You may be familiar with the alternative band, They Might Be Giants. If so, it’s probably from their alt-rock hit singles like Don’t Let’s Start or Birdhouse In Your Soul. But did you know that, since becoming parents, they’ve also branched out into making fun, educational music for kids?
Their first foray into music for children was the album NO! (avg review rating 4.5/5 stars, 99 cents per MP3, $8.99 for the MP3 album – also available in an enhanced CD format that includes simple games and music videos to be played on the computer, currently priced at $11.49). This one is pure fun. One Amazon reviewer says:
TMBG’s sense of whimsy suits kids music perfectly…These songs sound just like kids talk, they are tuneful and easy-to-sing-along-with; kids will take them at face value and love them…If you are the kind of grown-up who can’t stomach another earnest Raffi album, you will still have the satisfaction of TMBG’s customary irreverence and, yes, silliness. Also, it will MAKE THE WHOLE FAMILY DANCE.
Here Come The ABC’s (avg review rating 4.5/5 stars, 99 cents per MP3, $9.49 for the MP3 album – also available in a CD/DVD combo pack that includes animated videos for the songs, currently priced at $11.74) is intended to teach kids their ABC’s with fun, catchy songs. One reviewer says:
They Might Be Giants rocked my world in – was it ’89? – with Ana Ng and others, opening my eyes to super fun and clever alternative music in my teen years. Now as a 30-something mother of two, I feel pathetically out of touch with any new or cool music, it’s just hard to keep up while juggling life now. I am THRILLED that my old love, TMBG, has not failed me in my predicament, but has provided the perfect solution – their awesome sound and clever lyric-writing with kid-level content so my daughters and I can all enjoy it together.
Here Come The 123’s (avg review rating 5/5 stars, 99 cents per MP3, $9.49 for the MP3 album – also available in a CD/DVD combo pack that includes animated videos for the songs, currently priced at $11.90) does for numbers what Here Comes The ABC’s does for the alphabet. One reviewer says:
We really liked Here Come the ABCs, but we think this one is actually better. The music is well-composed and shows a great deal of musical sophistication underneath the silliness, playing with different musical styles and time signatures…My only complaint is that I can’t get several of the tunes out of my head! Your kids will soon know that there are, in fact, animals with three eyes and be able to correctly identify a nonagon.
Finally, there’s Here Comes Science (avg review rating 4.5/5 stars, 99 cents per MP3, $9.49 for the MP3 album – also available in a CD/DVD combo pack that includes animated videos for the songs, currently priced at $12.49). This album features such songs as Meet the Elements, How Many Planets, Speed and Velocity, Why Does the Sun Shine and Photosynthesis. One reviewer says:
While not a kid, I am a fan of TMBG, a scientist and I love this album. There are too few songs for kids done by good musicians about some of the most wonderful things about the world around us. The videos add a level of detail without weighing down the music or the level of fun. What particularly impressed me about the album is that it is more then just a series of facts set to song. The songs “Why Does the Sun Shine?” and “Why Does the Sun Really Shine?” TMBG captures the self-correcting nature of science, while “Science is Real” and “Put it to the Test” convey that science is an active ongoing process. I highly recommend this album to parents out there, as well as science fans of all ages.
They Might Be Giants: they’re not just for alterna-rock hipsters anymore!