Candy and Boogers, a great combo for the kids.

There are days when I just want to listen to something a bit more aggressive than the usual children's music fare.  But, I learned a valuable lesson the day I jumped out of the minivan while the kids sat inside listening to Fatboy Slim's F-bomb-laden In Heaven: my CD selection is not safe for kids.

I've recently come across a couple of bands who must know my story all too well. Candy Band is made up of four Detroit moms who love to play loud, fast, punky music, but keep the lyrics safely G-rated. Just thinking of what their live concerts must look like puts a smile on my face. Tiny mosh pits? Doll crowd surfing?

Their latest CD, Calling All Kids, features songs with ridiculously clever lyrics, thumping drums and head-bobbing bass and guitar riffs. I love their twist on Simon Says which gets anyone listening into the game. Octopus On My Head has a cheerful chorus with a twisted story line. Their last song, Monsters, features a-- be still my heart-- live youth orchestra that helps them tear through the song at a furious pace, wailing violins and all.

My other find is the Boogers, whose new kids' album, Road to Rock, sounds like a cross between The Ramones and a book of nursery rhymes. I do wish they had chosen a less um, evocative band name, but have to admit that these guys rock whether they are singing their own This Song is about Transportation, the familiar Itsy Bitsy Spider, or Fish Will Fly which uses The Ramones' Judy is a Punk for its melody.

Both bands are so much fun, they almost make me forget that the only live concerts I can stay awake for anymore are ones that end before 10. -Christina

Candy Band's Calling All Kids available at CandyBand.com
The Boogers' Road to Rock available at CD Baby

 

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