Category Archives: Reviews

CD Review: Ozomatli – Happy Feet Two: The Videogame

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Anytime I have ever told a friend about Ozomatli I always add that “They’re the best live band I have ever seen. ” I have yet to see a band capture the raw, live energy that Ozomatli produces on stage from start to finish. Hailing from Los Angeles, Ozomatli is a melting pot of music genres: salsa, funk, hip-hop, dancehall, reggae and so much more. So it was with great excitement when I saw earlier this year that they were going to be making childrens music under the moniker Ozokids. However, the soundtrack for Happy Feet Two: The Videogame is not Ozokids, rather Ozomatli.

Since the goal of the video game is “use the player’s rhythm to bring the Antarctic landscape to life. Use dance moves to stun enemies and help recruit other penguins to join the cause.” The pairing of Ozomatli is almost too perfect, they’ve been making music that has made people move for 15+ years.  This soundtrack is no different. “Get On The Dance Floor” was put on repeat after my daughter’s first listen. It took us at least 4 more listens until we could move on to the equally infectious “Flip Flap”. Not to judge, but if you can’t dance around the house to this album with your kids, you’ve got issues.

As they do with most of their albums, this one is bilingual with a mix of English and Spanish songs. “Bailar Pinguino” (Dancing Penguin) and “Mas Campana” (More Bell) are two and you better believe “Mas Campana” features some cowbell.  Even the opening track “Dynamite” goes back and forth between English & Spanish. The album is full of all original tracks, except a cover of Basement Jaxxs’ “Do Your Thing.”

If Ozokids is anything like what they feed our ears on Happy Feet Two: The Videogame, parents and kids are in for a real treat in 2012.

If you are on spotify, you can listen to the album here.

Track list:
1. Dynamite
2. Get On The Dance Floor
3. Flip Flap
4. Bailar Pinguino
5. Go Crazy
6. Are You Ready?
7. Scatman
8. Your Hand In Mine
9. Penguin’s Life (feat. Lil P’nut)
10. Do Your Thing
11. Happy Bird
12. Mas Campana

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CD Review: The Deedle Deedle Dees, “Strange Dees, Indeed”

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Are the Deedle Deedle Dees the smartest band in the kindie music scene? Possibly.  I once heard Queensryche called “Egghead Bang” for writing rock music that was far smarter than what any of their counterparts were doing. The same applies to the Deedle Deedle Dees. “Egghead Kindie” could easily describe their new their album Strange Dees, Indeed. It’s an eclectic mix of smart songs with anything but your traditional topics used in kids music.

It’s not every day that a kids record comes to your desk with a song called “River of Blood.” Of course, the song is about your circulatory system, and the chorus is catchy all get out. “The River of Blood keeps on flowin’ / The River of Blood keeps on going.”

Musically, the band displays a mix of old school traditional music of ragtime, blues, jazz, swing and numerous others. “The Golem” is a klezmer-style song that will have you singing “Listen to the big feet go bum! bum! That’s the sound of the Golem when he comes” at random parts of the day. The chorus is so good, it gets stuck in your head after the first listen.

Songs about Abigail Adams, Marie Curie and Sacagawea are other topics included on Strange Dees, Indeed. Ever heard of Phineas Gage before? Neither had I, but that didn’t stop the Dees from writing a song about him. Cliff Notes version: He survived an accident in which a large iron rod was driven completely through his head, destroying much of his brain’s left frontal lobe.  Like I said, not your typical kids’ music fare.

Strange Dees, Indeed is different, unique and impossible not to fall in love with.

This album is geared towards older kids; most of the lyrical content will fly over the head of kids under four years old. Curious about how these songs came about and interested in helping educate your kids on the topics covered in the songs? Read with your kids, straight from the band, plus lyrics right here.

Buy the new CD, straight from their site. Listen to the tracks below.

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CD Review: The Chickadees, The Froggy Hop

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There’s a lot of mindless kids’ music out there, the kind of stuff that makes me question why kids’ music is even a separate genre unto itself. The ridiculous, corporate, often brand-promoting junk with a carefully contrived mix of barely educational messages and hollow silliness prepared by people who have never met a child, the reason why I mostly just let my kid listen to whatever music I listen to, minus the songs with inappropriate material.

The Chickadees, thankfully, are not that kind of kids’ music. It’s a passion project from singer/songwriter Mary Karlzen (who had a great album come out in 1995 called Yelling at Mary) who, has followed the career path of other indie rock cult faves Dan Zanes and Ralph Covert and gone into kiddie entertainment. Karlzen’s approach is more than just good music kids can call their own—the Chickadees (a fairly clever name, as the band is entirely female) profess an environmentalist message. All kids are inherently environmentalists; they love animals and they love being outside. Pop culture and entertainment can help solidify those feelings, and that’s what the Chickadees aimed to do with their second album, The Froggy Hop.

It’s a pleasant country folk romp, a good fit for songs about being outside. The Froggy Hop has two main themes: how animals are amazing (“Tiny Little Caterpillar,” “Animal Babies”), and save the planet, kids (“Planet Protectors,” “Reduce, Recycle & Reuse”). A little didactic? Sure, but you can’t be subtle about important stuff with pre-schoolers. In that regard, the Chickadees are like Rage Against the Machine, except friendly, approachable, and concerned more with pollution than Zapatistas.

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