Monster Suit Review & Giveaway Opportunity

US & CANADA

MONSTER TALENT MO PHILLIPS

BURSTS OUT OF PORTLAND, OREGON

TO NATIONAL PROMINENCE WITH
HIS NEW KIDS’/FAMILY CD

‘MONSTER SUIT’

“I'm diggin' the lo-fi movement goin' on in Kids' Music right now: Kimya Dawson's Alphabutt, String Bean Jones’ Live from the Bathtub, Mr. David's Jump in the Jumpy House, and now Mo Phillips' Train Beard. Now, lo-fi doesn't mean low quality, as evidenced by the great material and performances on all the above CDs. It just means presenting songs from a different angle, thinking outside the musical box, so to speak. … Great kids' debut from a unique talent.”
– Warren Truitt, Kids Music That Rocks review of Mo Phillips’ Train Beard

“We've spent the last few years following Kindie musicians around the city. Our goal has been to find artists that our kids can cut a rug to, and that we like, too. One of our favorites is Mo Phillips. The kids love Mo because he's fun and makes them feel like dancing, catching air, and laughing all at once. His songs are original, not syrupy sweet, and he's usually good for a toe tapping rendition of a song from our youth.”
– NW Kids Magazine

Beloved by families in Portland, Oregon, independent musician Mo Phillips is ready to burst onto the national scene with the April 10 release of his third kids’/family CD, Monster Suit.

The uncomplicated charm of Monster Suit stems from its refreshing connection to what was happening in the late ‘50s, when rock ‘n’ roll was evolving from a cultural mix of country, folk, and African-American influence. With a style and delivery sometimes reminiscent of Woody and Arlo, Mo Phillips offers classic acoustic rock ‘n’ roll with a minimum of electric effects in a finely tuned but fiery blend of Americana, soul and blues.

Enhanced by contributions from a gaggle of gifted Portland musicians, Monster Suit’s variety is beyond impressive. With music ranging from “Rollerskate Banana Peels” (a super jam of crazy energy) to “All Okay” (the album’s “lullaby” ballad), each song has its own sound, beat, and artistic space that does not impinge on the other tracks. Monster Suit is exceptionally well balanced, the fidelity is first class, the players all have their acts together, the back-up singers are delightfully hip, and (the best part for many parents) the lyrics are never obscured by the energy of their setting. Mo Phillips feels strongly about not dumbing down lyrics or melodies for kids, and he sings about topics whole families can appreciate. On Monster Suit, these include being exactly who you want to be (“The Princess and The Cowboy”), a party gone awry (“The Worst Party Ever Thrown”), bad hair days (“Bed Head”), a surprising fact about ducks (“Ducks Don’t Get Wet”), and more.

Says Mo, “As the dad of two boys, I know that sanity can be hard to come by in the parental world, and I’m just trying to offer a small dose with my music. I wanted to create an album for parents to jam to with their kids. Monster Suit is my third album for families and the first done in a proper studio (and not in my basement)! My main influences include Neil Young and The Rolling Stones, although many of my compositional ideas stem from my undergraduate years studying with jazz wizard Dan Balmer at Lewis & Clark College.”

An early childhood educator as well as a musician, Mo Phillips doesn’t hesitate to credit his initial inspiration to the kids he’s taught. He explains, “When I was teaching a class of three-year-olds in 2005, some of the curriculum ideas for what later became my “Rock ‘N’ Roll Kindy” program were born. The kids had been doing a lot of role-play as musicians, so we made a project out of it. They named their band Fire Guitars. We wrote songs, recorded a CD, and put on a show for the parents. By 2008 – after an expatriate experience soaking up the sounds of my wife’s native Australia -- I was again teaching preschool in Portland. One day, while sitting in the sandbox with some little friends, I wrote the song “Pizza In A Cup” after being offered the umpteenth cup of sand advertised as pizza. All of a sudden these afternoon playground sessions started producing some serious songwriting opportunities.”

When not creating bands populated by young rockers in settings ranging from schools and libraries to community centers and children’s museums, Mo performs — with insouciant wit and breezy style — interactive shows that respect the intelligence of young people. As an artist affiliated with Young Audiences, Inc., he gives performances and residencies in schools throughout the greater Portland area.

If you'd like the opportunity to do a Monster Suit Review & Giveaway APPLY HEREAND OF COURSE LEAVE MBS SOME COMMENT LOVE

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Comment by Marg Peart on February 17, 2012 at 12:32am: Completed my fun review @ http://www.simplyshopandsave.ca/?p=9204 and giveaway too. Thanks Mom Blog Society.

Comment by Grandma Bonnie on February 15, 2012 at 12:39am: Here is a link to my review and giveaway. This is an awesome music CD for children.

http://grandmabonniescloset.blogspot.com/2012/02/music-cd-review-gi...

Comment by Hollie S on February 9, 2012 at 7:01pm: I love the whole concept of this cd. i would love to review it on my blog.

Comment by Trisha Grimes on February 8, 2012 at 8:07pm: Sounds like my kind of music!

Comment by RITA LIGHT on February 8, 2012 at 6:12pm: Our family jams together all the time...we're always looking for new tunes.

Comment by kjramoncrafts on February 8, 2012 at 12:45pm: I'd Love to review this!

Comment by Brae on February 8, 2012 at 11:44am: Music is a must in our house!

Comment by KIMBERLEY MEIER on February 7, 2012 at 12:17am: I love exposing my kids to different music. This sounds like something my son would love.

Comment by Sam Buck on February 6, 2012 at 11:30am: Sounds adorable! My son would love it.

Comment by Dianna Gardenhour on February 5, 2012 at 10:09pm: Applied and hoping to get the chance to review, thank you for the chance.

Comment by Angie Stewart Church on February 5, 2012 at 8:11pm: sounds like a great sounds to review We would be delighted to have the chance. Thanks for the heads up

Comment by Deanna Ervin on February 5, 2012 at 7:42pm: Thanks for the opportunity! We'd love to reivew this.

Comment by LivingforGod on February 5, 2012 at 5:10pm: I live near Portland, Oregon. I'd love to review this CD and support a fellow Oregonian :).

Comment by Melanie Briggs on February 4, 2012 at 2:28am: My 3 kids would love this!

Comment by Michelle Hagewood on February 4, 2012 at 1:44am: Inspiration can come when you least expect it and from the unlikeliest of sources! My 16mth old, 5yr old, and I would love to do a review for you!

Comment by Abby Billings on February 3, 2012 at 4:21pm: We love to rock out with the daycare kids! I would love to review and give this away!

Comment by christina powell on February 3, 2012 at 2:55pm: I filled out the form, i would love to review and giveaway a monstersuit cd on my blog.

Comment by Christina Eberhardt on February 3, 2012 at 12:58pm: This sounds like it could be a fun one!

Comment by Andrea Kruse on February 3, 2012 at 12:21pm: Fun opportunity! I am an OR Mom, so excited about the Portland side of things... and my kids love music.