Music News You Can Use: Independent Revolution

There’s a revolution under way. No, it’s not your 3 year old demanding another package of fruit snacks. It’s a revolution in children’s music. Back in the old days, growing up in Middle America, we had two choices for children’s music. First, there were Disney soundtracks. And second, there were Disney soundtracks. To say there was not a lot to choose from would be an understatement. But that was 1966 and we’ve come a long way since then! The last 5 years have produced more high quality music for children than the previous 35 years combined. The Wiggles were one of the first to break the Disney mold by offering pop sounding tunes that weren’t condescending or trite. That was the early 1990’s. Fast forward to the new millennium and we start hearing new music from names like Dan Zanes of the Del Fuegos, Laurie Berkner, and Milkshake. That’s just the tiniest little tip of the iceberg. As teens who grew up listening to the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and the Who, today’s parents are no longer content with the standard sugary sweet excess of a past generation’s idea of music for kids. We want our kids to be cool, hip, and most of all, like little versions of ourselves. So let’s take a look at what the current crop of independent artists have to offer not only the littlest ones in your family, but to parents as well.

Let’s start with the Big Apple. The Dirty Sock Funtime band from New York takes on the world with great melodies and an overall sound that takes equal parts Ska, Reggae, and outright silliness to new heights. The Dirty Sock gang packs each song with great style and excellent songwriting skills. Check them out on Noggin’s “Jack’s Big Music Show.”

Next stop on the road trip are the motor city rockers, Candy Band. This quartet is comprised of four moms who felt the need to let their Punk alter egos out into the airwaves. If you grew listening to bands like the Plimsouls and the Ramones, you’ll love Candy Band.

And the final stop on our tour is sunny southern California. The artist known simply as, CJ, takes children’s standards like “Five Little Monkeys’ and revs it up with a killer horn section and a wry sense of humor. In addition to providing a fresh take on children’s standards, CJ also gets high marks for a great sounding disc, a detail lost on some children’s performers. For great sounding standards with a twist, CJ’s your man!

That’s just three of the many independent artists that I will profile in the coming months. There is so much good music available right now that we owe it to our children to expose them to more than the traditional fare of past decades. Seek them out, buy their music, and support independent music for children. You’ll be glad you did.

Written by: Kris Hensler

The above artists can be found at:
www.dirtysockfuntimeband.com
www.candyband.com
www.cjtime.com