Reason 75

Children's music. Anyone who has ever spent a significant time with small children knows music aimed at the under-five set can be painful to listen to. Often times the musicians seem to think children can't appreciate interesting tunes, singing uninspired lyrics and playing the same tired melodies from thirty years ago. Barney, anyone? Thankfully, there is a pretty hip kids' music scene burgeoning in Seattle. Leading the way is Recess Monkey, a rockin' band made up of three Seattle-area elementary teachers and a funky stuffed monkey named Mayor Monkey. These guys write hilarious ditties about convincing one's parents to buy a pet, an octopus that tells knock-knock jokes, and a farm that grows marshmallows. The lyrics are clever and the beats are funky, so both parents and tots can get their grooves on without wanting to jam blunt objects into their ears. Jason, I know you have an older brother, so I'm guessing you may have a niece or nephew. If so, you should definitely treat him or her to some quality music from this trio. If you aren't lucky enough to be an uncle, I happen to have two amazing nieces at my disposal and we would be more than happy to drag you to a Recess Monkey show. Usually adults aren't let in the door without a kid or two in tow, so I abuse my auntie role any time I want to rock out to some fun and funny music. I promise you'll have a great time and, as a bonus, no one at these shows will pester you for an autograph since toddlers generally have no concept of celebrity (thank god).

Recess Monkey home page