Leave it to a coupe of quirky Arkansas buskers preoccupied with all things snowy to deliver a uniquely hatched collection of original Christmas songs. Ezra Idlet and Keith Grimwood have made a name with a family brand of entertainment that combines humor, harmony and imagination. There's plenty of each on Merry Fishes to All, but this is truly a record wrapped with the kids in mind. Surveying the seasonal landscape, the flaky duo sizes up the disappointments of getting clothes for Christmas, having a birthday on December 25, and getting a Cheese Log! In between there's a whacky reworking of a classic called "The Eleven Cats of Christmas" and some simply lovely songs even a hardened old Scrooge could love, including "Snow Is Falling" and "You Got to Get Up," the enchanted desperate plea of every kid who ever burst from bed Christmas morning before sunrise. There's only a couple limp lines drifting off here, but overall the fish are jumpin' and Santa approves. --Martin Keller