Hauntingly Fun New Halloween Music
How can it already be Halloween? Wasn’t it just summer vacation?? It must be that time of year though because the decorations are up, the costumes are planned, and the candy is waiting to be eaten (Ok, maybe it’s already being eaten. No one can resist when they’re bite size- take two!!) To celebrate, here is a sampling of new music that is out this Halloween. Are you brave enough to give it a listen???
Beware the fun that lurks inside the new Halloween-themed album, Tricks and Treats, from Matt Heaton. Featuring clever lyrics and classic Halloween music vibes, this seven track collection of original songs is sure to be a hit on every Halloween playlist. Children and adults alike will enjoy doing the groovy new dance called the “Zombie Shuffle” while those who prefer participating in a sing along will quickly catch on to “On Halloween Bay,” a Halloween-themed rendition of “Down By the Bay.” Additional songs feature popular items of the season like a spider and a pumpkin. Finally, listeners will enjoy the track “Sorting Candy,” a track about everyone’s favorite post trick-or-treating activity. This song which features Heaton and Miss Jessica, highlights many of the items that children acquire on Halloween night including different kinds of candy, stickers, a toothbrush and a glow-in-the-dark spider ring. Heaton’s new album is all treats, no tricks and perfect Halloween listening for all ages.
There are only four more days until Halloween. Do you have your costume ready? Check out DadJoke‘s song about what happened when he realized that the holiday was upon him but he hadn’t planned the most important thing…his costume! Watch “It’s Almost Halloween! (But I Never Got a Costume)” to see what happened.
Enjoy a Halloween tale of a different sort with “Witchy Little Sister,” the engaging animated short from fleaBITE featuring vocals by the amazing New Zealand performer, Janet Roddick . The melody and ambience of the song bring to mind Tim Burton but with a story that will be more of a delight than a fright. This is one video families will watch again and again.
Looking for a last minute addition to storytime or a classroom party for the younger set? Don’t miss the adorable “Halloween Wheels on the Bus” from the Itty Bitty Beats.
And finally, what would Halloween night be without a walk in the dark woods where all kinds of scary creatures may abound? Through stop-motion animation, Esther Crow illustrates the tale of the “Jumping Jack o’ Lanterns” and werewolves and spiders and witches, oh my. This tune is fun to enjoy both as a video or as an interactive movement song.
For even more Halloween music, check out these playlists from children’s performers Lucy Kalantari and Esther Crow!
This is the time of year when almost everywhere you go, Christmas music is playing. Whether it’s the grocery store, the gas station, or the laundromat, there’s a good chance that at any given time, at least one of them has Michael Bublé singing about the fact that it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Now, don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love Christmas music. From the loud and silly to the divine, I listen to it all. But not everyone celebrates Christmas and sometimes a song that celebrates the themes of the season without talking about the holiday itself is just what folks are looking for. And that is why I would like to introduce you to the newest song from Katie T.
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As New Zealand Music Month wraps up, I’d like to turn our attention to the southern hemisphere and the latest outing from Levity Beet. Levity Beet and the Aotearoa All Stars, the first album from Levity’s new label “Wildbeet Records,” is chock full of New Zealand notables and features collaborations with 12 different writers/performers/producers from New Zealand’s rich family music industry. Special guests include familiar names like Itty Bitty Beats, Music with Michal, and Claudia Robin Gunn as well as names that might be new to American audiences such as Suzy Cato, Craig Smith, fleaBITE, Kath Bee, Judy Cranston, Chris Sanders, Mr. Roberelli, MLO, and Loopy Tunes. 
