Justin Roberts started his career playing with an indie-rock band in Minneapolis. Success came slower than he’d hoped, and he became a Montessori preschool teacher during the days. One Christmas he sent out a CD of songs that he’d written for his young students to friends and family. One of his college friends, Liam Davis, was a music producer, and suggested they record the songs professionally.He has visited our public library here in Rochester a few times since we moved here, but ironically, we really met his music this summer while we were away in Florida. His lyrics are deliberate and fun (often quite silly), and his indie family music style is engaging and varied.
The words that open an alphabet song he sings on his first album, Great Big Sun, were some of the first that caught our attention: “A is for the applesauce that mother poured into my bubble bath. Bath starts with B, and don’t starts with D, and I forgot C, but everything else starts with E.” The song does make its way through the rest of the alphabet, but not without much silliness. My boys are quite entertained. Worth a look if you need something new.
The second artist that we discovered this summer is Frances England. She has two cds. The first one, Fascinating Creatures, she wrote as a fundraiser for her son’s school. The second one, Family Tree (which I haven’t heard yet), celebrates the birth of her second son. Also a sort of indie-folk feel, her music is easy to listen to—do you have to live with a three-year-old to appreciate some of the issue she writes about? Toddler mood swings, tricycles, blueberry pancakes. No, I think you just have to have been three.
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The children, Gwendolyn especially, had a great time listening to Fascinating Creatures during our drive from Honeyville before the reunion. We need to get our hands on the album. And we'll also keep an eye out for Justin Roberts -- I like the sound of his approach to the abecedarium.
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