OWTK On the Road to The Newport Folk Festival!

It's been one hell of a musical week so far and we haven't even gotten to Newport yet. After a rockin' good time at World Cafe Live on Monday afternoon where the Bear and I saw, heard and danced to Recess Monkey, the Mrs. and I spent last night in Philly at the Wolf Parade show. They are a damn fine band, I contend one of the best playing music today, and they're terrific live.
Watch them performing "This Heart's On Fire" on late night TV last year:


Kid's music fans in Austin, Phoenix, Portland and the great state of Washinton still have a chance to catch the road-weary Monkees as they head back home. Check out their tour schedule here and take your kids to see one of the best kiddie rock bands around.

Tomorrow we depart for New England!

After a stop in Mystic, CT to rest and have a bit of fun at the Mystic Aquarium we will arrive at the 2008 Newport Folk Festival on Saturday morning. I'm a tad dissappointed with the 2008 Newport Folk Festival schedule that was finally released. The Felice Brothers play at the same time as Jim James of My Morning Jacket, which sucks royally. Looks like we won't be at the main (Fort) stage at all on Saturday as all the bands we're there to see/hear are playing the smaller stages. Sunday however, with the exception of the Avett Brothers set, we will be parking in front of the Fort all day long!

...the best part of all? The weather looks dreamy - high 70's, sunny and breezy on the water.

Taking kids to the Newport Folk Fest this year? Check out one of the first articles I ever wrote on OWTK, about taking a youngster to Newport for two days of music.

The Tales of Despereaux - The Bear's 1st Chapter Book

While we waited for Wall-E to take the screen a few weeks ago we saw a preview for a new modern-fairy tale called The Tales of Despereaux. The movie looks terrific. Turns out it's based off an original Newberry award winning book by Kate Dicamillo. The Mrs. picked up the book at the library last week and every night we all read 4-5 (short) chapters. The Bear likes it, I think, even though there are only a handful of drawings to look at. It's her first experience with simply listening to a story without a visual companion. The book is probably meant for kid's a bit older, maybe 7 and up, as there are some nasty bits in there but she's hanging in. In reading The Tales of Despereaux the Bear has learned a valuable lesson about basic storytelling - even though the main character's fate may look dim early on in the reading one look at the number of pages left gives the reader a good hint that the protagonist will make it through...otherwise, the book would instead be considered a Newberry Award winning pamphlet. This knowledge seems to have pacified her during the early scary pages as I could see her looking at how much of the book remained before getting settled back into her seat.

Tonight we conclude the final six chapters are finally learn what happens to the Princess Pea, our hero and the rest of the characters who have managed to survive thus far.

Check out the preview of the film, which looks much more pleasing (read: less death, killing, bloodshed, etc) than the book.

Recess Monkey Live!

The Bear and I will be at a rare Monday afternoon kiddie rock show in Philly. Recess Monkey is in town and we're going down via the train. It should be a treat for the Bear as it's the same regional rail line her mom-mom takes to our hood from the city. It's that line that earned her the funny "Train Mom-mom" name. I'm also going to try and work in the Franklin Institute as our membership expires at the end of July and it would feel good to get one more use out of it.

Still getting my bearings back and when I do...watch out! Tons of great kids music to review including the new Terrible Twos record due out next week.

Why So Dark?

OWTK has been dark for it's longest stretch. That's not a sign of things to come...quite the opposite actually. It's been a weird week +. My lower back gave out last Monday causing me much pain and discomfort through Friday. Also on Friday, bizarre joint pain and sweating fits started, causing the doctor to mention Lyme Disease and require me to get blood work done. Now I'm not sure if I'm more scared of the story in the blood or the device used to extract the stuff.

Oh, the other big news is that on Thursday I gave my notice at work. I'm abandoning my super comfy well-paying gig to become a stay at home dad, effective August 22nd. The Mrs. and I decided that I would resign from the day job to dedicate more time to being a father to the girls, especially since the Bear has one year left before thirteen (at least) straight years of school begin. I'm nervous as all hell, but I take that to be a good thing. The girls will still remain in school for a couple shorter days each week. Basically, they will go from 40 hours a week to about 15. During that time OWTK will be expanded and ye olde tee shirt shop grown (hopefully).

It's bound to be difficult at times, financially speaking, but I simply could not face turning 40 or something and seeing my girls, then 12 and 9, and facing waves of regret because I chose not to spend as much time with them as possible when they were still young and impressionable...just to chase a paycheck. We are finally in a position to, after a year of planning, to give this a go.

So in late August (assuming I'm still alive) I will embark on what lines up to be a pretty spectacular journey with my little ladies. I see days of arts and crafts, kitchen experiments and baking, trips to museums and hopefully snuggly naps together every day.
The Bear's wish, stated last night in a cute little pretend baby-ish voice...and I quote "Yay stay home with dada! Snuggle and read books all day!" I had to tell her how great that sounds but that her little monster sister is also going to be staying home with us...so hours upon hours of book reading together in bed might not happen at least not until the Mouse become less of a wrecking ball.

Cool Kid's Concert Alert!

Two East Coast, full-band Justin Roberts shows have just been announced!

• Saturday September 27th in D.C. at National Geographic Live!
• Sunday September 28th in Philly at World Cafe Live (first ever Philly appearance for the Not Ready For Naptime Players, JR's rockin' band)
  

These shows will absolutely sell-out...so get tickets asap.

Check out the OWTK review of Pop Fly.

Cathy & Marcy's Song Shop Kid's Music Podcast

I love podcasts. They may just be my favorite thing about the Internet. I subscribe to several (This American Life, Spare the Rock and ESPN's Mike & Mike in the Morning to name a few) and I love to peruse the iTunes podcast menu every month or so. Thanks to the nature of this here blog, I'm always on the look out for kiddie rock podcasts and anything else topical in the world of children's music and/or parenting.

As many podcast options as there are in the world it seems as if there aren't too many in the original-non-corporate-shrill kid's music category. However, I recently came across a new one that is quite good. It's Cathy and Marcy's Song Shop video podcast. Cathy and Marcy are Grammy award winning children's artists who play fun bluegrassy/Americana tunes that your younger kids will adore. Check out their first podcast here featuring the tune "Better When We Sing It Together" and if you and your kids dig it consider subscribing to the Song Shop podcast on iTunes (just search "Cathy and Marcy" in the iTunes music store) and receive all future installments as soon as they are produced and published.

Brian Vogan "Little Songs" CD Review

What we have here ladies and gents is a serious dark horse candidate for a top ten kid's record this year.

Brian Vogan is a Seattle-area school teacher, just like the Recess Monkey boys, who has just self-released his debut record "Little Songs".

While not seasonally accurate at this particular moment, Vogan has crafted a tune that is destined to land in my top ten songs of 2008 list at year's end. "Happy Valentine's Day" is a little gem of a kid's song built around one spectacular verse, repeated twice. It's a simple, sweet tune that uses Brian's crystal clear voice and clever lyrical phrasing to leave a lasting impression on the listener (read: this melody will be stuck in your head all day and you'll love it!)

While the album art may remind some of The Decemberists, the music itself is an extremely solid study in melodic, jazzy pop (think Burt Bacharach meets The Beatles). "The Listening Song" (the beginning of which would sound perfect on Sesame Street) in which Vogan elongates the "ing" at the end of certain phrases to create a unique and fun effect while describing for his younger listeners the functionality of various body parts. "The Listening Song" along with "That's How a Pumpkin Grows" and the aforementioned "Happy Valentine's Day" display an impressive and tender awareness for classic melody and classy instrumentation. The album isn't perfect however. "Chess", with it's prog-rock They Might Be Giants vibe, feels out of place here and "Spring" is a good idea stuck inside an 80's soft-rock ballad.

Fortunately the hits far outnumber the misses and the best little songs on the record have a breezy and timeless quality to them. "Little Songs" marks a stunning entrance into the kid's music world for Brian Vogan.

Listen to "Little Songs" on CDBaby. While there, why don't you pick up a copy of this terrific record and support original, quality independent kid's music.

Out Without The Kids

Despite the Fleet Foxes show eluding us the Mrs. and I still got the chance to enjoy a night out of the house without the Bear and Mouse. We grabbed a couple salads, and the best French Onion Soup ever, from a little place across from the hospital where both our kiddies were hatched. It was in that very place that I had my first meal as a father.

I ate alone that night as I watched my MSU Spartans drop yet another big game to Wisconsin in the finale of the Big Ten regular season. I was completely self-aware and more than a little self absorbed that evening. I looked around at the other patrons, certain they could all tell I'd just became a daddy and quietly, on the inside, they were congratulating me and thinking to themselves "He is going to be one hell of a dad". Not that I had my newborn Bear strapped to my hip or anything. I like to think that my situation was given away by the unable-to-be-removed-by-human-hands bracelet that dangled with an epic coolness from my right wrist. The kind of coolness only a new dad possesses. The kind of coolness that tells everyone "I just laid witness to my wife's vagina being stretched to unthinkable extremes as a slimy wet crying baby emerged from said vagina yet here I sit, calmly enjoying a juicy burger and an ice cold root beer while watching a basketball game". Ain't no cool like new daddy cool.

If the bracelet didn't give me away the heavy bags under my eyes definitely did. They came courtesy of a restless "sleep" on a god-awful cot with a pillow that didn't deserve to be called a pillow for it amounted to nothing more than a pillow case inside of another pillow case.

Oh, where was I? Yes, our night out without the kids...after dinner we saw Mongol, the beautifully filmed and superbly acted 1st film in a Genghis Khan trilogy. Check out the clip below. I can't recommend this movie enough. Go see it and you'll be very cool, even if you don't get to wear a hospital-issued bracelet.

Holy Reunion Tour Batman!

I've just learned that Shudder to Think is getting back together for a tour this fall!
I'm so incredibly stoked! I saw them several times, many moons ago...once as the opener for Foo Fighters at a sweaty, packed Trocadero in Philly (the Foo's first ever tour). I then saw Craig Wedren (lead vocalist for Shudder to Think) play solo during a live THE STATE comedy show in NYC.


Check out their video for X-French Tee Shirt.


This reunion tour news, along with the derth of bands deciding to play their "famous" records live at special events/festivals, got me to thinking what would be my all time wish-they'd-get-back-together-and-tour list or wish-they'd-play-that-record-live list. Here goes:

• Afghan Whigs (without a doubt my favorite band of all time. If I knew that last time I saw them would have been the last time...)
• Quicksand
• Hoover
• Silkworm (impossible because of a senseless death)
• The Band - original lineup circa early 70's (impossible because of death and also hatred between band members)
• Bob Dylan - performing Blonde on Blonde in it's entirety
• Drill For Absentee

That's it, off the top of my head, although I'm certain that I'm missing some band I loved a decade ago.

What band would you love to see get back together or play their classic album live?

Guess who's not going to see Fleet Foxes

...that'd be me! Tomorrow night Fleet Foxes will roll through Philly on the wings of their impressive debut full length (Sub Pop) and I will NOT be there. This is because of kid coverage and the up-in-the-air status of La Babysitter meaning I didn't know if I should buy 1 or 2 tickets. Instead, I bought 0. Last night it was decided that the Mrs' mom will be staying with us Tuesday evening meaning we could both go. By that time, the damn show sold out. I guarantee the next time the swift Foxes appear in Philly it will be at a much larger venue which makes me quite sad. The chance to see and hear this amazin' group and their gorgeous harmonies in a small room has vanished.

Fear not friends...the good people at NPR will broadcast tonight's Fleet Foxes show from D.C. They should hit the stage around 10pm. I suggest that you tune in with me to hear this fantastic little band from the Pacific NW. You won't regret it.

Rock Daddy Rock Silly Short CD Review

I admire an independent DIY attitude. The Mrs. and I work hard to instill a DIY aesthetic in our girls every chance we get. No place is the Do It Yourself credo historically more vibrant, visible and alive than in the music world. My past as a record label owner and show organizer/promoter has provided me with a little bit of insight into the industry. As a result, I absolutely love to see guys and girls writing, recording, performing, designing, releasing and promoting their own records. I know first hand that it's very time consuming and often a maddening experience to do just a few of those tasks alone. Guys like Chris Bihuniak, the one man band/record label/producer behind Rock Daddy Rock, wears all the hats while also playing Dad to four young kids - amazin'!

So how's the music on Silly Short Songs For Silly Short People? I thought you'd never ask. Chris has a clever concept here. He churns out clever 1-2 minute ditties that are either instructional in nature (see: "Because I Care" and "Don't Hit, Don't Spit") or centered around things like Boogies, Warts, Farts & Poopy Diapers - you know, all of the silliest stuff in a kid's life. Rock Daddy Rock's Silly Short Songs For Silly Short People will never be confused with the pristine studio albums of Justin Roberts or Brady Rymer, but that's not the goal at all. Bihuniak is aiming for something much more organic here (his kids even chip in with some backing vocals - kind of like Daddy A Go-Go). Rock Daddy Rock wants to make you and your kids get up and dance and laugh at the simple silly stuff that every kid (and most adults who are honest!) find to be hilarious. He accomplishes this noble goal numerous times throughout the 18 tracks on Silly Short Songs For Silly Short People. The debut Rock Daddy Rock disc is not perfect but what is lacks in polish it more than makes up for in effort.

Listen to all the songs here then pick up a copy (physical or digital) here.

The Station Agent

After the tiny tots were nestled all snug in their beds (my one and only reference to Christmas in July, I promise) the Mrs. and I got cozy atop our own bed and watched The Station Agent on the big laptop last night. What a fantastic film. It stars the terrific Peter Dinklage (known most, I'd imagine, from The Chronicles of Narnia movies) who we saw turn in another wonderful performance as a fall-down drunk in Jonathan Marc Sherman's Things We Want, a great off-Broadway show last year also starring Paul Dano (from There Will Be Blood) and Josh Hamilton (from Kicking & Screaming, my favorite film of all time).

I can't recommend The Station Agent enough. Add it to your Netflix queue today, pick it up from your local library or just buy the damn thing. It's a classic.

The Kids are Alright

The Bear and the Mouse are both healthy. The weather is pleasant. The Phillies are back playing National League foes. The Red Wings signed Marian Hossa. And the fantasy football season is right around the corner. Life is pretty sweet right now.

The Bear was on a school bus twice this week, on back to back days. That makes three times total over the course of the past two weeks. The thrill has already worn off. Geez, kids these days!

Today her class visited a local supermarket, got to touch a live lobster, sample some apples and generally had a swell time. Yesterday was the Bear's first "in-school" swim lesson. Once per week the kiddies get bussed to an outdoor pool for some light aquatic instruction. She already knows how to swim but I have no doubt she'll get even better, from a technical standpoint (you know, kick & paddle and all that kind of stuff) during these trips.

Speaking of school buses (nice segue, no?) - Check out Daddy-A-Go-Go's new video for School Bus Driver. Sweet guitar lick at the 1:20 mark.



And speaking of children's rock-n-roll...there has been tons of kid's music goodness flooding my mailbox over the past few weeks. French party tunes, a new collection from Music Together (giveaway alert!) and oodles of solo indie efforts. I'm hoping to begin the review parade next week. Stay Tuned.