9 acts from the new breed of kids musicmakers

April 4, 2015 at 7:00PM
The Okee Dokee Brothers, Justin Lansing, left, and Joe Mailander, perform in 2014.
(left to right) The Okee Dokee Brothers, Justin Lansing and Joe Mailander performed at the St. Croix Lutheran School, on 4/11/14. Several hundred twin cities children from pre-school to 4th grade attended the concert by the Grammy winning kids-music stars, the Okee Dokee Brothers.] Bruce Bisping/Star Tribune bbisping@startribune.com Justin Lansing, Joe Mailander/source. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

A guide to the new generation of kids music by Mindy Thomas, program director of Sirius XM's Kids Place Live and host of its "Absolutely Mindy!"

Okee Dokee Brothers: The Grammy-winning duo's adventure albums are full-on, sensory experiences for all ages. At a time when authenticity is valued at a premium, these guys honor traditional bluegrass, folk and old-time music while adding a contemporary twist.

Koo Koo Kanga Roo: The album title "Gross" says it all. Without an ounce of subtlety, nuance or metaphor, this album blasts lyrical toilet talk.

Jazzy Ash: Frontwoman Ashli Cristoval introduces a new generation to New Orleans early jazz, swing, zydeco and bebop.

Lucky Diaz & Family Jam Band: With its infectious pop beats and lyrics in English and Spanish, this Latin Grammy-winning band proves that music truly is the universal language.

Lunch Money: Its latest soft-rock album, "Spicy Kid," celebrates the day-to-day nuances of parents and kids navigating this crazy world together.

Not-Its: Big power anthems for little people and a solid stadium-rock sound.

Pop Ups: All-ages, electro-indie-pop, with simple themes wrapped up in sophisticated sounds.

Recess Monkey: One of the most prolific family-music bands unabashedly caters directly to the sensibilities of its kid audience, with tons of humor, absurdity and high energy.

Secret Agent 23 Skidoo: The king of kid-hop doesn't mince words when encouraging kids to be themselves in all their weird and wonderful ways. He leads by example by taking classic hip-hop and seasoning it with hints of bluegrass, klezmer and heaps of positivity.

Koo Koo Kangaroo by Liz Atchison ORG XMIT: MIN1310181114067939
Koo Koo Kangaroo by Liz Atchison ORG XMIT: MIN1310181114067939 (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

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