Songs To Raise Your Kids To

Anybody who knows me knows that I’m passionate about music. It colours every aspect of my life, informs who I am and influences many of my life philosophies. So it only stands to reason that when it comes to parenting, I look to music to help me with the hardest job I will probably ever have, and definitely the one I have the most anxiety about screwing up.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who does it, but when it comes to teaching my daughter a life lesson, imparting guidance, expressing a directive or just making a point; both my husband and I have been known to look to Mick Jagger or Kenny Rogers to give us a hand. If you think that we shouldn’t be trusting something so important to Mick Jagger, you might be right, but it seems to be working so far. So here I share with you some of the most referenced songs in my household to help with parenting.

Moving Pictures’ ‘What About Me?’ (1982)

First recorded by Australian rock band, Moving Pictures for their album ‘Days of Innocence’, 'What About Me?' was the second highest selling single of 1982. It’s the perfect song for pointing out when your child is being selfish, and I’m sure it is regularly sung to children by their parents. I don’t seem to pull it out so much nowadays, but I did when my daughter was little, and it still remains a tried and true favourite. I usually belt this one out at the top of my lungs and throw in some wild gesticulations for an overly dramatic effect. My daughter used to hate it, which was a good indication that she got the message loud and clear.

Eric Carmen’s ‘All By Myself’ (1975)

Eric Carmen’s hugely successful power ballad was released in 1975 on his first solo LP after leaving the power pop group, The Raspberries. 'All By Myself' is another really good song to sing to little kids, especially when you can’t even get just a few minutes to yourself to go to the toilet. Although it wasn’t always effective (sometimes instead of leaving me alone, my daughter would cling to me tighter), much like ‘What About Me?’ it’s really fun to lay on the drama when you sing it. I also happen to think it’s a really beautiful song.

The Rolling Stones’ ‘You Can't Always Get What You Want’ (1969)

A classic hit from the Rolling Stones’ 1969 album ‘Let It Bleed’, 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' has been named the 100th greatest song of all time by ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine. It’s also, hands down, the best ‘no’ song ever. It’s a staple in our house. We usually start out singing it and end up playing it really loud on the stereo, while joyously dancing around the house. It’s great, because it can turn a potentially excruciating conversation into a super fun dance party! Most of the time, it’ll only serve as a momentary distraction from your kid’s initial ask. But if you can lighten the mood while upholding that ‘no,’ then your chances of avoiding a tearful and/or screaming episode greatly increase.

Kenny Rogers’ ‘The Gambler’ (1978)

Now, you might be thinking ‘hold on, isn’t 'The Gambler' a song about gambling?’ Well, yes it is, but not in my house. That’s the great thing about a good song; you can re-appropriate the meaning to fit your need. In my house, ‘you got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em...’ means recognise when you’re pushing something too far (like tickling, or roughhousing) and back off. Rogers’ 1978 hit, which he performed on ‘The Muppet Show’ in 1979 is so catchy it hurts, and even though my daughter will insist it is ‘lame,’ I’ve caught her singing it to herself more than once or twice.

Weezer's ‘Pork And Beans’ (2008)

'Pork And Beans' is my absolute favourite parenting song. Mathew Cullen, who directed the video for the song (which features a bunch of YouTube celebrities and internet memes) says it’s about ‘the idea of being yourself, of being happy with who you are.’ That’s the cornerstone of my life philosophy and I want it to resonate with my daughter too. Our family motto is ‘weird and proud!’ so I guess that makes ‘Pork and Beans’ our theme song. It’s a song to play loud and often, to remind you to fly your freak flag high.

Album Review: Songhoy Blues' 'Résistance'

2017
12 songs
Length: 44:59
Available to buy from Bandcamp

Songhoy Blues are a desert blues band from Timbuktu, Mali. Their second album ‘Résistance,’ which was released this year, is guitar-driven blues rock with elements of funk, jazz and psychedelic rock thrown into the mix.

Songhoy Blues comprises four members; Garba Touré, Aliou Touré, Oumar Touré and Nathanael Dembélé. The band was formed in Mali’s capital city of Bamako after guitarists Garba and Oumar, and singer Aliou (no relation) were exiled from their home in northern Mali by the jihadist group ‘Ansar Dine,’ who took control of the region and outlawed cigarettes, alcohol and music. Garba, Aliou and Oumar identify as Songhoy people, a West African ethnic group that was once-prominent, but is now marginalized by Islamist militias who’ve imposed an incredibly strict reading of Sharia rule. The band’s name is a hybrid of their ethnicity and the style of music (desert blues) they play.

Songhoy Blues are heavily influenced by western styles of music and name Jimi Hendrix, John Lee Hooker and BB King among their inspirations. The band also worked with Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ guitarist Nick Zinner on their 2015 debut album ‘Music in Exile.’

‘Résistance’ could be described as a ‘world music’ album, and the tracks ‘Ici Bas’ and ‘Badji’ certainly have world folk music appeal. But to label it ‘world music’ would be dismissive of it’s retro, psychedelic rock/funk essence and the myriad of other styles the band dabble in.

The album’s opening track ‘Voter’ is quintessential psychedelic rock, charged with whimsical, extended guitar solos. ‘Bamako’ is a beautiful acid jazz/ psychedelic rock hybrid, with an uber-funky bassline reminiscent of George Clinton’s Funkadelic. ‘Sahara,’ incorporates a bluesy swagger with some English lyrics that add an almost post-punk feel. ‘Sahara’ is one of the few tracks on the album on which English is heard; ‘Mali Nord,’ is another that includes English in the form of a rap, telling of the band’s longing to return to a home they have been banished from.

Songhoy Blues are as diverse in their use of sounds and instruments as they are in their exploration of styles. ‘Yersi Yadda’ shifts between synths and brass, and Santana style rhythm guitar. The lovely folk sounding ‘Hometown’ pairs banjo with strings. ‘Dabari’ is driven by a steady guitar rhythm, interspersed with chanting and some well placed crescendos.

Songhoy Blues effortlessly blend psychedelic rock, funk, jazz, blues and folk on ‘Résistance’ to create a groovy, smooth sounding album with some intricate guitar work and an old school sound. It’s a fantastic album from a very promising band.

The Influence of Science Fiction In Popular Music

Science fiction has long been influential in popular music. Experiencing a ‘Golden Age’ in the 1940’s and 1950’s, science fiction appealed to society’s changing attitudes towards technology, space and the Earth’s place within it. Science fiction film was flourishing, and with the advent of television, it was making a name for itself within mainstream popular culture. It was only a matter of time before science fiction would begin to infiltrate mainstream popular music in the late 1950’s, coinciding with the beginning of the great space race.

The 1940’s and 1950’s saw a sub-genre of pop music now referred to as ‘atomic platters’, which was influenced by the atomic bomb, concerns of an imminent World War Three, and flying saucers. ‘Atomic platters’ was kitschy and short lived, but undoubtedly influenced Sheb Wooley’s 1958 novelty hit ‘Purple People Eater,’ a cheesy tune about a one-eyed, one-horned, flying alien that eats purple people. Love and relationships was standard subject matter for popular music of the time, but ‘Purple People Eater’ is characteristic of the bug-eyed monster space-invader science-fiction craze of 1950’s America.

Things started to ramp up in the 1960’s when psychedelic rock was born. Influenced by psychedelic culture and mind altering drugs such as LSD, psychedelic rock incorporated electronic sound effects, feedback, wah wah and extreme reverb to produce some space age sounds. It was perfectly suited to subsume science fiction. Folk rock band,The Byrds, who were influential in originating psychedelic rock, released ‘Mr Spaceman’ in 1966 and ‘Space Odyssey’ in 1968, which speak of a clear yearning for contact with alien life. Pink Floyd’s ‘Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun’ released in 1968, uses space travel as a metaphor for an acid trip.

Then in 1969, the same year of the first moon landing, David Bowie released the album ‘Space Oddity,’ of which the title track would become one of four of his songs to be included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. ‘Space Oddity,’ with its main character Major Tom, is also one of the most distinctly science fiction songs in rock music. The video clip for ‘Space Oddity,’ bears many similarities to Stanley Kubrik’s 1968 film ‘2001: A Space Odyssey,’ which incidentally was based on the 1951 short story, ‘The Sentinel,’ by British science fiction writer, Arthur C. Clarke.

Bowie’s fascination with science fiction didn’t stop there though. Science fiction was a major influence on much of Bowie’s work. The hugely successful 1972 concept album ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’ centres around the theme of extraterrestrial life. 1974’s ‘Diamond Dogs,’ was heavily influenced by George Orwell’s science fiction classic, ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’. Major Tom also resurfaces in 1980 on ‘Ashes to Ashes’ and again in 1995 on ‘Hallo Spaceboy.’ Much has been written about Bowie’s work and it’s numerous connections to science fiction. As one of the most influential artists in rock history, I think it’s safe to say that David Bowie has played a huge part in making science fiction cool.

Afro-futurism is another significant example of the merging of science fiction and popular music. Stemming from African-American science fiction, Afro-futurism explores the African-American experience through literature, music and art. Author of ‘The World of Black Science Fiction and Fantasy Culture,’ Ytasha L. Womack explains; ‘Afrofuturism bridges so many aspects of our culture, from African mythology, art and hip-hop to politics, comic books and science. The name serves as an anchor from which we can build ideas and expanding our minds.’

Although the term Afro-futurism was not conceived of until 1993, the Afro-futurist approach to music began with American jazz composer Sun Ra as early as the 1950’s. Sun Ra, a pioneer of Afro-futurism, was known for his experimental jazz style and persona as a peace loving alien from Saturn. Ra led the musical collective, ‘The Arkestra,’ from the mid-1950’s until his death in 1993. ‘The Arkestra’ would often perform dressed in futuristic costumes inspired by ancient Egyptian attire and the space age.

Other well known Afro-futurist pioneers were George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. The collective began in the late 1950’s as a doo-wop group, but really came into prominence in the 1970’s as a funk and soul collective, and were incredibly influential throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s. Parliament Funkadelic were the originators of ‘P-Funk,’ (short for ‘pure funk’ and featuring ‘Afronauts, capable of funkitizing galaxies’ explains George Clinton) and they constructed a science fiction universe concerned with the black American experience. ‘Mothership Connection’ released in 1975, envisions a space-age setting in which black characters are the primary protagonists and cultural arbiters of the future. The black American experience of racism was explored in space-age, science fiction settings, particularly through clashes with alien races.

Since the early days, there have been many great musicians who have expanded Afro-futurism, such as hip hop pioneer and champion of social justice, Afrika Bambaataa, prolific R&B artist, Erykah Badu, psychedelic soul queen, Janelle Monáe, and funk/rock/jazz sensation, Esperanza Spalding.

Of course, science fiction has imbued the human psyche so completely that one doesn’t have to reach very far to hear it’s influence, and here I’ve only just scratched the surface. Not only in psychedelic rock or Afro-futurism; the influence of science fiction can now be heard everywhere. In the work of stadium rock band Queen (Flash Gordon and Highlander), alternative rock band, Radiohead (‘OK Computer’ with it’s numerous references to ‘The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy’), industrial music pioneer, Gary Numan (his 1979 concept album ‘Replicas,’ which is heavily influenced by the works of J.G. Ballard, William S. Burroughs, and Philip K. Dick), The Beastie Boys (Intergalactic), any number of Muse songs; the list goes on and on.

Much has been written about science fiction in music, and you can find lots of articles on the internet listing artists, songs and albums of all genres. So, if you always thought that science fiction wasn’t your thing, maybe now is the time to rethink that notion.