"I highly recommend this collaboration of three very talented and creative children's music artists. This project has already received a "10 Best Audio/Video Products for 2009" award from Dr. Toy and is included in the list of "100 Best Products for 2009" also from Dr. Toy.
"… and a Happy New Year" consists of mostly original songs around the themes of Christmas ("Christmas on the Block"), Hanukkah (an original version of "I Have a Little Dreidel") and the winter season ("Wintertime is Here").
There are a few traditional and popular holiday songs included. You have probably never heard "Frosty the Snowman" treated as a punk-rock song, but it works-and it rocks! My 13-year-old shouted from down the hall, "Play it again!" as soon as the track ended.
"A Pickle for My Christmas Tree" is a take-off of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and is quite fun. And the trio's version of "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch," gives the song a rock edge that scores. I laughed with delight as I heard the tale of "I'm Spending Hanukkah In Santa Monica" with all of the wonderful word play.
"… and a Happy New Year" is as fanciful as the first winter's snow, as rockin' as a fun-filled holiday party and as welcoming as a fresh batch of warm homemade holiday cookies."
- Fred Koch, Chicago Parent
_______________
“It’s a first for me having a holiday CD with a “Twelve Days of Christmas” –type song right next to the Hanukkah classic “I Have a Little Dreidel.” Then again, this project does involve Kevin Kammeraad, and if there’s one thing I know about Kammeraad, is to expect things to be different, but always highly entertaining.
…and a Happy New Year certainly fits that bill easily from it’s opening song “Starlight” to it’s title track, featuring Kammeraad, Yosi Levin, and Danny Adlerman humming, meowing, barking and much more to the melody. Kammeraad’s arrangement of “Frosty the Snowman” caused a lot of head bopping, and for the first time in a very long time, I didn’t fast forward “Deck the Halls.” Then again, I was still giggling over Adlrman’s wordplay in “I’m spending Hanukkah in Santa Monica.”
The excitement of the season is well captured in Levin and the Superdads’ “She Just Doesn’t Get it” about a young boy’s frustration over explaining Hanukkah traditions to his one-year-old sister as well as in that “Twelve Days of Christmas” version, “A Pickle for my Christmas Tree.” In the end, this CD is just plain fun, which is what the holidays should be.” A+++
- Joanne N. Bailey-Boorsma, On-The-Town Magazine
_______________
"Featuring the season's hardest-rocking tune, the trio's cover of "Frosty the Snowman," it's an interfaith collection worth exploring regardless of whether you light menorah or advent candles."
- Stefan Shepherd, Zooglobble.com
_______________
“Oh it’s here, yes it’s finally here/It’s the magical time of the year.” (“Two Sets of Footprints”)
The winter holidays might not actually be here yet, but they certainly are getting closer. It’s still maybe a little early to be thinking about holiday music maybe, but it was actually really refreshing to receive a holiday CD in enough time for me to listen to and review it before the winter holiday season arrives. Every year, I get holiday CDs mailed to me in November and December. And because I write my reviews months in advance of publication, I have never been able to review a new holiday CD in my October column. Until now.
…And a Happy New Year is not just any old winter holiday album—it’s a truly spectacular winter holiday album that is sure to be loved by all families. Award-winning children’s recording artists Danny Adlerman, Kevin Kammeraad, and Yosi have joined efforts to produce a sincerely fun and innovative CD certain to delight everyone in the family. Even the Grinches. Together, these three artists share their best holiday originals and their inventive remakes of traditional favorites. Some of these original songs should become holiday staples—they are just that good.
“Starlight” is the opening track and sets the wintry mood perfectly with the lyrics, “On this cool winter evening/Our town is blanketed with snow. I think of all the children looking up/And seeing starlight beaming. And see their faces all aglow.”
The remakes of “Frosty the Snowman” and “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” are for the head-banging type, and trust me when I say your kids will love them. You might be longing for the plain old original tunes, but Adlerman, Kammeraad, and Yosi have done a good job of maintaining them while adapting them to their rockin’ style.
Being a winter holiday CD means that the songs aren’t geared to just one holiday but to all the holidays that happen in the cold winter months, and families everywhere will find something special to relate to and enjoy.
- Charlotte Bohn, Baltimore's Child
_______________
"Each of these men has delivered great children's CD individually, but here they team up for a not-so-serious, multi-denominational holiday celebration. There's an interesting mix of rock-tinged originals and jokingly performed classics (like a version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" that starts off with a pickle and gets stranger from there). And Yosi tosses in a handful of Hanukkah songs as well. Not every track will light your Yule log, but some are flat-out fantastic, especially the kickin' punk version of "Frosty the Snowman" and a sped-up, electric rendition of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" -- which is apparently this year's favorite song to cover."
- Christopher Healy, Parent Dish
_______________
"Being a winter holiday CD means that the songs aren’t geared to just one holiday but to all the holidays that happen in the cold winter months, and families everywhere will find something special to relate to and enjoy"...and a Happy New Year is a collaboration of music presented by three very talented musicians. Danny Adlerman, Kevin Kammeraad & Yosi deliver festive HOLIDAY music that you can "ROCK OUT TO". The upbeat tempo to most of the songs brought out the LIFE in my kids and made us feel the excitement of this fun time of year."
- http://oneboredmommy.blogspot.com
_______________
"This is fun for the whole family, without patronizing the adult listeners."
- Scott Iwasaki, Music Editor, Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah
_______________
“...and a Happy New Year captures the festivus for the rest of us spirit in a most rockin’ holiday album! It’s the soundtrack to truly celebrating the whole season no matter what it means to you!”
- Mindy Thomas, Program Director, Sirius/XM’s Kids Place Live
_______________
"A superstar team of well-known kids’ recording artists have gathered to create a holiday album that fit several faiths. The collaborative “…and a Happy New Year” is a mix of original tunes, and remakes of classics. Chanukah-specific tunes include the Danny Adlerman-fronted remake of novelty tune “I’m Spending Hanukkah in Santa Monica,” a song Maia (reviewers daughter) instantly got a kick out of even if she didn’t understand the context. Adlerman also fronts “Tikkun Olam,” a song about “repairing the world” during the holiday season. “Yosi & the Superdads” do a unique (and much-needed) bluesy rock rework of “I Have A Little Dreidel.” There is even a future Chanukah kindie classic from Yosi, “She Just Doesn’t Get It,” a modern day tale about a “baby sister” who can’t quite figure out the holiday. This collaboration is another stellar effort from a team of musicians that know their demographic."
- Matthew Siden, Nugget Island.com
_______________
"...This collaboration gives "Frosty the Snowman" a driving punk rock beat that is so invigorating it wouldn't even offend devotees of the classic version. "She Just Doesn't Get It" is a playful song told from a child's view as he tries to teach a clueless little sister about Hanukkah tradition. And "A Pickle for my Christmas Tree," which gives "Twelve Days of Christmas" a set of crazy new lyrics, is sure to be a hit with kids. Who doesn't love a reference to "two stinky socks?"
- Times Union, Albany, NY
_______________
"As you phase out of the Christmas/Hanukkah season and on to a brand new year, you might enjoy having Adlerman, Yosi, and Kammeraad along to cheer you up and sing you into the next season. The music here is generally peppy and friendly, cheerful enough for a dreary winter day and produced crisply. The holiday songs include “Christmas on the Block,” Yosi’s version of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” and “Deck the Halls” - but once it’s time to un-deck those halls, you’ll enjoy “Wintertime is Here,” “Tikkun Olam,” and the title track, “...and a Happy New Year.”
- Northern Express, Traverse City, MI
"… and a Happy New Year" consists of mostly original songs around the themes of Christmas ("Christmas on the Block"), Hanukkah (an original version of "I Have a Little Dreidel") and the winter season ("Wintertime is Here").
There are a few traditional and popular holiday songs included. You have probably never heard "Frosty the Snowman" treated as a punk-rock song, but it works-and it rocks! My 13-year-old shouted from down the hall, "Play it again!" as soon as the track ended.
"A Pickle for My Christmas Tree" is a take-off of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and is quite fun. And the trio's version of "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch," gives the song a rock edge that scores. I laughed with delight as I heard the tale of "I'm Spending Hanukkah In Santa Monica" with all of the wonderful word play.
"… and a Happy New Year" is as fanciful as the first winter's snow, as rockin' as a fun-filled holiday party and as welcoming as a fresh batch of warm homemade holiday cookies."
- Fred Koch, Chicago Parent
_______________
“It’s a first for me having a holiday CD with a “Twelve Days of Christmas” –type song right next to the Hanukkah classic “I Have a Little Dreidel.” Then again, this project does involve Kevin Kammeraad, and if there’s one thing I know about Kammeraad, is to expect things to be different, but always highly entertaining.
…and a Happy New Year certainly fits that bill easily from it’s opening song “Starlight” to it’s title track, featuring Kammeraad, Yosi Levin, and Danny Adlerman humming, meowing, barking and much more to the melody. Kammeraad’s arrangement of “Frosty the Snowman” caused a lot of head bopping, and for the first time in a very long time, I didn’t fast forward “Deck the Halls.” Then again, I was still giggling over Adlrman’s wordplay in “I’m spending Hanukkah in Santa Monica.”
The excitement of the season is well captured in Levin and the Superdads’ “She Just Doesn’t Get it” about a young boy’s frustration over explaining Hanukkah traditions to his one-year-old sister as well as in that “Twelve Days of Christmas” version, “A Pickle for my Christmas Tree.” In the end, this CD is just plain fun, which is what the holidays should be.” A+++
- Joanne N. Bailey-Boorsma, On-The-Town Magazine
_______________
"Featuring the season's hardest-rocking tune, the trio's cover of "Frosty the Snowman," it's an interfaith collection worth exploring regardless of whether you light menorah or advent candles."
- Stefan Shepherd, Zooglobble.com
_______________
“Oh it’s here, yes it’s finally here/It’s the magical time of the year.” (“Two Sets of Footprints”)
The winter holidays might not actually be here yet, but they certainly are getting closer. It’s still maybe a little early to be thinking about holiday music maybe, but it was actually really refreshing to receive a holiday CD in enough time for me to listen to and review it before the winter holiday season arrives. Every year, I get holiday CDs mailed to me in November and December. And because I write my reviews months in advance of publication, I have never been able to review a new holiday CD in my October column. Until now.
…And a Happy New Year is not just any old winter holiday album—it’s a truly spectacular winter holiday album that is sure to be loved by all families. Award-winning children’s recording artists Danny Adlerman, Kevin Kammeraad, and Yosi have joined efforts to produce a sincerely fun and innovative CD certain to delight everyone in the family. Even the Grinches. Together, these three artists share their best holiday originals and their inventive remakes of traditional favorites. Some of these original songs should become holiday staples—they are just that good.
“Starlight” is the opening track and sets the wintry mood perfectly with the lyrics, “On this cool winter evening/Our town is blanketed with snow. I think of all the children looking up/And seeing starlight beaming. And see their faces all aglow.”
The remakes of “Frosty the Snowman” and “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” are for the head-banging type, and trust me when I say your kids will love them. You might be longing for the plain old original tunes, but Adlerman, Kammeraad, and Yosi have done a good job of maintaining them while adapting them to their rockin’ style.
Being a winter holiday CD means that the songs aren’t geared to just one holiday but to all the holidays that happen in the cold winter months, and families everywhere will find something special to relate to and enjoy.
- Charlotte Bohn, Baltimore's Child
_______________
"Each of these men has delivered great children's CD individually, but here they team up for a not-so-serious, multi-denominational holiday celebration. There's an interesting mix of rock-tinged originals and jokingly performed classics (like a version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" that starts off with a pickle and gets stranger from there). And Yosi tosses in a handful of Hanukkah songs as well. Not every track will light your Yule log, but some are flat-out fantastic, especially the kickin' punk version of "Frosty the Snowman" and a sped-up, electric rendition of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" -- which is apparently this year's favorite song to cover."
- Christopher Healy, Parent Dish
_______________
"Being a winter holiday CD means that the songs aren’t geared to just one holiday but to all the holidays that happen in the cold winter months, and families everywhere will find something special to relate to and enjoy"...and a Happy New Year is a collaboration of music presented by three very talented musicians. Danny Adlerman, Kevin Kammeraad & Yosi deliver festive HOLIDAY music that you can "ROCK OUT TO". The upbeat tempo to most of the songs brought out the LIFE in my kids and made us feel the excitement of this fun time of year."
- http://oneboredmommy.blogspot.com
_______________
"This is fun for the whole family, without patronizing the adult listeners."
- Scott Iwasaki, Music Editor, Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah
_______________
“...and a Happy New Year captures the festivus for the rest of us spirit in a most rockin’ holiday album! It’s the soundtrack to truly celebrating the whole season no matter what it means to you!”
- Mindy Thomas, Program Director, Sirius/XM’s Kids Place Live
_______________
"A superstar team of well-known kids’ recording artists have gathered to create a holiday album that fit several faiths. The collaborative “…and a Happy New Year” is a mix of original tunes, and remakes of classics. Chanukah-specific tunes include the Danny Adlerman-fronted remake of novelty tune “I’m Spending Hanukkah in Santa Monica,” a song Maia (reviewers daughter) instantly got a kick out of even if she didn’t understand the context. Adlerman also fronts “Tikkun Olam,” a song about “repairing the world” during the holiday season. “Yosi & the Superdads” do a unique (and much-needed) bluesy rock rework of “I Have A Little Dreidel.” There is even a future Chanukah kindie classic from Yosi, “She Just Doesn’t Get It,” a modern day tale about a “baby sister” who can’t quite figure out the holiday. This collaboration is another stellar effort from a team of musicians that know their demographic."
- Matthew Siden, Nugget Island.com
_______________
"...This collaboration gives "Frosty the Snowman" a driving punk rock beat that is so invigorating it wouldn't even offend devotees of the classic version. "She Just Doesn't Get It" is a playful song told from a child's view as he tries to teach a clueless little sister about Hanukkah tradition. And "A Pickle for my Christmas Tree," which gives "Twelve Days of Christmas" a set of crazy new lyrics, is sure to be a hit with kids. Who doesn't love a reference to "two stinky socks?"
- Times Union, Albany, NY
_______________
"As you phase out of the Christmas/Hanukkah season and on to a brand new year, you might enjoy having Adlerman, Yosi, and Kammeraad along to cheer you up and sing you into the next season. The music here is generally peppy and friendly, cheerful enough for a dreary winter day and produced crisply. The holiday songs include “Christmas on the Block,” Yosi’s version of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” and “Deck the Halls” - but once it’s time to un-deck those halls, you’ll enjoy “Wintertime is Here,” “Tikkun Olam,” and the title track, “...and a Happy New Year.”
- Northern Express, Traverse City, MI