Tag Archives: CD Review

CD Review: Joanie Leeds, “I’m a Rock Star”

Do you remember listening to your favorite music as a kid, and imagining that you were the one singing those words in front of a screaming crowd? Joanie Leeds does — hence the title of her album I’m a Rock Star, which is not the presumptuous boast it may seem; in fact, it’s a wide-eyed look back at the musical excitement of youth, and it’s just the opening track of a solidly crafted, smartly arranged, wonderfully produced 13-track collection, all topped off with Leeds’ big, bright voice.

As you’d expect from an album credited to Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights, I’m a Rock Star will get the most mileage from younger listeners, but what sets Leeds apart from the pack is her way with a killer pop hook — songs like “Put a Smile on Your Face” are great for kids, but more importantly, they’re just plain catchy — as well as the sense of humor that makes silly cuts like “I Was an Elf” worth repeat listens. And then there’s “Give Me a Hug,” which is a bona fide pop jewel.

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Like a lot of kindie performers, Leeds tried her hand at adult pop before migrating youthward, but unlike many of her peers, she never comes across as condescending; you get the sense she’s just a songwriter who loves kids, and that — along with her relative restraint when it comes to sugar-frosting her uptempo numbers with unnecessary silliness — makes Rock Star worth a spin for the whole family.

CD Review: Birdie’s Playhouse, “The Wild World of Wildlife”

Cute, bouncy, and educational for animal-loving toddlers, The Wild World of Wildlife offers just under half an hour’s worth of world music for the knee-high set, from the congariffic “Iguana Wants to Baila” to the snaky “Shake Your Tail Feathers” and jazzy “Wombat Scat.” Birdie’s Playhouse, led by Birdie Mendoza, probably aims a little low for kids older than, say, five, but that much should be obvious from the cartoony CD artwork (if not the liner notes, where Birdie offers “mil gracias from the tip of my beak down to my knees” to friends and supporters) — and for children in Birdie’s target audience, Wildlife‘s simple beats, instantly memorable singalong refrains, and infectious sense of fun should prove irresistible. For parents, things might be a little dicier, although I’m warning you now: the “Elephant in the Congo” melody will wedge itself into your brain immediately, like a “Tom’s Diner” for the sippy cup crowd. Pick it up to go along with your little one’s subscription to Your Big Backyard and play it in between repeat viewings of The Jungle Book.

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CD Review: Bari Koral Family Rock Band, “Rock and Roll Garden”

With oversized flowers and a watercolor painting of puffy clouds, daisies, and a rubber duckie on the cover, you might expect Bari Koral’s full-length debut to be more than a little on the cutesy-poo side — and it is, ultimately, targeted mainly at the pre-K audience.

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But the record’s called Rock and Roll Garden for a reason: Koral and her Family Rock Band manage to tie together toddler-friendly themes (dinosaurs, colors, clapping) with arrangements that benefit from a surprising amount of genuine (albeit very gentle) rock ‘n’ roll bite.

The end result ain’t exactly Joan Jett, but if you’re a parent who’s spent any time at all trying to find music that’s aimed at your young children and isn’t barf-inducingly patronizing, you know it’s the little victories that count. And you can count Bari Koral and the Family Rock Band among the good guys: This is very kid-friendly, eminently danceable stuff, with the focus squarely on fun (listen to the mildly subversive “Backpack,” pretty much a laundry list of things parents don’t want going in there) instead of well-meaning attempts to teach listeners shapes or how to count. At 28 minutes, it’s good for family car rides and living room dance parties, and you can never have enough music for either of those, right?

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