Music Not For Children

I consider myself fairly up on the current music scene, and of course I also like to go a little old school. Lately I've been bristling at the fact that I know that the Jonas Brothers have a new single out ("Paranoid," for those of you that might be so inclined to download from iTunes), that I am up on the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus gossip, that I know John Mayer likes Demi Lavato's music, and that my 15-year old self can relate to Taylor Swift's teenage angst.

So in my time away from little j I like to listen to music that I wouldn't let her listen to: Beastie Boys (blaring in my office right now), Rage Against the Machine, Kings of Leon, some Ben Folds (especially his version of Bitches Ain't Shit, which I cannot recommend more highly), Green Day, Eminem (or most rap for that matter).

Yesterday on the way home little j and I were listening to the Broadways Hits on XM Radio, and I was thinking that although Broadway hits seem to be fairly innocuous, perhaps she really shouldn't be listening to "He Had It Comin'" from Chicago. Really, should she hear about the variety of ways women can kill their husbands? Probably not.

I wouldn't really care if I knew she didn't listen to the words, but since she could sing along with Pink's "U + Ur Hand" at the age of four I have tried to be a little more careful. (I must admit it was super cute as she belted out, "I'm not here for your entertainment. You don't really want to mess with me tonight." But also a little disconcerting.)

So I'm learning to leave the more explicit stuff for my alone-time and in the meantime developing an interest in Radio Disney, Kid's Place Live, as well as all those artists little kids love. Fortunately for me little j also likes Natalie Merchant, Mindy Smith, Mat Kearney, Dave Matthews, and Ryan Adams -- we must be doing something right!