The Board Of Education - 'The Board Of Education'

Seattle band Central Services rocks the kids' music world with their debut children's CD as The Board of Education.

The Board Of Education began as a side project of the Seattle band Central Services. Band leader Kevin Emerson, a former elementary school teacher and budding children's author, presented a few song ideas to his Central Services bandmates, and, voila! a kids' band was created.

Fans of Central Services will instantly recognize their powerpop sound on The Board Of Education, from the opening rock and roll anthem "Rise and Shine" to the jumpin' jive of the big band-influenced "8 is a Number."

Most of the tunes, in fact, are classroom-related without being boring. "Beverly the Village Misfit" spouts scientific facts to her unlistening home town to the sounds of glam rock-meets-Ben Folds Five, while "The Many Uses, and Dangers, of Commas" explores grammar via chunky guitar riffs. "Know Your Inventors" celebrates patent holders in general and William W. Averell specifically (oh, he invented asphalt pavement), and the loungy jazz of "Volcanoes and You" discusses volcanology.

The album ends with an absolutely precious bedtime song, having nothing at all to do with science or mathematics. In fact, Pixar would kill to have a tune as good "August Lullaby" on one of their soundtracks nowdays.

The Board Of Education is an impressive kids' debut from Central Services. Let's hope they release more albums full of superpop tunes for children as their alter ego The Board Of Education.

Released November 15, 2008; This Bodek Music