Alvin & The Chipmunks - The Squeakquel CD Review (Rhino)

STREAM: The Chipettes - "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"

My five year old thought I was the coolest Dad in the world after I was sent a review copy of the soundtrack to Alvin and the Chipmunks - The Squeakquel. Strangely enough, he never got this excited over any of the Southern Lord or Metal Blade CDs that I've recently reviewed.

This fifteen track - 50 minute - disc has The Chipmunks and Chipettes covering an eclectic mix of current pop hits, 70's disco songs, recent R&B hits and there are even a couple of classic rock tunes thrown in for good measure. Most of the songs are reinterpreted as pulsing, high energy dance mixes that feature the voices of The Chipmunks / The Chipettes but musicians Honor Society, Queensberry and Charice Pempengco add guest vocals on three of the tracks.

Here is the track list:

"You Really Got Me" feat. Honor Society (Kinks Cover)
"Hot N Cold" -(Katy Perry Cover)
"So What" - (Pink Cover)
"You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" - (Dead or Alive Cover)
"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" - (Beyonce Cover)
"Bring It On" - (Ali Dee Cover)
"Stayin' Alive" - (Bee Gees Cover)
"The Song" feat. Queensberry - (Unknown)
"It's Okay" - (Unknown)
"Shake Your Groove Thing" - (Peaches & Herb Cover)
"Put Your Records On" - (Corrine Baily Rae Cover)
"I Want to Know What Love Is" - (Foreigner Cover)
"We Are Family" - (Sister Sledge Cover)
"No One" feat. Charice Pempengco - (Alicia Keys Cover)
"I Gotta Feeling" - (The Black Eyed Peas Cover)

Even though my son is five, he is already starting to embrace the whole iPod/mix tape culture and he skips around on this CD so that he can listen to his favorite songs over and over. His favorite songs to sing along with are "You Really Got Me", Stayin' Alive", "Shake Your Groove Thing" and "I Gotta Feeling".

All-in-all, Alvin & The Chipmunks - The Squeakquel is a cute disc. It also meets my key criteria for kids music as it doesn't annoy me after the 100th play. While this disc isn't anything that I would play while by myself, if it keeps the kids interested in music and playing an instrument, more power to The Chipmunks.



Links:
Alvin & the Chipmunks - The Squeakquel

Tina Sugandh: "TablaGirl" Press Interview, NYC 8-20-09 (Bollywood Pop Star)

Last month, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Tina Sugandh was in town for a press tour. Glam.com recently called Tina "the World’s First Bollywood Pop Star” and she has been performing in public since the age of five.

Tina recently sang and played tabla on Ringo Starr's new album, sang the theme song for Kelly Ripa's pre-Regis comedy "Hope and Faith" and she has had songs in movies such as Around the World in 80 Days, Christmas With the Kranks, Ice Princess, Raise Your Voice and The Clique. Tina has also had a couple of singles on the Billboard charts and her debut full-length, TablaGirl, is coming out on May 12th.

BrooklynRocks Interview with Tina Sugandh


Tina Sugandh - "Break Me"


Tina Gives a Tabla Lesson to Ringo Starr


Links:
Tina Sugandh