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rfmcdonaldMichael Barclay of MacLean's makes the case for the critical importance of the Canadian children's music trio Sharon, Lois & Bram.
There’s one act playing this weekend’s Field Trip festival in Toronto that I’m looking forward to more than any others, an act that for some strange reason I have never seen live despite being a massive fan for, oh, 35 years or so.
So no, it’s not Alabama Shakes or My Morning Jacket or War on Drugs or Father John Misty. It’s not even De La Soul or Andy Kim or Hayden or other geezers who still pass as cool.
It’s Sharon and Bram (no Lois, sadly: Ms. Lilienstein died this year, age 78).
[. . .]
Certainly, booking Sharon and Bram appeals to parents who are indoctrinating their children with the music of their own youth (maybe they’re even crate-digging for original vinyl pressings—NOT THAT I’VE DONE THAT, AHEM). Also, don’t underestimate the ironic appeal (read: stoner joke) for twentysomethings.
But Sharon [Lois] and Bram are not a joke, kids. Let’s forget for a minute their wildly successful television program—because the ’80s were as aesthetically unkind—both musically and sartorially—to the trio as that decade was to all aging hippies. Instead, let’s take a listen to One Elephant Deux Elephants, their 1978 debut, an indie success story that went triple platinum and—with fellow Torontonian Raffi (whose early records were produced by Daniel Lanois)—changed the face of children’s music.
