The Jellydots

Changing Skies
© 2007 Doug Snyder

A lot of older kids turn up their noses at “kids’ music,” but this offering from The Jellydots is cool enough for teens. Doug Snyder heads up the band on its second album of infectious indie-pop tunes for kids. The album starts off with a tune about taking a trip to San Diego and includes a few touching ballads like the Paul Simon-inspired “When You Were Born.” “Sad Robot” is an amusing song about an isolated robot from the ’80s robot, and there’s a wonderful tune about how much we need the sunshine. Overall, the CD is an exciting romp, and kids of any age will enjoy its catchy melodies and danceable songs.

Recess Monkey

Tabby Road
© 2008 Recess Monkey

Recess Monkey seems to be a band that can’t be stopped. Less than a year after releasing a double CD (Wonderstuff), they were back with more indie-pop and rock-n-roll for the whole family, Tabby Road. This Beatles-influenced band cranks out music that, if it weren’t for the kid-specific lyrics, would be all over college radio from coast to coast. “Pedal Power” is a fun pop song about the joys of getting on your bike and riding around town. “KC in the Clouds” is an ode to a boy’s late pet dog. At first, it saddens the boy to think about his dog’s death, but eventually he’s happy to imagine KC romping around in doggy heaven. Start to finish, Tabby Road is a disc that will keep family road trips entertaining, whether they’re 10 minutes or 10 hours.

They Might Be Giants

Here Come the 123s
© 2008 Walt Disney Records

They Might Be Giants, a major force on college radio for more than 20 years, entered the realm of children’s music with their album No! in 2002. Now they seem to be two different bands: one for grown-ups and another for the young ones. On Here Come the 123s, each track is about one number, from zero to 13. If you’re a fan of TMBG, you know even their kids’ music is sharp and witty without being sugary. Most of the tracks don’t simply mention the number, but rather work them into the song in a clever way, as with tracks like “Apartment Four,” “High Five” and “Seven Days of the Week.”  TMBG delivers another fun album for kids that you’ll thoroughly enjoy, too.