Dadnabbit

Meltdown 2010: Looking Back

For those of you who live in more temperate climes, where winter is something you watch other people suffer through on TV, and snow is something you wish you had on Christmas, the idea of “spring fever” might seem like an old wives’ tale — like knuckle-cracking causing arthritis, or Karl Rove being the voice of Barney the Dinosaur. Speaking as a parent of two small children in the hills of New Hampshire, however, I can tell you it’s very much a real... Read More

MELTDOWN!

Here’s where we’ll be tomorrow: If you’re in the Massachusetts area, come on by! Kids’ music and authors all day, and it’s free! Click on the picture for more details!  Read More

CD Review: Uncle Rock, “The Big Picture”

Now here’s an album that lives up to its title. The latest effort from Robert Burke Warren, a.k.a. Uncle Rock, further illustrates his gift for music that plays to kids without playing down to them — and addresses important topics in the bargain. Which isn’t to say The Big Picture is all serious: These 14 tracks touch on suitably kid-sized stuff like animals (“Leave the Bees Be,” “Sneaky Snake”), feelings (“Shake It Off!”),... Read More

Dadnabbit Contest: Win a Disney Easter Basket!

Don’t feel like shelling out to fill your kids’ Easter baskets with toys and candy this year? Never fear! Disney’s giving away a whole bunch of stuff to celebrate the holiday, and if you’re our lucky winner, all you’ll have to do is accept delivery of this mound of April bounty from your sweating, angry mailman. Here’s what you (and, uh, your kids) stand to win: Winners will receive a Disney-themed Easter Basket that values over $200, including... Read More

CD Review: Ratboy Jr., “Smorgasbord”

They’re called Ratboy Jr., their album comes in a brown sleeve made out of 100% recycled paper, and its second track includes the words “everything is wonderful, including the dirt.” I probably don’t need to tell you what kind of music to expect from Smorgasbord, but just in case you’re still unclear, I’ll spell it out for you: Don’t expect a lot of studio polish, and if you’re the type of parent who’d rather see your kid at... Read More

Blu-ray Review: “The Princess and the Frog”

Even if you aren’t the kind of person who tends to get caught up in hype, you have to admit that last year’s Princess and the Frog made for a pretty killer story. The studio that invented longform animation, then abandoned it for CGI, returning to its classic roots…led by the guy who directed Toy Story and helped start sounding traditional animation’s death knell in the first place? What could be more perfect? Well, in Disney’s eyes, the movie’s... Read More

CD Review: “Putumayo Kids Presents: Jazz Playground”

You know that movie If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium? Well, in my mailbox, if it’s Tuesday, it must be Putumayo. While the rest of the recording industry folds in on itself like a coke-dusted origami, Putumayo is apparently making out like gangbusters, because they’ve released approximately 400,000 CDs of world music for all occasions; I keep waiting for the day I open a Putumayo envelope to find Music for When You Want Dessert Before Dinner or Swinging... Read More