Raised in a Jewish household, holiday music was never a part of my life. So while some of my family and friends may feel waves of warm nostalgia when hearing Mariah Carey sing “All I Want for Christmas is You” for the 1,000th time, I am more likely to remember my high school mall job.
However, now that I am in an interfaith marriage, I have found a way to bring Christmas music into my life in a way that pleases all musical palettes and makes Christmas special for the little one.
- Kickin’ it ‘Kindie’ this season
Before Maia came into our life, I had fun with albums that remixed classic songs like Verve Remixed Christmas, Christmas Remixed and Merry Mixmas. I still play those with the little one, as she loves to bounce her head to a good beat. But as everyone in the house is also a kindie music lover, I was thrilled to get The Hipwaders’ A Kindie Christmas in my inbox.
This California-based trio released their first children’s music album in 2004 (“The Smile Project”) and quickly received a Parent’s Choice Award for it. Since then, they have followed up with two more albums and an EP, garnering airplay on XM Satellite Radio, a slot at the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago, and 2008 Children’s Music Web Awards. Since 2004, they have been performing the original songs heard on A Kindie Christmas, but finally put them out for public consumption with this release.
The album is sure to get parents on board right away with the brief intro track, “Santasploitation,” a throw back to Blaxploitation soundtrack songs of the 70s. The band then takes things a bit more seriously with the Santa-free mellow pop/rock tune, “There’s Too Much Good,” a refreshing tune celebrating the peaceful, giving nature of the holiday season. For those who prefer their kindie rock with a little more rock, follow up tune ‘Wintertime” continues the same theme but with a bluesy-rock edge.
Don’t worry, Santa hasn’t been left behind. “Santa’s Train” should be a Christmas classic, with its country-rock sound, catchy chorus and brief riff referencing that other, overdone Santa song. Another highlight is the jangle-pop tune “Wake Up,” a song that celebrates the early morning Christmas experience with family and friends. Check out the music video below.
This review would not be complete without mentioning the fun we had dancing around the kitchen to “Christmas Vicuna”, a Latin-flavored tune that tells the story of the year Rudolph had to be replaced by a South American vicuña (an alpaca-like animal). As you can tell, The Hipwaders are not afraid to mix humor and heart.
A Kindie Christmas is out now, so get it on iTunes ASAP before your advent calendar hits that last piece of chocolate. In our house, The Hipwaders’ Christmas effort will certainly be added to our annual iPod holiday mix.
