Ska for my girls?

October 16, 2007 2:12 PM

I'm making a compilation CD for my little girls (ages six and three) and I'm looking for happy stuff with female vocalists that has the same sort of vibe as Manu Chao's bongo bong, and/or Sublime's happier stuff, but that is appropriate for, you know, little kids.

Thanks for any suggestions! I guess I'm looking for kid-friendly Ska with toasting by female vocalists.

posted by craniac to media & arts (30 comments total)

kid-friendly Ska with toasting by female vocalists = No Doubt.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 2:22 PM on October 16, 2007

From Hey Baby (which sounds close to what I'm looking for)

When you rock your hips you know that it amaze me
Got me off the hook and nothing else don't phase me
Can you be my one and only sunshine lady
If no, no maybe, Hey Baby

[Gwen]
I'm just sippin on chamomile
Watching boys and girls and their sex appeal
With a stranger in the face who says he knows my mom
And went to my high school

Were my daughters to sing this in the presence of my spouse would result in the forcible removal of my manly parts with vice grips.
posted by craniac at 2:29 PM on October 16, 2007

edit: itwould result in the forcible removal of my manly parts with vice grips.
posted by craniac at 2:36 PM on October 16, 2007

What about Shonen Knife? They are fun, write songs about Barbie and a sad buffalo, and they are suuuuper cute.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 2:37 PM on October 16, 2007

It's not ska, but it sounds like you'd like The Bottle Let Me Down.
posted by felix betachat at 2:41 PM on October 16, 2007

Letters to Cleo/Kay Hanley's got the vibe you're looking for in general.

Kay did a series of songs for a show aimed at preschoolers a while back - lyrics are here

http://www.actionext.com/names_l/letters_to_cleo_lyrics/girls_rule_boys_drool.html

She also sings the theme song to My Friends Tigger and Pooh which is a fun song also.
posted by mazienh at 2:41 PM on October 16, 2007

Old No Doubt was less trashy, if I remember right.

Save Ferris and Dance Hall Crashers are two fun girl-fronted ska bands that come to mind. You'll have to lyric-check everything, cuz I forget most of their songs.

Man, I can't wait to go home and listen to them now.

If you want to move past ska, check out Eisley (sometimes sad, but always very very pretty) and Tilly and the Wall (maybe too adult, but killer rhythms).
posted by Plug Dub In at 2:45 PM on October 16, 2007 [1 favorite]

There is a female choir version of clandestino, if you like that song and want to work the... girl power angle.
posted by phrontist at 2:48 PM on October 16, 2007 [2 favorites]

girl power angle.

Heh. Well put.
posted by craniac at 2:51 PM on October 16, 2007

Althea & Donna: Uptown Top Ranking
Joya Landis: Kansas City
The Soul Sisters: Wreck A Buddy (reggae version of Little Drummer Boy, but about the perils of relationships rather than diminutive percussionists. Don't think it's rude, but hard to tell really)
The Reggae Girls: Rescue Me
Judy Mowatt: I Shall Sing
Paulette Williams: My Island

Also: not ska, but Eydie Gormé's The Coffee Song is wonderful for kids and adults alike. There's an awful lot of coffee in Brazil.
posted by nylon at 3:05 PM on October 16, 2007

Old school No Doubt is fun and way more appropriate... especially check out some songs from their self-titled album, like maybe Brand New Day or A Little Something Refreshing (which, by the way, is completely awesome, so let me just say:

Yeah
I'm hungry

I want some food for my tummy
I want some
Pizza coke and ice cream
Popcorn cotton candy
Marshmallows milkshake and peanuts
Would be so great

Pies chips candy apples
Twinkies frosted flakes
Donuts french fries
And some chocolate cake with mustard

Cookies avocados pancakes
Pineapple juice
Whipped cream on some raw meat
That's not all i could eat

I'm hungry
I'm starving
I want some food for my tum...
I want some
Honey roasted walnuts
Pepperoni slices
Pasta and burritos
Different kinds of rices
Cherries dipped in chocolate
Cottage cheese and jelly
Colonel sander's chicken
Still won't fill my belly

Broccoli sticky syrup
Churros dipped in sauce
Drippy sloppy joes
Then i'm full at last
Ahhh ahhh
I'm full at last
Burp.


you have to listen to it and then it will be stuck in your head forever).
posted by logic vs love at 3:40 PM on October 16, 2007

smoosh

dance hall crashers

mates of state

the blow
posted by white light at 4:16 PM on October 16, 2007

Skankin' Pickle?
posted by Reggie Digest at 4:19 PM on October 16, 2007

Puffy Amiyumi did the theme to Teen Titans and had their own show on Cartoon Network called Hi Hi Puffy Amiyumi. They sing in Japanese and English. Indie-rock, ska, disco, it's all in there.

Some tracks:
Boogie Woogie #5 / Hi Hi / Planet Tokyo / Sunrise.
posted by beaucoupkevin at 4:21 PM on October 16, 2007

Man, I was gonna say Puffy Amiyumi.

Try Mrs. Tanaka also. Traffic Tune is pretty much enjoyed by all the rugrats I know.
posted by M Edward at 5:33 PM on October 16, 2007

Not female vocals, but you might check out Five Iron Frenzy.
posted by jpdoane at 5:50 PM on October 16, 2007

Cibo Mato
posted by Eringatang at 5:59 PM on October 16, 2007

Not ska, but...how about Aqua? or Abba? To get a feel for No Doubt, check out the album "Tragic Kingdom."
posted by lhall at 6:07 PM on October 16, 2007

Also, check out putumayo. They have great compilations and "Bongo bong" actually came to be known as a kid's song from this album.

Nthing old lyric-checked No Doubt.
posted by fermezporte at 6:27 PM on October 16, 2007

Oh! Or Madness! I'm not sure of all of there stuff, but "One step beyond" has totally kid-friendly lyrics and and great beat.
posted by fermezporte at 6:34 PM on October 16, 2007

I'll second Shonen Knife, but I've always wondered whether their songs were somehow metaphors for something dark and deep, and I'm just too stupid to really understand anything but the surface meaning.

A friend once described them as "the Katamari Damacy of music."
posted by Kadin2048 at 7:34 PM on October 16, 2007

maybe regina spektor's on the radio?
no off-colour lyrics.
posted by twistofrhyme at 8:39 PM on October 16, 2007 [1 favorite]

As a grown person, I can't understand what M.I.A.'s saying most of the time; I think your girls are probably safe.

I'd also just look into general music that isn't in English, actually; it skirts the lyrics issue nicely. I like a lot of Brazilian favela funk.
posted by crinklebat at 8:52 PM on October 16, 2007

not necessarily ska, but Greasy Kids Stuff is my nephews favorite radio show. GOOD music that adults actually enjoy....
posted by furnace.heart at 10:26 PM on October 16, 2007 [1 favorite]

Do the songs have to be ska, or current... or even cool? There's a whole ton of '80s pop with female vocalists that's happy and kid-appropriate, if you're willing to include that genre in the mix.

Other than that, I agree with Letters to Cleo, Save Ferris, Shonen Knife, and the Putumayo mixes.

I'd also suggest Freezepop - they're synthy, not ska, but they're so fun and catchy, and quite a few of their songs are kid friendly (check out "Science Genius Girl" and "Here Comes a Special Boy").
posted by Metroid Baby at 10:57 PM on October 16, 2007

Wow, lots of great suggestions. Sorry I was out of the blue for a while and just got back. I will work through these great looking suggestions, thank you very much!

I also found a copy of Carol King's "Really Rosie" at our local library. It meets none of my earlier criteria but it's awesome nevertheless.
posted by craniac at 11:55 PM on October 16, 2007

Feist: Mushaboom
It's fun, light, and she has a beautiful voice.
posted by like_neon at 1:17 AM on October 17, 2007

The Selecter was the first group that popped into my mind.
posted by drezdn at 8:04 AM on October 17, 2007

The Selecter (working link)
posted by craniac at 8:21 PM on October 17, 2007

Bitch and Animal - 33 Zen Lane

Very cute song. Just don't tell the kids who is singing it. It's really upbeat and fun.
posted by nursegracer at 6:34 AM on October 18, 2007