‘FLYING!’
with
RECESS MONKEY
NEW CD TO BE RELEASED JUNE 21
“These kids’ songs are … awesome! … There are bands you can’t go wrong with, and this is one of them.” – USA Today
“RECESS MONKEY: If Seattle is the new bastion of kindie rockers, then the trio of elementary school teachers — Jack Forman, Daron Henry and Drew Holloway — are the city's breakout stars.” – Time magazine
“RECESS MONKEY, The Final Funktier: The clever trio kick it space-age style on a boppy set with songs like ‘Ukulalien’ and “Beat-Box-a-Robot’ that future astronauts will find irresistibly fun. ★★★★” – People magazine
“BEST KIDS’ CDs OF THE DECADE: This trio of Seattle teachers (who have even garnered Beatles comparisons) has become a force to be reckoned with in children's music.” –AOL ParentDish
For those who understand how a gravity-defying leap from the couch is mightily enhanced by wearing a bed sheet cape, celebrated independent children’s recording group Recess Monkey offers a superhero-inspired collection of music on their seventh studio CD, FLYING! (Monkey Mama, $14.99, for ages 3 – 8, run time 47 minutes. Release date: June 21, 2011.).
Superheroes usually populate a world of make-believe, but most of the songs on FLYING! are firmly grounded in the everyday, real-life experiences ofRecess Monkey as teachers, parents, and (former) kids and graced with the knowledge that an ordinary person can, indeed, transform into a superhero. Think Wonder Woman re-imagined as a five-year-old playground dynamo covered in band-aids, Superman as a “Superkid” who bravely tells the truth and stands up for what's right, or a tribute to one of the greatest superheroes of all time: Grandma!
Kids’ music authority Stefan Shepherd (Zooglobble) has declared, ““Dan Zanes may be the godfather; They Might Be Giants, the legitimizer; and Laurie Berkner, Ralph Covert, and Justin Roberts the genre’s superstars. But Recess Monkey is the heart of kids’ music today.”
“Kindie” music favorites Chris Ballew/Caspar Babypants, Molly Ledford (Lunch Money), Justin Lansing (The Okee Dokee Brothers), Dean Jones(Dog on Fleas), Johnny Bregar, Tom Baisden (The Not-Its!) and Chris Wiser (Sugar Free Allstars) play superhero on FLYING! The album’sproducer, Tor Hyams, launches flights of keyboard fancy on several tracks, and children’s author/illustrator Jarrett Krosoczka (Lunch Lady, Punk Farm) contributes FLYING’s stunning interior comic strip artwork, showing the world just how Recess Monkey became superheroes.
The three members of Recess Monkey are teachers who met while working at the same Seattle school and shared a genuine enthusiasm for a grad school project that morphed into their 2005 debut release Welcome to Recess Monkey Town. This was followed by another popular (and zoologically correct) hit, Aminal House. The teachers — Jack Forman, Daron Henry, and Drew Holloway — made history with their next release, Wonderstuff,the first double CD children’s album produced from material generated at a kids’ summer camp workshop. Likewise, 2008’s Tabby Road, 2009’s Field Trip, and 2010’s The Final Funktier each came from real life children’s experiences.
From a plethora of remarkable Seattle-based “kindie” musicians, Seattle Magazine chose to honor Recess Monkey in 2010 with its “Best Local Kids’ Music” accolade. The band’s 2010 release, The Final Funktier, was highlighted on CBS-TV’s The Early Show and in People magazine. The Final Funktier was on “Best of 2010” lists by Amazon.com ; Parents Magazine; The Washington Post; Time Out NY Kids;Kidsmusic.About.com ; Boston Children’s Music; Cool Mom Picks; Daily Candy Kids; MetroKids; MilwaukeeMoms.com ; Minivan Blues; You Know, for Kids; Zooglobble; and more. The album was a KIWI magazine 2010 “holiday pick” and was featured in ParentsConnect’s holiday gift guide. Each of Recess Monkey’s previous albums has received similar acclaim.
Tour dates for ChiIL Mama's Kindie Fans Nation Wide:
(...'cause everyone loves recess! If they're not coming to your town, do I hear a chorus of road trip...road trip...road trip emanating from the peanut gallery?)
RECESS MONKEY in Performance
Highlights – Spring/Summer 2011
April 30 Brooklyn Central Library Brooklyn, NY
May 1 92YTribeca New York, NY
May 7 The Moore Theatre Seattle, WA
May 21 Tulsa Mayfest Tulsa, OK
May 30 Northwest FolklifeFestival Seattle, WA
June 18 Mt. Baker Center – CD RELEASE SHOW! Seattle, WA
April 23 Off Broadway St. Louis, MO
May 15 92Y Tribeca New York, NY
July 3 Top of the Park Ann Arbor, MI
July 16 World Café Live at The Queen Wilmington, DE
July 19 - 23 Wolf Trap Theatre in the Woods residencey Vienna, VA
July 24 - 25 Long Island Children’s Museum Garden City, NY
July 26 The Colonial Theatre Phoenixville, PA
Our next Win A Disc Wednesday feature is another favorite of ours, Muddy Water Beaver Dam Band by Mr. Singer & The Sharp Cookies, to coincide with their upcoming live Beat Kitchen show on Sunday the 22nd at noon. Enter here to win 4 tickets to the show and/or your own free Muddy Water Beaver Dam Band download. Mr. Singer gives us a rockin' good set of tunes and a great excuse to say dam in front of the kids without raising eyebrows or owing the swear jar. They're working on a new release and may be breaking out new material on Sunday, but for now, we're still diggin' this one.
