Which One Am I? Performed by Howie D (yes, that Howie D!)
I have to admit that I was surprised and pretty excited to see a family album by Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough come across my desk. After listening to their music for the past twenty years, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this album. I wondered what Howie D’s take on music for families was going to be and how he was going to handle his association with The Backstreet Boys. Would he try to distance himself from the group in order to establish himself as a solo performer of music for children and not mention the group, or would he slide a quiet note of thanks into the liner notes? Well, there is a thank you note, but Howie D did so much more. He completely embraced his history with the group and played up his role as the “lesser known” Backstreet Boy with the amusing opening track, “Which One Am I?” Mixed in with questions asking if he’s that guy from that group (*NSYNC, Menudo) are fun lyrics that pay tribute to each of his Backstreet brothers.
With that issue out of the way, the album settles in to tell the tale of nine-year-old Howie D, the insecurities he faced and how he overcame them to find his own way. Adult Howie D serves as co-writer, along with Tor Hyams and Lisa St. Lou, on the eleven original tunes in this collection that span a wide variety of musical genres and really showcase Howie’s array of talents. Every song is a knockout featuring top-notch melodies, vocals and production value. Standouts include “Monsters in My Head” which has a Lenny Kravitz-vibe that totally fits the tale of the monsters that only come out at bedtime, “Shy” which calls to mind Frankie Avalon’s hit, “Earth Angel,” and the slyly reggae-themed “Worry” about many of the concerns that a child may have. There is a fantastic R&B groove on “Pollyanna’s Shadow” while touches of the tango and the Blues also make appearances before the power ballad “The Me I’m Meant To Be” reaches in and grabs your heart.
Listeners will no longer be wondering “which one is he?” by the end of this album. Instead they’ll be saying, “Howie D? Don’t you know? He’s the one making amazing music for families!” Crossing genres and generations, Which One Am I? is sure to be a hit!
Check out the charming video below for “No Hablo Espanol.”
On their newest album, 123 Andrés takes the letters of the Spanish alphabet and elevates them from a single song that teaches the order the letters come in, to 38 songs that give each letter and sound combination their own musical identity. The songs are arranged in alphabetical order and composed using the rhythms and sounds that are found throughout Latin America. Many of the tracks feature animals such as “Cinco cerditos,” “El guepado,” and “Katy la koala” or body parts like “Cabeza, codo, corazon” and “Con mis ojos” while others directly speak to the letter such as “La H no suena” and “Aqui está la Q.” Also included are songs about double letter sounds, “La C y la H chocaron” and “Las llaves” as well as a pair of songs about combinations of consonants – “Amigable” and “Gracias a la letra R.”
I just listened to this album three times in a row while I tried to figure out how I wanted to describe it. Did I want to start by saying this album is light and airy? Or maybe filled with infectious melodies? How about a showcase for Alina’s lovely soprano? After several stops and starts, I think the best way to start is by saying, Love Is Te Quiero is all of these things, but most importantly, it is music to make you smile. From the opening notes of “Love Is” through the closing chords of “Los Pollitos,” listeners will feel their spirits lift while their and minds and bodies fill with joy. 
The album opens with the title track which in a very meta way is itself an earworm. The simple melody, combined with catchy lyrics – “It’s an earworm, it’s not a wiggly worm, it’s not a squirmy worm, it’s just another term for a song stuck in your head” – will quickly engage listeners and play on repeat in their heads. A combination of original tunes and cover songs fill out the album’s often rock/pop tinged Americana sound. Some of the songs are just fun little ditties like “Her Name Was Lady” which gives a list of the names given to a variety of different goats while others like “Fuzzy Brown Vine (aka Poison Ivy)” teach children valuable information. “ABC (The Writing Song)” provides a new tune to learn the ABCs by as well as encourages children to try their hand at all kinds of writing from short things like haikus to long novels. Many listeners will relate to the very true tale of “Carsick” while others will appreciate the message of “Don’t Let them Get Yer Goat.” A couple of special guests join in the fun as well. Molly Ledford appears on her original tune, “Sunsphere” while Billy Jonas joins McCollough on the polyrhythmic chant, “Green Means Go.”
*While taking a listen to the 13 songs in this collection, take a few moments to check out the album’s cover featuring artwork by Knoxville-based printmaker Riley Bronough. Riley first came to McCollough’s attention when his wife bought a couple of Riley’s prints at an art show. Liking the look of the linocuts, McCollough contacted Riley and the Earworm album cover was born. What at first appears to be simple line drawings featuring just three main characters quickly becomes a seek and find for some of the things mentioned on the album. For more information on Riley and her art, visit www.cleversomedayprints.com.
The upbeat, positive messages continue throughout the album in a collection of original and cover songs that encourage listeners to be kind to themselves and one another as well as to do good out in the world. In a departure from his kindie rock style, Rymer is joined by Sonia De Los Santos on a country-tinged bilingual version of the Woody Guthrie tune, “Don’t You Push Me Down,” while on his groovy take on “I’m Coming Out,” Rymer fills breaks in the song with children’s answers to the question, “What do you want the world to know?” Additional covers include Jimmy Cliff’s “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” and the Beatles “With a Little Help From My Friends.”
I don’t know about you, but I’ve reached my limit for the negativity and self-righteous snarkiness that I encounter online. So, this past weekend, I took a break from the internet. I decided no social media, no email, no surfing the web. I was going to dedicate myself to the beautiful weather and those people around me. And you know what? The weekend was lovely, peaceful and restorative. Just what I needed.
Moving now from the Motor City to southeastern Minnesota, here to entertain you is Louis and Dan & the Invisible Band. This duo of dads (who also happen to be professors) come to us from Northfield, MN. Their self-titled album crosses a variety of genres covering everything from rock n roll to country western. Topics vary from the clever imagining of what princesses do when they grow up to the very silly idea of underwear spaghetti. Grade school aged children will really enjoy the lyrical word play. Check Louis and Dan out at 
Heading back to the eastern Midwest, we come to Columbus, OH, the home of Jordan Lynch & Friends. Their debut album is a collection of fourteen covers that range from the traditional (“Skip to My Lou,” “She’ll be Coming Round the Mountain”) to the pop of “Rainbow Connection” to the less familiar, “The Wild Mountain Thyme.” The album features a wealth of rich accompaniment that employs nearly two dozen different instruments. The songs are often comprised of an Americana feel that will appeal to fans of Red Yarn and The Okee Dokee Brothers. Created for a great cause, get more information at 
And finally we stop by the studio to meet Sir Dapp & the Paw Prints. This fictional animated band includes Sir Dapp ( a silver-haired Schnauzer), his cousin Dollie, his nephew Duffie and their friend Grumpy Gertrude the goose. This album of catchy tunes about kindness and respect never veers into didactic territory thanks to the engaging lyrics that are brought to life by human artists Eli Jacobson and Rachel Potter. Each song is well produced and makes the album feel like it’s the cast recording of a stage show. Really enjoyable. Meet Sir Dapp & the Paw Prints at 
For years we’ve enjoyed music from the Latin GRAMMY and Emmy Award-winning duo of Lucky Diaz and Alisha Gaddis. Now, after a decade of performing as Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band, they are reintroducing themselves to audiences as The Lucky Band. While their first album under this new moniker, Buenos Diaz, isn’t set to be released until April 5, The Lucky Band is giving fans a preview of their new bilingual music with the debut of videos for some of the tracks off the album.
