When you live in the suburbs like we do, unfortunately you spend a lot of time in the car.
Admittedly, our kids watch a lot of TV shows and movies from the back seat’s entertainment screens. I try, however, to balance this with music time. Turning off the screens and singing at the top of our lungs – plus the requisite car dancing that has you shimmying, wiggling from the hips up and generally looking like an eight year old caught in a 30-something body – is an important part of making memories.
You know from my reviews of Squishy Banana and W is for Waipiti, and when I introduced you to Marcie Joy and her free music download, that we’re critical fans of kids’ music in this house. Some of it’s fantastic; some of it makes me want to put razor blades in my ear drums.
The Space Chums sent us a CD, “Blast Off,” to review and it officially went into music rotation at our house immediately following the holidays. Timely note: the band is playing at The Gladstone (in Toronto) on Family Day, Feb. 18, at 12 noon.
THE GOOD
The Space Chums are basically Sharon, Lois and Bram – on meth. With names like Disco-Cosmonaut Nickolai, Space Ninja Linda, Galacto-Fashionista Gussy and Bleep Bloop (their robot drummer), you know you’re going to get super-high energy.
Add to that catchy melodies and you’ve got the recipe for songs that will make your kids want to dance. You really can’t help it during some songs.
One song in particular (Beeble Bop) is so good that Miss Q shouts out “Wiggles!” every time it comes on. The Wiggles are hands-down one of her favourite “bands.” We dance and giggle like crazy when this song comes on. Even The K Man gets a kick out of it, and he doesn’t often admit to enjoying the things his baby sister is fond of.
There are some great lyrics on the Blast Off CD, particularly the rhyming sequences that have Nickolai playing the Word Wizard, who could probably find something to rhyme with orange. He manages to do wonders with “pulled pork” and “space station.”
The CD comes with stickers. Honestly, what kid doesn’t love stickers?!
I know this is going to sound crazy, so stay with me. You get to choose how much you want to pay for the digital album when you buy it directly from the Space Chums’ website. Seriously. You name your price and then you pay. And then the MP3 files are all yours. Kind of awesome, right?
THE GAFFE
They are, most definitely, the Space Chums – and I know this because at least half of the songs tell me so. Over and over again. It gets to be a bit much for me, but The K Man and Miss Q don’t seem to care.
Nickolai’s accent is unstable. At times he sounds like The Count from Sesame Street, which is appropriate since I picture him as something out of the Russian space program. But at other times – sometimes in the same song – he croons like Barry White. Maybe it’s intentional, but I’m confused by it.
THE GEARS
4.5/5
So…where can you buy it?
CONTEST
Win a Space Chums prize pack (meth not included), consisting of the Blast Off CD and a fun kid-sized T-shirt. Enter here!
Rhonda w G. says
Sounds fun and yes, kids always like stickers!
Rhonda w G. says
Sounds fun and yes, kids always like stickers!
Julie G. says
This would be perfect for my granddaughter, thanks for the giveaway.
Julie G. says
This would be perfect for my granddaughter, thanks for the giveaway.
Sandra says
My kids love music and we usually listen to the radio. But this CD may be good when the ride is a bit much for them and they start to get antsy.
Sandra says
My kids love music and we usually listen to the radio. But this CD may be good when the ride is a bit much for them and they start to get antsy.