Dan Zanes & Friends

Little Nut Tree

© 2011 Festival Five Records, LLC

Godfather of kindie music Dan Zanes is back with a host of friends on his latest release Little Nut Tree.  We’re offered up a true gem right out of the gate with “Down in the Basement” featuring Sharon Jones. And make sure you listen to “Wake Up Baby!” featuring the amazing Shine of Shine & the Moonbeams. One track you’ll want to remember when the weather warms up is “I Don’t Need Sunny Skies” which features the perfectly paired Zanes and Andrew Bird. Little Nut Tree continues Zanes’ amazing gift of creating (and recreating) some of the best Americana around. And producing a piece of art the entire family can enjoy together. I’ll wrap by suggesting my favorite from the album; a lovely rendition of a centuries-old nursery rhyme. The title track, with The Sierra Leon Refugee All Stars, evokes the 1968 version from The Melodians. Little Nut Tree is the official follow-up to 2006’s Catch That Train and once again Zanes does not disappoint.

Mike Park

Smile

© 2011 Asian Man Records

The world of kindie music continues to attract some pretty hefty talent. And it also keeps drawing in artists and bands from the “grown-up” musical world. Add to that list Mike Park. If you’ve never heard of Mike Park let me give a brief introduction: Park is a Korean-American who performed with the band Skankin’ Pickle during the third wave of ska in the ‘90s. He also was with the groups The Bruce Lee Band and The Chinkees. Oh, and he started his own label: Asian Man Records. After a handful of solo releases during the first decade of 2000, his first album for the little gherkins is here. Smile is everything you’d expect from a ska legend: up-beat, pogo jumping tunes that’ll have the kids going nuts… in a good way. The exercise class starts with “Wiggly Wiggly Worm”. The dancing continues with “Everybody Loves to Jump”. Learn about drums, what to do at a red light, saving energy and even a bus driver, all from (who I assume) is one of the coolest dads around.