This summer has been quite a blur. Last week I got together with the guys from Rock and Roll Brunch to record an episode of the podcast and it was a blast, but I think I sounded like an ass (but, hey, I usually do, so…) Last weekend headed out to Middlewest Fest in nearby DeKalb to see Mixtapes, AM Taxi, The Wonder Years, and Kid You’ll Move Mountains (among others). The weather was beautiful, the bands were great, but I feel like it could have (and should have) been so much better. It’s a small music fest with a lot of opportunity to be great but it isn’t quite there yet. My daughters were jamming to some awful Talking Heads cover band before we sat down for some Mexican food with Mixtapes and The Wonder Years. My 5 year old daughter even sang Mixtapes songs to Ryan and Maura from the band and colored a picture for Soupy from The Wonder Years. Seriously, my two daughters (with a combined age of 7) are cooler than me. I’m not kidding at all.

The Boogers aren’t just your average punk rock band. The trio is the brainchild of musician and developmental psychologist Paul Crowe (aka Crusty Booger) who spent time touring with a punk band and shared the stage with both Dee Dee Ramone and Marky Ramone. The songs on Let’s Go are simple but totally fun and will have your kids dancing around the living room and asking for a leather jacket and some Chuck Taylor’s. Heck, I’ve even found myself humming the melody from “Otto” a time or two.

Thanks to The Boogers and our friends at ParentSphere, we are lucky enough to have 3 copies of Let’s Go to give away! To enter just leave us a comment. We’ll pick 3 random winners on Tuesday, April 12th at 10PM CST.

Recess Monkey is a perfect example of the sort of kids music band that actually gets it. If not for the lyrics (and even then only sometimes) you’d be hard pressed to identify ‘em as a kids band. Very young kids might not be really into Recess Monkey, but The Final Funktier (with it’s science-themed lyrics) would appeal to older kids for sure. All three band members list their day jobs as “teacher” and it shows (that’s a good thing). The band also seems not to take itself too seriously (based on the costumes and some of the lyrics) despite being totally serious about what they’re doing here. It’s almost like old-school They Might Be Giants without the overly quirky sound.

Let’s just say that I’m genuinely excited to see the band perform this weekend (with my daughter by my side, of course) at Lollapalooza’s Kidzapalooza. Heck yeah!

MP3:
Recess Monkey - Jet Pack

Additionally my 8 month old little girl is teething, miserable, congested, and has an ear infection. My 4 year old just learned how to whistle over the weekend and now loves what she calls “crazy rock and roll music.” Specific examples include Rise Against and The Suicide Machines. Moments like that are part of what makes being a parent awesome!

Anyhow, the photo shoot was a ton of fun and it was nice to sorta catch up with Scott over a few Old Speckled Hen’s. Hailey had a blast getting her makeup outlandishly done and posing for the camera as if she was the rock star. This leads me to the package that arrived on our doorstep last week. It contained a poster of the cover, a store display, and a copy of the CD. Have a listen to some of Scott’s stuff below. It’s still hard for me to believe that he’s got this successful solo career in Japan but is virtually unknown here in the United States. Really, a few of the songs below could (or should) be radio hits here. All Scott’s CD’s are available through Universal Records Japan.

MP3:
Scott Murphy - What If from Balance
Scott Murphy - 未来予想図 from Guilty Pleasures Love
Scott Murphy - 1５の夜 from Battleground
Scott Murphy - Falling Apart from Guilty Pleasures III
Scott Murphy - 僕のあやまち (Falling Apart) from Balance

MP3 | Juliana Hatfield – My Sister (Live)