Let me start by saying I am not some Les Mis groupie. I have never seen the play or even read Victor Hugo's book, so it's not like I have childhood memories to stir up. That said, I cannot think of the last time I walked out of a movie s…
The world of children's music has come a long way, baby. I definitely grew up in simpler times, lying on my bedroom floor listening to record-album recordings of my favorite stories. While it's incredible to have such diverse offerings f…
As much as I love the holidays, hearing Christmas music in stores and on the car radio since Halloween has squashed my desire for another spin of Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer . Luckily, like a surprise from Santa's elves, three of …
Stocking-stuffer alert for the sleep-deprived: I'm used to listening to Justin Roberts' songs with the kids in the car, with the volume turned up more than halfway. In my opinion, he is one of the best at sing-along choruses, clever word…
Just in time for holiday shopping, Fids and Kamily has released their Top 15 Kids CD's of 2012 this morning. Which means that you now have a bunch of great gift ideas for every kid on your list that you won't mind listening to either. Yo…
If you don't know Elizabeth Mitchell's music, you're missing something special. She invokes a vibe of simple joy that's been part of our daily soundtrack as a family for the past few years. Daniel, Elizabeth's husband, and Storey, her be…
Okay, I'll admit it: I'm probably the least cool parent there is when it comes to music. I did have a brief David Bowie-loving phase, but other than that hip hiccup, my tastes tend more towards maudlin musical theater and 1970s story son…
My singing voice is best kept in the shower. But that didn't stop me from singing to my kids when they were younger, though I'd usually do it along with the lovelier voices of Laurie Berkner, Frances England, and Charlie Hope. (I think m…
I am old enough to remember the original Annie on Broadway, starring Andrea McArdle. That show had me and a zillion other little girls dreaming of living in a mansion with a swimming pool and a cute dog--although maybe keeping our own pa…
Eighteen years of rocking out plus a Grammy win thrown in for good measure, makes Ozomatli a band for the ages. Yet as big as they've become, the band still rocks a happy home-grown vibe. And their latest venture is a kids' album every b…
Trick-or-treating is still hours away and my kids are already talking nonstop about Halloween candy. So to help maintain a bit of my own sanity today, I've rounded up a few ways to keep my kids busy and entertained until the evening roll…
Of all the scary things my kids might face on Halloween night, one thing looms most terrifying in their minds: the prospect of trick-or-treating at homes with no candy left to give. (Yes, First World Problems, I know.) Which is why this …
Yo Gabba Gabba captured our indie-loving hearts from the beginning. But if I had to pick a favorite character, DJ Lance Rock would be up there. The polyester suit, the glasses, the big hair...and of course, those awesome orange shoes . V…
Thanks to an Austrian grandmother and a healthy selection of Putumayo Kids music , my kids have been exposed to a fairly diverse tapestry of children's music...although I will admit that our knowledge of any music from East Asia is almos…
Volcom is my kids' absolute obsession around these parts. They're hardcore skateboarders, and Volcom represents everything that is awesome about skater culture. One of my sons insists on only wearing shirts emblazoned with their logo. He…
While we're big supporters of all the cool kids' music out there, there's so much great adult music that kids love too. And no, not just the Beatles. So I'm really happy to see one of my kids' favorite "grown-up" songs has been turned in…
Steve Denyes of Hullabaloo has the kind of cool Johnny Cash-esque voice that would be right at home in a honky-tonk country bar. Fortunately for our kids, he and his childhood friend Brendan Kremer have decided to make great kids' music …
When I was pregnant with my first child, my neighbor gave me a cassette tape full of traditional kids' songs, and I thought, This is what I'll have to listen to when I have a baby? Interesting. And then I sobbed. Maybe a little. This cou…
Yes, the years are going by so fast, though I've never had one whiz by in 28.4 minutes, thank goodness. But if anyone can make that happen in a way that will put a smile on your face, it's the musical, yellow-hued cartoon Gustafer Yellow…
This would have been folk-music legend Woody Guthrie's centennial year. And so we celebrate the truly amazing legacy he left behind. Within the 3,000 song lyrics (wow!) that he wrote, there lies a powerful children's music catalog that s…
It makes perfect sense that Caspar Babypants, the kindie music favorite whose song titles include My Flea Has Dogs and Stompy the Bear , would create an alphabet book with prose way beyond A is for Apple . But what really makes this pict…
With seven solid releases to their credit (you can read about their last one here), I was pretty certain that we'd love Recess Monkey's eighth offering to the world of kindie music. But what I enjoy most about this trio of enthusiastic e…
Randy Kaplan is such a talented kids' rocker; the kind of performer who really engages his audience. He doesn't just sing, he tells stories. And we listen. We are all huge fans of Kaplan's incredibly cool, listenable (even for adults) CD…
Molly Ledford and her band of merry Lunch Money mates are just such supreme goodness. We are big fans of theirs here at Cool Mom Picks, but this new CD, Spicy Kid, just might take the cake. Er, peanut butter sandwich. This CD is a combin…