Sing Me To Sleep - Indie Lullabies

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 18, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: American Laundromat Records
• ASIN: B003DG5OGI
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,511 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #42 in Music > Children's Music > Lullabies

Editorial Reviews

Review

I'd argue with anyone that most folks don't need another lullaby disc in their home; no additional, overly soothing versions 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' or 'Rock-A-Bye Baby' are necessary at this point.

The tranquil 'Sing Me To Sleep - Indie Lullabies' is about as far removed from those tired ballads as possible. This new restful set features indie rock acts doing a myriad of well-selected covers and deserves strong consideration even if you ve got a CD worth of mellow tunage your kiddo already adores (and falls asleep too like clockwork). I'd also argue that 'Sing Me To Sleep' is the world's greatest adult lullaby record. Let me rephrase that. Should such a musical sub-classification 'adult lullaby' exist, I cannot image a collection of tunes in that genre better than 'Sing Me To Sleep'.

This sleepytime disc blends the familiar ('Dream a Little Dream Of Me', 'Moon River', ELO's 'Can't Get It Out of My Head' with the less so ('Have You Forgotten', a killer Red House Painters tune - the curse word in which has been replaced) and a song best known when sung by Kermit the Frog ('Rainbow Connection'). All the 'Sing Me To Sleep' songs are performed by credible acts like Dala, Dean & Britta, Neil Halstead, Stars and Tanya Donelly (Throwing Muses, Breeders, Belly) and while none stray all that far from the original work, the result is still a CD that allows you to set the dial to chill for a cool 48-minutes. Whether that s after dark, during a rainy Sunday afternoon or at your kid's naptime is totally up to you.

Dala's 'Dream a Little Dream of Me' is positively lovely. The Rest's spot-on 'Pure Imagination' is a gorgeous mashup of Andrew Bird and Willy Wonka himself. It's a tune, much like 'Purple People Eater' (which Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem take ownership of on 'Ranky Tanky', that needed so badly to be covered and included on a kid's album. Once you hear it, you'll ask 'Why doesn't every kindie rock band do this song'.

If you've read enough of OWTK through the years, my love of indie rock is probably no secret to you. As such, this album (and it s sweetly painted artwork) is so totally in my wheelhouse. If you, like me, prefer the indie side of the musical spectrum (define that however you'd like), 'Sing Me To Sleep' will fit snuggly in your home and lead to much snuggling with loved ones. - Jeff --Out With The Kids

Going back a few years, I held fast to the belief that if I was going to be stuck out of my bed in the middle of the night rocking an infant, I deserved to play a little night music that would be awesome and make us both (oh please, oh please) fall asleep.

So when a bunch of indie musicians got together to make a compilation lullaby CD, I took notice on behalf of those you who will soon find yourself rocking, rocking, rocking the night away.

The result is Sing Me To Sleep - Indie Lullabies which brings together a whole slew of musicians to make the kind of music cool parents--and their cool babies--will want to hear at 2 AM. And even though I no longer have a clue who is at the cutting edge of indie music, I feel right at home with this eclectic mix of voices covering songs from a variety of genres.

Rest assured these aren't indie rock hits reinterpreted as musak and marketed as lullabies. Nor is it hipster music that's trying to hard for its own good. This really is lovely music.

Chances are, you'll recognize The Rainbow Connection which is beautifully performed here by Trespassers William, as well as the spot-on cover of Pure Imagination by The Rest. I also adore the smooth Moon River from Tanya Donelly whose voice sounds perfect here. But my favorite songs on the CD aren't lullabies at all, even if the lyrics make my ears prick up a bit. Pete Seeger's Little Boxes is covered here by The Real Tuesday Weld and its message against conforming in suburbia is about as punk as you'll ever hear on a lullaby CD. Great for all the urbanites who have resisted the lure of the minivan.

Along with all the voices featured here, what makes my heart happy is that all proceeds from the CD's sales go to The Valerie Fund, a non-profit that provides support for kids with cancer and blood disorders. May this CD help them rest easier too. -Christina --Cool Mom Picks

Right off the bat, starting with track one, I knew this was going to be a comp worth listening to all the way through. But I had no idea how touching it would be. Hearing this record was like when all the Whos down in Whoville started singing, making the Grinch's small heart grow three sizes.

Sing Me To Sleep is a collection of newly recorded lullabies and popular songs re-imagined as lullabies by everyone from Dean & Britta (Dean Wareham, formerly of Galaxie 500 and both he and Britta Phillips are formerly of Luna) to Neil Halstead (Mojave 3, ex-Slowdive), including a cover of Pure Imagination from the eternally classic Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory by The Rest. Even Moon River, which went from Breakfast at Tiffany's to become a punchline, gets a lounge rendition by Tanya Donelly perfectly suitable for softly fading evenings.

Sing Me To Sleep may be intended as a children s album for indie-hipster parents, but it's truly for anyone that likes well produced chilled out indie music. I highly recommend every note of this record and have to say that American Laundromat Records should be extremely proud of this release. - Jason --CT Indie

Product Description

An award-winning album of newly recorded lullaby favorites, and popular songs whimsically re-imagined as lullabies by some of today's best indie artists. Sing Me To Sleep is the proud recipient of the 2010 NAPPA Gold Award for Best Children's Album presented by the National Association of Parenting Publications, and the prestigious 2010 Seal of Excellence Award presented by Creative Child Magazine. It's a refreshingly unique lullabies album that has earned praise from the children's music community and popular parenting blogs worldwide. All proceeds from this wonderful album are donated to The Valerie Fund, a non-profit charitable organization that provides support for the comprehensive health care of children with cancer and blood disorders.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Rafi Antidote May 30, 2010

By Lori B. Abrams

Format:Audio CD

For parents who just can't bear another kiddie CD, this one's for you...and your little ones! Moon River, Inchworm and many others we're all loving--our littlest one and even our teens. You can think of this CD as lullabies or just really hip, fun music that is just plain interesting and pleasing. On top of it all, this CD was produced by American Laundromat Records to benefit an organization that takes care of children with cancer. This is the second time they've done this...So we felt our purchase served multiple deserving purposes, not the least of which was our own pleasure!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Rainbow Connection May 24, 2010

By Robert M. Wilson

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Trespassers William cover of Rainbow Connection is worth the price of the album alone. Absolutely beautiful. I put it on in the car you could hear a pin drop. Wife and kids loved it. Also enjoyed the cover of Kate Bush's Cloud bursting. Plus the fact that this album proceeds is going to help treat kids with blood and cancer disorder leave you with a nice feeling inside. So buy it for the little ones but I think the adult will enjoy this one immensely. .

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great CD! February 13, 2012

By W.Tezak

Format:Audio CD

This is a great CD! Our baby really likes it and the best part is so do we! We even listen to it when he's not around :)