Kimya Dawson

The trend of indie rockers making children's albums has given music-loving parents some relief lately from the hell that is commercial children's entertainment. With her ingenuous style and silly potty mouth, Kimya Dawson likely didn't find it much of a stretch to jump on that bandwagon. Alphabutt, a disc aimed at the preschool set, is a collection of short ditties packed with clever rhymes, fart jokes and sweet stories about Dawson's toddler daughter, Panda Delilah. The scruffy, off-kilter sound, anchored loosely by acoustic guitar, toy piano, kazoo and real live kids on backup vocals, isn't as ear grabbing as the more polished sound of most modern children's music but the subject matter is good for a few belly laughs from kids and immature parents alike. And the melodies and rhymes are catchy enough to reel in a four-year-old on the verge of a temper tantrum and hold him captive for a full 30 minutes. I freaking love this album.