Pitchfork

The indie rock children's compilation market continues to grow. Last year, See You on the Moon, The Colours Are Brighter, All Together Now (and two more Kidz Bop collections) hit shelves. And the trend shows no sign of stopping in 2007.

Alec Ounsworth of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is reportedly working on a collection of kids songs, as are Luscious Jackson. DeSoto's previously reported Play will be out April 17.

And now comes word of Songs for the Young at Heart, arranged by Stuart Staples and Dave Boulter of Tindersticks. It's due February 26 via V2 UK.

Frankly, Tindersticks are probably one of the last bands on earth we would expect to curate a children's music compilation, given their general malaise and all. But we guess kids can get sad too.

The disc features contributions from Stuart Murdoch (Belle & Sebastian), Jarvis Cocker, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Kurt Wagner (Lambchop), Cerys Matthews, Robert Forster (the Go-Betweens), Tindersticks, Staples solo, and more.

Bonnie "Prince" Billy's cover of "Puff, the Magic Dragon" and Staples' "Theme for the Young at Heart" were originally released on a 7" in July 2005 as a "first taste" of the compilation project on Lucky Dog Recordings.

Oldham's "Puff, the Magic Dragon" will go up against Broken Social Scene's version from See You on the Moon in a "which sounds better when you're stoned?" competition taking place in the Pitchfork office supply closet later this evening.

The first run of Songs for the Young at Heart will be limited edition, packaged with a Sexton Ming-illustrated children's book featuring Marriott Edgar's "The Lion & Albert", which Cocker recites on the disc.

Tracklist:

01 Stuart Staples: "Theme for the Young at Heart"
02 Robert Forster: "Uncle Sigmund's Clockwork Storybook"
03 Stuart Murdoch: "Florence's Sad Song"
04 Cerys Matthews: "White Horses"
05 Jarvis Cocker: "The Lion & Albert"
06 Tindersticks: "Robinson Crusoe"
07 Stuart Staples: "Hushabye Mountain"
08 Suzanne Osbourne: "Morningtown Ride"
09 Kurt Wagner: "Inch Worm"
10 Tindersticks: "Mary, Mungo & Midge"
11 Martin Wallace: "The Three Sneezes"
12 Bonnie "Prince" Billy and Red: "Puff, the Magic Dragon"
13 Stuart Staples: "Hey, Don't You Cry"