Getting ready to fly the friendly skies with your brood? Better to plan ahead before boarding and make sure you aren’t carrying anything that won’t pass muster—you know, bringing personal care items that are 3 oz. or less in your carry-on bag. Now, stocking up on the right-sized stuff is as simple as point and click. 3floz.com is chock-full of all your favorite beauty and grooming products, and now they also carry baby items such as bath products, oils, creams, sunscreens and towelettes. They even have high-end brands include Little Twig, MD Moms, Lather and Weleda Baby.
If you place your order by 2 pm EST, you’ll receive same-day service in Manhattan. Even if you’re not a New Yorker, we love that you can upgrade your order from ground shipping to overnight by including your flight itinerary that shows travel within three days. Cool perk! Now, if only they could do something about that pesky kid kicking the back of your seat…
The lists keep on coming. Screeching yells are such a fundamental part of classic rock music. They’re what differentiate the wannabes from the true performers, the guys who bare their souls on stage and have lived their lyrics. Rock music is as honest an art form as can be expressed, which is one reason why I’ve been playing it non-stop for my kids since they were born. In Part One of this series I described a “rock scream” game I play to help introduce them to the greats of rock. Be sure to catch Part Two as well. Here are three more lead singers who can scream with the best of them.
Dave Grohl – Foo Fighters
Although considered a part of the newer generation as opposed to classic rock, Grohl got his start hitting the drums for Nirvana before writing and releasing the self titled debut album in 1995. The best thing you can say about Grohl’s frontman status is that he’s a throwback and knows how to wail with the best of them. Check out the end of “Breakout,” the second track off of 1999’s There Is Nothing Left To Lose.
Brian Johnson – AC/DC
Johnson has a voice that sounds like at any second he will rupture a vocal chord, which translates into a perfect rock and roll voice. The amazing thing about Johnson is that he was a replacement for Bon Scott, the original singer of AC/DC. Check out the end of “Thunderstruck” around 4:30 to hear what I’m talking about. No other lead singer in rock sounds like him, though many have tried.
David Lee Roth – Van Halen
The guys in Van Halen just looked the part of Rock and Roll even before they plugged in or Diamond Dave opened his mouth. Of course once they did start to play their music was rock in its purest form with Dave leading the charge. His voice always seemed to sound like he was laying it all out there on the line for the sake of the music. Check out their Kinks cover of “You Really Got Me” to see what I mean.
Last weekend I saw Stevie Wonder perform live at the Bonnaroo Music Festival. I obviously knew Stevie’s hits but I had no idea that he put on such a great show. The man is sixty years old and blind since just after birth, and at a festival with over 100 acts he was the best thing about it. Aside from playing all his hits, he brought the audience in for sing-alongs including “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)”, gave us a singing lesson, and (here’s the most important part, and the reason why I think he deserves a mention on Rockabye) throughout the entire set he reiterated the importance of peace, love and harmony. Wonder proved himself to be the most upbeat, exuberant performer, leading an ecstatic crowd of 70,000 people in dance moves.
Stevie has won more Grammys than any other male solo artist (22), and he has recorded over 30 top-ten hits, but I think most people will remember him for the positivity and joy his music brings to everyday life. His music is upbeat and danceable and his message of love is a great lesson to pass on to your kids.
Stevie Wonder “Superstition” at Bonnaroo 2010
Stevie Wonder – Uptight (Everything’s Alright) Live (1965)
Have a new baby’s tantrums turned a happy home into heartbreak hotel? Are you woe-some tonight because your little hound dog is crying all the time? That’s all right, Mama. Don’t cry, Daddy. If your teddy bear is all shook up, try these tender renditions of the King’s legendary hits. There will be peace in the nursery someday.
This year Lollapalooza will invade Grant Park in Chicago on Friday August 6th and last until Sunday night. The thing that makes Lollapalooza different from every other music festival happening this summer is Kidzapalooza. There are many stages offering varying acts during Lollapalooza (including Lady Gaga and Green Day this year) but one stage and area is devoted solely to kids. The acts on the Kidzapalooza stage this year include Ed Kowalczyk (you probably remember him from heading up the band Live), The Verve Pipe (remember that song “The Freshmen”?), The Candy Band, Recess Monkey and of course the festival founder himself, Perry Farrell. Aside from a great three day line-up for kids, Kidzapalooza also offers various activities including Rock Star Video Karaoke, Drum Zone, Hairdooz, Tattooz, and Breakdancing, plus Hip Hop and Skateboarding workshops.
There is a ton happening at Kidzapalooza, and that’s just a small part of the Lollapalooza festival. So get your tickets for Lollapalooza to see some great bands (Soundgarden is getting back together on the third night) and at the same time take your kids to Kidzapalooza for a full rock experience.
Heads up: the website also claims to be launching a Kidzapalooza in Los Angeles although no information is available on where or when yet.
Chris Ballew is a name that most wouldn’t be able to identify immediately, unless you saw this video. Yes, it’s the singer/bassist from the Presidents of the United States of America, and yes that song will be in your head all day now. For some time now, Ballew has been recording and performing kids music under the moniker Caspar Babypants. His third album in 24 months, This Is Fun!, will be released this November and will feature vocals by Ballew’s son and a plethora of other guests, including Charlie Hope and Elizabeth Mitchell. Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic also joined the group for one track on the album, a cover of the classic grunge track “Sliver.”
To hear a new track title “Happy Heart” and for more information on shows and older material, check out www.babypantsmusic.com.
Last time in Part One of this series when I listed the top rock screams that I play for my for kids, I stuck to the classics: The Beatles, Springsteen, and The Who. While Roger Daltrey’s yell on “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is and always will be the greatest vocal-shredding rock scream ever recorded in a studio, it’s time to take a look at some other top-notch screamers. Here are three more guys who can belt it out with the best of them.
Robert Plant – Led Zeppelin
Arguably the greatest rock and roll lead singer ever. While Daltrey might hold the honor for greatest single rock scream on an album, Plant is the guy who consistently delivered the shrieks over and over again. It’s like his voice was made for rock and roll. Check out Led Zeppelin’s debut album and you won’t be disappointed in Plant’s screams, which are so good they simply sound like he’s singing (see “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You”). Try “Communication Breakdown” at the 1:55 mark into this clip. You should probably just sit your kids down and say “Listen up, this is rock and roll,” and then hit play.
Steven Tyler – Aerosmith
There’s been a lot said and written about Aerosmith lately. Some say the band is too old and should quit rockin’ and many have speculated on the relationships within the band. But when these guys from Boston get up to play their 1973 classic “Dream On,” you can expect Tyler’s wail to show up. He just gives it his all at the end of the song and you have to wonder how many times over the course of his career his doctor has told him he needs to stop doing that to his vocal chords.
Axl Rose – Guns N’ Roses
Yes, Guns N’ Roses is really just Axl Rose’s backing band by now, but check these guys out back in the nineties. They brought rock back to its glory days and they did it with a great band and front man whose voice sounded like he was a human chainsaw. Check out this Axl scream compilation (particularly his performance on “Live and Let Die”).
In 1975 Yoko Ono gave birth to Sean Lennon, whose father was one of the most creative musicians of our time. John took on the role of doting parent and would draw with and for his son. The collected works became Real Love: The Drawings for Sean, a 48-page collection of water-color drawings and simple, charming puns.
Drawing was a form of communication between father and son, which is true for anyone who ever sat down to color with their kids.While the book will definitely appeal to Beatles’ fans, it will no doubt appeal to the kids of those fans even more.
Thursday, July 22nd kicks off the greatest weekend for geeks. It’s called Comic-Con and it happens once a year in San Diego. Over 100,000 people descend on the convention to discuss, attend panels, and dress up as their favorite characters. The convention has expanded to be about so much more than just comics and now includes TV, film and just about everything having to do with science fiction, cartoons, and more.
So why would this be interesting for kids? This year they are devoting one day (Sunday, July 25) to mostly children’s interests. Check out the website and look for events marked with a big K (for kids) on the Sunday schedule. The line-up includes Nickelodeon Presents: SpongeBob, Fairly OddParents, Fanboy, and The Troop (where you can catch screenings of new episodes), Children’s Film Festival, BOOM Kids! Muppets Spotlight (creating the Muppet Show comic book), How to Draw Star Wars for Kids, LEGO Universe Building Creativity Show & Tell, Nickelodeon’s The Troop: A Monster a Day Is All We Ask (an inside look), How to Draw Monsters, Sneak Peek into the LEGO Group’s New Constraction Property: Hero Factory!, Yo Gabba Gabba!— First Look and Live Show Ticket Giveaway, and Scooby-Doo Screening and Q&A.
If you’re into science fiction or just like dressing up as Chewbacca it’s worth checking out the convention in San Diego. You can also watch G4 over the weekend as they’ll be airing updates from the convention floor.
Born Frank Anthony Iommi in Aston, Birmingham, England in 1948, he would become one of the most influential hard rock guitarists of all time. But Tony Iommi almost never became a part of rock and roll history. Iommi started playing guitar when he was a teenager, but at the age of seventeen he suffered an accident while working at a sheet metal factory. He lost the tips of his middle and ring fingers on his right hand and was about to give up music. Iommi then strung his guitar with extra light strings and wore plastic covers that he built himself over his damaged fingers.
In August 1968 Iommi’s band Mythology broke up at the same time that another band named Rare Breed broke up. Rare Breed’s singer was a young lad named John “Ozzy” Osbourne. The pair, along with Terry Butler and Bill Ward formed a new band called…Polka Tulk (I know you were expecting Black Sabbath, but stick around for a second.) They then named their band Earth but there was another band named Earth so to avoid confusion they called themselves Black Sabbath in August, 1969.
Due to his factory accident Iommi used to detune his guitar from E to C# to avoid causing more pain in his fingers. Because of this, Black Sabbath were one of the first bands to detune and launch a new sound in heavy metal music. One accident at a young age could have derailed what eventually became a lengthy career in rock and roll but instead it ushered in a new sound that made Black Sabbath pioneers of hard rock.
