I'm so excited to be speaking on a panel this spring at the third annual Kindiefest , the conference for all that's cool in family music (or as we affectionately call it, kindie rock) . In other words, the kinds of CD reviews you see on …
I require a vat of coffee and some peppy tunes to get me going in the morning, and my kids are turning out to be just like me, minus the java infusion. The aptly named Rise and Shine kids' music album by Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke has the ki…
When I first discovered the show last year, I didn't think I could be any more impressed with Dottie's Magic Pockets as cool kid entertainment. But they've gone and done it again with their newly-released CD, The Super Secret Seashell Ca…
I want my kids to know that Martin Luther King Day represents more than a three-day weekend. But instead of watching more grown-up documentaries that can be a bit scary for little eyes, I'm thrilled to have a copy of Scholastic's new DVD…
If you're looking to make the most of your final hours together with the kids before school starts up again , hit the local theater and see the excellent The Princess and the Frog , stat. Even this cynical, princess-wary mama fell in lov…
If your holiday music collection needs a little boost of something you haven't heard ten thousand times already, check out the list of 7 free downloadable holiday tunes from Jitterbug.tv. They're all original songs from cool bands for ki…
My kids are bouncing off the walls with cabin fever already and the constant refrain of "Santa is coming" isn't helping out. For those moments when we need to seriously chill out without falling asleep, Renee & Jeremy's new kids' music C…
So what's a slacker mom like me to do when she's having a Christmas party for sixty of her closest friends and her entire selection of Christmas music was wiped off the hard drive in the Great Computer Crash of Summer, 2009'? I don't kno…
I've reached that time of the season when I hit the wall when it comes to Christmas carols, and yet I'm not ready to totally go cold turkey. Let's just say I need a little holiday music palate cleansing, and The Hipwaders' new A Kindie C…
Sure, there's no shortage of ways to rent movies nowadays; whether you go in-store, via mail service, or even streaming over the Internet. Still, 'tis the season to be mindful of where every penny is going , so maybe it's time to check o…
Whereas Alvin and the Chipmunks blaring on the radio this week was a far too jarring transition for me into Holiday Music Overplay Season, popping in the new Uncle Rock CD, Express Your Elf , was much more what the doctor ordered. Or at …
For my niece's first Christmas, I got her a big collection of DVDs from great kindie rock artists , hoping it would help keep her away from all that awful kids' music as she got older. But I never really think to check our favorite music…
When I found out that How the Grinch Stole Christmas , one of my all time faaaaavorite Christmas movies was out on Blu-ray I couldn't wait to see it in glorious high def. Especially now that we're officially into Christmas season . As it…
Yo Gabba Gabba! adds a float to the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in New York today? Suddenly we have renewed commitment to tune in. No offense, Underdog. Bonus points if Biz Markie makes an appearance. But we'll settle for Brobee doing Par…
2009 may go down as a year of the sucky economy, but at least I can feel pretty happy about the state of children's music. Especially after seeing the brand spankin' new list of 2009 Fids & Kamily Music Poll Winners . I'm honored to have…
With all due respect to the latest pop star du jour, most modern renditions of my favorite classic holiday songs leave me wishing for stronger eggnog. But now that I've started playing the Putumayo Presents awesome new A Family Christmas…
I used to want the Wheels on the Bus to fall off and roll into a ditch, especially after having to suffer through that song with three toddlers. But then Rhythm Child 's Norman Jones and his skillful horn-drum-fiddle-full Rhythm Child Ne…
I don't want my kids to grow up listening to lame, easy-listening music which is why The Jimmies' fun-rock songs have been on heavy rotation since we got M ake Your Own Someday , their first CD, a couple of years ago. And now with their …
If you've purchased a Baby Einstein DVD any time in the last five years, you're entitled to a full refund, due to the work of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood which thinks that mayyyybe they don't exactly make babies into Ein…
I don't yee-haw or two-step, although I may start after spinning Hullabaloo's country-fried, folksy kids' music CD, High Roller , a few more times. With my vote for coolest CD cover art of the year, High Roller gets toes tapping with ple…
My kids don't need another reason to zone out in front of the TV which is why the energetic new DVD from Dan Zanes, great god of the kids' indie rock movement, is okay by me. Part live show, part music video The Fine Friends Are Here! pr…
It's not easy to get into the mind of a kid -- just watch me trying to pry "how was your day" from my eight-year-old---but LA singer-songwriter and father of four Peter Himmelman seems to have this knack on his new kids' music CD, My Tra…
Mom's Night Out is an all too rare occasion. (Who's with us?) So Cool Mom Picks co-founders Liz Gumbinner and Kristen Chase are excited to be part of three good excuses to get out in NYC this week, when we perform along with a group of s…
Any band that uses solar power to make their CD then encourages people to copy it for their friends makes me feel all warm and fuzzy before I've even heard a note. Thankfully, The Harmonica Pocket 's new kids' music CD, Ladybug One , is …