Sweet and Silly: The Best of The Laurie Berkner Band

Parents Magazine said it best when they described Laurie Berkner as “the Pied Piper of the Preschool Set.”  With her melodic tunes and unforgettable harmonies, The Laurie Berkner Band are just as much magicians as they are musicians—at least for my music-obsessed kid.

First introduced to this well-loved band’s tunes after becoming avid fans of Jack’s Big Music Show on Nick Jr., Laurie Berkner’s song lyrics are now part of our everyday vernacular.  ‘Shaky Egg’, ‘Rainboots, stomp, stomp, stomp’… you name it, Laurie’s lyrics and music have made our entire family fans for the long haul.  Like magic.

Released last month, The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band cd is a comprehensive collection of the band’s best songs.  As their sixth cd, if you’re a longtime fan, such songs on the cd are expected, but for newer fans, this cd is a staple for your budding kindie rock collection.  Unlike the songs recorded for Nickelodeon, Laurie’s Greatest Hits cd have a softer, less processed sound.  Songs like “Shady Tree” exude the sweet, while songs like, “Monster Boogie” reinforces the silly.  But overall, the 20-track cd encompasses the folk sensibility that keeps kids dancing and singing, and their parents humming and smiling.

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Enter Sandbox: Because Kids Should Know Good Rock

Power chords, melodic keyboard solos and colorful lyrics, that’s what Starfish sounds like.

With influences from timeless bands, the second cd from popular kid rockers, Starfish, Enter Sandbox is a melodic juxtaposition of upbeat, fun tunes for kids.  Enter Sandbox aces the kid rock genre with songs that kids can sing along to, and with distinct nods to quintessential rock Gods like the Ramones, Rush and more, parents will willingly rock out as well.

My Name is No, the second track of the 12-song cd, made me nostalgic for my high school and college mix tapes and cd collection.  The guitar and bass, though a funk-filled style of their own, were reminiscent of some of my favorite songs from Rush and Primus, but with lyrics that two-year old can totally appreciate.

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