Ben Rudnick & Friends is a hard-working band. They play all over New England and New York (though mostly in Massachusetts) in rain or shine, indoors and out. We’ve seen them in big theaters, at school gyms, and on sunny summer days at beautiful parks. And the thing that I think is the most telling, is that we’re beginning to recognize other BR&F fans at these events. We’re not the only ones willing to follow these guys all over the state for an awesome show! Pair that with the ubiquitous BR&F tie-dye t-shirts and you can see why some people call them the Grateful Dead for kids.

BR&F play great fast-paced songs that really get kids rocking. Their band is tight and I love that John Zevos is a mandolin player. Who doesn’t love a good mandolin solo? The other great thing about BR&F shows is that they play a lot of songs. The don’t chat much—they know we’re here for the music! And when they play Hava Nagila followed immediately by M.T.A., well, let’s just say the dancing can get a bit rambunctious!

Bill Harley is a story teller, singer, and a writer. He has published works for little kids, middle school kids, and adults. His talents span audiences and styles and it can be hard to define exactly what he does, but the thing that is most important is that he is entertaining. And he can entertain everyone!

We saw Bill perform last year at TCAN and we were really impressed with how he could keep everyone’s attention, from the littlest to the oldest. He told stories and sang songs and was great at getting the audience involved. Everyone had a great time!

Billy Jonas is another artist that can be difficult to define. He’s a musician and a singer, but what instruments does he play? Well, Billy seems to think that anything can be an instrument and that anyone can play along. Which of course means that his shows are a ton of fun!

When we saw him play at the Regent Theatre he began with the song Who’s Gonna Make Our Music?, which is all about redefining what music is and who can play it. We all can! He got the kids in the audience to see the world in a new way as they watched him make music with milk bottles and trash cans and then encouraged the kids to join in with their popcorn containers and juice boxes. It was a blast!

Debbie & Friends is one of our favorite bands and we love to see them perform live. Debbie does such a wonderful job of talking to the kids and getting them to really feel like they are an important part of the show. Debbie’s shows have a very inclusive feel to them and they can be a great way to introduce your kids, especially little kids, to full-band live music.

Debbie’s band is just phenomenal, but I have to say that Mike really helps make the show. He is Debbie’s backup singer and all-around silly guy. The kids love him. He responds to all the stories and games and is just so much fun to watch. And I love his singing on the new song, So So Happy.

There’s only word that adequately describes a Flannery Brothers show: energy! Check out the video on their website and you’ll see what I mean. Dan runs around the stage, into the audience, jumps up and down, and bangs his tambourine like there’s no tomorrow. Kids just think it’s great!

And the energy is contagious. Even if you’re usually pretty self conscious and don’t like to get too involved at kids’ concerts, you just can’t help yourself at a Flannery Brothers performance. I’ve seen entire families get up and dance together. It’s a heart-warming sight.

jeanniemack plays solo shows at libraries, the Natick mall, and Finagle-a-Bagel, just to name a few places. Even though a jeanniemack show is simply her voice and her guitar, she still puts on a fun event. Singing some original songs, some classics, and other fun tunes by admired artists (like Laurie Berkner), jeanniemack puts together a nice collection of songs that kids love to dance and sing along to.

jeanniemack’s shows are particularly good for younger kids, toddlers and infants, because she can really personalize her performance for them. She gets to know the kids, asks their names, and finds out what sort of songs they like. She plays requests and really makes music accessible to all the kids. Check out her schedule and see if she’ll be playing near you any time soon!

Michael & Marisa played at the Hard Rock Café in Boston last year and we thought we’d check them out. Ivan is still young so we weren’t sure how he would react to their show, but he had an amazing time! Michael & Marisa are a teenage brother and sister duo who play classic and original rock and roll songs. These kids really do rock! So, if your kids are small, it may be a bit overwhelming for them, but if your kids are rockers (like Ivan), then you’ll definitely want to check them out.

All the kids and grownups at the show were having a great time and it was fun to see a real rock show. Kids’ music is awesome, but it’s nice to have a little variety.

Milkshake came to TCAN last year and put on a rockin’ show! Milkshake is one of those bands that can be both indie pop and cool and a kids’ band at the same time. Their show was bright and colorful and full of costumes and excitement, and the music was upbeat and exciting. Everything you need in a concert!

Lisa is such a great singer and somehow manages to be both hip and approachable at the same time. She’s like the nice cool kid that everyone loves. And the songs are just too much fun to miss!

SteveSongs is one of our favorites. In fact, the very first live concert we ever took Ivan to was a SteveSongs show, so he holds a special place in our hearts. What I always find impressive is how Steve manages to create these huge spectacular shows that still feel personal and individual. Steve will often walk through the theater before a show to meet the families and then when he’s on stage you really get the feeling he’s singing with you, not to you.

Steve also performs with two phenomenal back up singers, the Sensational Sillies, who add so much to the show. They’re not only good singers and dancers, they’re also kids, and I think it’s great for kids to see other kids on stage so that they know the whole performance is accessible to anyone of any age. The lesson here? Never miss a SteveSongs show!

Vanessa Trien is another local star that you just can’t miss in concert. She has some sort of magical energy that makes all of her shows super fun—and sometimes hard to get in to, so make sure you buy your tickets in advance! Her songs are catchy and often very simple, which kids love. It’s hard to explain what exactly makes her songs so perfect—she seems to find that often-sought-after balance of silliness and heart that appeals to both parents and children. Very cool!

Vanessa’s back up singer, Sharon, is also a delight. She’s a mom with so much spunk and energy. I wish I could jump around as much as she does! She really brightens up the stage and makes the whole show work. The two of them together are just perfect.

A Cow Says Moock is Alastair Moock’s first kids’ album and was released late last year. Alastair has a very unique voice and sings songs with a classic jazzy-feel. He’s recored some wonderful classics, like Fishin’ Blues and Spaghetti in My Shoe and he even has another of our favorite artists, Maria Sangiolo, sing along on Ship in the Sky, which is really just a lovely song about a kid whose daddy is a pilot.

But our favorite songs are the ones about his twin daughters. Twins are Twice as Fun and Two Little Babies (Dance Around) are just so full of life and love—you know this is a daddy singing about his two little angels. You have to check out this album.

If you live in Massachusetts then you must have been out to see a Ben Rudnick & Friends concert, which means you’re already perfectly aware of just how awesome their new album, A Frog Named Sam, is. The title song, about a frog who wants to move to the city and sing, has such a great bass beat to it and kids love singing along to the “boom-boom-ribbit-ribbit-croak-boom” lyrics. Race Car is another great sing-along-to song and little car-loving boys get pretty excited about this one.

Ben Rudnick & Friends sing in a down home bluegrass style that appeals to just about everyone. As on all their CDs, they’ve included a couple of instrumentals (jigs) on this album that are great ways to introduce kids to traditional instruments like the guitar and mandolin. They also sing a couple of songs, like The Santa Fe and Erie Canal, that just give you that classic Americana feel. They’re great!

And don’t forget that Sam (the frog) is now available on super cool tie-dyed t-shirts and also appears in his very own video!

Recess Monkey is one of those bands that once I heard them I couldn’t believe we hadn’t been listening to them for years! They’ve got a great alternative rock sound and they really appeal to both moms and kids (dads, too, of course, but let’s face it—it’s the moms who listen to the music most, right?). There have been many times where I’ve found myself driving around with Field Trip in the car’s CD player only to realize Ivan isn’t with me. Oh well, that’s OK. I’ll just keep rocking out to Sack Lunch or The Teens on my own.

Field Trip is just a fun album. I love the “velcro solo” on New Shoes and the whole family sings Hot Chocolate every time we have hot chocolate. It’s another must-listen.

Milkshake is another band that we only just learned about this last year, and we love them! These guys are obviously part of the indie rock scene and they make kids music just so… cool! Their sound is so hip and fun that anyone in the family (even the teenagers!) will enjoy it! And Lisa’s voice is just so perfect on each of the songs.

Great Day was released last summer and it became an instant favorite. I love both the rock and roll fun of the album plus the positive messages. My favorite song on the album, Statue of Me, wonders what amazing things we will all do in our lives to deserve statues in our memory. And I love the concept behind When I’m Old, a song that actually looks forward to old age rather than fears it. Grandparents are wonderful, aren’t they?

How do you describe Gustafer Yellowgold? Gustafer is a creature from the sun who’s come to earth on an adventure. He has wacky friends (like an eel and a pterodactyl) and he likes to eat pine cones. Somehow this all makes sense in Gustafer’s world, believe me.

Mellow Fever is the third in an amazing series of CD/DVD releases that combine music and animation. You don’t listen to or watch these CDs and DVDs, you experience them. The songs can be catchy, soothing, or just beautiful (I love An Erring Ant), but all of them capture your senses and really take you on an adventure with the characters. Kids love the wackiness, parents appreciate the artistry, and even my super-hip twenty-three-year-old brother finds Gustafer cool enough to listen to. Talk about something for everyone!

Charlie Hope released her debut kids’ album, I’m Me!, last summer and we knew right away that this is an artist to keep an eye on. Charlie may be young and this may be her first children’s album, but it is absolute gold! Every song on this album is beautiful and there is no other way to describe Charlie’s voice except as “melodic.”

I love Frog Song and Ivan giggles every time he hears the title track, I’m Me!, with all its different animal sounds. I also love how Charlie includes little non-instrumental nursery rhymes throughout the album, like Pop Goes the Weasel and 5 Little Peas, so that you really get the feeling that you’re sitting down and singing with Charlie, just like the album cover suggests. You have to check out this CD, and if you love Charlie’s voice as much as I do, then you’ll also want to check out her collection of lullabies, World of Dreams.

I was skeptical when we first received Asheba’s In the Kid Zone. I’ve never really been a fan of calypso or reggae music. But I was really surprised by how catchy and bouncy and fun all the songs on this album are!

Asheba is from Trinidad and sings from a point of view of trying to teach others about his culture and rhythm. The song Calypso is as much educational as it is fun. He sings in the song, “I want you to know some more about where I come from” and then explains how rhythm and music is a guiding force in his life. Ivan just loves the song Keskidee because Asheba sings like a bird in the song. Very silly!

Joe’s Backyard Band plays in what they call an “Americana and roots” style. We love it! They’re new CD, Kick Up a Breeze, just came out last month and we’re hooked on it already. I love the blues sound in songs like Jennie Mae with awesome harmonica tunes, and their saxophone player is excellent on songs like Pitching a Party. The level of musicianship is really impressive!

But my favorite song on the album has to be Cities with Seagulls, about how the best places to live are cities (with cafés and night life) that are near the sea (so you can still enjoy the sand and the waves). Seeing as how these guys are based out of Providence, I guess that makes sense. Hopefully they’ll come on up to Boston soon so we can see them live in concert!

When we first heard the new kids’ album from the Flannery Brothers, Love Songs for Silly Things, last spring I just couldn’t stop talking about them. I still can’t! These guys are awesome!

The Flannery Brothers are hip and full of energy. They’re songs are fun and honest—they really do love Rutabagas and Dilly Beans and I’ve seen Dan’s Tambourine and it really is falling apart like he says in the song. These songs are great to sing along to and just plain fun. You’ve got to give them a listen!

• A Cow Says Moock by Alastair Moock
• A Frog Named Sam by Ben Rudnick & Friends
• Field Trip by Recess Monkey
• Great Day by Milkshake
• I’m Me! by Charlie Hope
• In the Kid Zone by Asheba
• Kick Up a Breeze by Joe’s Backyard Band
• Love Songs for Silly Things by The Flannery Brothers
• Gustafer Yellowgold’s Mellow Fever

Click here to read more about why we love these albums.

• Ben Rudnick & Friends
• Bill Harley
• Billy Jonas
• Debbie & Friends
• Flannery Brothers
• jeanniemack
• Milkshake
• SteveSongs
• Vanessa Trien

Click here to read more about why we love to see these performers live.