CD Review: The Blankies' "Action" and Teacher and the Rockbots' "World"

Power Arts Company doesn't take its name lightly. In less time than Z has been alive (her third birthday is in a couple weeks) the songwriting and recording duo of Chris Bihuniak and Bryan Mace have released seven albums of educational kids' music. In 2005, they released three albums under the band name Teacher and the Rockbots, turning hard rock bordering on metal to kids' concept albums Multiplication, Science, and America. In 2006, they lay low and worked on another project, an electronic- and funk-influenced party band they called The Blankies, and released their fourth Teacher and the Rockbots album, World. When 2007 rolled around, they were ready for it, not just debuting the Blankies but dropping three of the new band's albums at once, an achievement bookended by Michelle Shocked's 2005 triple release and Green Day's shameless copycat plan for summer 2008.

Power Arts sent us copies of The Blankies' recent album Action and Teacher and the Rockbots' 2006 album, World. Music by The Blankies is perfect for preschool-age kids, while Teacher and the Rockbots is aimed squarely at slightly older kids. Each album is centered around a theme - for the Blankies it's Action, Peace and Learn, and each of the Teacher and the Rockbots albums is centered around a school subject you can probably guess from the titles.

Both albums we sampled have been big hits with Z, and despite Power Arts' genre approach to each project, their music has a vitality to it that somehow keeps it real even as they sing about world geography or counting. I'm partial to the heavier rock of Teacher and the Rockbots, and Jeremiah would much rather have Z listen to the clubbing-for-tots electronic pop of The Blankies, which feature songs that encourage coordinated physical activity or dance moves of various kinds. Z's happy with either.

I could easily see a very cool elementary school teacher using Teacher and the Rockbots songs to introduce or review topics in class or as a "welcome to my class" aid, and The Blankies do a good job of engaging kids with activity as well as ideas through their songs, with an infectious enthusiasm that three-year-olds just soak up and revel in. The Teacher and the Rockbots albums remind me a bit of my old standby, Schoolhouse Rocks, and I found myself really wishing that World was a DVD, and could imagine all sorts of wonderful visuals that could accompany the album, especially since Power Arts has gone to the trouble of creating cartoon identities for each band member.

You can sample each and every one of the 81 songs on their seven albums on the Power Arts Company website. Not just every album but every individual song has an iTunes link from their website, and you might enjoy picking through songs and buying a few for 99 cents apiece before or instead of commiting to an album or four. We suggest dipping into World with "Ocean" or "Food," and trying out "Clap and Count" and "Robot" on Action.

You can also buy albums by Teacher and the Rockbots and The Blankies directly from Power Arts on their website for $12.99 each, or full sets of either band's discography at a 15% discount.