Album Download: AUD $15.20

Cubby House are a real rock band for children. In the 90's when they were playing live around Australia they were hailed as a breath of fresh air for their live shows, brilliant costumes, audience participation and the quality of their music. Rock The House was their first album released on ABC records and later on Festival Records. The band were Kerry Digby on drums, Stephen Knight on bass and mandolin, Jason Rooke on electric guitar and Jenni Milnes on guitar, keyboards and harmonica. While Jenni and Jason were the lead vocalists, Stephen and Kerry contributed backing vocals. The band were produced and directed by Peter Winkler, a well-known composer of music for young people.

The original liner notes of Rock The House included a strong statement about the Cubby House commitment to keeping music real for children. "This recording is a drum machine free zone. No midi, no 'rinky dink' synths. Just real, rocking music, quality vocals and fun lyrics."

The range of musical styles on this album keeps it interesting for all listeners. There is some funky music in the title song 'Cubby House' and the hilarious story of 'Herbie Hippo Learns To Dance', some rock in 'Rock N Roll Robot', 'Rock Cots' and the grisly 'You Are Dinosaur', some jazzy swing in 'Voodoo Doctors', some country in 'Gumboot Splash', some great pop in 'My Ducks Waddle', 'Crocodile', and 'Blocks', and two beautiful atmospheric tracks 'In The Night Time' and 'Magical Moon'. There's even a song 'Animals In The Wardrobe' in which the accompaniment is all animal sounds. The sound of an emu is used for the bass.

There is another very special element in this album. Eight of the fifteen songs were written in song-writing workshops with four-year-old children in pre schools when Peter Winkler was working as the Musician-in-Residence at the Bondi Pavilion Community Cultural Centre. When you listen to 'Cubby House', 'Crocodile', 'Animals In The Wardrobe', 'You Are Dinosaur', 'In The Night Time', 'Rock Cots', 'Pat The Rat', and 'Blocks' you’ll know that only children could make up such wonderful lyrics and tunes.

Many parents of young children have commented that Cubby House were the only band for kids that they could enjoy listening to. The lyrics appeal to the children while the music is no different to what would be played for adults.

Everyone can enjoy Cubby House – Rock The House!