When pressed, I will admit to having a soft spot for Raffi (“Banana Phone” has inspired some entertaining variations online). Like many parents, however, children’s music is something I suffer through for my kid’s sake. (I sometimes hide the really saccharine stuff.)
In my son’s second year, I remembered a story I had heard broadcast on the CBC’s Definitely Not the Opera about alternative kids’ music and, after a little digging on Google, I rediscovered Somebody Needs a Timeout, a 2-CD benefit compilation from 2002 featuring 41 Canadian artists.
This find led to other gems including Snacktime by the Barenaked Ladies (“7 8 9” is requested by my son at least 10 times a day), They Might be Giants’ many children’s albums – I especially enjoy No! and Here Come the 123s – and my particular favourite, The Bottle Let Me Down: songs for bumpy wagon rides.
The Bottle Let Me Down is a kick-a** collection of alt-country music that will have the whole family up and stomping around the living room. My 20-month-old son and I doe-see-doe to “Hinky Dinky Dee” by One Riot One Ranger (it’s his second-favourite song after the Ladies’ “7 8 9”), while my partner and I gleefully sing along to Robbie Fulks’ rather un-P.C. song, “Godfrey”.Thankfully, plenty of other musicians are responding to the desperation parents like us feel to find “kids’ music that doesn’t suck“; there’s even a Facebook group by this name. If you’ve come across an album that’s worth mentioning, please, PLEASE submit it in the comments. My partner and I thank-you.
