Back to School Bash: Music for Preschoolers

These grooves are sure to make 'em groove

on your way to the store or the morning carpool

'RAISE A RUCKUS' A NEW CD FROM HULLABALOO WITH GRAMMY® WINNERS BUCK HOWDY AND MARCY MARXER PLUS MOLLY LEDFORD (OF LUNCH MONEY) AND DENNIS CAPLINGER 8 OUT OF 10 STARS: “If Johnny Cash had downed a case of Red Bull, then gone out to perform for an arena full of kids, it might have sounded like this.” – COOKIE magazine TOP 10 BEST CHILDREN'S CDs of 2010:  “As good as it gets when it comes to children's music.”  – Parents Magazine BEST CHILDREN'S MUSIC of 2011 : “An instant in-car classic.”  – Education.com  With ten major national awards in their hip pocket and an eight-year track record of glowing critical acclaim, the beloved "free-range, organic" kid-folk duo Hullabaloo has pulled out all the stops for their 10th studio CD, Raise a Ruckus. Produced by GRAMMY® nominee Tor Hyams,  Raise a Ruckus takes Hullabaloo's down-home, good-times musical ebullience to a new level, with guest artists Grammy® winner Buck Howdy, Grammy® winner Marcy Marxer, Molly Ledford of Lunch Money, and the extraordinary multi-instrumentalist Dennis Caplinger — whose credits include Eric Clapton, JJ Cale, Vince Gill, Ray Price, Rita Coolidge, and Nickel Creek, among many others — bringing their considerable talents to a kick-up-your-heels party with the duo that's been described as a blend of Johnny Cash, Woody Guthrie, and Mr. Rogers. Hullabaloo has made a career out of creating tickle-your-funnybone, laugh-out-loud humor that saturates every song and qualifies them as direct heirs to the likes of Homer & Jethro and the Hoosier Hot-Shots.  The clever quality of Hullabaloo's narrations sets the story of each song in a halo of brainy sophistication, while their knockout musicianship and vocal clarity deliver the entire production with a sense of effortless grace.  Steve Denyes and Brendan Kremer can safely challenge any parent or child to listen to them cut loose on a goofy, palindrome-filled gem like "Dad Upside Down" without cracking a smile.  That kind of infectious humor permeates every track of Raise a Ruckus. The album's title song — in the old days, a real "get down and boogie" staple on Louisiana Hayride and The Grand Ole Opry — has been given new, kid-friendly lyrics and up-to-date energy, while other songs, like "Trash is My Treasure" (the triumphant anthem of a food-recycling seagull) have a more contemporary slant.   One of the most evocatively colorful songs on Raise a Ruckus, "Favorite Day," calls upon Molly Ledford to combine her vocal and xylophone talents with those of Dennis Caplinger on ukulele and dobro, along with the great sound of Gunnar Biggs' slap bass. Buck Howdy really shines on a "Song About Nothing," which proves that if a song has a great shape and energy, syntax takes a back seat. Our Thoughts:  Our morning carpool is a hodgepodge of music and there are a couple of tracks on this CD that have become Three Boys and an Old Lady faves.  Favorite Day is one of my fave tracks and the youngest loves Blah, Blah, Blah.  Blah, Blah, Blah is an addictive track and I admit I have hummed it and then laughed a little when I realized what I was doing.  All of the tracks are kid friendly and age appropriate and fun for the entire family whether you're headed to the grocery store or hitting the road for that last road trip.   # # # CD Details: RAISE A RUCKUSFor all ages, and especially suited to kids up to age 6 Release date:  September 4, 2012. Label: Hullabaloo Music SRP: $12.00 Run time: 32 minutes. For more details visit: http://hullabalooband.com Disclaimer:  Many thanks to the sponsor for providing this CD for the review.   Opinions are my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  Click here for the Disclosure Policy of Three Boys and an Old Lady blog.