Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child

2009-07-04 Playlist

2009-07-03T22:00:00.002-04:00

This is an encore presentation from May 30, due to our travels being extended longer than expected. But it never aired on WRSI due to technical errors, so it's new if you're listening over the air! (And it's a great show either way.)

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

This week...

2009-07-01T11:21:00.001-04:00

For I think the first time since we started on the River, we won't have a new show this Saturday, as we will still be traveling. But we will broadcast the May 30 show (that, due to technical issues, didn't actually air that day). So anyone who listens to the broadcast will hear a new-to-you show -- and it is a great one.

We will return the following week with a new show.

2009-06-27 Playlist

2009-06-27T07:00:00.001-04:00

Recess Monkey took over the whole darn show! See them at the Eric Carle Museum on Sunday, July 12!

Listen to the show any time you like at WRSI.com.

Set One
It’s Spare the Rock – TMBG
Hi Five – TMBG
ID: Recess Monkey is moving in! The Seattle Set!
Picnic - Young Fresh Fellows
Free Like a Bird – Caspar Babypants
Tinfoil Robots – Central Services Board of Education
ID: MayMo hangs his taster spoons.
Marshmallow Farm – Recess Monkey
When I’m Five – The Not-Its

Set Two
ID: MayMo wants to add French doors
Heart of the Country - Paul McCartney
Country Life – Dan Zanes
ID: Are you prepared to rock!? Can you hear it over the construction!?
James Kolchaka Sperstar - Hockey Monkey
Allegies – Barenaked Ladies
It Must be Summer
Hipwaders - Speed of Love

Set Three
ID: It’s buggy outside! The Bug Set
Spiders in my Breakfast - The Harmonica Pocket
Ladybug - The Terrible Twos
ID: Jack discovers the renovations!
Bugging - The Flaming Lips
Muzzle of Bees - Wilco

Set Four
Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child – Scribble Monster
ID: The return of Mischievous Monkey! He’s itchy?
Furry Happy Monsters – R.E.M.
Bedhead- The Jimmies
ID: The hair set: Mischievous Monkey has a case of lice!
L.I.C.E.- Recess Monkey
Gonna Cut My Hair- Rocknoceros
Henrietta’s Hair – Justin Roberts

Set Five
ID: Mischievous Monkey just got on a bus for home
I’ve Been Everywere – Johnny Cash
There Their They’re – Astrograss
ID: Those are tough homophones!
Old Dan Tucker – Bruce Springstein
Tantrum – The Deedle Deedle Dees

Set Six
ID: MayMo just got the new John Vanderslice CD!
DIALO – John Vanderslice
I Gotta Be Me – Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Not For You – George Harrison
I Love You Too – Ziggy Marley
Happy Doesn’t Have to Have a Happy Ending – TMBG
ID: One last plug
Spare The Rock Outro – TMBG

Updated! NYC-area Folks - Go See Ziggy Marley. Okay?

2009-06-24T17:54:00.003-04:00

This Saturday, June 27, at the Gramercy Theatre, 127 E 23rd St, NY, NY.

Doors: 10:30
Opener: 11:30
Ziggy: Noon

Family show! Whoo!

Update: Dude! AudraRox is opening! Go!

Ves Childs • 9/14/35-6/21/09

2009-06-24T07:26:00.003-04:00

W. Ves Childs of Fayetteville, Arkansas, passed away Sunday, June 21, 2009 in his home, surrounded by his family. He was born September 14, 1935 in Cale, Arkansas, to Orval A. Childs and Floy (Turrentine) Childs.

Ves once wrote of his childhood: “I remember my mother washing clothes in a huge cast iron pot over a wood fire in the back yard. I remember taking a bath in a galvanized tub beside the kitchen stove. I grew up as a farm boy near Magnolia, Arkansas. I have chopped cotton, plowed cotton behind a Georges stock, and picked cotton. I have castrated pigs and calves. We raised pigs, chickens, beef cattle, and ran a Grade A dairy. I won the showmanship award at the Arkansas State Fair.”

He quit Magnolia High School after the eleventh grade and finished college, in three-and-one-half years, at Southern State College in Magnolia. He earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the University of Arkansas, where he met Holly Hartrick; they married on June 17, 1962 in Hamburg, Arkansas. Both Southern State (now Southern Arkansas University) and the University of Arkansas’s Fulbright College cited Ves as a distinguished alumnus.

After receiving his Ph.D., Ves worked for Phillips Petroleum Company in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, for twenty-two years, receiving international recognition for his work in electrochemistry and fluorochemistry.

3M, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, purchased technology that Ves invented at Phillips, and recruited Ves and Holly to join 3M, which they did in 1984, living in Stillwater, Minnesota. He served as Division Scientist at 3M for seventeen years (he used to say “seventeen winters”), continuing to develop innovative and economical technologies and continuing to receive international recognition. Ves and Holly retired from 3M in 2001, moved back to northwest Arkansas, and built a home west of Johnson.

He was an inventor on 52 patents, spanning his career; he authored five book chapters and numerous articles; and he spoke to major symposia and conferences. He was a 50-year member of the Alpha Chi Sigma chemistry fraternity and of the American Chemical Society, and a member of Sigma Xi and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. With Holly, he established the Arthur Fry lectureship in the chemistry department at the University of Arkansas, honoring their former professor.

Along with his professional accomplishments, Ves contributed to every community of which he was a part. He was elected to two terms on the Bartlesville Board of Education, including a term as board president. In Stillwater, he served on the Public Library Board and received the Stillwater Community Service Award. He was an active part of the governance of the Bartlesville First United Methodist Church and the Stillwater First United Methodist Church, and a lively participant in the Springdale First United Methodist Church’s Sunday School program, where he was known for asking unanswerable questions, and a member of the Springdale church’s library board. He was an affiliate member of the Washington County Democratic Women. He loved and excelled at duplicate bridge.

Ves was a brilliant, funny, thoughtful, engaged, and caring husband, father, grandfather, brother, son, colleague, and friend. He loved his family, he loved science, and he loved his communities. In retirement, little brought him more pleasure than answering the science questions of his grandchildren and thinking of projects to do with them. He also enjoyed challenging “experts” – including, emphatically, himself. When possible, he loved to do both at once, as when he and his granddaughter designed and performed an experiment to test the widespread (but, they showed, wrong) notion that hot water freezes faster than cold water.

He is survived by his wife Holly H. Childs, with whom he celebrated their 47th anniversary the week prior to his death; one daughter, Lisa C. Childs (Don Hendrix) of Fayetteville, Arkansas; two sons, Michael A. Childs (Jennifer Childs) of Hillsboro, Oregon, and William G. Childs (Dena Childs) of Northampton, Massachusetts; two brothers, O. Allen Childs of Little Rock, Arkansas, and S. Bart Childs of College Station, Texas; and six grandchildren: Ella and Liam Childs of Northampton, Massachusetts; Maggie Hendrix of Fayetteville; and Tynan, Kian, and Hope Childs of Hillsboro, Oregon. He was predeceased by one brother, Mac Childs of Magnolia, Arkansas.

Memorial services will be held at 10:30 on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at First United Methodist Church in Springdale, Arkansas.

Memorial contributions may be made to the W. Ves Childs Science Education Fund at the University of Arkansas, Development Office, 525 Old Main, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, or to Southern Arkansas University Foundation, W. Ves Childs Fund, Development Office, P. O. Box 9174, Magnolia, Arkansas 71754-9174.

To sign the online guest book, please visit www.nelsonberna.com or CaringBridge.com, which has additional background and a journal from Ves's wife, Holly..

Arrangements are under the direction of Nelson-Berna Funeral Home and Crematory of Fayetteville.

2009-06-20 Playlist

2009-06-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

How fun was Ziggy Marley's guest DJ set? That was great, and thanks again to Ziggy for putting that together for us!

And also, remember -- Brady Rymer is playing TODAY at the Taste of Amherst at noon!

Listen any time at WRSI.com.

Segment 1
TMBG - It's Spare the Rock
-Ella ID
TMBG - D&W
Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose (Van Lear Rose)
Steve Weeks - Aaron & His Aeroplane (Alphabet Songs Vol 1)
ID
Jim Cosgrove - Buggy Hop (Upside Down)
Trout Fishing in America - Something Sweet (Chicken Joe)

Segment 2
Renee & Jeremy - Rely (Wonder)
Asylum Street Spankers - Think About Your Troubles (Mommy Says No)
ID/prep to rock
CandyBand - Get Up Already (LolliPunk)
Wall of Voodoo - Mexican Radio
Princess Katie & Racer Steve - Go, Go, Go! (Fast & Feisty) 
ID

Segment 3
Jimmies - What's That Sound? (Make Your Own Someday)
The Boy Least Likely To - When Life Gives Me Lemons I Make Lemonade
Rocknoceros - Playground (Pink)
ID
Elvis Costello - What's So Funny ('Bout Peace Love & Understanding)?
Daddy A Go Go - Come On, Get Happy
ID

Segment 4
Ziggy Marley guest DJ

Segment 5
Ziggy Marley guest DJ

Segment 6
ID
Brady Rymer & the Little Band that Could - Your Smile
John & Mark - The Lawnmower (John & Mark's Children's Record)
Bjork - Human Behavior
ID
TMBG - The Secret Life of Six (Here Come the 123s)

Our situation.

2009-06-13T13:04:00.004-04:00

So. Ella and Liam's Granddaddy, my father, has inoperable pancreatic cancer and probably has a month or two left. We are in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with him and my mom (and siblings and friends and so on). We only learned that it was inoperable last Thursday. It is, as you'd imagine, a tough time, especially for my mom and for the grandkids (and, yes, for me and my siblings). He's in the hospital for at least a few more days and then will go home for hospice care.

There are two things I'm hoping people might do. First, you could send Ella and Liam a note (either e-mail -- ella AT childsfamily DOT com) or, even better, by "real mail" to my folks' house, address below. We will be here at least through June 27, so if you are sending something hard copy, keep that in mind.

Second, my parents' 47th wedding anniversary is on June 17. I would love for them to get lots of anniversary cards, even from people they don't know. You can talk about what sense you've gotten of them from listening to Ella and Liam, or whatever. I just think that might be a better focus for cards than illness-oriented ones.

The address:

Ves & Holly Childs
1126 Reed Valley Road
Fayetteville, AR 72704-5461

Thanks, everyone.

No Nap Happy Hour - Another Date

2009-06-13T08:36:00.000-04:00

12/6 - Bill Harley, Iron Horse.

2009-06-13 Playlist

2009-06-12T20:39:00.000-04:00

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

Thanks to Ashley from the Jimmies for guest DJing!

Segment 1
TMBG - It's Spare the Rock
-Ella ID
TMBG - Apartment Four
John & Mark - Counting Error
Fine Frenzy - Come Out
Ginger Hendrix - How the Days Go By
Dan Zanes & Friends - Mananera

Segment 2
Lou Reed & Laurie Anderson - Gentle Breeze
Renee & Jeremy - It's a Big World
ID/prep to rock
Terrible Twos - Jump Jump Jump
Clash - Lost in the Supermarket
Bunny Clogs - 3 Dogs and a Pancake
Lunch Money - Roller Coaster
ID

Segment 3
Recess Monkey - S-L-E-E-P-Over
Pixies - Tony's Theme
Breeders - Divine Hammer
BB King & Sesame Street - BB King
ID/book time with Ella
Ziggy Marley -
ID

Segment 4 & 5 - Jimmies Guest DJ Set

Segment 6
Brady Rymer & the Little Band That Could - Jump Up
Big Jeff - Big Pterodactyl in the Sky
Rolling Stones - She's a Rainbow
Mommie - Shadow
ID
TMBG - Zeros
TMBG - Spare the Rock

July 12, Recess Monkey at the Eric Carle!

2009-06-12T20:37:00.002-04:00

Hey, so I'd been saying it'd be in Northampton, but it turns out it's even cooler -- Recess Monkey will be playing at the Eric Carle Museum of Picturebook Art on Sunday, July 12! They'll be kinda opening for the Castle Hill Theatre's production of Just So Stories, and admission will cover both the rocking and the very cool looking play! Details to come...

Combine Two Great Things...

2009-06-07T07:25:00.002-04:00

Jarrett J. Krosoczka is a longtime friend of the show -- he produced the books side of the Meltdown, he's been on a couple of times, and so on. A couple of months ago he asked about who would be a good band to approach about doing a theme song for his new Lunch Lady graphic novel series. Somehow, I had a feeling that Recess Monkey would be perfect. And, sure enough:

LUNCH LADY -- a new graphic novel series by Jarrett J. Krosoczka from Jarrett Krosoczka on Vimeo.

Hopefully we'll get Jarrett by the studio to chat about the song and the series, and of course Recess Monkey will be (a) guest DJing on June 27 and (b) in town for a live show on July 12 (details still getting worked out). But for now, just enjoy that awesome song and preview video!

2009-06-06 Playlist

2009-06-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

Listen on demand at WRSI.com! It rocks.

Thanks especially to Monte and his kids Atticus and Enzo (and to Profesora Belmonte, silent as often) for the second half of the show!

Segment 1
TMBG - It's Spare the Rock
-Ella ID
TMBG - Seven Days of the Week
Schoolhouse Rock - Electricity, Electricity
ID
Ella Fitzgerald - Two Little Men in a Flying Saucer
Bela Fleck & the Flecktones - Flying Saucer Dudes
Billy Bragg & Wilco - My Flying Saucer
ID

Segment 2
Booker T - Get Behind the Mule
Billy Jonas - Eyes Wide Open
ID/prep to rock
TMBG - 813 Mile Car Trip
Brady Rymer & the Little Band That Could - Road Trip
ID
Babe the Blue Ox - Mensy

Segment 3
Shonen Knife - Fruits & Vegetables
Danny Adlerman & Friends - The Veggie Song (Listen Up!)
ID
Sippy Cups - Don't Remove the Groove (Time Machine)
Robbert Bobbert - I Am A Clock (Bubble Machine)
Kid Koala - Fruit Belt (See You on the Moon)
Mocean Worker - Chick A Boom Boom
ID

2009-05-30 Playlist

2009-05-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

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.

2009-05-28T17:26:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-05-28T14:11:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-27T07:31:00.004-04:00

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

2009-05-23T07:00:00.001-04:00

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

2009-05-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

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

2009-05-14T09:52:00.002-04:00

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

Whoo!

2009-05-09 Playlist

2009-05-08T20:07:00.001-04:00

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

2009-05-08T11:21:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-06T13:26:00.001-04:00

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...

2009-05-04T12:46:00.004-04:00

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

2009-05-03T20:51:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

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!)