Miss B Accompanies They Might Be Giants on Air Guitar

A few months ago we took our visiting teenage nieces to Amoeba Records in San Francisco for some serious record shopping. During that trip each of us picked up some CDs (including DJ B). DJ B's dad was the only person to select a children's CD, the much-talked-about They Might Be Giants release Here Come The ABCs, and we finally got around to listening to it.

When I turned on the music, Miss B was sitting on the couch and began tapping her fingers. After I approached her for a reaction, her face cracked into a smile. Looking lethargic, she continued to lounge while she listened. Upon hearing a lyric about wine, she pointed to me and said, "You make wine." She then picked up a marble from the table, rolled it around on her belly and in her hands while kicking her feet on the couch.

By the time the 7th song came along ("Pictures of Pandas Painting"), she was inspired to play air guitar, then pretended to play guitar on a remote control. When the imaginary play wasn't satisfying anymore, she grabbed her pink princess guitar and played along with the music. After her bride game ended, she stopped to peruse the CD booklet and then donned her Minnie Mouse Ears bridal vein and asked for a bouquet.

Miss B Discovers Vintage Children's Music

The Creepiest Record of the Lot-- "Ring Around A Rosy"

I recently got access to a bunch of vinyl records from my childhood; including some classic children's records from the likes of Mr. Rogers and Disneyland Records. I ended up playing bits and pieces from this collection on my radio show a few weeks back and was very curious to see what DJ B would think of this material.

I hadn't heard these records for decades and I was struck by a few things. The instrumentation on many (especially the Disney records) reflected popular sounds of the day, so it was a treat to hear beatnik bongos and crazy dour organ. At the same time, some of the records (especially "Ring Around a Rosy") had creepy un-PC moments best kept shielded from young ears.


I had Miss B take a listen to the tracks that I played on my radio show. When she heard some selections from "Ring A Round A Rosy," she smiled immediately, saying, "the mulberry bush!" as she recognized some of the songs. She listened intently to the music while eating a snack and added, "this is the book I have...it's the mulberry bush. I have this book."

I'd actually enticed DJ B to listen to the music by promising the song "Fuzzy Wuzzy," and Miss B remembered, asking me, "When is Fuzzy Wuzzy gonna come?" She then asked, "Who likes kid music? Tell me who likes kid music?" I then asked her, "Do you?" and she shook her head "no" and again asked me who likes kid music.

When "Farmer in the Dell" came on she again smiled and bounced in her chair. Then "Fuzzy Wuzzy" finally made an appearance and DJ B screamed "Fuzzy Wuzzy!" I asked her if she liked the music and she just stared at me.


As the sounds of Mr. Rogers emanated from the speakers, Miss B leaned in close to listen. Then came Mother Goose and Miss B got the most excited, saying, "I have Mother Goose stuff!" She then kept requesting that I replay the Mother Goose stories, saying that she wanted "the dog want a bone." She danced and sang and followed along with her Mother Goose book. She particularly enjoyed "3 Little Kittens" and swayed back and forth while listening. After that song ended she said, "Get me little kittens. I want the loud kittens. Meow!"


Today I played the entire "Walt Disney's Treasury of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes" album (from 1965) for DJ B and she sang along to her favorites.

So, although I generally avoid children's music like the plague, I have to admit that I've enjoyed revisiting these records from my youth with DJ B.

DJ B Rejoins the Cult of Music Together

It's ironic that one day after I practically gave up on DJ B's Library Tour, my daughter had a change of heart. Today Miss B pointed out a CD in our collection and asked me to put it on for her....something she hasn't done in months.

She gravitated to the Music Together CD "Summer Songs 2" that we received when we took a music class ages ago. I was thrilled by her renewed interest in music listening....but, had mixed feelings due to the genre.

As the music started, Miss B asked me to find the accompanying music book. After I brought it to her, she sat down at her toy piano, propped up her "music" and played the piano and sang along to the songs. Initially she only wanted to hear the first song "Hello Everybody" over and over again while she precisely tapped the keys, studied the music book, and sang along.

She swayed back and forth while she sang and at the end of the song said, "Everybody clap for me!" I clapped and she politely said, "thank you" and then jumped up and down, ran in circles and continued to sing, "hello to mama....hello to dadda..." Eventually she let the CD track to other songs and she danced wildly while blasting the music. During the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" song she asked me to find her book of the same name, saying, "get that book, 'cuz she's singing that." Upon retrieval, she read the book while listening to the music and acted out the accompanying gestures that go along with the song.

Wow. Music Together has something going on for sure, as Miss B was riveted by this CD. Now if only I can get her back to the library for a broader range of sounds....Keep your fingers crossed for me.

The Blankies Teach Miss B a Lesson

Image from The Blankies website

With The Blankies' "Learn" album we reach the end of our first trio of promotional CDs. When Miss B saw the case, she pulled out the cover art and wanted to open it. She seemed disappointed that it was just once sheet (perhaps she was spoiled by the massive book in her Verdi CD?). She barely gave this a chance, saying "I want the other one" after only one song.

However, days later she was asking for "The Blankies," so leave it to Miss B to be entitled to her ever-changing opinion. As for me, I kind of liked the sweet poppy sounds and boy-girl vocals of the Blankies, and was reminded of the minimalism of classic K bands.

In addition to the educational lyrical content, this CD taught us another lesson when I went to listen to it this week. I popped it in the player and it started skipping on the first track. When I looked at the CD it was full of scratches, no doubt by my resident DJ B. This was a sobering reminder to me that, yes, indeed Miss B is still a 2-year-old DJ in training and we need to work on those "CD handling" lessons again. Can someone write a song about that, please?

I'm Totally Like Wow. Rock Daddy Rock

Image from Rock Daddy Rock website

The second CD in Miss B's first batch of promos was the just-released Rock Daddy Rock's "Silly Short Songs for Silly Short People." When DJ B saw the case she asked, "What's this one?" When I answered, she exclaimed, "Yes! Rock Daddy Rock." Upon initial listen she bounced her legs a bit and picked up the CD case for closer inspection. When we got to the second track ("Don't Hit, Don't Spit"), she began to creep slowly about the room, then transitioned into more elaborate dancing with jumps. During one song ("Where is the Bathroom?") she heard a toilet flushing and immediately laughed, saying, "It's funny flushes." She listened to this for a full 12 tracks, then took it out to play Teacher and the Rockbots again.

Although it wasn't Miss B's most favorite album this week, Rock Daddy Rock was a fun CD with hilarious lyrics about boogers, farts, burps, dirty nails and diapers. Plus, the '80s teen in me cracked up when I heard the phrase "I'm totally, like, wow" in the song "Your Room's a Mess."

If you liked the lyrics like I did, you'll be psyched to hear that a children's book based on this is in the works. According to the Rock Daddy Rock website, "The Rock Daddy Rock project started as a series of poems with the goal of publishing a children's picture book..."

Punk Rock and Science a Winning Combo for DJ B

Image from Teacher and the Rockbots

DJ B's music review pile is growing and growing, especially with the addition of 3 freebie CDs (her first!) that we got in the mail courtesy of musician/producer Chris Bihuniak. When we opened the package, Miss B was super excited and said, "Oooooo....CDs!" She then observed, "Oh, CDs have tape on them." This was a special treat since DJ B typically doesn't see new, wrapped CDs.

The first of the 3 CDs that caught Miss B's eye was the Teacher and the Rockbots "Science" album, full of educational songs about topics like the scientific method, human organs, and digestion. The lyrics are sassy and the music nods at the drama of punk rock and new wave.

After the music started, Miss B smiled at the robot voices and seemed mesmerized by what she heard. She said, "That CD has a mat." When I asked her what she thought of it, she said, "It has mats on it" and pointed at the case. Huh?

Later on she requested this album, saying, "I want rock." She then raced over to a promotional mouse pad that was on the carpet and danced in place, kind of like a pogo-ing New Waver on a crowded dance floor. She then got on her knees, patted her legs to the beat and screamed "yay!"

I agree, yipee for some fun music aimed at kids that makes me nostalgic for whimsical '90s rock bands like Man...or Astro-man? and Lookout! Records pop punk stalwarts Groovie Ghoulies and Mr. T Experience.

Even better, DJ's B's scientist grandpa will be pleased that she's listening to music that features a Thomas Edison shout out.

Crosspulse Rhythm Duo Delights with Toilet Plunger, Garden Shears and a Ukulele

In addition to housing a glorious selection of CDs, our local branch of the San Francisco Public Library has been hosting quite a few music events this summer. On Thursday, DJ B and I popped in to see a performance by Oakland's Crosspulse Rhythm Duo. Trained percussionist Keith Terry and dancer/musician/Stairwell Sisters' member Evie Ladin delighted the kids by playing music on their bodies (lots of clapping, slapping, and stomping) and on unusual instruments like boxes, metal lids, large gardening shears, and a toilet plunger.



Crosspulse also played more recognizable instruments like bells, banjo, and ukulele (played by kid guest-star Rocco). Miss B clapped along with the music, hissed like a snake when asked to, and crawled on the floor to get a closer view of the musicians/dancers. During a Q&A with the audience there were many random comments, including one kid's pronouncement that, "When I grow up I'm going to be a movie star." Miss B didn't share with the band, but when I asked her what the music was like, she said, "Tinkerbell."

Crosspulse Rhythm Duo and Special Guest Rocco

Their lesson about embracing the sounds of ordinary objects rubbed off on Miss B, who immediately following the performance sang at the top of her lungs in the echo-filled library bathroom while banging her hands on the handicapped stall's metal grab bars. She definitely understood the joy of percussion.

Camper Van Beethoven and Children's Music

(Photo Credit: http://chrismolla.fuzz.com/)

I'm extremely dubious about children's music, which is why the focus of this blog is the main CD section of the library and not the kids' section. I haven't found much kids' music that I like, so I'm most interested in introducing well-crafted adult music to DJ B. For that reason, we haven't hit very many children's music performances, either. I realize that we're missing out on a whole subculture, with artists like The Sippy Cups, Enzo Garcia, and Miss Kitty (who we have seen) wowing crowds in San Francisco on a regular basis.

Today, I set my music snobbery aside to check out the free music gig by Chris Molla at our local San Francisco Public Library branch. The room was packed with babies and tots, who seemed to enjoy the folky music played on guitar and accordion. Chris engaged the crowd, asking for color suggestions for one song where he seemed to improvise rhymes on the spot, based on the color. He told us that the orange/door hinge rhyme credit was courtesy of a 6-year-old. Miss B kept her colors to herself and was reluctant to get up and dance, but she did smile throughout the show.

Afterwards the librarian told me that Chris Molla was a founding member of indie band/college radio staple Camper Van Beethoven. And, now, he's a preschool music guru playing at a library near you!

The moral of the story is I'll have to give kid-oriented music a second look now, as sometimes it comes with some pretty cool credentials.