BELOVED AND ADMIRED HULLABALOO PRESENTS A REMARKABLE FEAT WITH THE RELEASE OF
ITS 14th ALBUM FOR KIDS & FAMILIES
In February 2018, Steve Denyes, of the beloved “free-range, organic kid-folk” duo Hullabaloo, set himself a challenge. Embarking on a project called “20 Songs in 20 Days,” Steve wrote, recorded, and posted a song a day for twenty consecutive days. The result, a first-rate collection of down-home-friendly songs, has become the 14th Hullabaloo album.
Over the past fourteen years, Hullabaloo has taken flight with a foot-stomping, wing-flapping blend of American folk and roots music that embraces a decidedly kid-friendly angle and has been rewarded by plenty of enthusiastic praise along the way. With 20 Songs in 20 Days, Steve Denyes wanted to give back, so he invited loyal fans to donate to the charity Happy Star Melodies in tandem with the submission of a song title. Each morning for twenty days, Steve pulled an entry from a hat and wrote a song to fit … no matter what! In this way, every track on 20 Songs in 20 Days originated with a fan-sponsored song title, and every penny of the album’s proceeds has gone — and will continue to go — directly to Happy Star Melodies.
Happy Star Melodies Mission: “Our mission is to bring love, laughter, happiness, and healing through musical melodies to children fighting life threatening illnesses. We focus on putting musical instruments in the hands of young minds to foster creativity, positive energy, and give comfort in often cold, lonely hospital rooms. We strive to bring the company and healing melodies of talented musicians to lift the human spirit beyond body, medicine, and walls. We hope to dash a bit of our Happy Star’s light on each child as they fight the unimaginable and share a light all their own. “
Steve Denyes explains, “Beyond the charitable aspect of this project, I was intrigued by the challenge. Writing, recording, and posting a song a day forces you to make quick creative decisions. Under normal circumstances, I’ll spend anywhere from a week to several months writing a single song. Having to write AND record a new song in a single day keeps the process really fresh and fun. The recordings on this album are hot off the stove. They are literally the first time I successfully played each song from beginning to end. Nothing has been added after the fact.”
20 Songs in 20 Days kicks off with “My Best Friend, Riley,” embracing listeners with a friendly ambience that communicates love, humor, and a deep respect for man’s best friend. On “Silly Swan,” Steve Denyes couldn’t resist taking the idea of the Swan Lake ballet and writing about a swan who doesn’t fit in. “Penguin in My Bed” is a hilarious number based on a true story, with the protagonist assuming an animal identity in order to protect the guilty. Steve Denyes adroitly captures the essence of an era on the Elvis-inspired “Let’s Play Telephone.” Other highlights include “My Trip to Paris,” which introduces French to kids in a humorous way, and “Bubble Gum Blues,” an a capella ode to blowing bubbles that revels in this musician’s fascination with the sheer sound of language.
Hullabaloo has performed more than 3,000 shows throughout the country at venues ranging from birthday parties to fancy concert stages like the Austin City Limits Festival, Philadelphia’s World Café Live, the Hard Rock Café, and LEGOLAND. Along the way, they’ve released thirteen award-winning albums (at last count, with more than 30,000 sold) and developed a loyal following nationwide.
20 Songs in 20 Days is available as a digital-only release on iTunes, CDBaby, Amazon, and other online music retailers.
Album Details:
Release Date: April 27, 2018
For ages 6 months – 6 years
Label: Hullabaloo Music
SRP: $9.99 (digital download)
Running time: 42 minutes
Listen and/or Download —-> HERE
My girls and I listened to the album and they loved the song “My Trip to Paris”. They loved hearing words in another language and trying to pronounce them as they danced along to the music. This album is so much fun because each song is so different and you look forward to seeing what song is next. There is humor and story-telling in most of the songs for instance, “Penguin in My Bed” my four-year-old loved. She wonders if a real penguin will ever sleep in her bed as she sleeps on the floor. My 6-year-old loved Bubble Gum Blues because she can relate to not being able to blow bubble with her gum like other family members and friends. I highly recommend giving the album a listen you will enjoy the album with your kids.
Website: http://www.hullabalooband.com
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