Kidzapalooza (by Various Artists, Children's Music)

You might recall the Lollapalooza concert festivals from years past. Well, they're still rocking on and have recently added a family-friendly segment to the line-up for all those grunge-addicts-turned-parents. To celebrate the Kidzapalooza portion of the festival, the organizers, including Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Ferrell have created an album full of some of the best performers from the past few years. You'll find the punk rock mamas The Candy Band, Lisa Loeb, and Jack Johnson bandmate Zach Gill. This is only volume one, so expect more rockin' tracks in the future.

How cool is it to find a song ("Back in the Day") that pays homage to '80's sneakers? "I had a pair of Kangaroos, not the animals, but the tennis shoes, kept my lunch money on a pocket on the side, I was convinced the shoes made me jump high." Besides this Zach Gill blast from the past, there's also a ton of foot thumpin' and dance-inspiring songs that should get the whole family off the couch. The Candy Band rocks the traditional "Skip to My Lou" and Lunch Money offers a super silly groove with a "Cookie as Big as My Head." But there are some softer songs to balance out the kinetic beats, like Frances England's "Spring Has Sprung" which sweetly blossoms and the eternally relevant "Fool's Will Try." Kudos to Secret Agent 23, for a slamming hip-hop that's smart and slick at the same time. Overall this album manages to combine some of the most talented and varied children's artists of today into one cohesive album.