Who needs Kids music when you've got Jonathan Richman? Often called the Brain-Dead Bruce Springsteen, JR is something Mom, Dad and The Boy enjoy. That and The Ramones.

Doodlebops and Wiggles will never know the warm embrace of my CD player's laser if I have anything to do with it.

I was given the Metallica disc and both me and my then 16 month old dug it - or at least he slept to it. Picked up the Tool disc and I like it more but I don't think it is as good for lullabies. More complex melodies that I he'd rather listen & dance around to than fall asleep to.

For others who like these, any favorites (besides the radiohead one)?

I'm not a fan. I'd much rather have the real thing. I previewed a couple of the lullabies on itunes and they were too tinny for my tastes.

I find that Ben Folds "Lullaby" will put many a child to sleep. That and KD Lang's cover of Hallelujah. Oh and a couple of Ray Charles songs too.

My husband swears that the Ben Folds' song will put any child to sleep. He use to volunteer a lot at my sons' school and at nap time he could get the wound up kids down easy.

I bought the Metallica and the Eagles discs for the padawan gamer and he likes them both, but really digs the Metallica. I highly recommend both of them.

okay, i just gotta plug the new desoto records kid's comp PLAY coming out next week. songs the whole family can enjoy! yes, even music-snob moms and dads will like it. truly!

oh, and if you're in the DC area, we are having a special CD release Rock-n-Romp show next weekend. it's going to kick ass!

I have to introduce kids music to stop my 2 year old demanding the "woo woo song" (K.T. Tunstall's Black Horse & a Cherry Tree). I have, however, found albums that I can stand to listen to. May I recommend "Daddy-O Daddy! Rare Family Songs of Woody Guthrie" featuring Billy Bragg and Taj Mahal amongst others. And if world music is acceptable to alternadads, I happened upon "Gift Of The Tortoise: A Musical Journey Through Southern Africa." with Ladysmith Black Mambazo

I can't wait to check out that Woodie Guthrie album...we have not bought any music w/the kids in mind in a while (they're now officially School-Aged, maybe that's why). But their early years (and now) are filled w/the sounds of NRBQ (who have a terrific kids' album called "You're Nice People, You Are") and Los Lobos ("Papa's Dream"), Buckwheat Zydeco and Ben Folds and They Might Be Giants and many more.

Once they get just a bit older (daughter is turning 9) it's another whole round of trying to find good alternatives, because the Purple Reptile becomes Hilary Duff and that's a whole new level of cheesy. Ehhhh.

I've been lucky, my 3 year old doesn't every want to listen to "kid music" outside of whatever they do on TV.

Just yesterday he asked me if the music in the car was "rocking roll", which it was. I turned it down, thinking that was his desire, and he freaked out and yelled, "rocking roll is supposed to be loud." I turned it back up.

Re: Goofy Greats. "Purple People Eater" is a truly great song. "I wanna be a singer in a rock and roll band." Bless my soul!

My kid is still too young to get lyrics, so we were rocking out the Pogues' Red Roses for Me this weekend. Probably not extremely appropriate for a 4-month-old to hear songs with at least one f-word in every verse, but he really seemed to enjoy it when we clapped his feet together every time Spider bangs the beer tray on his noggin...

Thanks for the reminder on Goofy Greats- I loved those songs when I was a kid! My kids enjoy Ralph Covert/Ralph's World and Dan Zanes, both former rockers turned kids' muscians. We like Pete Seeger, too.

When is the book coming out about the WIVES of Alternadads? I want to know about the others like Regina and myself who find guitar picks in the lint screen of the dryer, in various cups around the house, and in the butter. I want to know about the other women who have kid-duty while their Alternadad/Alternahusband are off playing music. I want to find out what they do on those nights, with the kids, and even on the nights when the man is home - is he available? or is he in the office learning a new song? When is that book coming out? Huh?

Ha! Jennifer, good point! I wanna read that book, too. Only, we wives don't have time to write it.

Yes, Regina, you are SUCH the rock-n-roll widow.

BASEBALL, BASKETBALL, & INTERNET widow, baby. (And any combination of those things, i.e. fantasy baseball)

I've had my time of rock-n-roll widow and literary widow. There's always another tour...

i listened to those woody guthrie songs when i was a kid!! not recorded by anyone cool, though, just a pair of folk singers whose names i can't remember. i still have the old vinyl, if only i can figure out how to hook up the record player.

my kid was still going to sleep at age 8 to "Daddy Sings Goodnight" on http://www.sugarhillrecords.com/. "The Bottle Let Me Down" on http://www.bloodshotrecords.com/ also gets several friends' okay.

My faves are the Coldplay and No Doubt Rockabyes. =) I'm giving it to my sister for her baby on the way.