Servings from the cereal bowl

By Dave Loftin

Caspar Babypants

Here I Am!

© 2009 Caspar Babypants and Aurora Elephant Music

As I’ve written in past reviews, musicians and songwriters in the world of “grown-up” music are side-stepping into alter egos within the world of kids’ music. Next on that list is Chris Ballew, front man for the college-rock giants The Presidents of the United States of America. To Chris, the shift to making kids’ music is simple: “I find it exciting to reduce songs to their essential elements and let the melody and story of the lyrics come to the front,” he writes in his bio. When you listen to Here I Am!, you hear something very familiar—yet different. The disc features many nursery rhyme and folk favorites, but there is a nice twist on each tune. Ballew also includes quite a few original tunes, including my favorite, “Little Broken Truck.” Adults familiar with Ballew’s “grown-up” music will appreciate “Three Blind Mice”; his unique style shines through brightly, and it works very well. Add Here I Am! to your child’s music collection, and you won’t be disappointed.

Lunch Money

Dizzy

© 2009 Molly Ledford

Lunch Money (trio Molly Ledford, Jay Barry and J.P. Stephens) keep the music pumping on their sophomore release, Dizzy. Lunch Money cranks out some simple yet very entertaining tunes for the tots—but don’t read “simple” as boring or childish. This disc is full of great music and great songwriting. Dizzy starts off with a wonderful tale of taking a wagon to the library, loading it up, and frying your brain with all the great stories you’re pumping into it. “It Only Takes One Night to Make a Balloon Your Friend” is a folksy ditty about how to keep a new balloon around. And the title track could start the biggest dance craze since The Twist. Lunch Money is a band you’ll want your kids to listen to for a long time. Molly’s sweet voice and the band’s playful tunes will stick with you and your kids for years to come…in a good way!

Captain Bogg & Salty

Emphatical Piratical

© 2009 Scabbydisc Music

The scallywags of Captain Bogg & Salty return with their fourth album—and, yes, if you haven’t guessed by the band’s name, there is a heavy pirate theme. This time around, the music takes on an island flavor, but the silliness of the band’s previous releases stays firmly intact. “Port Side,” a song describing each part of the ship, is sung in a very eerie, but well done, Primus-like vocal style. Your kids can swab the deck (or the kitchen floor, if you prefer) to the rhythmic tune “Bunnyjacks.” And don’t miss the Ventures-style instrumental, “The Plank Walker.” Captain Bogg & Salty can easily be passed off as a gimmick, but listen closely and you’ll find there is true musicianship and pure talent throughout the disc.

Sample the Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl:

Dave Loftin has found plenty of good music kids and parents can enjoy together. So grab your kid and a cup of coffee and tune in to the “Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl,” hosted by Dave, Saturdays from 8 to 10 a.m. on the Web at WAWL.org. He posts his weekly playlists on SMCB.BlogSpot.com.