For parents who grew up listening to rock n’ roll legends like Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling Stones, it might get a bit torturous to hear your kid jamming out to “Let It Go” for the tenth time in a row. It can get a bit repetitive, so why not switch it up? It’s never to early to get your kids interested in a new style of music that you can both enjoy! Michael Napolitano, founder of Preschool of Rock, and his award winning band, Michael & The Rockness Monsters, have created a dynamic album which allows the entire family to get in touch with themselves and one another through the power of music.
Michael & the Rockness Monsters’ self titled debut album released in February 2016 and received an immense amount of positive reviews from the music community and fans. To continue with their goal of providing families an interactive, super galactic, funk inspired rock-n-roll experience, the band is releasing their second album on April 28.
Their new album, titled Funny Faces, offers listeners 14 original songs that are a perfect balance between silly and serious. The music is creative with catchy melodies and heavy instrumentation, making it pleasurable for adults and children. While there are both goofy and thoughtful songs on the album, all the songs have an overarching message: be yourself, feel free, respect others, and enjoy life. According to Napolitano, the goal of the album is to make listeners laugh and to make them reflective of their lives and relationships within their own families.
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Listeners of all ages can look forward to hearing silly songs like “Cardboard Cutout Man,” a funk driven comical song. Throughout the song you may find yourself cracking up uncontrollably, but it’s important to pay attention to the lyrics and catch Napolitano’s underling message of gender equality. Plus, the song features the soulful voice of special guest Tracy Bonham, an American alternative rock musician best known for her 1996 single, “Mother Mother.”
The album may seem completely ridiculous and wacky at times, but Michael intensifies the album with a touch of seriousness by adding emotional and softer songs like “Everything, Anything,” a comforting reminder for listeners of all-ages to feel good about who they are and encourages them to believe in themselves. Of course, Michael doesn’t forget to share his own personal experience of fatherhood in this album, with songs like “Together Forever,” which he dedicated to his daughters with the fatherly message: “I’m a person too, just like you, and we are in this life together.”
Sticking with the theme of reflecting on self and family, Michael’s personal favorite on the album is “So Happy” which features his entire family, including the beloved 92-year-old Aunt Jo who sings a lead. Not only does the album feature his entire family, guests and friends on the album include Tim Sutton, Tracy Bonham, Sonia de los Santos, Katie Mullins, and Tommy Kessler.
In support of the new album, Michael & The Rockness Monsters will have an album release concert at Mile Square Theater in Hoboken, NJ on May 13. You can order tickets on at funnyfaces.brownpapertickets.com. There will also be a concert at Madison Square Park on June 15. For more information about concert dates, visit michaelandtherocknessmonsters.com.
Don’t miss out on an amazing album that will inspire and touch even the youngest of hearts. Reflect on your own life, dance your heart out, and spread positivity within your family through the strong messages and rhythms in the album.
