Family Friendly Friday

The Salamanders, a Missoula, Montana-based band that creates all-original family friendly rock and roll music, will release their second album Bubbles on April 28, 2017. The 10 tracks will be available for download through CD Baby, Bandcamp, iTunes, and Amazon. Physical copies of the CD are also available for purchase through these online distributors, and independent music stores like Rockin’ Rudy’s in Missoula.

As the title track of the album suggests, Bubbles is about embracing the temporary nature of all things, an important message for children of all ages. The album offers songs about love, growth, unity, and seeing past our differences – all within a good dose of silliness and musical mastery. Songs for children, like “The Cat” which follows the saga of an obese feline too concerned with sunbeams bother with play, are mixed with songs about children, like “Poppy,” a rollicking blue grass jam that follows a two- year old through a typical day. Kids can dance and daydream to the Scott Joplin inspired instrumental “Skeleton Rag,” and then ponder the dangers of brushes with celebrity in “Matt Damon Magnetized Me.”

The album was recorded at Club Shmed Studios with collaboration from Ryan Maynes, a long-time Los Angeles recording engineer and studio musician. Many talented friends stopped by to join The Salamanders including renowned fiddle legend Grace McNamee Decker, Jeff Stickney (horns), Toby Roberts (banjo) and Jill Miles-Davis (piano). Also joining The Salamanders on the lilting lullaby “Lovely Goodbye” was local recording artist and acclaimed performer, Andrea Harsell.

The Salamanders will celebrate the release of Bubbles at a free concert at the Top Hat Lounge in Missoula, on April 28th from 6pm-8pm to kick-off a summer-long performance schedule throughout Western Montana. For a full schedule of concert events please visit www.salamandersmusic.com.

The Salamanders are a group of singers, songwriters, and performers who are united in the vision of bringing empowering, fun, all-original rock and roll music to children. Cowboy Andy, aka Andrew Hunt (guitar, vocals, piano) is the main songwriter for Bubbles, and Matthew Nord (keys, vocals, guitar) also pens tunes for the band. Antonio Alvarez (drums, vocals) is an internationally-known percussionist with a lengthy of resume of bands and tours. Russ Gay (vocals, bass) is a fixture in the local independent film scene.

The Salamanders self-titled first album gained national attention, winning Creative Child’s Album of the Year Award in 2015 and 2016, and numerous positive reviews in children’s music blogs, podcasts, and radio shows. As noted in The Missoula Independent, “There are two kinds of kids’ songs. There’s the kind with cheesy, canned music that panders to some bean counter’s idea of what kids like. The other kind is what The Salamanders play— songs that give even the youngest kids credit for having some sophistication and intelligence when it comes to music.” The Salamanders are also honored to be regular guests on The Pea Green Boat.