I do not have children (sorry mom). I have no excuse for listening to children's music, nor do I, usually. The songs I remember from my childhood, while sweet, are not songs I'd care to hear today (sorry Raffi). But the kids' music of Alex Volz and Scott Keil is different. Yes, it's for small fries. But it's also hilarious. And clever and catchy and soulful, with tracks spanning blues, funk and rock with some Irish brogue and talking tacos thrown in for good measure. Volz's music doesn't pander to kids—it doesn't assume they're idiots, it assumes they're curious and open-minded and ready to freakin' rock. Forget Mozart for babies—Volz's tune "The Awesomest Monster" is metal for babies. But it's also metal for me, a lady well-versed in Sabbath, Metallica and Megadeth. These songs are fun for both kids and adults because they're not written to dumb anything down (lyrically or musically)—they're written to be fun and candid, by a musician whose talent goes well beyond nursery-rhyming.
Sadly, Volz is moving to Tennessee at the end of the month. He's been playing a slew of shows leading up to his departure—of his more grown-up tunes, with other great local bands like Bluebird Bandits and Blackwater Jukebox—but this is still the one I'm most excited about. Maybe it's because I'm basically a seven-year old, but it's also because this music is funny and heartwarming, and there's something pretty spectacular about watching a tattooed drummer rap on Coke-can timpanis and pink frisbee cymbals while a rosy-cheeked beardo wails on guitar winning over every kid (er, human—and probably the dogs, too) in the room.
The (free!) show goes on at Stories in Echo Park at 7:30pm. If you have kids, bring 'em. But wee ones are not required to enjoy the evening, and no matter how old you are, it's the last chance you'll have to hear incredible little ditties like this one:
