Wee Hairy Beasties

Release date: Oct 24, 2006

Cyril the Karaoke Squirrel (Jon Langford): gt, perc, voc
Marjorie the Singing Bee (Kelly Hogan): voc
Monkey Double Dippey (Sally Timms): voc

and Devil in a Woodpile:
Rick Sherry: harm, washboard, voc, clarinet, drum, jug, kazoo
Joel Paterson: gt. lap steel, voc, kazoo, drums
Tom Ray: bass

Produced By Jon Langford with Ken Sluiter

The young will thrill to the sing-a-long tunes about ducks, squirrels, flies, newts and turtles, while the music geek in all of us will marvel at the dexterous harmonica and National steel guitar playing and super excellent vocals. All will benefit from the important lessons about road safety, keeping flies off your supper and the perils of karoake.

The Wee Hairy Beasties theme song even has a special dance. Every time the Beasties go “Wee!,” you climb up on your Mom or Dad’s shoulders and kick your legs up as high as you can–but make sure you hold on tight and if Dad’s wearing a wig hold onto his ears!

“Kids’ hootenannies don’t get any more fun, or parent-friendly, than this rootsy collection. A-.” Chris Willman Entertainment Weekly

“14 tunes lively enough to please even the most fidgety youngster, and which are also witty, swinging and guaranteed to make the grown ups in the room tap their toes…the wordplay is silly enough to make children giggle, but smart enough to still appeal to the more mature listener…and all the musicians brought their A Game.” Mark Deming All Music Guide

“This troupe rewrites the rules of the animal kingdom, delivering a barrel-full of fun against a collection of highly toe-tapping music that rarely quits… kids of all ages can grow an appreciation for music that doesn’t require the the need of a net or a purple dinosaur.” Today’s Parent

“At our reviewers’ household, the album was an immediate hit: ‘My daughter starts dancing like crazy when you put it on.'” Chicago Magazine

“What it would sound like if Where The Wild Things Are came to life as a song.” Songs: Illinois

“Make no mistake, Animal Crackers is a kids’ album. But it’s made with love and enthusiasm and will engage kids while making the parents smile. And if you had any affinity for The Bottle Let Me Down, you shouldn’t hesitate at all to get this album. Definitely recommended. zooglobble.com

Sponsored by WBUG, a radio station that only insects can hear, The Wee Hairy Beasties’ first concert was at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. The band was under the mistaken impression they would be playing to the animals, so all their songs were about animals. The children that showed up seemed to enjoy the show a great deal as well, so a CD was concocted. The resulting Beastie music on Animal Crackers is mostly for kids, but if used wisely, shouldn’t bug the adults either.

The Beasties, Cyril the Karaoke Squirrel Jon Langford—Mekons, Waco Brothers, Pine Valley Cosmonauts), Marjorie the Singing Bee (Kelly Hogan), Monkey Double Dippey (Sally Timms-Mekons) and Devil in a Woodpile believe that Kids music need not be unlistenable. Their dance-with-ants-in-your-pants blend of back porch blues, hoppity country and wiggly old timey swing is bound to please any animal, child or adult within earshot.

“The Beasties have an eclectic sound, and a remarkable chemistry among them. Musically, this ensemble is having way too much fun, but because they are such accomplished musicians, they are able to put forth a fun and relaxed, yet tight and technically strong album.” The Lovely Mrs. Davis