Washington, DC’s award-winning power trio for kids and families, Rocknoceros, continues its 10th anniversary celebration in high spirits with their recent November 24th release of an exuberant holiday album, Happy Holidays from Rocknoceros.
Happy Holidays from Rocknoceros is a musical “Norman Rockwell” that captures the essence of the procession of holidays that punctuate each year with a festive exclamation point.
Kids nowadays are often too connected to their electronics to feel a connection with the change of seasons and the flow of life on earth. It’s hard to notice that the moon is spinning around our world when one is consumed with text message and social media. So, with Happy Holidays from Rocknoceros, Rocknoceros has created a little drama out of the last act of the year, structured by holiday observations beginning with Halloween and continuing with Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.
“This Thanksgiving” is a big, bold, exuberant ode to Thanksgiving, all done up in three-quarter waltz time. “The Dreidel Song” dresses up the ubiquitous Chanukah number in a Caribbean rhythm and imbues it with an energy that never lets up. On “Oh Christmas Brie”Rocknoceros engages in a bit of “cheesy” conversation to the background of a piano bar style “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.”
In the spirit of “Winter Wonderland” and “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” “Snow Day” celebrates the weather while celebrating the season. Updated lyrics grace the beloved carol melody “Wenceslas” and, like the original, narrate a tale of generosity that embraces the joy of giving at Christmas time.
A one-of-a-kind Rocknoceros version of “Up On The Rooftop” evolved from the band’s holiday shows, while the treasured Christmas poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” is given a special Rocknoceros treatment that could only be described as “the works” on “The Night Before Christmas.” For a grand finale, the Scottish ballad “Auld Lang Syne” is combined with “Enjoy Yourself (It’s Later Than You Think),” with the guitar providing a funky fade-out that escorts a soundtrack of New Year’s frivolity.
Rocknoceros has been at the forefront of the Washington, DC children’s music scene since its inception, winning a remarkable eight Washington Area Music Awards. In its first decade as a band,Rocknoceros has entertained tens of thousands of fans throughout the country and has gained significant national recognition with performances at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Wolf Trap, and The Kennedy Center. In addition to Happy Holidays from Rocknoceros,Rocknoceros albums include Plymouth Rockers (2015), Colonel Purple Turtle (2011, with an accompanying picture book), the NAPPA award-winning PINK! (2009), Dark Side of the Moon Bounce (2007), and Rocknoceros (2006).
Happy Holidays from Rocknoceros is available at rocknoceros.com, amazon.com, CDBaby.com, and iTunes.
Check it out! This one is perfect for the holidays and such fun and funky music!
Self Disclosure: I received a free CD to facilitate this post.
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