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)

Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Elvis Presley

Due Date: August 10th 2010

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.

Love Me Tender (full length track):

Tracklist:

1. Jailhouse Rock
2. Burning Love
3. Suspicious Minds
4. All Shook Up
5. Heartbreak Hotel
6. Hound Dog
7. In the Ghetto
8. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear
9. Blue Suede Shoes
10. Don’t Be Cruel
11. That’s All Right
12. Love Me Tender
13. Can’t Help Falling in Love

This year Lollapalooza will invade Grant Park in Chicago on Friday August 6^th 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.

Check out this video of his song “$9.99″:

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.

Black Sabbath is for babies! No, really. Check out Lullaby Renditions of Black Sabbath, out now. Want to hear an exclusive full-length sneak peek of “Iron Man”? Click here! Need a free Lullaby Renditions of Black Sabbath coloring page? Yup, we’ve got that too.

Our kids are going to grow up listening to music on their computer, iPod, iPhone or whatever new contraption makes it easy to carry tunes around. But years ago we used to have these things called LPs, as in long playing records, and while music wasn’t as portable as it is today, the  size of the album cover artwork more than made up for it. The album art was as much a part of the experience as the music was.

Good design lets you in on what the artist is thinking about and what they are trying to convey with their music. Certain CD covers are so great, they overcome the size limitation, but I wonder if the album cover is becoming a lost art in this age of digital music delivery. I hope not.

So I thought I would make a list of the top 5 rock album covers that you should share with your kids to get them talking about music, art, or anything the pictures suggest to them. Be sure to add your favorite album covers in the comments!

5) Jay Z – Blueprint 3

Yes, the album just came out in 2009 but the cover is both striking in its simplicity and grand in its message. Combining all the instruments into one big bland white structure, Jay may be asking “Whatever happened to all the great music?” Kids will get a kick out of the structure and trying to identify all the instruments.

4) Supertramp – Breakfast in America

Their 1979 album takes a cheeky look at New York City from an airplane window. Instead of the Statue of Liberty, we see a woman holding a glass of orange juice. I think kids will like the funny perspective, and it seems like the recording industry did too because the album won the 1980 Grammy Award for Best Recording Package.

3) Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon

Simple yet colorful, Pink Floyd’s eighth studio album remained on the charts for over 741 weeks, longer than any other album in history. The prism that shines the colorful spectrum was exactly what the band wanted, something smart, neat and classy. Kids will dig the rainbow and it is definitely a good catalyst to spark a conversation on colors.

2) Nirvana – Nevermind

According to Kurt Cobain he conceived the idea for Nevermind’s album cover while watching a television program on water births. Nirvana’s second album showed infant Spencer Elden chasing a dollar bill on a hook in a pool. Kids will probably find the image funny and engaging.

1) Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

Like most lists about rock music, this one ends with the Beatles. There were many trippy images on album covers in the sixties (see Jimi Hendrix) but the Beatles dressing up as a psychedelic marching band surrounded by cardboard models ruled them all. The cover was art directed by Robert Fraser who was a London art dealer and a friend of McCartney’s. The collage included over 70 people such as Marilyn Monroe and Bob Dylan. So if nothing else it could be a good history lesson for the kids. See who else you can spot!

Who is the most famous rock and roll baby? The answer is not Stella McCartney or Sean Lennon but Spencer Elden. Spencer who? Spencer Elden was born February 7, 1991 to Renata and Rick Elden who had a photographer friend named Kirk Weddle. Kirk paid the Eldens $200 to photograph their infant son underwater in a pool and they ended up creating what would become one of the greatest rock and roll album covers ever, Nirvana’s Nevermind.

Now a teenager, Spencer has recreated the famous picture twice, once for Rolling Stone in 2001 and once again in 2008 (although this time he wore a swimsuit). The hook, line and dollar bill on the cover were superimposed later so please don’t think they were actually fishing for babies. While Spencer is now slightly embarrassed that everyone has seen him naked, he truly is the most rocking baby of all time since it’s fair to say that Nevermind defined a generation and launched a new musical movement in the nineties. Break out the old CD and play down “Lithium” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” one more time. 19 years later and the tracks have still not lost their edge.