WE'VE MOVED!
The HFVS has moved to Saturday mornings and expanding to a full-hour. Tune in to 103.3FM from 9-10am.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Friday, September 7, 2007
Summer Bike Riding Episode
Hilltown Family Variety Show
WXOJ LP - 103.3 FM
Northampton, MA
June 26th, 2007 @ 7pm
Summer Bike Riding Episode
Playlist
- Steve Weeks - “Hilltown Family Variety Show”
- John Painter - “Hoodwinked Theme (Surfer Version)”
- Gunnar Madsen - “Summertime is Here”
- Vince Guaraldi Trio - “Surfin’ Snoopy”
- Nat King Cole - “Lazy Days of Summer”
- Geoff Kaufman & Pete Seeger - “Haul, Make Her Go High”
- Billy Bragg & Wilco - “Birds and Ships”
- Montag - “Kiddo 2″
- Dog On Fleas - “Green Grass of Summer”
- Uncle Rock - “Rock Out!”
- Asylum Street Spankers - “Training Wheel Rag”
- Justin Roberts - “Taking Off My Training Wheels”
- Ernie & Neal - “Untitled”
listen now | subscribe to podcast | archived shows |
ROOT BEER
It’s officially summer! Our playlist includes several summer theme songs this week, including a favorite of ours we’ve been playing in the car since December, Nat King Cole’s “Lazy Days of Summer.” We replace the lyric “beer” with “root beer” which has led to a whole discovery of root beer in our house. I remember when I was a kid, we’d visit my relatives in Louisiana and my aunt would always make us root beer. I promised Persephone that we would brew root beer this summer. Hilltown Families contributing writer Tony(a) Lemos of Blazing Star Herbal School has posted a few recipes for brewing roots into tasty elixirs, including Root Beer. Click here to read more.
CLEARWATER MUSIC FESTIVAL
We went to the Clearwater Music Festival for Father’s Day weekend. We had a great adventure, running into friends I haven’t seen in years, listening to great music, surrounded by families and environmentally aware people. One of the first acts we saw was at the Song Circle tent where I met Maryellen Healy. She clued me in that the Cleawater Hudson River Sloop Singers (CHRSS) have released their 20th Anniversary Limited Edition CD, the third collection of songs the CHRSS has to offer. This week on HFVS we played a cut from their new CD (proceeds go to support the Sloop Clearwater and Sloop Woody Guthrie). “Haul, Make Her Go High,” is a catchy tune that celebrates the pride Pete Seeger and CHRSS have for the Sloop Clearwater. A sense of pride that is justified by the work the Clearwater and its crew members have accomplished over the many years. For more information on this fundraising project email Maryellen at mhealy@frontiernet.net.
BIKE RODEO
On Monday a Bike Rodeo was held at Sanderson Elementary School in Ashfield. Persephone brought her new pink Barbie bike she got from her second cousin. With her matching pink helmet, tassels and bell, she rode around with style through “Safety Town.” She learned to stop at stop signs, red lights and how to watch for obstacles. I learned how to properly put her helmet on and how to adjust her bike seat. If the kids didn’t have a proper helmet, Safe Kids of Western Mass provided free helmets.
The Ashfield Girl Scouts had a face painting table. Persephone had been swimming earlier at Ashfield Pond so she had zinc cream smeared on a scar from stitches she acquired this winter. One Girl Scout painting her face made the smudge into a cloud for a dragon to sit upon. She also got the Lucky Charm Special, a blue heart on one cheek and a yellow star on another (no green clover).
FEATURED ALBUMS (REVIEWED BY ZOOGLOBBLE)
- When I Get Little by Dog on Fleas
- Mommy Says No! by Asylum Street Spankers
- Plays Well With Others by Uncle Rock
- See You on the Moon by various artists
- Meltdown by Justin Roberts
FEATURED ALBUMS (NOT REVIEWED BY ZOOGLOBBLE)
- Hoodwinked by various artists
- Old Mr. Mackle Hackle by Gunnar Madsen
- Charlie Brown’s Holiday Hits by various artists
- The Greatest Hits of Nat King Cole
- Broad Old River by various artists
- Mermaid Avenue by Billy Bragg & Wilco
- Rock & Roll Band by Ernie & Neal
PAST EPISODES OF HFVS [Click to listen now]
Strawberry Episode [06/19/07] Cricket Episode [06/12/07] Blue(grass) Moon Episode [06/05/07] When I Grow Up I Want To Be A Superhero Episode [05/29/07] Fish Fry Episode [05/22/07] Cats & Dogs (Sharks & Eels) Episode [05/15/07] Click here for a few more
HEAR HERE: The Hilltown Family Variety Show can be heard on-air every Tuesday from 7-7:30pm on WXOJ LP, 103.3 FM, Valley Free Radio, out of Northampton, MA. SUGGEST A SONG: Post your feedback & music suggestions below, or email Sienna & Persephone at swildfield@juno.com.
SUBMIT AUDIO, VIDEO & LITERATURE: Mail a press kit & media to be reviewed to HFVS, P.O. Box 98, West Chesterfield, MA 01084.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Strawberry Episode on HFVS (June 19th, 2007)
Hilltown Family Variety Show
WXOJ LP - 103.3 FM
Northampton, MA
June 19th, 2007 @ 7pm
Strawberry Episode
Playlist
- Channels with Damon Locks - “Always Check For Holes”
- David Weinstone - “Big Boom Whacker”
- Milkshake - “Boom, Boom”
- Mr. David - “Yum”
- Ella Jenkins - “Hey Moo Ma Moo Ma Moo Ma Hey”
- The Beatles - “Strawberry Fields Forever”
- Michelle Shocked - “Strawberry Jam”
- Uncle Rock - “Medley: Magic Carpet Ride / Hey Bo Diddly”
- Nat King Cole Trio - “Kee-Mo Ky-Mo (The Magic Song)”
listen now | subscribe to podcast | archived shows
STRAWBERRIES
Destined to fall in love, two who share a strawberry.
Strawberries are loaded with nutrients and are rich in lore. Last year Waverly Fitzgerald, over at Living in Season, wrote a post on strawberries. It’s worth reading if you want to discover more about strawberries before heading out to pick them at one of the many pick-your-own farms in Western Mass.
A neat project to do with your kids is to have their grandmother share her favorite strawberry recipe with them. Take photos, video tape or make an audio tape and then submit it to What’s Cooking Grandma, our most recentlyreviewed web site.
There are a few strawberry cookery books available to borrow through the MA library system if you want to try your hand at making your own strawberry cooking tradition with your kids:
- Mad About Raspberries & Strawberries, by Jacqueline H’riteau (1984)
- Simply Strawberries, by Sara Pitzer (1985)
- Strawberries, by Pamela Allardice (1993)
- The Strawberry Connection: Strawberry Cookery With Flavour, Fact, And Folklore, compiled by Beatrice Ross Buszek (1984)
On June 30th is the Full Strawberry Moon. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, “This name was universal to every Algonquin tribe … because the relatively short season for harvesting strawberries comes each year during the month of June . . . so the full Moon that occurs during that month was christened for the strawberry!”
FEATURED ALBUMS (REVIEWED BY ZOOGLOBBLE)
- Play! - Various Artists (Channels with Damon Locks)
- Taxi - David Weinstone (Music for Aardvarks and Other Mammals)
- Bottle of Sunshine - Milkshake
- Plays Well With Others - Uncle Rock
FEATURED ALBUMS (NOT REVIEWED BY ZOOGLOBBLE)
- Mr. David’s First album - Mr. David
- Songs, Rhythms & Chants - Ella Jenkins
- Arkansas Traveler - Michelle Shocked
- Nicky’s Jazz For Kids - Various Artists (Nat King Cole Trio)
PAST EPISODES OF HFVS [Click to listen now]
- Cricket Episode [06/12/07]
- Blue(grass) Moon Episode [06/05/07]
- When I Grow Up I Want To Be A Superhero Episode [05/29/07]
- Fish Fry Episode [05/22/07]
- Cats & Dogs (Sharks & Eels) Episode [05/15/07]
- Click here for a few more
HEAR HERE: The Hilltown Family Variety Show can be heard on-air every Tuesday from 7-7:30pm on WXOJ LP, 103.3 FM, Valley Free Radio, out of Northampton, MA. SUGGEST A SONG: Post your feedback & music suggestions below, or email Sienna & Persephone at swildfield@juno.com.
SUBMIT AUDIO, VIDEO & LITERATURE: Mail a press kit & media to be reviewed to HFVS, P.O. Box 98, West Chesterfield, MA 01084.
Father’s Day Episode on HFVS (June 12th, 2007)
Hilltown Family Variety Show
WXOJ LP - 103.3 FM
Northampton, MA
June 12th, 2007 @ 7pm
Father’s Day Episode
Playlist
- Eric Herman - “Steve The Superhero”
- Yosi Levin - “Carmel Crunchies”
- Milkshake Music - “Fingers & Toes”
- Fats Waller - “Your Feet’s Too Big”
- The Ditty Bops - “You’re Head’s Too Big”
- Ginger Hendrix - “My Daddy Loves Tools”
- The Cornell Hurd Band - “Don’t Wipe Your Face With Your Shirt”
- Frances England - “Daddy-O”
- The Rhodes Tavern Troubadours - “Sherpa”
- Brady Rymer - “Dilly Dally Daisy (reprise)”
- Steve Weeks - “Cricket Little Cricket”
- Montag - “Kiddo 1″
- Elizabeth Street - “Cricket Songs”
- Montag - “Kiddo 3″
listen now | subscribe to podcast | archived shows
FATHER’S DAY
For years, pre-Persephone, Father’s Day meant one thing to me … Clearwater Music Festival! I’ve taken Persephone on a member’s sail on the Sloop Clearwater, but this will be her first festival, which has fallen on Father’s Day for as long as I can remember. A great way to celebrate Father’s Day!
The CMF began 35 years ago through the tireless efforts of environmental activist and folk singer Pete Seeger. It has grown into the country’s largest annual environmental celebration with music, dance and storytelling, education and activism, attracting as many as 15,000 people of all ages to the shores of the Hudson River.
Over 90 performers, singers, songwriters, musicians, bands and storytellers representing a diverse mix of traditional and contemporary American Roots music, dance and storytelling, from Blues to Rock, Bluegrass to Jazz, Funk to Folk, Swing, & Cajun, Square and Zydeco. Six stages powered with sustainable energy presenting top quality and purposeful music all weekend.
Some of the headliners include the Cowboy Junkies, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Bruce Cockburn. On the Family Stage this year is a great line-up of fine talent, several you’ve heard here on HFVS, including:
CRICKET LITTLE CRICKET
Our featured new music this week is a single by Steve Weeks, “Cricket Little Cricket”. It’s a sweet tribute to his daughter Molly (Cricket). Steve Weeks is a talented singer songwriter (and I’m sure a great dad too!). His accolades include Parents’ Choice Recommended Award Winner, APPA Honors Award Winner and International Songwriting Competition Finalist, among others.
The single is available as a free download on Steve’s website at www.steveweeksmusic.com. If you like what you hear, be sure to support this artist by purchasing one (or all) of his albums. (nudge, nudge)
We’ve asked Steve to write our Father’s Day post on Hilltown Families. Check back with us to share in Steve’s thoughts.
LOCAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
FEATURED ALBUMS (REVIEWED BY ZOOGLOBBLE)
- Snow Day - Eric Herman and the Invisible Band
- What’s Eatin’ Yosi? - Yosi Levin
- Macaroni Boy Eats at Chez Shooby Doo - Ginger Hendrix
- The Bottle Let Me Down: Songs for Bumpy Wagon Rides - Various Artists (The Cornell Hurd Band)
- Fascinating Creatures - Frances England
- Turn It Up Mommy! - The RTTs
- Every Day Is A Birthday - Brady Rymer
- Different - Elizabeth Street
FEATURED ALBUMS (NOT REVIEWED BY ZOOGLOBBLE)
- Happy Songs - Milkshake Music
- Nicky’s Jazz For Kids - Various Artists (Fats Waller)
HEAR HERE: The Hilltown Family Variety Show can be heard on-air every Tuesday from 7-7:30pm on WXOJ LP, 103.3 FM, Valley Free Radio, out of Northampton, MA. SUGGEST A SONG: Post your feedback & music suggestions below, or email Sienna & Persephone at swildfield@juno.com.
SUBMIT AUDIO, VIDEO & LITERATURE: Mail a press kit & media to be reviewed to HFVS, P.O. Box 98, West Chesterfield, MA 01084.
Blue (grass) Moon Episode on HFVS (June 5th, 2007)
Hilltown Family Variety Show
WXOJ LP - 103.3 FM
Northampton, MA
June 5th, 2007 @ 7pm
Blue (grass) Moon Episode
Playlist
- John Rauhouse - “Cartoon Chicken”*
- The Nields - “John, The Rabbit”
- John Rauhouse - “Camptown Races”*
- Kim Lenz - “Down On The Farm”*
- Devil In A Woodpile - “Funky Butt”*
- Great Lake Swimmers - “See You On The Moon”
- Cat Stevens - “Moonshadow”
- Bill Monroe - “Blue Moon of Kentucky”
- Tao Rodriguez-Seeger & Arlo Guthrie - ” A Little a’ This ‘n’ That”
- Arna Bontemps - “Bedbugs”
- Lori McKenna - “Fireflies”
listen now | subscribe to podcast | archived shows
THE BOTTLE LET ME DOWN
This past week Hilltown Families contributing writer Bill Childs posted the article, Music Compilations Worth The Bother. Bill offers a review of seven compilation albums, and later adds to his list here. Persephone saw the album image from The Bottle Let Me Down and liked it the best. As a consequence we’ve had to play in the car for at least a week now! It’s a good thing the album’s great! The title of the album appears as a tattoo on a babies arm, which led Persephone to whine for a tattoo too. We pulled out a tattoo of Gustafer Yellowgold’s head from the Brooklyn Hootenanny, and all was well.
FUNKY BUTT
We featured four cuts* from this album Persephone’s hijacked the car with, along with the title track by the Great Lake Swimmers from the album See You On The Moon, which is one of my fav sing-alongs. Two of the tracks were instrumentals, and if you’ve read our post Power Nap you know Persephone’s not a fan of music without lyrics. But the two instrumental songs we featured, “Cartoon Chicken” and “Camptown Races” were under her radar, mostly because they’re short, fun tunes, along with being wedged in between songs with fun lyrics and titles, like “Funky Butt” - She giggles severely whenever I mentioned that title.
BLUE MOON
There’s been much talk in our house this past week about the Blue Moon, so it only made sense to do a tribute with “Blue Moon of Kentucky” by Bill Monroe. Persephone likes to discover moon lore so I’ve tried to keep up with a moon lore series, which has featured a few books on moon lore. She particularly likes the book Thirteen Moons of Turtles Back. To properly explain to her what a Blue Moon is we’d have to present at least three different perspectives. However, short and easy explanations trump the more laborious ones, so we’ve told her, “The Blue Moon is the second full moon that occurs in a given month.” This of course faults us for furthering legends and lore, rather than facts, but who’s got time for the truth nowadays? (sarcasm)
LOCAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
- The Nields in Concert - June 10th @ Thornes Market in Northampton, MA
- Northampton Survival Center Fundraiser - June 10th @ the NSC in Northampton, MA
- The Deedle Deedle Dees in Concert - June 16th @ Artifacts in Florence, MA
- Gustafer Yellowgold in Concert - June 16th @ MassMoca in North Adams, MA
- Uncle Rock in Concert - July 28th @ Children’s Art Museum in Shelburne Falls, MA
FEATURED ALBUMS (REVIEWED BY ZOOGLOBBLE)
- The Bottle Let Me Down - Compilation
- All Together Singing in the Kitchen - The Nields
- See You On The Moon! - Compilation
- Smithsonian Folkways Children’s Music Collection - Compilation
FEATURED ALBUMS (NOT REVIEWED BY ZOOGLOBBLE)
- Seeds: The Songs of Pete Seeger - Compilation
- Pieces of Me - Lori McKenna
Click here to subscribe to Hilltown Families newsfeed.
HEAR HERE: The Hilltown Family Variety Show can be heard on-air every Tuesday from 7-7:30pm on WXOJ LP, 103.3 FM, Valley Free Radio, out of Northampton, MA. SUGGEST A SONG: Post your feedback & music suggestions below, or email Sienna & Persephone at swildfield@juno.com.
SUBMIT AUDIO, VIDEO & LITERATURE: Mail a press kit & media to be reviewed to HFVS, P.O. Box 98, West Chesterfield, MA 01084.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Hilltown Family Variety Show (May 29th, 2007)
Hilltown Family Variety Show
WXOJ LP - 103.3 FM
Northampton, MA
May 29th, 2007 @ 7pm
When I Grow Up I Wanna Be a Superhero Episode
Playlist
- Deedle Deedle Dees - “Deedle Deedle Dees Theme I”
- Dog On Fleas - “The Coo Coo”
- Pop Rockets - “Trucks!”
- Suzi Shelton off Park Slope Parents The Album - “One Day On The Porch”
- Asylum Street Spankers - “When I Grow Up”
- Michelle Shocked - “When I Grow Up”
- Mr. Richard - “The Please Don’t Tell Me You’re Gonna Wear That Superhero Costume Again Blues”
- Milkshake - Superhero
Music Compilations Worth The Bother
Music Compilations Worth The Bother
By Bill Childs, HF Contributing Writer
Pity the underachieving compilation CD.
To do so, you may find it helpful to first anthropomorphize the underachieving compilation CD – perhaps imagine it with arms, legs, and a little CD face. Done? Now, pity it. Well done.
You know the CD I’m talking about. You’re digging through the used bin and you come across it – a clever name, perhaps, and maybe a worthwhile beneficiary – say, the International Association to Reduce Moderate Irritability in Gym Teachers. You dig some of the artists, haven’t heard of others, and figure you might as well give it a try. You buy it, put it in the CD player, frown vaguely, and never listen again.
The problem with most compilation CDs is that they’re filled with leftover tracks, the ones that weren’t good enough to even be the filler tracks on the artists’ real albums, or else they’re throwaway covers of songs you didn’t like the first time around.
Happily, these flaws are not endemic in kids’ music compilations. Some, as you’ll see below, represent the only kid-appropriate tracks done by the artists, while others are somehow able to get artists to contribute killer non-leftover tracks. Check them out: Read the rest of this entry »
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