Live in Colour

Live in Colour. Performed by Marlowe and the Mix. Approx. 34 min. Prod. Marlowe and the Mix. $8.00. 2016.

Grades 1-5

Award-winning Marlowe Stone presents 10 high-energy pop songs which encourage kids to move and sing along. She is joined by Rj, Mr. Starr, and the MiX KiDS, all of whom contribute to this blending of Top 40 pop sounds with family-friendly lyrics. “Live in Colour” extols the virtues of dancing and living fully. “Picture Me in NYC” celebrates all the sights and sites of New York City. Sleepover fun is the subject of “Lights Out.” A shy girl dances by herself in the basement in “Music & the Mirror.” “Gemini” is all about astrology signs. The hip hop number “Hi 5” describes life as a roller coaster with ups and downs. “Change is Good,” with the example of a caterpillar morphing into a butterfly. A kid is addicted to video games in “Video Game Insane.” The other two songs are “Show Your Glow” and “Allstars Shine On.” Young listeners will groove to these lively songs.

Homespun

Homespun. Performed by The Battersby Duo. Approx. 38 min. Prod. by BatDuo Music Publishing. $10.00. 2016.

Grade 1 and up

Laura and Tim Battersby, aka The Battersby Duo, present 12 original songs in folk, bluegrass, country, rock jug band jazz, and pop musical styles. Special guest musicians Laura Sullivan and Terry a la Berry played piano and drums; other great musicians performed on guitar, fiddle, dobro bass, banjo, clarinet, trumpet, tuba, and cello. A hodgepodge tribute to the Battersby’s family members, this album includes “Homespun,” “Marathon Man,” “Otherwise I Feel Alright,” “Walk Away,” “You Can’t Judge a Book” (don’t judge others by appearance and be kind to one another), “Nobody Like You and Me,” “Apostrophe and the Marks,” “Pearl,” “Freedom,” “Rhymes,” “My Guitar Speaks for Me,” and “For Evermore.” This down-home album will appeal to the whole family.