Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child

Series produced by Bill Childs

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Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child, is a weekly radio show for kids and their grownups, broadcasting from Austin, Texas. It's indie music for indie kids.


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"Spare the Rock doesn’t, and that’s why everybody loves it."
- John Flansburgh, They Might Be Giants

"Remember how kids used to wake up on Saturday morning excited to watch cartoons? My kids wake up Saturday morning excited for the first strains of TMBG singing 'It’s Spare The Rock…with Bill & Ella…and sometimes Liam! Since we started carrying the show, it has become a local cultural phenomenon. Plus, Bill Childs is a nerd. So are his kids. And nerd is the new cool. Do you think they are going to let crappy kids music hit the airwaves? I’ve heard everything from Rush to Dan Zanes, The Pixies to Brady Rymer. Pete Seeger to The f****** Muppets. Yeah, I said it in a thing about kids music. I f****** love this show."
- Monte Belmonte, Program Director, WRSI (93.9 The River) For seven years, Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child has been providing the soundtrack to thousands of childhoods in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts and southern Vermont. The show plays “indie music for indie kids,” including the best of music aimed at kids (like Dan Zanes, Elizabeth Mitchell, Lunch Money, Caspar Babypants, and They Might Be Giants) right along side kid-friendly tracks from the likes of The Ramones, Mike Doughty, Ella Fitzgerald, Brian Eno, Pizzicato Five, Andrew Bird, Fishbone, and more. Throw in book reviews and exclusive in-studios from dozens of artists, including the likes of Jonathan Coulton, Asylum Street Spankers, Dan Zanes, Dog on Fleas, Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem, Elizabeth Mitchell, They Might Be Giants, and many more, and you’ve got an idea of what the show is about. One thing it’s not is your typical kids’ programming. We’re radio nerds, and we want to raise another generation of radio nerds. That means a set that starts with Elvis Costello, switches to Brooklyn history-oriented family rock band the Deedle Deedle Dees, and then pivots to Guided By Voices, or one that starts with British folk punker Frank Turner, then family hip-hop artist Secret Agent 23 Skidoo (featuring Cactus from Granola Funk Express), and finishes up with Earth Wind & Fire. Check out some recent playlists (at http://sparetherock.com) and you’ll get the idea. It’s Kidz Bop- and condescension-free, and genuinely curated, not randomly generated by the RadioCompuBot 3000. It is good radio, period, not just good-for-kids. Now, Spare the Rock is broadcast from Austin, Texas, and is available in a one-hour format to any radio station that wishes to air it, commercial or non-commercial, anywhere in the world. Listen here on PRX.org, read more at our syndication page, or send me an email at show@sparetherock.com for details. Hide full description


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"Spare the Rock doesn’t, and that’s why everybody loves it."
- John Flansburgh, They Might Be Giants

"Remember how kids used to wake up on Saturday morning excited to watch cartoons? My kids wake up Saturday morning excited for the first strains of TMBG singing 'It’s Spare The Rock…with Bill & Ella…and sometimes Liam! Since we started carrying the show, it has become a local cultural phenomenon. Plus, Bill Childs is a nerd. So are his kids. And nerd is the new cool. Do you think they are going to let crappy kids music hit the airwaves? I’ve heard everything from Rush to Dan Zanes, The Pixies to Brady Rymer. Pete Seeger to The f****** Muppets. Yeah, I said it in a thing about kids music. I f****** love this show."
- Monte Belmonte, Program Director, WRSI (93.9 The River)For seven...

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544 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
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This week, we’ll listen to new music from Uncle Jumbo, Pierce Freelon & Nneenna Freelon, Sing Along Tim, and Little Miss Ann, plus we’ll hear songs...

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  • Added: Jun 15, 2023
  • Length: 58:14
  • Purchases: 1
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This week, we’ll celebrate summer and ice cream all show long, with songs from Little Miss Ann, Jazzy Ash, Best Coast, Oceanator, Beach Boys, The H...

Bought by KPRG


  • Added: Jun 12, 2023
  • Length: 52:57
  • Purchases: 1
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This week, we’ll hear new music from The Vignatis, The Okee Dokee Brothers, Little Miss Ann, Frances England, Pierce & Nnennna Freelon, and Divinit...

Bought by KECG


  • Added: Jun 06, 2023
  • Length: 56:14
  • Purchases: 1
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This week, we’ll hear new music from The Vignatis, Mama Birds, Keith Munslow, and Charlie Faye & the Fanimals, plus we’ll hear from The Deedle Deed...

Bought by KECG


  • Added: May 30, 2023
  • Length: 56:12
  • Purchases: 1
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This week, Todd ’n’ Tina will stop by and sing a few new songs, plus we’ll hear new music from Charity & The Jam Band, Pierce Freelon & Nnenna Free...

  • Added: May 22, 2023
  • Length: 54:43
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This week, we’ll hear new music from Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship, Father Goose, Keith Munslow, and Riffin Griffin, plus we’ll listen to songs by ...

Bought by KECG


  • Added: May 16, 2023
  • Length: 56:04
  • Purchases: 1
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This week, we’ll hear a couple of mom songs for Mothers Day, plus new songs from Mama Birds, Rolie Polie Guacamole, Laurie Berkner, Superfun Yeah Y...

  • Added: May 08, 2023
  • Length: 54:04
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This week we’ll celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month with new music from the Brighter Light Brigade and Little Miss Ann, plus...

Bought by KECG


  • Added: May 02, 2023
  • Length: 57:07
  • Purchases: 1
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This week we’ll hear new music from Mega Ran, Joe McDermott, the How To Be An Earthling podcast, and Kymberly Stewart, plus we’ll listen to songs b...

  • Added: Apr 25, 2023
  • Length: 57:26
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This week we’ll hear new music from Renee & Jeremy (covering Madonna), Jumpin’ Jamie, The No Rules Family Band, and Ants on a Log, plus we’ll liste...

  • Added: Apr 18, 2023
  • Length: 54:22
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This week we’ll do more previews of the Meltdown Family Music Festival, hear new music from Ants on a Log and Keith Munslow, plus play songs from E...

  • Added: Apr 10, 2023
  • Length: 57:11
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This week we’re going to do some previews of the upcoming Meltdown Family Music and Book festival in New England, plus we’ll hear new songs from Ky...

  • Added: Apr 03, 2023
  • Length: 53:59
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A week or so back, a Wisconsin school declared the Dolly Parton & Miley Cyrus song “Rainbowland” off-limits for first graders. So we’re going to he...

  • Added: Mar 29, 2023
  • Length: 54:00
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This week, we’re going to hear a lot of rabbit-themed songs, because why not hear rabbit themed songs? Plus we’ll hear Renee & Jeremy covering a cl...

  • Added: Mar 21, 2023
  • Length: 58:26
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This week, we’re back from South by Southwest and 123 Andres is going to stop by to sing some songs for us. Plus we’ll listen to music from Kermit ...

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  • Added: Mar 08, 2023
  • Length: 59:36
  • Purchases: 1
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This week, we’ll continue to preview South by Southwest, with songs from Cheekface, Thao, Red Yarn, Aaron Nigel Smith, SaulPaul, Rosie Flores, Jon ...

  • Added: Mar 07, 2023
  • Length: 57:27
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This week, we’ll continue to preview our South by Southwest showcase, including the world premiere of a song from the legendary Mega Ran. We’ll als...

  • Added: Feb 27, 2023
  • Length: 54:15
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This week, we’ll continue to preview our South by Southwest showcase, plus we’ll hear songs from Pianosaurus, Shovels & Rope, ScribbleMonster, Josh...

  • Added: Feb 12, 2023
  • Length: 54:54
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This week, we’ll hear new music from Bhj Bhiman, plus we’ll celebrate Black History Month with songs from Sam Cooke, Baby Loves Jazz, Bob Marley, S...

  • Added: Feb 12, 2023
  • Length: 55:55
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This week, we’ll keep previewing our South by Southwest programming, with songs from Mega Ran, Red Yarn, Staci Gray, Strawbitty Yops, Andy Sprouts,...

  • Added: Feb 08, 2023
  • Length: 59:22