A feel-good CD, in every way

So I guess I should be posting something patriotic and wholly American today but you know, I'm not that sort of girl. Not that my daughter doesn't love a little USA call-out, she does, she definitely feels an affinity for her country and honestly, I'm unsure where this came from (pre-school?) Of course during the World Cup she loudly and proudly exclaimed she wanted USA to win, and when they failed fairly miserably, she quickly turned her attention to Italy because Daddy worked there when she was little and plus, she loves to go to Little Italy here in San Diego and eat gelato.

I'm gonna take another route and talk about something that I think is pretty patriotic in its own way: Down by The Riverside, a CD benefiting the Reuben Lindh Family Services. A CD the lovely Heather from I Am Fuel, You Are Friends pointed me to.

This Minneapolis-based non-profit fuels several pre-schools, parenting programs and therapy programs for children facing all sorts of barriers from the physical to the emotional (since 1969!) They in fact do a lot of "music therapy" classes there as well. And they have friends in many Minneapolis musicians.

The Jayhawks have a song, Mason Jennings has two (including "Mockinbird," with Amy Jennings, heard on the great radio show, Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child) and Semisonic have several in different formations (one as a band; a solo by Dan Wilson, another two with John Munson.) Chan Poling (of the old band the Suburbs and the new band the New Standards) is here, Adam Levy is here as is Robert Skoro (whose CD came out at the end of last year and I never picked it up, but it was nice, what I heard of it and I do dig his version of "Michael Row Your Boat Ashore.")

This CD is full of classic kid tunes, played close to the heart and simply, but without the plasticized layer of sugar that is most often found on children's comps. I'm not posting the other Mason Jennings tune or the Jawhawks song (even though I love it) because I want you to buy this one folks. And if you've got one of those active Paypal accounts from all that eBay-ing you do, it's a cinch and takes a minute and a few days later, bam, you have a nice CD in your box.


Mason Jennings, "Oh Susannah"
Robert Skoro, "Michael Row Your Boat Ashore"


Buy this here CD.

reubenlindh.org // newartistdirect.com