A Brief Discussion Of Kids Tunage

No matter how hard I try I know that my kids are going to eventually listen to music that I find abhorrent. It’s the natural thing to do, they won’t be able to help it. I am force feeding them daily doses of Flaming Lips, My Morning Jacket, Bob Dylan and Sloan even though I know I’ll be rewarded 6 years from now with 2014’s version of “High School Musical”. I can’t give up, I refuse. But maybe I need to start them in the shallow waters of They Might Be Giants instead of throwing them, head first, into the murky depths of Mercury Rev, Underworld or Wilco.

There’s some terrific music for kids nowadays and They Might Be Giants are leading the way. Their infectious melodies and quirky humor has always kind of lent itself to children’s music, but 2002’s “NO”, 2005’s “Here Come The ABC’s” and most likely this year’s “Here Come The 123’s” (don’t have an opinion--haven’t heard it yet) are terrific for the kids and don’t grate on the parent’s nerves. Just listen to “I Am Not Your Broom” or “John Lee Supertaster” for emphatic proof that this stuff, while silly on the outside, has a weird intelligence lurking just beneath the surface.

There should be a resource for this. A friend of mine and I were toying with the idea but it never really got off the ground. So until there is I must rely on you, gentle reader, for additional cool kids album recommendations that won’t make me want to take an ice pick to my eardrums. Any of you parents out there know of any?

Cheers!