When thinking about kid-appropriate music, few parents think, “More music from Brooklyn, that’s what we need!” Especially in Minnesota, since such sentiments might trigger thoughts of the dreaded Yankees.
But here I am, and I’m here to tell you: Music-wise, Brooklyn’s got it going on. It’s hard to say why. Is it just part of the more general hipsterization of the borough? Some side effect of Coney Island and its rapidly departing vibe? The simple fact that if you’ve got 2.6 million people, some of them will probably create good tunes for kids?
Who knows – but if you check out these artists, you’ll have to agree that you can flush Disney Radio and just hang out by the Williamsburg Bridge. Listed in order from best-known to show-your-friends-how-cool-you-are:
They Might Be Giants (TMBG)
A few years ago, I wore a TMBG shirt to a show by Dan Zanes (see below), and someone asked me, “Oh, are those guys still around?” They are indeed, and they are producing some of the best kid-friendly music around. In fact, my daughter and I start and end our radio show, Spare the Rock, with TMBG every week. No! was TMBG’s first family CD, and it’s not perfect, given some spots where they stop being They Might Be Giants, especially with guest artists. But if you keep your finger on the skip button for just a couple of the tracks, you’ll have a lot of fun. The band then switched from Rounder Records to Disney Sound and released their second family CD, “Here Come the ABCs.” Despite fears that TMBG would be Disney-fied (“Mickey Mouse in Your Soul,” perhaps), ABCs is more consistently engaging than No!, eschewing the obvious but restrictive approach (say, “A is for Agoraphobia,” “B is for Blas/”). Instead, for example, “LMNO” explains how, despite some confusion, “LMNO” (pronounced, well, “ell-emm-enn-oh”) is not actually one letter, but four, while “Alphabet Lost and Found” explores the fateful day “in the history of whenever” on which various words lost key letters: “apple” lost its “a,” and, catastrophically, “chauffeur” left its “auffer” on the dashboard. The album is vintage TMBG – smart, funny, complex music and lyrics – that just happens to be appropriate for kids. They’re online at TMBG.com
Brooklyn fun fact: The band’s 1989 video release is entitled “Direct from Brooklyn.” Also, Brooklyn is the location of their answering machine service, “Dial-a-Song,” which you can reach at 718-387-6962. As the band points out regularly, it’s a free call if you call from work.
Dan Zanes
Zanes was in the okay-but-not-actually-that-great Del Fuegos. (You heard their “Don’t Run Wild” on KQRS in the ’80s, right before Robert Palmer advised that you should, in fact, admit that you were addicted to love, and right after a heavily-reverbed Mindy exhorted you to join her later at Dibbo’s, rockin’ the Wisconsin border with dollar taps or well drinks.) Happily, Zanes’s new persona as a family singer on the hipster side of the market fits him well. After a half-dozen or so releases, Zanes has his formula down, with each CD including some traditional songs from around the world (including some in other languages), some catchy originals, cool guest artists (Lou Reed, Sandra Bernhard, Suzanne Vega, Philip Glass), outstanding instrumental performances, and a whole lot of fun. Put it in the car and sing along, or put it on at home and dance along. If you don’t have some Zanes in your collection, you need to. Dan’s online at FestivalFive.com. Brooklyn fun fact: Zanes is actively involved in an effort to control development of Brooklyn’s Atlantic Yards and maintain the borough’s character – see DevelopDontDestroy.org.
The Deedle Deedle Dees
This is where we shift over to opportunities for you to impress your friends – just like listening to Nirvana pre-Teen Spirit or Fountains of Wayne before Stacy’s Mom started having it going on. The Dees are a talented group of performers with a sense of humor and of history – and that history isn’t all warm fuzzies. Their song “John Brown” points out that the abolitionist’s plan resulted in him being “quickly hung,” and acknowledges that his going to Harper’s Ferry seemed like a “dumb plan” but that he was “soon followed by the whole Union Army.” If that’s too heavy, their debut album, “Let It Dee,” also includes the irresistible tribute to Bollywood “Ina Mina Dika,” the boppiness of which will not be denied. So it’s a kids’ band, so what: This is one creative, rocking group. Check out the Dees at TheDeedleDeedleDees.com.
Brooklyn fun fact: The Dees were formed after their singer, Ulysses S. Dee (not his real name – his real name is Odysseus R. Dee, of course) helped his wife’s second-grade class (in Brooklyn, I think) write a musical.
The Quiet Ones
This band is the new iteration of grown-up band Muckfurgason, who toured for some time with none other than They Might Be Giants, and the singer of which is the titular inspiration for TMBG’s song “John Lee Supertaster” on “No!.” But apart from playing Six Degrees of John Flansburgh, The Quiet Ones’ new album “Make Some Noise,” with some echoes of Ben Folds, Robyn Hitchcock, and XTC, is a nearly required melodic indie rock addition to your collection. Visit them at TheQuiet1s.com. Brooklyn fun fact: Quiet One Andy is the producer of a forthcoming release from another Brooklyn artist, AudraRox (AudraRox.com). I just got a prerelease copy of it, and it’s a terrific power pop record that will stay in your head for approximately 24 years.
Gustafer Yellowgold
It’s hard to explain Gustafer Yellowgold. Gustafer himself is a part-feline, part-alien creature, who appears in animated form on the first (of hopefully many) DVDs. Created by Morgan Taylor, the live Gustafer Yellowgold experience includes live music along with the sweet and simple animations. The music, while evoking Bowie, the Flaming Lips, and even a little Elliot Smith (sans the depression), is remarkably original, unique, while still being accessible and mesmerizing to everyone. Go to GustaferYellowgold.com to learn more; the website is an amazing experience by itself. Brooklyn fun fact: Gustafer himself is not from Brooklyn. He is from the sun. However, Taylor, Gustafer’s creator, regularly puts on Gustafer Yellowgold performances in Brooklyn.
Now, I’m not going to say that your search for kids’ music that won’t make you insane can be done strictly within the confines of Brooklyn. After all, what would I put in future columns? But even if your welcome signs are more likely to say “Uff da” than “Oy vey” or “Fugheddaboudit” (as Brooklyn’s welcome signs actually say), Brooklyn’s kids’ music scene is a great place for you to start.
Non-Brooklyn aside: The new compilation, “Down by the Riverside,” benefiting the Reuben Lindh Family Services in South Minneapolis, is a marvelous collection of family-friendly songs by local artists, including the Jayhawks, Semisonic, Mason and Amy Jennings, Martin Zellar, and more. Buy it at ReubenLindh.org.
Bill Childs is a law professor in western Massachusetts, who still answers “Minnesota!” when asked where he’s from. He and his 7-year-old daughter Ella (born in Minneapolis!) produce a kids’ music radio show weekly. Check it out at SpareTheRock.com. Contact him at show@sparetherock.com.
