inspired me to ingest more for myself. And I mean inundated. Zoey has two CDs that she adores and wants to listen to over and over again. Sometimes it is a specific song. A lot is said about the shortness of the toddler attention span, but when they love something, they can really do it into the ground.
One of the albums is actually pretty good: “Sesame Street Platinum.” It’s basically their greatest hits, and as sentimentally beautiful to you as it is entertaining and danceable for your kid. I highly recommend this CD to all you baby-types out there (at this point basically everyone except the Sweeney’s….). It has all the classics: “The People in Your Neighborhood,” “Rubber Duckie,” “It’s not easy being green,” and many, many more! (Imagine high-pitched sales voice.) Plus, there’s a lot of more recent Sesame Street songs that are fantastic, like “I don’t want to live on the moon,” sung by a plaintive and homesick Ernie; Oscar celebrates in “I Love Trash;” and Bert turns in the performance of a lifetime on his “Doin’ the Pigeon.” It’s extremely listenable, which is good because at my house we listen to this CD over and over and over again.
Zoey’s other favorite is, hmmm, not so good from an adult perspective. It’s a three CD set called “Tunes for Toddlers” that I picked up on a rack near the check-out counter at Marshall’s for about $6.99. There are about a hundred songs, mostly classic children’s ditties and nursery rhymes like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” “Jack Sprat”—he of the no-fat eating lifestyle, while his wife could eat no lean (porker alert!). Between the two of them they licked the platter clean, and then took turns with the Milk of Magnesia. These are sung either by a well-trained woman’s voice or a chorus of British kids. It just doesn’t really rock, ya know? Zoey’s favorite is “Skip to My Lou,” and again, she must hear it over and over and over and over again. Unfortunately, our stereo doesn’t have a repeat song button, so one must be interactive. But then, she makes you dance with her, so you really can’t do anything else anyway.
Zoey dancing…it’s a sight to behold. She doesn’t dance like you would expect most babies to dance. Olivia was over the other day and she danced like a proper toddler, bouncing at the knees vaguely to the beat of the music. It was cute. Zoey on the other hand walks intensely in a circle, like she’s a one-baby mosh pit, sometimes shaking her doll violently to the beat. I’m afraid that this means she’ll grow up and become some kind of self-loathing skinhead like the kid Paul who used to live next door to me on Barkdull. He was a half-Mexican skinhead whose friends would regularly scream “White Power” while they hung out at his apartment every weekend night. It was awkward.
Anyway, she’ll dance for hours. I have lots of video on this and I’m hoping to edit together some examples to share with you guys at some point. It takes time, though, so bear with me.
I love that she loves music, though, and would much rather her listen to cheesy nursery rhymes than watch lots of TV. I’m sure she’s destined to be a rock star…or at least, really into music, when she gets older. She’s already learned how to crank it up. Literally, she turns the volume way, way up. I have to tell her to turn it down (because I’m too old). But really, only Zoey wants to hear “Skip to my Lou” at 11. We play a fun game (fun for me) where she turns it up and I use the remote to turn it back down, which confuses her, so she turns it up more. At some point, I turn it way down, so when she turns the knob upward we end up at a compromise.
I wonder sometimes if the neighbors just think we’re jamming to some Tejano, because the bass line of the song is remarkably similar to a polka.
4 Comments:
I hope "C is for Cookie" is on there. And also that maddening song by the Count about, well, counting.
I remember getting into the Sound of Music when I was very young -that also has some bare-able music on it, also Peter and the Wolf.
I made a cd for Zoey months ago but never sent it because I wasn't sure she was old enough to appreciate it. It has a lot of Johnathon Richmond on it and some Harry Nielson and I can't remember all what else. I should just send it. Sounds like she's into the stuff - do you already have some Johnathon Richmond?
"C is for Cookie" is a classic, and yes, it's on there, as is "Lambaaada," also a great song. I mean, take a look at the lyrics: "Lambies come from here and there, pretty soon the room is full. Curly hair is everywhere, it's wall to wall wool."
I'm sure Zoey would love the CD--you should bring it home for Christmas and give it to her. BTW, she doesn't just limit herself to kiddie music, she also loves the Shins.
Also, I don't have any Johnathan Richman.
I think you and Zoey might like J.R. The older I get the more I feel awkward listening to it without having a kid around.
I saw AC Newman from New Pornographers when I went to see Gram's band. He was good although I got tired of it about 30 minutes into it but that's true of just about everything I listen to (and play).
John Reeves turned me on to the Magnetic Fields - sounds pretty good but I haven't fully immersed myself.
A few months back I really got into Deerhoof on Conor Prischman's advise. I strongly recommend them. I put a cd together just from stuff I culled from the internet. Don't know that it helps spark interest but they're fronted by a Chinese girl with a pretty, high voice.
Living in Chicago, one sooner or later checks out the Mekons. An old band I know, but two of the Welsh members now live in Chicago and still put out great music. The band has reunions gigs that are great fun and remind me of de Schmog (girl/boy frontmen, pop-ey punk stuff...although I only wish we could be as clever and voluminous). Sally Timms (from Mekons) just released an album of songs by male songwriters. The songs also all have a male perspective. But of course Sally is a girl and she sings them. I bought that album and both Tricia and I like it.
I also picked up an older Mekons record where they collaborated with Kathy Acker. It's called Pussy, King of the Pirates. As the name might suggest, the lyrics aren't for kids but otherwise it's like a musical fairytale. I like it but if you're going to get into the Mekons I suggest Fear and Whiskey for starters.
I've really enjoyed going to this site. You might find something both you and Zoey like, such as Jimmy Mitchell's Eres Tu, Gen Orange's Thunderstorm or perhaps a Netherlands 8th grade class singing Supertramps' Dreamer (wait for the nice solo falsetto bridge)
http://www.ubu.com/outsiders/365/index.html
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