Pharm Phresh

The idea of a rapping pig-and-cow duo may scare off listeners who’ve been burned before by gimmicky kid music. But give NYC-based Ham & Burger a chance. Felipe Aguilar plays a hyperactive porker, and Roman Urbanski is a crooning bovine. On their debut album, Pharm Phresh, the musicians slide effortlessly from bouncy Brazilian beats to disco grooves, while delivering pop-culture references aplenty. An updated take on “This Old Man” name-checks both P. Diddy and the Nintendo Wii. “Poison Ivy” is an, ahem, infectious song about how to deal with itchiness. The final number is a foreign-language lesson in disguise: The pop-rock jam “Happy Birthday to the World” teaches listeners how to give regards in Arabic, Swahili and ten other tongues.

If your kid digs the twosome’s barnyard melodies, consider hiring them for her next birthday party. Inwood caterer Artesanal Sweets will provide farm-themed goodies like animal-shaped cupcakes, and the multitasking Ham & Burger will entertain guests and lead an interactive arts-and-crafts session. They may call themselves a cow and a pig, but they sound more like workhorses to us.—Lindsay Champion

Pharm Phresh is available at hamandburger.com.

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