Thursday Thirteen: Boo’s playlist

Screw Dan Zanes and Laurie Berkner. My kid’s tired of being pandered to with music about playing fair and washing your hands. Actually, she’s got a dad that hates kids music and doesn’t give her an option when in the car. It’s NPR or Dad’s tunes. Take it or leave it.

To her credit, she’s always been a rockstar at heart. Here are 13 songs that you can get Boo to sing at the drop of a hat. Keep in mind, I didn’t say that she could sing them well.

1. Alicia Keys – No One
She picked this one up from the Day Mommies. Ms. Keys, I am sorry, but my daughter butchers your song so badly that every time it comes on the radio I smack my dashboard so quickly it makes my odometer jump a little.

2. Fall Out Boy – Thanks for the Memories
She will fight to the death that the title of this song is “Thanks for the Levity.” She’s smart, but I seriously doubt she understands what levity is.

3. Linkin Park – What I’ve Done
I don’t know where Boo’s obsession with Linkin Park came from, but shortly after she started bellowing this from the backseat, Homer and I decided it was okay to encourage it by downloading the band’s entire catalog (radio edits, of course).

4. Aqua – Barbie Girl
I hold the ballet goddess completely responsible for this one. Little did I know that behind the sound-proof glass at dance class last year, she was infecting Boo with this. Trust me, this hurts me more than it hurts you.

5. Finger Eleven – Paralyzer
Boo goes into epileptic spasm-like dance moves every time this come on and she hasn’t even seen the video. Homer finds it hilarious that he has to play this track on road trips with his intern as often as he has to play it for his four-year-old-daughter.

6. Linkin Park -Shadow of the Day
See #3. It was a serious toss up whether we were going to blow a month’s entertainment budget to tickets to Disney Princesses on Ice or the Linkin Park show. Fortunately other expenses came up, so we didn’t have to flip for it.

7. Reel 2 Reel – I Like to Move It
I have to lighten this up a little. Technically I classify this as movie music, not kids music. You could hear this in a club. “Shake my sillies out” on the turntable? Uh, no. This, yes.

8. Averil LaVigne – Girlfriend
I’ll be honest, I had no idea where this came from. She’s always chanting “Hey! Hey! You! You! I don’t like your girlfriend!”, but she never gets any further. I don’t listen to pop radio much. This came on when I was in a mall and the lightbulb came on.

9. Beastie Boys – Brass Monkey
This one is totally Homer’s fault. One night, I was thrilled that he was playing dance party with the kids in the living room. Homer’s not much of a dancer, but he’s never too proud to make an ass out of himself to make the kids crack up. I wasn’t thrilled when this track came on. It was too late. Damage done. She thinks that brass monkey is some sort of shiny gold gorilla. We’ll let her live in that world as long as possible, after all her mom is a sorority girl.

10. Cake- Mahna Mahna
Yes, I know this track is off an album called “For the Kids,” but it’s Cake, people. Cake rocks. Jim Henson would be proud. Cake never produced a video for the song, but I’d like to think they’d come up with something as cool as this.

11. Carolina Liar – I’m Not Over
Boo picked this up from me. I love this song and play constantly. I get chills every time she picks up the hook and out-sings me every time.

12. The Killers – All These Things That I’ve Done
The Nike commercials on the Olymptics (no that’s not a typo, that’s what we call it around here) brought this song to Boo’s attention. I’m triple-pleased since a) The Killers are local guys; b) their drummer, Ronnie Vannucci, went to my alma mater (he still needs to come back and graduate – ahem!); and c) they really do rock. I especially love this video, because not only was it shot in Vegas, I think I went to a wedding reception in the trailer park they use here (that’s a post for another day).

13. Rage Against the Machine – Renegades of Funk
“You let your kid listen to Rage?” Umm (bashfully), “Yes, but only the radio edits.” Truth be told, Boo would bounce in my belly when Rage was on the car radio. I’ve stopped by radio station’s live remotes because I needed to request “Rollin’ Down Rodeo” because I needed her to fall asleep on the drive home. My only worry is that my daughter’s mysterious Brooklyn accent will drop the “n” from “funk” and I’m going to have a lot of esplainin’ to do at Ye Olde Catholic School.

So, what are your kids’ favorite non-kids tunes? Any recommendations to add to Boo’s list?