CD Review: Keith Munslow’s Tiny Destroyer Rhode Island celebrity Keith Munslow is easily one of the most talented musicians in our community. Not only does he entertain audiences with his New Orleans blues band Superchief Trio, teach musical improv and host the Empire Revue, he has devoted his time to a career as a children’s performer for more than 15 years. Known for his storytelling and lightning fast cartooning, two-time Parents Choice Award winner Keith Munslow has done it again by releasing his seventh children’s album, Tiny Destroyer. Tiny Destroyer, partly fueled by the new perspective Keith attained as a first-time parent to his 2-year-old son Luc, aka, the tiny destroyer, teaches the lessons of family living. I am a child at heart, but still felt it imperative to consult someone of Keith’s target audience to get their opinion. I called upon my 6-year-old nephew Benjamin. Ben’s first reaction to this CD was that he loved the illustration on the front. The cover art depicts a toddler stomping through the rubble of a messy house, with slime on the destroyer’s hand and just about everything else. I’m sure all parents can relate. My nephew giggled wildly when he looked inside the wallet style case and noticed an image of a cheese block with crayons stabbed into it at all angles. No doubt a stunt pulled by the child depicted on the front. We put the CD in the player and listened as we read along with each song’s little description included in the case. What stood out to me was how varied the album is; each track takes on a different genre. This album is perfect for children of all ages because it introduces them to styles that they may not have heard before and gives them a chance to explore their taste. The tracks vary from polka to rumba to ’50s doo-wop — sometimes the style changes in the middle of a song! Keith’s album also includes multiple vocabulary-building songs that teach kids and adults alike new words. Keith notes in the case that he captured his son’s giggle for the title track by dangling him in front of the microphone of their home recording studio; my nephew thought that sounded fun. Hands down, Benjamin’s favorite song was “The Last Chicken Wing,” a beautifully silly love song about really wanting the last chicken wing on the plate. It is hard to say which is my favorite track. I listen to “Princess Pepper’s Story” often; it reminds me of when I was a kid and how much I loved to listen to stories of dragons and princesses. “Magic Bike” makes my imagination run wild, taking in all the magic around us through a dreamer’s eyes on a bike ride. “Dad Is Taking A Nap” is unlike anything I’ve ever heard and drives home the age-old lesson of not waking the sleeping giant. However, “I Can Still Say ‘I Love You’” sticks out to me as one of Keith’s more personal songs; this beautiful track tells the story of the unconditional love parents will always have for their children. Containing 10 songs and two stories, Keith Munslow’s signature humor and imagination shine brighter in this new album then ever before. Benjamin and I both give it two thumbs up. This album is good fun for every family! For more information, check out Keith’s website at keithmunslow.com. Pick up your own copy of Tiny Destroyer at one of Keith Munslows CD release parties April 3 at 10:30am; Needham Public Library, 1139 Highland Ave, Needham, Mass. April 20 at 10:30am; Weaver Library, 41 Grove Ave, East Providence. Also keep your ears open and your radios tuned in to hear Keith do a live performance on Sirius XM Kids Place Live (channel 78) on April 24 at 11am. CD Review: Modest Mouse’s Strangers to Ourselves Even if you don’t care for Modest Mouse, it would be difficult to argue that they’re not one of the most original-sounding bands of their era. As far as world-famous indie acts go, they’ve had a very non-traditional path; one song (“Float On”) blasted them into the stratosphere of superstardom years after their most critically revered albums. That song has probably bought them all large homes and allowed them to do whatever they want musically, including waiting eight years in between records. Their latest effort, Strangers to Ourselves, clocks in at just under an hour and, pound-for-pound, is of similar quality to their last two albums, where their sound became more produced and polished compared to their work in the ‘90s. Frontman Isaac Brock’s abrasive vocals still push through the often- sensitive instrumentation. Fans first heard “Lampshades on Fire,” this album’s “Dashboard,” with a catchy chorus and the perfect BPM for WBRU. “The Ground Walks, With Time In A Box” is a good example of the band retaining the sound they’ve cultivated on their more recent albums. It has a semi-disco dance beat with a jarring, treble-y riff on top of it. But the lyrics provide the kind of vague, caustic imagery that only Isaac Brock can produce, reminiscent of early classics like “Teeth Like God’s Shoeshine”: “The world composes with his shirt tails wrinkled hanging out / Bang us together to see what sort of sounds we make right now / The world plays music, playing skin in teeth inside of the mouth.” It’s cryptic poetry like this that makes Modest Mouse stand out, and it’s what keeps me intrigued even after waiting eight years. On Strangers, Brock proves he can also make a more specific emotional statement. “Ansel” is about the disappearance of a main character’s brother and eerily captures how you can never know if it’s the last time you’ll ever see someone. “Coyotes,” the album’s musical highlight, is a folky waltz protesting American exceptionalism and the desecration of our land (a reoccurring theme in the band’s back catalog). There are a few songs that don’t really make an impact whatsoever; “Of Course We Know,” the closing track, chugs along to nowhere and “Pistol (A. Cunanan, Miami, FL. 1996)” is the kind of jumbled, indulgent “Wtf?” track that shouldn’t make it past the demo stage. Strangers probably won’t be an instant classic, but it’s probably the breath of fresh air their legions of fans have been waiting for. It doesn’t recapture the youthful rawness of the ’90s that so many fans yearn for, but maybe it was their youth that made that possible in the first place. If you enjoy the Modest Mouse of the past decade, you’ll want to give this a try as well. There’s still no one that sounds quite like them. Album Of The Week: Newish Star’s How Soon We Forget With ripping guitars and fast rhythms mixed with a melancholy vibe, Buffalo’s Newish Star have that classic punk sound mixed with a pop sensibility that keeps them walking the fine line between being a blast from the past and the best new kickass band you’ve ever heard of. They have a new album out, How Soon We Forget, that is a huge force to be reckoned with. If you’re looking for a band that’ll flat out impress you and have you wanting more, look no further than Newish Star and their new album. In classic punk fashion mirroring the early styles of The Ramones and The Clash, How Soon We Forget doesn’t have a track that goes beyond the 3-minute mark. For anyone who has ADD, this album is definitely what you’ve been looking for. Full of fury and energy while keeping things genuinely real, Newish Star has an honest side to their songwriting that doesn’t sugarcoat anything. With unapologetic rock ‘n’ roll that hits your senses like a freight train, this band has a no-frills approach to their music that makes listening to them extremely enjoyable. Finally February is over! I don’t know about you, but February 2015 really sucked for nearly everyone in New England. A great example of things that don’t suck are my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week. Think of them as a dose of anti-February. With a weird intro that has a girl expressing her individuality, “Casino Run” shreds with blistering guitars and feverish drums that make for the ultimate headbanger. Another shredder is “Salt Water Tank,” a guaranteed mosh pit starter. Concluding the album in a heart-on-sleeve fashion, “Feeling Good” keeps it short and simple while blazing through a riff fest that is amazingly electrifying. Newish Star will be part of what should be a pretty insane show with The Atom Age, Richie Ramone & The Queers at Mohawk Place in Buffalo on April 1. Until they come to Providence, grab a copy of How Soon We Forget from Newish Star. They’ll be your new favorite band. Newish Star: newishstar.bandcamp.com Album Of The Week: Torche’s Restarter There’s lots happening in Florida. But it’s usually a naked homeless guy running through the streets and biting a lady’s ear off, a woman getting into a car accident because she was shaving her privates while driving, or a backwoods hick throwing miscellaneous objects at cars driving by while he’s sitting on his porch.