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Dog On Fleas - Beautiful World

Dog On Fleas' Beautiful World Continues Their String of Hit Albums

About.com Rating 5

By , About.com Guide

Kids MusicCourtesy Dog On Fleas
Dog On Fleas' Beautiful World is their fifth album for kids, and the band just keeps getting better and better. Their mix of Moogs, musical saws, and witty, cosmic lyrics make the tunes on Beautiful World some of the best kids' music of 2009.

The Band

The members of Hudson Valley's Dog On Fleas have been playing together for ten years now, which explains the tight performances and songwriting skills on Beautiful World. They're joined this time around by fellow kids' music stars Frances England and Uncle Rock (Robert Burke Warren), as well as a cast of local singers and musicians like vocalist Lorette Velvette and saxman/flautist Otto Kentrol.

The Music

Dog On Fleas' Beautiful World is faintly painted with brushes of electronica while keeping the band's trademark warm, organic, rock ensemble sound. Check out the title track's 6/4 - 4/4 rolling rhythm, the insistent bass of the head bobbin' "Do You Wanna Know My New Dance Step?" the absolutely precious and simple "Beach Song," and the Ben Folds Five-like "Crawl to Your Mother."

Other standout tracks include the impossible-to-sit-still Moog synthesizer/New Orleans drumline rowdiness of "Unbirthday," the good vibes of the food-filled "Sittin' in the Field," the pretty pop of the wordy "Birds of a Feather," and the world-wide hug of the tender "Babies," a tune that would fit right in on head Dog Dean Jones' solo album Napper's Delight.

Dog On Fleas populate their tunes with playful, cosmic, witty lyrics, another aspect that makes them a unique entity in kids' music. Who else would include on the same album lines like 'Lima Bean's lookin' in a full length mirror / Singin' Rod Stewart so the whole town can hear her' on "Lima Bean," and 'God goes clamming and brings up a pearl,' on "Beautiful World."

Change and Growth

A major reason for Dog On Fleas' artistic success is their willingness to change and grow as a band. From 2003's lo-fi front porch party Cranberry Sauce Flotilla, to 2006's pop/world/rock grab bag When I Get Little, to the electronic whispers on 2008's Beautiful World, Dog On Fleas continue to explore the musical possibilities in the arena of kids' music. Explore the Beautiful World of Dog On Fleas, where you'll find some of the best kids' music of 2009.

Released November 22, 2008; Dog On Fleas Records

Track Listing

  1. "Beautiful World"
  2. "Star Tonight"
  3. "Do You Wanna Know My New Dance Step?"
  4. "Water Planet"
  5. "Beach Song"
  6. "Dumpling"
  7. "Lima Bean"
  8. "Crawl to Your Mother"
  9. "Where Would You Fly?"
  10. "I Love Your Accent"
  11. "Unbirthday"
  12. "Sittin' in the Field"
  13. "Balloon Man"
  14. "Birds of a Feather"
  15. "Babies"
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