Posts Tagged ‘CDs’

Quick parenting quiz: What’s the fastest, lowest effort way to get your kids to sleep when they’re resisting? Put on a story CD, that’s what! Pop one in the CD player, turn off the lights, and you might be surprised to find yourself drifting off along with your child. Here are our three quick picks for best dreamy listening:

Age 1-7

The Cat in the Hat and Other Dr. Seuss Favorites: A whole bunch of people you’ve heard of (Kelsey Grammar, Billy Crystal, Dustin Hoffman) read these old favorites with zing and gusto, really throwing themselves into the performances. Mercedes McCambridge (she was the voice of Reagan in The Exorcist! Aaaah!) reading Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose is a particular highlight, as is Grammar’s rollicking rendering of The Cat in the Hat in his mesmerizing, satin-smooth tones. The stories are suitable for a wide range of ages, too, since younger children enjoy the language’s rhythm even if they don’t understand all of the story, and older ones can sympathize with characters like Horton and the Lorax.

Age 4+

Charlie and The Chocolate Factory CD: The story’s much too complicated for a four-year-old to understand, but even a child this young will respond to the wonderful reading by Eric Idle (who won a Grammy for his performance). Idle is enchantingly silly and surprisingly good at rattling off long, tongue-twisting sentences.

Age 6+

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Book 1): Jim Dale is possibly the most expressive reader on the face of the planet, and here he rips into Rowling’s prose with an enthusiastic sense of humor. Clearly the guy is having a great time reading this story, and both kids and adults respond. As much as kids will love this first book, they get progressively darker as the series goes on, so wait a year or two before letting them go on to the rest of the Harry Potter series.

A is for…aren’t you sick of all that cloying kids’ music? They’re too young for T-Pain, but you need them to get on board with something with soul.

B is for Bob is a new collection of Bob Marley recordings re-imagined for kids. Produced by son Ziggy (whose own child-friendly CD, Family Time, recently hit stores), it features a host of Bob classics (known around the world for its powerful political and spiritual message that touches people of all ages) with a new spin. Hear songs like “Jamming” and “Three Little Birds” transformed by new sounds that create a feeling of hearing them for the first time (others, like “Could You Be Loved,” remain untouched).

C is for cool.

Available at amazon.com.

Forget the baby stuff: Your kids like real music, but it’s a challenge to find something the whole brood can enjoy.

Ziggy Marley’s new album, Family Time, will be released tomorrow with a rainbow of kid-friendly tunes that adults will want to jam to as well. Themes of family, from those at home to the worldwide community, are echoed through the voices of Marley and friends like Paul Simon, Jack Johnson, Willie Nelson, Elizabeth Mitchell and Laurie Berkner, who collaborate on various serene songs. Inspired by Marley’s two young children, this feel-good music inspires peace, creativity, open minds and open hearts.

Play it during family time.

Available at ziggymarley.com.

Winter with young kids means one thing: bunker mode. Instead of wrestling to get them into cold weather gear, you’ve got the unenviable task of warding off cabin fever. A little music never hurts, especially at nap time. Arm yourself with these new albums:

Two Flowers
Danielle Sansone
This Atlanta-based singer-songwriter wows with her superb vocals (think Natalie Merchant). The simple but sophisticated lullabies and love songs are infused with folk and bluegrass styles, and pack a powerful punch in the emotions department. The standouts are too numerous to name — and while the lyrics are sweet and PG-friendly, it’s not bad stuff for reconnecting with your DH, either.

Round and Round
Melissa Green
Melissa Green also has vocals parents can appreciate. Especially earworthy: the danceable Coo Coo and the closing lullaby. The mix also includes a rendition of Do Re Mi, an a cappella version of In My Heart, and good old 5 Little Monkeys set to music. Green, who got her musical start in a New York City preschool, seems to have a penchant for weather-related songs.

It’s Time to Sleep, My Love & On the Night You Were Born: The You Are Loved Collection
What do you get when you put together Sally Taylor, daughter of Carly Simon and James Taylor, with New York Times bestselling children’s author Nancy Tillman? Magic in the form of an audiobook. Each story is set to music (hint: it helps to own the books, which are sold separately). But the real gem of this short and sweet CD (only five tracks total) is the lullaby Taylor crafts.

Tell Me What You Want to Be
Jetta and the Jellybeans
More typical kiddie fare, this is chockfull of silly lyrics set to happy, upbeat music. A noticeable ’50s, doo-wop style pops up throughout, making you feel as if you’re on your way to a sock hop. The album includes songs about being a “good pet mommy” and the importance of hand washing. There’s a cool cat of a number called Scat Cat, plus two zany songs about gravity and the solar system. But hey, all you want to know is when the stars and planets in your world will align.

Your infant loves music, but your head is going to burst if you sing “Itsy Bitsy Spider” one more time. He’s down with contemporary tunes, but you feel too guilty cranking “Soulja Boy” in the car.

Pop in a CD from Babies Go, which produces melodic reinterpretations of songs by popular artists like Sting, Bob Marley and Elton John — as well as kid-friendly scores from Mozart, Bach and Vivaldi. The lullaby-inspired renditions are soft enough to soothe a baby to sleep and sane enough to keep you humming along. Listen to sample tracks on the site before you decide if your baby is more ABBA or Aerosmith.

And save “Mary Had a Little Lamb” for when you really need it.

Available at babiesgo.com.

Summer weekend getaways mean bumper-to-bumper traffic and cloying kids’ music in the car. Your only option is to spice things up with a little variety. Check out these new releases to get you and your brood through the dog days of summer.

Jerzy the Giant by the Terrible Twos: This collection of upbeat “playground pop songs” is the second album from the Terrible Twos. Matt Pryor (also of the New Amsterdams) gives parents and kids alike a true gift: a pleasant and inviting voice that is easy on the ears. Shades of Weezer pop up throughout, and the feel-good music and snappy tempo make it impossible to be in a bad mood. Can’t-miss numbers include Jerzy the Giant, The Plan, Elliott Oooh, Jump, Jump, Jump and Watch Out for the Lions.

Rocketship Run by the Laurie Berkner Band: Laurie Berkner is the closest thing children’s music has to a rock legend. And she doesn’t disappoint with Rocketship Run, her first new album in six years. With quirky lyrics and an indie-folk style, it’s hallmark Berkner. This time she introduces us to Candy Cane Jane, who owns a horse with a candy cane mane, and Gumdrop Joe, who likes to play in that snow. Berkner closes by paying homage to Frank Sinatra, with a captivating rendition of Fly Me to the Moon.

Alphabet Rockers: Get rid of the kiddie lyrics, and this music might actually make it onto your iPod. The standouts? The Seven Days of the Week, which has a sort of Dido/Sheryl Crow thing going on, and the happy soul-infused The Rainbow Song, which sounds very India Arie. Listeners will also detect hints of Salt ‘n’ Pepa and The Beastie Boys from these two San Fran musicians.

Ladybug One by the Harmonica Pocket: Don’t be turned off by the insect soliloquies peppered throughout the album. With their soothing voices, Harmonica Pocket, an indie-pop-folk group that hails from the land of Starbucks and grunge rockers, can be quite Simon & Garfunkel at times. Particularly ear-worthy are the two instrumental songs at the end of the album, which are so mesmerizing you’ll swear you’re back in college chilling out to George Winston.