Music to MY Ears

Since having Miss Emi, or as my husband and I like to refer to her, "Augustus" (Gloop from the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movie), we have dreaded the day when we would have to start censoring our iPod selections in the car. While reading Francesca's recent Points of Joy post, the photo that resonated with me most was of her favorite channel on XM radio. For those of you who don't know Francesca personally, she is quite "street" when it comes to her music. Don't let her approachable, friendly, sweet face fool you. The girl doesn't mess around when it comes to her music. One word for you: "Friends" by Whodini. (You have to love the very "street" spelling of his name!) This is one of her FAVORITE songs. She knows all of the lyrics, which is quite impressive.

Recently, my sister brought to my attention that Jay-Z's "H to the Izzo" and Kanye's "Flashing Lights" were not appropriate for Augustus. What? My immediate response was, "Who cares what she listens to?" The songs have a great beat. Besides, she doesn't know what they are saying. Have you ever listened to these songs? Fabulous!

Since I did not quickly respond to her concerns, my sister bought Emi two children's CDs for her birthday: Raffi, which is alright only because I already know all the songs, and another CD, not worth mentioning. (Sorry Mo!) Listening to these CDs a few times got me thinking that I will insane if I have to listen to Raffi for the next 10 years. Can I really make that sacrifice? Who are we kidding? NO.

So here is my top five recommendations you AND your little one can both enjoy (or at least you can enjoy and not feel guilty about it!). They are in no particular order.

1. Rockabye Baby by Radiohead! My husband made this purchase. There are really no lyrics. The company also offers a ton of other popular artist versions like Coldplay, Nirvana, Bob Marley, etc.

2. Sing-a-longs and lullabies by Jack Johnson. Some very cute songs. I love the "We are going to be friends" remake.

3. Baby Loves Hip Hop Presents the Dino-5. My husband and I are both big Jurassic 5 fans and one of the lead singers is in this group. It's very cute and very hip. Baby Loves also produces great Baby Loves Jazz CDs.

4. Play by Various Artist. For those of you that appreciate house or electronica, this is the CD for you and your kid.

5. Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits by Vince Guaraldi. This is one of my favorites, especially around this time of year. Great to play in the car when you are starting (or finishing) your holiday shopping! Agh.

Enjoy!

-Kacey

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