Frances England
Fascinating Creatures
self released

Didn't they use Raffi's music to try to flush out General Noriega?

Children's music is an embattled genre. While kid-lit and cinema-des-enfants have smashed boundaries and appealed to even Non-Parent Adults, kid's records are often maddening in their moronic repetition and insulting even to children's sense of melody and song.

If Tish Hinojosa and Stephen Merritt got together and made a children's record, it would really be a good one, I think. I'd listen to it a lot, and especially like the song about tricycles. I'd buy one for my niece, and send one to my goofy 38 year old brother in NYC, too. And keep one for myself.

It would sound a lot like Frances England's new batch of toddler tunage. She composed and recorded these fun new songs for her son Liam's co-op school fundraiser. That is so cool.

And that tricycle song? It's in there. And a good one about dirt, too.

If they played This stuff for Noriega, he'd still be sitting at his kitchen table. Eating blueberry pancakes.

Copyright © 2006 Alice Kenner