As we’ve pointed out here before, the problem with most children’s music is that the more your kids love it, the more you want to jump out the window. Allow us to point you towards a few remedies–three bloggers with both children and excellent musical taste.
Prolific writer Clea Hantman’s blog, ((sm))all ages, should be your first stop before making any sort of mixed tapes for your offspring (or CDs as the kids call them these days). She has a knack for tracking down non-mainstream music including retro faves from your own childhood, and also points to adult tracks that will appeal to the junior set, from Talking Heads to Norah Jones. Best of all, Clea posts actual mp3s on her blog for sampling purposes, so you know exactly what she’s talking about when she refers to the Goblins’ Chic-a-Go-Go theme as "a punk rock soul train."
The Lovely Mrs. Davis Tells You What To Think is one of our favorites, and not just because Amy Davis is an occasional contributor to Cool Mom Picks. Amy includes lengthier music reviews on her site, which also hits other aspects of kiddie pop culture, like Captain Underpants books and Star Wars Easter Egg dying kits. You’ll find Amy’s posts more journalistic than bloggy, and it’s always a great read whether you’re actively seeking out kidtunes or not.
Our latest music blog find is Zooglobble from Stefan Shepard, although NPR (and two year’s worth of readers) beat us to the punch. Stefan has a really smart approach to finding appropriate children’s music, and an open-mindedness that has him reviewing albums from Raffi to Spoon to Miles Davis. He also sorts his reviews by age appropriateness which is rather convenient when you realize your tot has outgrown the three Baby Mozart CDs you got at your shower.
If you’ve got kids and you’ve got functioning eardrums, make room on your browser’s favorites bar. All three of these sites warrant a permanent spot there. -Liz
Photo: mauvis@flickr
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