They say the family that plays together stays together. When it comes to musical families this doesn’t always ring true. It’s always easier to rock out with your siblings since they’re around anyway, but what happens if everyone wants to be the lead singer? What happens if you don’t always see eye to eye about the direction of your music? Sometimes it’s harder to tell a brother or sister that you don’t like their playing than another band member. Just making it in a family band is a challenge, let alone making musical history.
Remember what Vito Corleone told Sonny in The Godfather? “Never let anyone outside the family know what you’re thinking.” That might not really tie into a list of the top rockin’ families, but it is a great quote. So here, without further ado (or more random family quotes), are the top rockin’ family bands:
3) The Jonas Brothers
These three brothers from New Jersey seem to have it all going for them. They’ve released four albums since 2006, have dated celebrities like Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift and had the full force of the Disney machine behind them. With this much money and fame you might think these guys are jaded superstars who lack manners. Well, I actually met these guys once and I can tell you that Nick, Kevin and Joe are three of the most polite young men I have ever come across. Perhaps it’s their upbringing because their father is a former pastor. The Jonas Bros. also give 10% of their earnings to charity. Aside from their good work, these kids know how to craft a pop hit. Check out “S.O.S.” off their 2007 Jonas Brothers album. Hey, 81 million hits on YouTube can’t be wrong.
2) Hanson
When you say Hanson, the first response you usually get is, “Wait, those three brothers from MMMBop?” I’m happy to report that those three kids have grown up into fine musicians who are all dads now. They got their start in 1992 at the Mayfest Arts Festival in Tulsa. They launched “MMMBop” off of Middle of Nowhere in 1997 and a phenomenon was born. But the three brothers, Taylor, Isaac and Zac, grew into their music comfortably and veered away from the immature sound and lyrics of “MMMBop.” Check out “If Only” from 2000 to see what I mean. It’s a great track and if you can get your kids hooked on Hanson with “MMMBop” they just might go for this one too. Also, check out Hanson’s latest offering, Shout It Out.
1) Jackson 5
No family list would be complete without the Jackson 5. I can promise you that every kid will love “I Want You Back” and “ABC”, while parents won’t be able to stop tapping their feet at the same time. Jackie, Tito, Marlon, Jermaine and Michael started in 1964 and never really quit. The funny thing about the Jackson 5 isn’t that their lead singer was the most talented–that’s often the case with some bands–the unusual thing about the Jackson 5 was their lead singer was eight years old and sang and moved like he had been doing it all his life. He owned whatever stage he performed on. Check out the classic “ABC” and make sure you play it really loud for the kids.
Can you hear the beat? The fresh beat, that is. If your kids are tuned into Nick Jr., chances are they know the guys and girls who make up this singing/dancing quartet and star on their own TV show. Marina, Kiki, Twist and Shout are four best friends who go to music school together and have their own band. These kids are never at rest, and are either trying out new dance moves or crooning a little ditty. We confess that you just can’t be in a bad mood when watching these modern-day Mouseketeers. And when we learned just how accomplished each of these ensemble players really are, we were duly impressed.
Shayna Rose (“Marina”) has been performing and singing professionally since she was 8 years old. While her background is largely in regional children’s theatre, she brings a steady beat to the show as the Fresh Beats’ resident drummer.
Yvette Gonzales-Nancer (“Kiki”) is a face you may recognize. She starred in TV’s “7th Heaven” and brings her dancing and guitar playing expertise to the band.
Jon Beavers (“Twist”) may be a rapper/DJ with the fresh beat, but he actually trained as a Shakespearian actor. Just a handful of years ago, he was part of the Seattle Shakespeare Company’s production of “Romeo and Juliet.”
Thomas Hobson (“Shout”) graduated from Yale with a degree in theater before going on to play parts in a variety of 90s TV sitcoms. Now he plays keyboard and sings a mean “Go Bananas” solo.
Have you ever wanted to hear Beatles songs like “Eleanor Rigby” performed by kids with so much energy you’re sure they’re going to break through your computer screen and give you a big hug? Well The Castillo Kids must just be that group.
The Castillo Kids consist of Julie (10), Jessie (12), and Joey (14). They play lots of Beatles songs and some originals quite well, and with such energy that you’re sure to want to take them home. The girls play bass, violin, guitar, and probably more. Joey seems to mostly play guitar, but also the sax and he takes lead vocals more often than not. The girls provide great backup and have tons of energy that we all wish we still had, not to mention some groovy choreography.
I read that they auditioned on America’s Got Talent, but haven’t found the results as of yet. A simple search on YouTube will yield a plethora of results, however. These kids have been doing this for years, one would guess with the guidance of their parents (who else is holding the camera?). Some of the older videos show a lot of promise; hell, I wish I could have played guitar so well at age nine! Not to mention the complexity of the harmonies on some of these songs. The Beatles didn’t really phone it in too often.
Check out their website with tons of video links, pics and more. And keep an eye out for these kids to make some moves in the future!
P. S. They’re playing the Largest Beatles festival in the world Abbey Road on the River from May 27-31 in Louisville, KY. Check them out if you can!
If you have a young daughter between the ages of 8 and 13 you have definitely heard of Justin Bieber. He’s a baby faced singer who can shut down a mall with severe pandemonium on a single visit. His most recent hit climbing the charts is “Baby” and it features Ludacris rapping on it. When I heard that Usher had signed this little guy to his label, I was quick to dismiss him and his music because I felt it was going to be another slick youngster singing about things he had no experience with. I was only half right. Bieber’s “Baby” is definitely an overproduced attempt at a hit single especially with the rap verse, but at its core the song is an innocent track about young love. If you listen to the stripped down version without all the voice affectation, it could even pass as a throwback to those simple pop songs about love from the sixties. Pass on the studio version and give Bieber a chance. Your daughter will think you’re the coolest parent alive.
Sometimes words can’t do justice. Just watch this awesome Argentinian metal trio (with special guest vocals by their 3 year-old niece) take on Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper” to see for yourself. Rock on, kiddos!
Want to learn more about this great kid band who have become an internet phenomenon? Read an Esquire interview with them here!
Dave Soldier is one of my favorite ambassadors of the world of music. He travels the world working with pretty much every kind of person (and animal – the man has recorded and released a CD of elephant music) in the world, and the results of his experiments are universally fantastic.
One of the best is the CD he developed with East Harlem grade school students. Soldier teaches the kids every step of the recording process, from drum programming and sampling to lyric writing and rapping. The results are spectacular, professional-sounding joints with amazing lyrics about candy, dinosaurs, and life in New York City. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
A number of grown-up musicians are dipping their toes into the kiddie pool this year, with varying levels of success. Here’s my quick overview of recent releases.
Rick Springfield – My Precious Little One: Lullabies For A New Generation
The “Jessie’s Girl” singer is long past his teen idol days, with a pair of sons in their twenties. This album, which contains newly recorded versions of songs he wrote for his kids when they were infants, is a far cry from the bombastic arena pop that he’s normally known for. The ten songs are remarkably gentle, sweet, and soothing, and Springfield’s voice works well with the subdued material. I think all parents make up songs for their kids (I know I do), but they’re rarely as memorable as these.
Ziggy Marley – Family Time
Reggae is just naturally kid-friendly music – the relaxed tempos, bouncing bass lines and fun sound effects grab kids by the ears and don’t let go. So it’s no surprise that the first kids’ album from Ziggy Marley, the heir to the throne of reggae legend Bob Marley, would be a success. “Family Time” is solid from top to bottom – almost. The album is full of guest stars, including a great Paul Simon spot, but who had the bright idea to close it out with not one but two Jamie Lee Curtis spoken word pieces? They fall embarrassingly flat and leave a sour taste in the mouth.
Bob Marley – B Is For Bob
Ziggy is sadly less successful on this other project, in which he remixes eight of his father’s best-loved songs to better suit younger ears. While a few of the tracks benefit from the tinkering, the majority of them were better (and just as kid-friendly) in their original incarnations. Most of Marley’s music is sonically fine for kids, so you’re better off going for the originals – or the Rockabye Baby Marley volume. One notable exception on this album is “Jamming,” which adds a crazy, danceable energy to the tune, but it’s not enough to recommend the record.
Punk rock is tailor-made for kids to play – it’s a lot easier to bash out one-chord anthems when you’re hopped up on Sugar Smacks (as opposed to the other kind). The greatest prepubescent punk band of all time, of course, was Madison, Wisconsin’s legendary Old Skull.
Founded by ten year old J.P. Toulon and his nine year old brother Jamie, the pair recruited two friends and released the band’s debut, “Get Outta Skool” in 1989. Unfortunately, drummer Graham Lindsey’s parents gave him a month of detention for playing with the band without their permission, and the group split up soon after.
Tackling issues from homelessness to hot dogs, rumors swirled that the Toulon brothers had a little ghostwriting help from their father Vern, but the inept sludge punk was 100% kid-generated.
For every Jackson Five that comes from the diabolical union of a Svengali father and a group of musically talented offspring, there’s a dozen other kid bands that don’t make it. One of my all-time favorites is Jr. & His Soulettes, a sibling quartet from Oklahoma.
The oldest member of the group, Harold Moore Jr, gets top billing, and his guitar plucking isn’t bad for a pre-teen as he leads his three sisters (on drums, bass and “waw-waw organ”) through fourteen original songs including the immortal “Thing, Do The Creep” and “Momma Love Tequila.”
Only three hundred copies of the album were pressed in 1971, and legend has it most of them were ruined from being shrinkwrapped on a meatpacking machine! Thankfully, a CD reissue bubbled up from the underground for all true fans of garage kid funk.
The “Jessie’s Girl” singer is long past his teen idol days, with a pair of sons in their twenties. This album, which contains newly recorded versions of songs he wrote for his kids when they were infants, is a far cry from the bombastic arena pop that he’s normally known for. The ten songs are remarkably gentle, sweet, and soothing, and Springfield’s voice works well with the subdued material. I think all parents make up songs for their kids (I know I do), but they’re rarely as memorable as these.
Reggae is just naturally kid-friendly music – the relaxed tempos, bouncing bass lines and fun sound effects grab kids by the ears and don’t let go. So it’s no surprise that the first kids’ album from Ziggy Marley, the heir to the throne of reggae legend Bob Marley, would be a success. “Family Time” is solid from top to bottom – almost. The album is full of guest stars, including a great Paul Simon spot, but who had the bright idea to close it out with not one but two Jamie Lee Curtis spoken word pieces? They fall embarrassingly flat and leave a sour taste in the mouth. 
Ziggy is sadly less successful on this other project, in which he remixes eight of his father’s best-loved songs to better suit younger ears. While a few of the tracks benefit from the tinkering, the majority of them were better (and just as kid-friendly) in their original incarnations. Most of Marley’s music is sonically fine for kids, so you’re better off going for the originals – or the Rockabye Baby Marley volume. One notable exception on this album is “Jamming,” which adds a crazy, danceable energy to the tune, but it’s not enough to recommend the record.
