Barenaked Ladies - Snacktime
Posted by Amy on May 30, 2008
I’ve been DYING to post about the brand new Barenaked Ladies kid’s album, Snack Time. This is the band’s first ever album geared toward the smaller human-kind. It is surely no disappointment and is at the top of our list of albums to listen to that parents and kids can enjoy together. I wouldn’t have expected any less from BNL, as this band is known for their witty lyrics and bouncy sing-alongs. Come on, I still walk around singing, “If I had a million dollars…” Can never seem to get that song out of my head. Although, I should mention that it may be soon replaced with “Raisins” off of Snack Time. Totally catchy and silly with whistle-alongs and whatnot.
Snack Time, which was released on Desperation Records just a few days ago (May 6th), consists of a mix of 24 original tracks and this is what the band has to say about them:
“Our collective kids now outnumber the band more than 2 to 1,” explains vocalist/guitarist Ed Robertson. “We set out to make a record that would be entertaining for them…not strictly a children’s record, but a record that children would really enjoy. Our kids are in to all kinds of music. They love the They Might Be Giants kids records, but they also love The Beatles, Fountains of Wayne, Randy Newman, Black Eyed Peas and Green Day. Making the focus about what our kids like was a truly liberating process and fun for the whole band.”
“Besides, our biological clocks are ticking,” jokes drummer Tyler Stewart. “The medical risks associated with releasing children’s music after age 40 are well documented, and we thought it best not to put any of our lives in danger.”
So in closing, I urge you to pick up this album and never take it out of your CD player, iPod, Zune, or whatever type of gadget you listen to music on. Just keep playing it over and over and over! You’re kids will totally dig it and I don’t doubt that you will too.
I leave you with “7 8 9,” the first track off of Snack Time. Enjoy!
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Tags: music
Category: Music Frog
What’s the deal with Twitter?
Posted by Amy on May 20, 2008
I created a Twitter account over a year ago and really didn’t give it a second thought. I figured it was just another “distraction” in the online world. I would update here and there, “Tweeting” things like, “I’m hungry” and “Hey guess what? Chicken butt!” I had barely any followers back then and I barely followed anyone. I merely logged on to Twitter.com or updated from my mobile phone just for something to do. A year later and my Twitter account has taken on a life of it’s own and I now have hundreds of followers and am following hundreds. I also have “Tweeted” (or “updated”) over one thousand times. Today, I use Twitter as more of a promotional tool. I ask people to check out certain blog posts or ask for advice in switching blog templates. There is generally someone out there who will indulge.
I see more and more people using Twitter to promote their products, blogs, businesses, etc. Has Twitter taken the place of blogging? No, of course not. It has just provided us a way to spread the word more about ourselves and our endeavors. Consider it mirco-blogging, if you will. It has opened dialogue between people who would have most likely never known about each other. It has provided a way for families, colleagues and friends to quickly update on the who, what, where and when of their lives.
Signing up for a Twitter account is as easy as tying your shoe. Point your browser to www.twitter.com/signup and create your username. If you have a blog or a business, it’s not a bad idea to give your Twitter account the same name. People can easily search and find you based on that information. It’s also not a bad idea to use your name, that is, if you don’t mind that kind of exposure. Fill out the rest of the required information and click to create your account. You will be directed to another page that asks if you’d like to search your email contacts in Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL, Gmail or MSN. You can skip this part if you’d like to use Twitter as a tool to jot down thoughts for no one but yourself. On the next page, start Twittering or Tweeting away! It’s really THAT easy.
Here is some basic information for you. A “Tweet” can be up to 140 characters - that could be around three full sentences. Click the “Update” button to post your Tweet. There are four tabs located under the text box: Recent, Replies, Archive and Everyone. Recent will display your friend’s Tweets, Replies will display Tweets directed at you, Archive will display your history, and the Everyone tab shows the public Twitter timeline. Under Settings, you have the option to make your updates private, so they do not show up on the public timeline.
When you want to reply or direct a Tweet at someone, click the little reply arrow to the right of their Tweet. You will see the @ symbol in your text box followed by that person’s username (ie: @parentsphere). Type your message and click to Update. Your Twitter reply will then appear in that user’s timeline. To make sure you’re reading replies to your Tweets, click your Replies tab. Remember that if you’re replying to someone’s update to choose the reply function, otherwise, your Tweet will not show up for that user as a reply to his or her message. If you click Settings at the top of the page, you are able to manage your user preferences.
There are endless possible uses for this unique type of micro-blogging or instant messaging. If you take the time to familiarize yourself with the simple functions of this fabulous tool, you will find yourself connecting with many people in all different walks of life. Just a word of warning: Twitter is HIGHLY addictive and quite a time sucker. Know when to pull yourself away or you could end up missing on the finer things in life, like sitting on the floor playing play dough with your toddler.
Follow us at: twitter.com/parentsphere, twitter.com/pagirly, and twitter.com/cystsfts
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Tags: social networking, technology
Category: Blog, Hers
Peter Bjorn & John do the phone dance
Posted by Eric on May 18, 2008
Being the ultra-cool hipster parent that I am (not!), I’ve got the ringtone on my phone set to the whistling part of Peter Bjorn & John’s semi-hit “Young Folks.” Well, the other day our daughter Hailey asked to hear “phone dance.” I had to think about it for a minute or so, but finally figured out what she wanted to hear.
Download Young Folks or buy the album Writer’s Block from Amazon.
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Tags: music
Category: Music Frog
What is a Music Frog?
Posted by Eric on May 17, 2008
A music frog is a blog about kids music. There are a few really good kids music blogs floating around the blogosphere, but none of them do it exactly how we do. I am always thinking of great kid-appropriate songs that I could be posting but that just wouldn’t fit with music I post over on Can You See the Sunset. It is actually pretty simple.
A music frog is also what our daughter Hailey calls her plush frog iPod/MP3 player speaker. A music frog.