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Press
They've Got The Beat!
The New York Post, January 8, 2005 - Billy Heller
Start Your Year On The Right Note
It's hard to pinpoint trends in children's music - but that hasn't stopped us from coming up with our own spin on what's happening in a field that's growing as fast as the kids themselves.
Monkeys are popular: Two of our recent faves have them in their titles. And Frank Zappa, oddly enough, seems to be a burgeoning influence on kids' bands.
Then again, sometimes the groups are as down-to-earth as a pair of dirty socks. Case in point: the Dirty Sock Funtime Band, whose influences include Zappa, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, the Muppets and the Funkadelics.
Reached the other day, its founder insisted his own socks were clean: "I try to wash my socks weekly," Stephen Jacobs assured The Post. The 33-year-old is one of an eight-member ensemble (including his younger brother Adam, plus guest drop-ins) aimed at young ears. And young minds, too - half the musicians have day jobs as teachers.
"We don't dumb down the music at all," says Jacobs, who sings and plays guitar. "We really play music that we love and we've found that if something makes us laugh, it seems to make the kids laugh as well."
The Socks have been together since the late 90's, as part of the nonprofit after-school program Kids Creative, which involves kids with dance and music and theater. Their own music is based on stories written by kids in several city public schools.
You can catch the Socks live on Jan. 23 at a benefit for victims of the tsunami at Dillon's Restaurant, 245 W. 54th St. For $12 tickets (it all goes to Save The Children), call (212) 352-3101 or log onto www.theatermania.com.
Here's more about the Socks and other platters that matter:
THE DIRTY SOCK FUNTIME BAND: "Mr. Clown and the Day the Sun Got Wet"
ASHEBA: "No More Monkeys"
LUNCH MONEY: "Silly Reflection"
DAN ZANES: "Parades and Panoramas"
THE MUDCAKES: "Songs for Little Monkeys"
MR. RICHARD: "Might As Well Sing"
Mr. Richard (Richard Peeples) was born in Louisiana, moved to Mississippi in sixth grade and now lives in Florida. So why is there a song called "Long Island Railroad Blues" on his album? He says he owes it to a girlfriend from Long Island. While most of the disc is pretty folky, one song that caught our attention is garage rocky "Sammy Snake", a hip ode to a hipless animal.