2009-05-30 Playlist

Listen on-demand any time you like on our page at WRSI.com!

Segment 1
TMBG - It's Spare the Rock
-Ella ID
TMBG - Birds Fly (Then)
Tom Freund - Seashells (w/ Victoria Williams)
Victoria Williams - Moon River
Jayhawks - This Little Light of Mine (Down By the Riverside)
ID
Asylum Street Spankers - Don't Turn Out the Light (Mommy Says No!)

Segment 2
Lamar Holley - Parts of a Plant (Classroom Pop Vol 1)
Johnny Bregar - Dragonfly (Dragonfly)
Liz Mitchell - You Are My Sunshine (You Are My Sunshine)
ID/prep to rock
Uncle Rock - Rock Out! (Plays Well With Others)
Paper Moon - Your Attitude Towards Cuttlefish (For the Kids Too)
ID (backsell River Rack)

Segment 3
Baby Grands - Why Is It W?
Go Team - Doing it Right
Yosi - Let's Get Cookin' (What's Eatin' Yosi?)
ID
Mike Doughty - More Bacon than the Pan Can Handle (Golden Delicious)
Bzots - Workin' the Assembly Line (Powered Up!)
Moby - Anchovie (Mary Had a Little Amp)

Segment 4
ScribbleMonster - Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child
ID
AudraRox - I Like to Pretend (I Can Do It By Myself)
U2 - Discotheque
Strange Kidz - Rocket Croc' (Kidz Album)
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo - Luck (Easy)
ID/book time with Ella

Segment 5
Tom Waits - New Coat of Paint
Pianosaurus - Sun Will Follow (Groovy Neighborhood)
Deedle Deedle Dees - Aaron Burr (Freedom in a Box)
ID
Sharp Cookies - Let It Rain
Mary Lou Lord & Semisonic - Sugar Sugar
ID

Segment 6
Mudcakes - Cave Baby (Cup & Top, Tuesday July 7, 4;00)

Recess Monkey - Centipede Pirate (Sunday, July 12)
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - This Land is Your Land (Green River Festival July 17-18)
Lunch Money - Ate Too Much of My Favorite Food (Dizzy) (Iron Horse July 26)
ID
TMBG - Fake Believe (Type B)
TMBG - Spare the Rock

Oh, that's gonna be fun.

June is sort of our month of guest DJ sets (list below). I've just been editing the one we got from Ziggy Marley, and it's excellent. Here, listen to the intro:



He plays some fantastic songs, chats in his utterly charming way, and in general does a great job.

Other guest DJ sets this month:

June 6: Monte (the River's morning guy and PD) & his kids
June 13: Ashley from the Jimmies
June 20: Ziggy Marley
June 27: Recess Monkey takes over the whole darn show!

Good stuff, friends.

Taste of Amherst: Now With 100% More Brady Rymer!

Yes, that's right, we're super pleased to announce that Grammy nominee Brady Rymer will be playing Taste of Amherst at noon on Saturday, June 20. (Sadly, we will be out of town, which makes it all the more important for you to be there. All of you.) It will be a special duo show, a little more stripped down, but no less excellent than usual.

And...it's free! Plus, lots of great food vendors, activities, etc. Presented by 93.9 The River. Whoo-hoo!

The No Nap Happy Hour Flyer

Here's the excellent flyer the Iron Horse folks put together for our series there. If you click on it, you'll get a big PDF, with both a one-up and a four-up flyer. Please feel free -- nay, feel encouraged! -- to print it out and distribute, post, etc., within the bounds of the law.

2009-05-23 Playlist

Listen on demand at WRSI.com.

Segment 1
TMBG - It's Spare the Rock
-Ella ID
TMBG - Ballad of Davy Crockett (In Outer Space) (Block Party)
Frances England - Digging in the Dirt (Fascinating Creatures)
M. Ward - Radio Campaign
Gustafer Yellowgold - Beard for All Seasons (Have You Never Been Yellow?)
ID
Mary Kaye - Bug (Music Box)
Sweet Honey in the Rock - Shoo Fly (I Got Shoes)
ID

Segment 2
Harmonica Pocket - Ladybug 123 (dub) (Ladybug One)
Mudcakes - Bugs (Cave Baby)
ID (Mudcakes at Cup & Top on Tuesday July 7, 4:00)/prep to rock
Duplex - Noble Gases (Worser)
Arcwelder - Bob Sez (Jacket Made in Canada)
Violent Femmes - Eep Opp Ork Ah-Ah (Means I Love You)
ID

Segment 3
Sippy Cups - My Angry Voice (Time Machine)
Weezer - My Best Friend
Justin Roberts - Best Friend (Way Out)
ID (August 23, Iron Horse)
White Stripes - We Are Going to Be Friends
Egg - La La La (I Love You)
ID

Segment 4
ScribbleMonster - Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child
ID
Rolling Stones - Route 66
Dog on Fleas - Green Grass of Summer (When I Get Little)
Lucas Miller - Go Wild - Read! (I Was a Supa Dupa Pupa)
ID/book time with Ella
Human_Tim + Robot_Tim - Froggies (Pop of the Tots!)

Segment 5
Deedle Deedle Dees - Nellie Bly (Freedom in a Box)
Kimya Dawson - Happy Home (Keep on Writing)
Billy Kelly - Don't Worry About the Government (Thank You For Joining the Happy Club)
ID
Gourds - Shake the Chandelier (Heavy Ornamentals)

Segment 6
ID
Ziggy Marley - ABC (Family Time)
Wee Hairy Beasties - Road Safety Song (Animal Crackers)
ID
Aric Bieganek - Central Park Kitty (Bright Lights, Big Kitty)
John Carlin - A Dinosaur Named Fred (Kids' Music Underground)
ID
TMBG - Wake Up Call (No!)
TMBG - Spare the Rock

2009-05-16 Playlist

Listen any time you like at our on-demand audio archive at WRSI.com.

Here's what we played:

Segment 1
TMBG - It's Spare the Rock
-Ella ID
TMBG - Toddler Hiway
Billy Kelly - Springtime: It's My Favorite (Thank You for Joining the Happy Club)
Brian Eno - Over Fire Island (Another Green World)
Nields - Summer is a Cumen In (Rock All Day Rock All Night)
Me 3 - Apple (The Thin King)
ID
Caspar Babypants - Heard a Bird (Here I Am)
Erin McKeown - Blackbirds (Distillation)
ID

Segment 2
Sunflow - Daisies & Orchids
That Baby CD - Sunday Sun (That Baby CD)
ID/prep to rock
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo & Egg - I Like Fruit
Kenny Young & the Eggplants - Curtis Mayfield's on the Moon (Arrr!)
ID

Segment 3
ID
ScribbleMonster - All Ready to Go (Songs with No Character)
Skankin' Pickle - I Missed the Bus
Ozomatli - Can't Stop (Don't Mess with the Dragon)
ID
Key Wilde & Mr Clarke - Favorite Names
Ralph's World - Gotta Be Good (Rhyming Circus)

Segment 4
ScribbleMonster - Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child
ID
B-52s - Rock Lobster
Jimmies - Do the Elephant (Make Your Own Someday)
ID
Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks - Hummin' to Myself (Beatin' the Heat)
Lunch Money - Tricycle (Silly Reflection)
ID

Segment 5
Justin Roberts - Way Out (Way Out)
Monty Harpter - Reading Makes Me Want to Dance Out Loud (Let's Get Created)
ID
Ziggy Marley - Cry, Cry, Cry (with Jack Johnson)
ID/book time with Ella
Graham Nash - Teach Your Children (Mary Had a Little Amp)

Segment 6
Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour
Mr. Felipe - Vamos Afuera
Robert Bobbert - Hey Little Puppy (and the Bubble Machine)
Beach Boys - Surfin' Safari
Bunny Clogs - Velveeta Girl & Sqatsy (More! More! More!)
Booker T - Hey Ya (Potato Hole)
ID
TMBG - Go for G (Here Come the ABCs)
TMBG - Spare the Rock

Australians at Cup & Top

The Mudcakes will be playing Cup & Top Cafe on Tuesday, July 7, at 4:00, for a free show.

Whoo!

2009-05-09 Playlist

Happy Mother's Day! Listen any time at WRSI.com.

Segment 1
TMBG - It's Spare the Rock
-Ella ID
TMBG - Lazyhead and Sleepybones (No!)
Dreyer Family Band - The I Love You Song (Family Photograph)
Neko Case - This Little Light (The Tigers Have Spoken)
ID
Renee & Jeremy - Wishing Well (Wonder)

Segment 2
Islands - Jogging Gorgeous Summer
Alejandro Escovedo - Sad & Dreamy (the Big 1-0)
ID/prep to rock
Sippy Cups - Seven is the New Fourteen
Beck - Where It's At

Segment 3
MGMT - Kids
Recess Monkey - Marshmallow Farm
ID
Key Wilde & Mr Clarke - Big Pet Pig
Justin Roberts - Big Field Trip
ID/book time with Ella

Segment 4
ScribbleMonster - Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child
ID
Pianosaurs - Thriftshoppin' (Groovy Neighborhood)
Dan Zanes & Friends - Thrift Shop (Family Dance)
ID
Lunch Money - Dizzy (Dizzy)
Sister Sledge - We Are Family

Segment 5
Dennis Caraher live in-studio (with Emma)
- I Love My Mom
- It's Bedtime
Dinosaur Pop - Vernon Alexander McPhee (Dinosaur Pop)

Segment 6
The Boy Least Likely To - When Life Gives Me Lemons I Make Lemonade (The Law of the Playground)
ID
Bob Marley - Three Little Birds (B Is Version)
Tom Jones - What's New Pussycat?
Human_Tim + Robot_Tim - Little Robot
ID
TMBG - Robot Parade (Rawking Version)
TMBG - Spare the Rock

KindieFest.com & the KindieFest Network

So this probably isn't important to casual listeners, but I know a lot of artists and others related to the family music world read this blog too, so: go check out KindieFest.com and join the KindieFest Network (powered by Ning). The latter is basically a social network for people connected to family music -- a way to really add to and develop the already-strong network of people working in the family music space. We already have a good batch of members, but it's obviously better the more there are. So: go check it out.

(And KindieFest.com is the place to learn more about what's next for the event!)

Rescheduled: Uncle Rock

Due to a scheduling issue at the Iron Horse, we've rescheduled Uncle Rock for Sunday, October 18. The No Nap Happy Hour series will now kick off with Lunch Money on Sunday, July 26.

A roundup of what we have coming up...

It's all in various places (including on the calendar in the sidebar), but just to put it all in one place...

First, the shows announced thus far in the No Nap Happy Hour series at the Iron Horse (tickets $10 in advance, $13 at the door, available at IHEG.com, please buy now!):

RESCHEDULED for Oct. 18: May 31 - Uncle Rock and the Playthings Trio kick off the series. Uncle Rock played the Meltdown and has done a number of solo shows here over the last couple of years, but this is the first local appearance by his band, the Playthings. Check out Uncle Rock at UncleRock.com -- it'll be a great time. Uncle Rock will also guest DJ on Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child, on Saturday, May 30.

July 26 - Lunch Money. Check out this great NPR piece on Lunch Money (by friend-of-Spare-the-Rock Stefan) and also check out their website and you should be convinced. I just saw them in Brooklyn this last weekend and their shows are fun, engaging, and guaranteed to make you and your kids happy. Lunch Money will guest DJ on Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child, on Saturday, July 25.

August 23 - Justin Roberts & the Not Ready for Naptime Trio. Justin Roberts creates intelligent and whimsical rock for the whole family and is one of the true stars of the kindie rock scene, often playing festivals and the like. This is a great opportunity to see Justin and the trio in what I think might be their first Valley appearance.

September 20 - Deedle Deedle Dees. If you were at the Meltdown, these guys need no real introduction; they co-headlined the event and rocked the house. They call themselves an educational rock band, but that doesn't remotely do them justice. Terrific musicians, witty songwriters, and infectious live, this show will be fantastic. They'll be playing lots of new songs from the probably-by-then-released new record (which, yes, includes a song about me wearing a dress to school).

October 18 - Uncle Rock and the Playthings Trio. Uncle Rock played the Meltdown and has done a number of solo shows here over the last couple of years, but this is the first local appearance by his band, the Playthings. Check out Uncle Rock at UncleRock.com -- it'll be a great time. Uncle Rock will also guest DJ on Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child, sometime prior to that.

In addition to the guest DJ sets mentioned above, we've got these guest DJ sets airing on Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child:

Saturday, June 6 - Monte Belmonte (mornings on 93.9 The River) and Atticus (his son)

Saturday, June 13 - Ashley from the Jimmies

Saturday, June 20 - Ziggy Marley! Yes, Ziggy Marley. Ziggy will be playing a family show in Boston on July 24 and spinning some tunes on our show.

Saturday, June 27 - Recess Monkey takes over the whole darn show in the lead-up to the River's Summer Recess with Recess Monkey on July 12 (free show downtown - details to come)

Saturday, July 11 - Adam from the Bunny Clogs

And finally, while it's not a show we're putting on, Elizabeth Mitchell is coming back to town, playing at the Eric Carle Museum on Saturday, June 13.

Seriously. This is a crazy good batch of stuff. Please support the shows and the Iron Horse for taking a chance on family music! (Note that I don't make money off of any of the live shows -- I'm plugging them because I believe in family music.)

StinkFest/KindieFest 2009

So, um. That was incredible.

(What was incredible, Bill? Be less vague!)

StinkFest, which is now known as KindieFest.

I'm kinda (read: really) tired, so I'm not going to do a full writeup immediately, but you should check out KindieFest's brand-new Twitter feed for links to pictures, videos, etc.

Short version: It was a great day of discussion of family music, and a great evening of family music live.

2009-05-02 Playlist

Rock out any time at WRSI.com. On-demand streams!

Segment 1
TMBG - It's Spare the Rock
-Ella ID
TMBG - Rolling O (Here Come the ABCs)
Innocence Mission - Wonder of Birds (Innocence Mission)
Justin Roberts - Fruit Jar (Pop Fly)
ID
Nick Drake - Pink Moon (Pink Moon)
Cathy Heller - Say Hello to the Sun (Say Hello to the Sun)
ID

Segment 2
Enzo Garcia - Monkey Motions (Field Trip with Enzo)
Billy Jonas - Happy Accident
ID/prep to rock
John Wesley Harding - If You Have Ghosts (Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye)
Kenny Young & the Eggplants - Rage Against the Washing Machine (Arrr!)
ID

Segment 3
Toxic Muffin - Save Game
Deedle Deedle Dees - Baldy (Freedom in a Box)
ID
Cloud Cult - Everybody Here is a Cloud (Feel Good Ghosts)
ScribbleMonster - All Ready to Go! (Songs With No Character)
Mommie - Dumptruck (Mommie's Dearest)
RTTs - Snack Time (Turn It Up Mommy!)
ID

Segment 4
ScribbleMonster - Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child
ID
Billy Kelly - People Really Like Milk (Thank You for Joining the Happy Club)
XTC - Making Plans for Nigel (Drums and Wires)
Uncle Rock - Play Outside Today (Uncle Rock U)
Grupo Fantasma - Gimme Some
ID/book time with Ella

Segment 5
AudraRox - Moms & Dads (Park Slope Parents Vol. 1)
Lisa Loeb - Best Friend (Camp Lisa)
Ziggy Marley - Walk Tall (Family Time)
ID
Charity & the JAMband - Whatcha Gonna Bring (Rock Your Socks Off)
Jay Mankita - Eat Like a Rainbow (Eat Like a Rainbow)
ID

Segment 6
Earth Wind & Fire - Shining Star
Medeski Martin & Wood - All Around the Kitchen (Let's Go Everywhere)
Allen Toussaint - Yes We Can Can
Astrograss - Airplane (Let Me Stay Up All Night)
ID
TMBG - Four of Two (No!)

No Nap Happy Hour Series Gets a Particularly Appropriate Band

Sunday, August 23. 2:00.

Justin Roberts & the Not Ready for Naptime Players.

Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton.

Rawk.