Mr. Oscat Says: Check out this great kids' CD!

As regular readers of this site know, we're always happy to get our hands on great childrens' music. We also happen to be living in a time when there seems to be a lot of really great music for kids. No exception to this is a CD we received a few weeks back called Mr. Oscat Says. Mr. Oscat Says is by the band Mr. Oscat, which is based down south in Bakersfield. The "band" is multi-talented musician Olen Taylor, of the "truck-stop pop" band The Wichitas, and his daughters Caitlin, 10, and Alison, 6.

The CD contains 11 tracks of catchy, roots-rock inspired songs that both children and adults are likely to dig. The favorite track in our house at this time is the super-catchy "Ducks in a Row." I defy anyone to listen to this song and not hum and sing it to themselves for several hours afterwards. Other songs on the disk include "The Monkey and the Engineer" and "All You Wanna Do Is Play." Bonus points are due to the fact that the CD was recorded and produced on an  iMac with Garageband! The songs themselves have great, innovative arrangements, and there's at least one kazoo solo, which my husband likes since it's the only instrument he really plays proficiently.

For more information about Mr. Oscat, to hear some song samples, and to buy their CD, visit www.mroscat.com. When they make it up to the Bay Area to perform, we'll make sure to let everyone know here. Meanwhile, check out this animation for "Ducks in a Row," courtesy of YouTube. Remember, I warned you that it's catchy...