Kindie rock

Frances England

Kindie rock is a style of children's music that "melds the sensibility of the singer-songwriter with themes aimed at kids under 10."^[1] Many popular kindie rock artists first gained fame as adult performers, including Dan Zanes and They Might Be Giants.^[2] Other well-known kindie rock artists started directly in the genre or did not achieve commercial success until moving in that direction, such as Laurie Berkner, Justin Roberts, Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights, Recess Monkey, Sugar Free Allstars and Tim Kubart and the Space Cadets.^[3] Children's music veterans Greg & Steve and Bobby Susser introduced various forms of kindie rock to the school supply industry in the mid 1970s, and they continue to do so within their repertoire.^[4] Secret Agent 23 Skidoo built an audience for kid-hop by blending hip-hop rhymes with imaginative storytelling.^[5]

The Okee Dokee Brothers have released both CDs and DVDs of kindie music in their signature bluegrass style, garnering critical acclaim and Grammy awards^[6]. The genre continues to grow as more artists contribute their music. With two albums released in the past two years, Lisa Loeb established herself in the kindie scene. Frances England has been involved with the genre for even longer, releasing her first album of folk-style tunes in 2006 and her latest in 2016.

With their years of experience in the Seattle music scene, bands like The Not-Its! can give kids the first “epic rock show experience” of their lives^[7]. Danny Weinkauf of They Might Be Giants has released his own solo children’s album after successfully raising funds on Kickstarter^[8]. Like many other kindie artists, this project was inspired by his own children. Scottish-Australian rock singer Jimmy Barnes sing rock songs on his Och Aye the G'nu children's album, including "I Got New Shoes", "Shake Your Shaggy, Shaggy Mane", and "It's a Parrot Party".^[9]

References

6. The Not It´s from Seatlle -http://www.wearethenot-its.com/ 7. Kindie wiki http://kindiy.wikidot.com/