Here’s some release dates for some great kids and family DVDs that will be coming out soon:
- The Flintstones: The Complete Series (Release Date: 10/28/2008)
All 166 episodes of Fred Flintstone and his prehistoric family are collected in this 24-disc set.
- The Nightmare Before Christmas Collector’s Edition (Release Date: 8/28/2008)
Restored as director Tim Burton originally envisioned, this 2-disc collector’s edition includes a digital copy and other features.
- Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who! (Release Date: 12/9/2008)
This $154 million-grossing movie features the voices of Jim Carrey and Steve Carell. The 2-disc set features a digital copy, deleted footage, featurettes, interviews and much more.
- The Smurfs and The Magic Flute (Release Date: 10/7/2008)
This 1983 Smurfs feature film will be released in conjunction with the Smurf’s 50th anniversary
- Flight of the Red Balloon (Release Date: 10/21/2008)
A young boy is looked after by a film student when his mother is unable to care for him in this French film that pays homage to Albert Lamorisse’s The Red Balloon
August 12th, 2008
I just received a copy of the Wee Hairy Beasties - Animal Crackers CD from my good friends at Bloodshot Records. The CD does is not released until Oct. 24, but you can pre-order it at The Pokey Pup right now! Upon first listen it’s another great kids music release from Bloodshot (who brought us The Bottle Let Me Down compilation a few years ago).
The Wee Hairy Beasties are a band made up of several artists on the Bloodshot roster. Jon Langford (Mekons, Waco Brothers), Kelly Hogan, Sally Timms (Mekons), and Devil In The Woodpile. Animal Crackers is an enhanced CD consisting of 15 songs and 1 video of good time, kid (and parent) friendly back porch music filled with country, blues and swing. Most of the songs are animal and insect themed that kids and parents will love.
Wee Hairty Beasties are playing a CD Release show at Alverno College in Milwaukee on Sunday, Nov. 5 and then playing at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago on Saturday, Nov. 11. Bloodshot says that the band will be do some more touring as well!! We’ll keep you posted.
Check out the track Wee Hairy Beasties
October 12th, 2006
This just in according to CMJ and MTV
Six years after calling it quits, Luscious Jackson are back with a new album aimed at a young audience. The New York girl group has traded in their grit and cheek for lullabies. Inspired by motherhood—the original motivation behind the band’s split—Jill Cunniff, Gabby Glaser and Kate Schellenbach have laid down 11 tracks for their children’s record.
“We’ve made a lot of music so far, but it’s fun because adults will be able to enjoy this too,” Cunniff told MTV.com. “It’s like Luscious Jackson with a kids’ angle. It’s not goofy kids’ music—it’s dance-y and has Luscious Jackson beats, but the [lyrical] content is pretty silly.”
You bet The Pokey Pup will be carrying it when it comes out!!
September 29th, 2006
Banned Books Week - Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, this annual ALA event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. This year, 2006, marks BBW’s 25th anniversary (September 23-30).
Here’s a few of the banned and/or challenged books that you might not find in your public and school libraries.
- Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey
- “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger
- “Forever” by Judy Blume
- Goosebumps sereis by R.L. Stine
- Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
- “James & The Giant Peach” by Roald Dahl
- “Light In The Attic” by Shel Silverstein
- “Scary Stories” by Alvin Schwartz
- “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou
- “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain
- “Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck
- and hundreds more!
September 27th, 2006
CD FEATURES AN EXCLUSIVE ZANES TRACK AND SONGS FROM JERRY GARCIA & DAVID GRISMAN, ELIZABETH MITCHELL, WOODY GUTHRIE, THE ALAN LOMAX COLLECTION, OTHERS
Bright Spaces—the flagship program of the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children—creates playrooms in shelters so that children in crisis can play, grow and develop even in times of great stress. There are currently more than 120 Bright Spaces open in homeless shelters throughout the country serving more than 5,000 children every month. To further the work of the Foundation, Bright Horizons Family Solutions will release Bright Spaces 2—Family Music to Benefit Children in Crisis to retailers of music nationwide on September 12. Dan Zanes compiled the CD, which features an exclusive track and liner notes from the GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter.
Zanes says, “All of these artists and songs have been meaningful in one way or another during the decade since my daughter was born. I am excited to have created this CD, because these are some of the songs I play when friends come over—so it’s great to get them out to the wider world! It’s good to know that the proceeds will go to help children in crisis through the work of the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children. All children deserve a safe place to play, and those facing crisis and turmoil in their lives need a place to enjoy the magic of simply being a child more than anyone.”
The breadth of the music on the CD reveals the range behind Zanes’ own catalog: sea shanties, Woody Guthrie tunes, rock and roll, pop standards and spirituals. The collection opens with a song from Zanes’ “favorite band of the last 20 years,” the Deighton Family. From a multitude of personal favorites by the Seegers—who recorded many songs for kids—Zanes chose a recording of “Raccoon and Possum” by Mike, Peggy, Barbara and Penny Seeger. From The Alan Lomax Collection, Zanes culls “Jane and Louisa,” credited to “Two Women at Lopinot, Trinidad.” “Give It a Kiss” is by the Wingdale Community Singers, the acclaimed band consisting of David Grubbs, Hannah Marcus, and Rick Moody.
Among other highlights is a version of the Jewish music standard “L’cha Dodi,” Sweet Honey in the Rock’s take on “Little David Play on Your Harp,” a Chicano people’s anthem and “Hopalong Peter,” from the Jerry Garcia and David Grisman album Not for Kids Only, one of Zanes’ biggest inspirations. There is also an exclusive version of Zanes’ song “Jump Up!” which he is accompanied by local friends Astrograss.
Music has long been one of the ways Bright Horizons has raised money for the Foundation. “Children and music go hand-in-hand,” explains David Lissy, CEO of Bright Horizons Family Solutions and board member of the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children. “When children hear music, they become happy. As they listen and dance to music, they are acquiring skills that are necessary for their healthy development. We are excited to launch Bright Spaces 2 in partnership with Dan Zanes to benefit children in crisis. Together, through the work of the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children, young people at risk will be given resources they need to lead fulfilling and enriching lives.”
September 26th, 2006
FEATURING SONGS WRITTEN BY STEPHIN MERRITT TO ACCOMPANY LEMONY SNICKET BOOKS
RELEASE COINCIDES WITH THE END, THE 13TH AND FINAL VOLUME IN POPULAR UNFORTUNATE EVENTS SERIES
For seven years, Stephin Merritt (Magnetic Fields) has been recording songs under the band name The Gothic Archies for the audiobooks of A Series of Unfortunate Events, the popular children’s series by his friend Daniel Handler (a.k.a. Lemony Snicket). The Tragic Treasury: Songs from a Series of Unfortunate Events collects these thirteen gloomy and hilarious songs, plus two bonus tracks, including a depressingly upbeat theme song, “We Are the Gothic Archies”. Merritt wrote and recorded all the music, with accordion by Lemony Snicket. The Tragic Treasury will be available on Nonesuch October 10th, 2006, in conjunction with the Friday the 13th release date of Snicket’s thirteenth and final book, The End, from HarperCollins Publishers.
The Tragic Treasury includes a song for each one of the thirteen books in A Series of Unfortunate Events. For example, “In the Reptile Room” accompanies Book the Second: The Reptile Room. “Things Are Not What They Appear” accompanies Book the Twelfth: The Penultimate Peril, and “Freakshow” accompanies Book the Ninth: The Carnivorous Carnival. The song “Scream and Run Away” (from Book the First: The Bad Beginning), has long been a favorite at Lemony Snicket events, with Handler performing on his accordion and the children in the audience acting out the lyrics, including pretending to fall dead in their seats. For all these songs, Merritt evokes distinct images and characters from the books to re-enact the “unfortunate events” at the core of Snicket’s stories.
The Gothic Archies, whose last release was the 1997 EP The New Despair, is the Goth-bubblegum pop band of celebrated songwriter Stephin Merritt, also of The Magnetic Fields, The 6ths, and Future Bible Heroes. In 1999, the Magnetic Fields’ three-CD collection 69 Love Songs established Merritt as one of this generation’s most talented songwriters. i, the band’s critically acclaimed seventh album, was released on Nonesuch Records in 2004. Other works include Merritt’s theater music album, Showtunes (a compilation of three music theater pieces directed by Chen Shi-Zheng: The Orphan of Zhao, Peach Blossom Fan, and My Life As a Fairy Tale) the soundtracks to the films Eban and Charley, and Pieces of April.
The author Lemony Snicket is the creation of Daniel Handler, who also publishes adult books under his own name. Merritt and Handler met years ago, when Handler performed accordion on The Magnetic Fields’ 69 Love Songs. Handler felt that Merritt’s songwriting sensibilities would fit well with the Snicket books, and thus began the creative collaboration documented on this recording.
September 26th, 2006
There are alot of great music coming out in the next few months and among them several are going to be very good for the kids. After November we will experience a drought of new music until January. Man, it was good when I worked for a record label to get to have an almost 2 month vacation around Christmas time…the tradeoff is having to listen to and work on marketing/promotions for Christmas music in the middle of summer.
Anyway, here’s some of the highlights of the kids music coming out soon:
Elizabeth Mitchell - You Are My Little Bird
Releases on August 29 on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. This is the first children’s recording by Elizabeth Mitchell and Daniel Littleton (both from the indie rock band, Ida) for the non-profit Smithsonian Folkways label. Featuring homespun renditions of songs by Woody Guthrie, Bob Marley, The Velvet Underground, Vashti Bunyan, Gillian Welch and more!
Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Radiohead
Releases on August 29 on Baby Rock Records. There is a whole series of music coming out from this record label doing lullaby renditions of Pink Floyd, Coldplay, Metallica, The Cure, Tool, Nirvana, The Pixies, Bjork, Smashing Pumpkins, and many more. From what I’ve heard so far, it’s pretty good. These lullaby renditions of Radiohead songs are interesting enough for adults, but soothing for the baby. What will babies be dreaming of when they fall asleep to Radiohead?
Ralph’s World - Welcome To Ralph’s World
Tenative release date is October 3. This is Ralph’s 2-Disc set coming out on Disney Sound Records. First disc has 15 songs on it and the 2nd disc is a DVD with 6 music videos.
Belle & Sebastian - Colours Are Brighter
Releasing on October 16 on Rough Trade Records with proceeds going to Save The Children. Hey, this shouldn’t surprise us, Belle & Sebastian takes their band name from a French children’s TV series. This will be a very interesting compilation compiled by Mick Cooke featuring such artists as Franz Ferdinand, Snow Patrol, Four Tet, The Flaming Lips, Jonathan Richman, and of course Belle & Sebastian. Here’s an article about the album in NME.
August 25th, 2006
After a year of working on it. I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel for the offiicial launching of The Pokey Pup store. It looks like we are launching the first week of September, so tell all of your friends and spread the word!
August 21st, 2006
