RattleShake Rock for Children

There’s an article in the NY Times that looks at the evolution of children’s CDs to let parents play softer versions of rock songs to their kids that they themselves grew up loving. Dan Zanes was cited in the article as one of the first innovators of children’s music in 2002 with a rather folky Rocket Ship Beach – but since then, new movers and rattle-shakers have entered the market to supply the demand generated by parents looking to find more credible music to play their kids.

Los Angeles label Baby Rock has created a range of “Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of the…”  CDs that create lullaby ‘tributes’ to bands like the Cure, Metallica, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, the Beach Boys, Tool and Coldplay. The NY Times says:

“People in their 30s and 40s aren’t really grown up, and they don’t want to grow up,” said David Agnew, a vice president of the Buena Vista Music Group and the force behind this year’s “Devo 2.0,” which repurposed old Devo songs for 4- to 10-year-olds and their parents. “Because parents can now listen to 30 seconds of every recording on earth at iTunes, they get turned on to more music,” he added.

Reminds us of something Lee Jackson of 4thfloor told us the other day in London when he suggested that it might be impossible to get away with skinny jeans in your 30s, but you can always cling on to your youth with music.

Rock for Children – Music – Report – New York Times

Rockabye Baby On Amazon