What Baby/Kid Music Do You Love?

964 Views 28 Replies 24 Participants Last post by LeftField, Mar 29, 2006

babybun

Discussion Starter · Mar 27, 2006

Inspired by that great thread about books (which inspired me to finally come out of lurkdom!)...

What great children's CD's can you recommend? What do you and your DC love?

We listen to a lot of Raffi around here. I love his voice and tone - not too preachy, not too silly, just nice music that my DS (14 mos) really responds to and doesn't grate on my nerves.

I'm looking for more CD's and am dismayed by how much are part of some great commercial marketing ploy: soundtracks from movies, TV shows, TV characters, etc. And the quality of the music is very poor, IMHO. Repetitive and just annoying in that Barney style that will for sure make me want to throw the CD player out of the window!

Anyone have any suggestions? TIA!

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ericaz

· #2 · Mar 27, 2006

Definitely check out Dan Zanes and Friends and Laurie Berkner.
My 2.5 yr old dd started listening to Dan Zanes when she was an infant (we even got to see the band live a year ago) and has been a huge fan ever since. We only recently bought a Laurie Berkner CD and it's the new favorite around here. The nice thing about both of these bands (especially Dan Zanes

) is that they are SO parent-friendly. I catch myself singing songs from both artists constantly.

If you ever watch videos, a great one for your child (probably not until about 2 yrs or so) is They Might Be Giants Do the ABCs. Incredible songs accompanied by some of the neatest graphics/animation. You can get the CD by itself, but IMO it's so much better with the DVD

hth!

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True Blue

· #3 · Mar 27, 2006

Laurie Berkner
Lisa Loeb
They Might Be Giants (yep they made a kids' album, too!)
Wiggles

babybun

Discussion Starter · #4 · Mar 27, 2006

Thanks!

They Might Be Giants for kids?! That sounds good - I've never heard of it before.

Anyone else?

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quelindo

· #5 · Mar 27, 2006

Ralph's World

http://www.ralphsworld.com/

spinspin

· #6 · Mar 27, 2006

Yikes. The bulk of music for kids is drek, isn't it. Bleh. Some of it is blatantly commercial, but most is just too cutesy! The worst is when they use a bunch of kids who can't sing. But there are a couple that I've found that are real quality.

Nicky the Jazz Cat is a jazz compliation made my Carol Friedman. There is also a book, but the CD is better. These are jazz tunes selected for kids, but not made for kids, and the difference is palpable. So you get Ella Fitzgerald singing "A Tisket A Tasket" and Louis Prima, Peggy Lee etc, doing their best work.

Putumayo Playground is pretty good as well. You have to be OK with some folk-influences (i.e. Guthrie) to like this CD, but we do.

Finally, I like Bebop for Babies. The vocalist does a really smooth version of "Pop Goes the Weasel" just for example, that is a pleasure to hear. She's not just 'phoning it in.'

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rainbowmoon

· #7 · Mar 27, 2006

I agree. I can't stand some of my DS cd's! yes he's only 2 and has his own cd's already!

anyway we have a whole set of them (10 loooong cds) he loves and some of the songs are cool (if you learn the words and sing them without the music that is) but the majority make my skin crawl. I think it's the music, but not sure.eww.

The RAffi cd's we have are ok. not my favorites though.

Not For Kids Only & So What (both Grisman/Garcia) and Bedtime with the Beatles (blue cover) are hits here.

spinspin- those sound like great recomendations. one of those I have been debating getting DS (Putumayo Playground) and the jazz one looks great. I am going to check them out!

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MelMel

· #8 · Mar 27, 2006

ugh. kids music. we are a music loving family and dd (age 3) has a little cd player she carries around and listens to her 'own' stuff in the car, while playing, etc. we listen to alot of punk and some of it is too hard/too profane for her tastes

we havent really found any kids stuff that she likes, we have the 'they might be giants' dvd 123 or abc or something, and she thinks its okay. she listens to the regular they might be giants 'flood' cd, its quirky and fun and there is no cussing or mature themes

. she also listens to some 'mr T experience' which is a pop/punk band that is very light and fun. alot of cutesy melodies and harmony stuff, very repetitive. she also likes 'nightmare before x-mas' soundtrack.

we were gunna check out Devo's new kids album. dd really isnt into the hippy/folksy stuff....and we dont want 'kidzbop' within 100 feet of our tape players

i will be watching this thread for more suggestions

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ericaz

· #9 · Mar 27, 2006

Ohhh, there's a new Devo kids album??? Wow!

Seriously...check out Dan Zanes. I promise

it won't disappoint!

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BurgundyElephant

· #10 · Mar 27, 2006

I like Laurie Berkner too. I bought a few of her songs on iTunes, but I also saw the album at Starbucks this weekend. Too funny.

My SIL bought us the "Dog Train" book and CD by Sandra Boynton. I LOVE it. I loaded them on my iPod to listen to in the car, too. "Thus Quacked Zarathustra" didn't make any sense until I saw the "Space Oddesey:2000" movie.

We also have an album put out by the LDS church. Some of the songs are religious but not all. CD It's called "Children's Songbook. Words and music, 5 CDs" for $6.50. We don't have the songbook but the music is soothing and not too repetitive.

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~Megan~

· #11 · Mar 28, 2006

John Lithgow, I love his "Singing In the Bathtub" cd

Lazyhead

· #12 · Mar 28, 2006

around here we like an album of lullabies called "the planet sleeps" which has some great songs.
as for more lively music we pick & choose. dd (age 25 mos) loves bob marley--especially 3 little birds. and "the lion sleeps tonight". and "lollipop". and "blue moon".

boatbaby

· #13 · Mar 28, 2006

You have to check out Buckwheat Zydeco's Choo-Choo Boogaloo

and The Gift of the Tortoise (Ladysmith Black Mambazo)

and anything old school Ella Jenkins

also like Sweet Honey and the Rock - Still the Same Me
(we also second the John Lithgow CD!)

and also Putomayo Latin Playground

... mostly we just listen to regular music -- Jack Johnson, Dave Matthews, Bob Marley are some of DS's favorites.

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Ceili

· #14 · Mar 28, 2006

I like "Sing Along with Putomayo"

Woody Guthrie "Songs to Grow on for Mother and Child"

Imagination Movers "Good Ideas"

Well I like all of the Imagination Movers cds, but Good Ideas is my favorite. They're a New Orleans group similar to the Wiggles (better in my opinion...)

rainbowmoon

· #15 · Mar 28, 2006

oh yes. we have this one! it's great & mellow

Quote:

Originally Posted by poitzenlock
around here we like an album of lullabies called "the planet sleeps" which has some great songs.
as for more lively music we pick & choose. dd (age 25 mos) loves bob marley--especially 3 little birds. and "the lion sleeps tonight". and "lollipop". and "blue moon".

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rainbowmoon

· #16 · Mar 28, 2006

oh I thought of another one!

Buckwheat Zydeco Waitin' For My Ya Ya

your post reminded me boatbaby. thanks! now I need to see if I can dig out that CD

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Sharlla

· #17 · Mar 28, 2006

I love The Wiggles, so much in fact that we even went to the concert

Their songs are catchy and I have even found myself singing them

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janerose

· #18 · Mar 28, 2006

Another vote for Laurie Berkner here. Her stuff is easy to find too which is a plus.

Other kids music we like are Veggie Tales sing along (Christian though, FYI), Wiggles, Signing Time CD's, Peter Paul & Mary, & Sesame St. Sesame St is especially good if you can find some old school music. The CD we have has song that I remember hearing on SS as a kid. Gotta love that.

Oh, and if you like Mr Rogers there are several CD's with the songs he wrote & sang for his show.

HTH!

Holly

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cyrusmama

· #19 · Mar 28, 2006

We love the previously mentioned Ralph's World, Laurie Berkner, and Putumayo.
DS also love the For the Kids cd.
And JAck Johnson's Curious George cd.

ELKMama

· #20 · Mar 28, 2006

We love, love, love Justin Roberts and the Not Naptime Band. We have 3 CDs and my current fave is "Meltdown," but it is hard to choose.

I also *highly* recommend his concerts; we had a terrific time.

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