Laurie Berkner: The Dance Remixes
To Be Released September 22nd
“The queen of children’s music.” – People Magazine
“The Adele of the preschool crowd.” – The New York Times
“In the world of children’s music, Laurie Berkner isn’t just popular, she’s an icon.” – The Denver Post
NEW YORK (July 7, 2017) – Take 14 of The Laurie Berkner Band’s most beloved songs for kids, give them a modern-day twist, and remix them into electronic dance songs that all ages will adore. That’s the recipe for legendary children’s musician Laurie Berkner’s new album, Laurie Berkner: The Dance Remixes, set for release on September 22nd.
Says Laurie Berkner, “I first thought of making an Electronic Dance Music album of my songs when I realized I was getting a lot of YouTube and Twitter followers who were teenagers. They had grown up on my music and were writing comments like ‘You were my whole childhood!’ or ‘I’ve always loved your songs and still do. I’m so glad I found you on here!’ So, I started to think about ways that I could connect more with those kids.
“I had also noticed how popular EDM was with toddlers and preschoolers, as well as their parents. EDM is so infectious, it almost dares you to TRY not dancing to it! Suddenly the idea of making EDM remixes of my classic songs emerged as the perfect way to combine new music for young kids and their parents with a nostalgic gift to teens who were still fans.”
Engineered by three-time GRAMMY winner Dave Darlington, Laurie Berkner: The Dance Remixes presents an exciting new take on songs that have become early childhood cornerstones for an entire generation, now remixed as great dancing tunes for toddlers, tweens, teens, and beyond. Older kids will fondly recognize the catchy songs they grew up with, like “Victor Vito,” “Bumblebee (Buzz Buzz),” and “My Family,” while preschoolers new to Laurie’s music will have great fun boogieing to all the infectious beats.
The album features a variety of EDM styles in remixes, from the foot-stomping fun of “We Are The Dinosaurs” to the Latin-flavored “I’m Gonna Catch You,” which showcases not only Laurie’s delightful vocals but also some timely barking from Winston, Laurie’s cocker spaniel. Certified kid favorite “The Cat Came Back” even gets an irrepressible EDM makeover, topping the chart for artful creativity with the various layers of the song melting into each other and “meows” aplenty. Super popular Laurie Berkner classic songs, like “BOOTS,” “Rocketship Run,” “Drive My Car,” and “Shake Your Body Down” are also included, bringing instant nostalgia to older listeners and introducing the inimitable Berkner sweetness and radiant good humor to babies and toddlers of a new generation.
Other highlights include “I Really Love To Dance,” a terrific cultural mash up with the insistent rhythm of a 21st-century dance beat combined with the old-time music spirit of Kira Willey riffing on her fiddle, and “Monster Boogie,” a track in which the many colorful effects are like a sonic comment on Paleolithic scenes painted in broad brush strokes. “Where Is The Cake?” gets a refreshing vocal treatment that’s fun and highly amusing, while “Telephone” is loaded with hysterically funny “telephone gags” that date from B.C. (before cell). This is Laurie Berkner music like it’s never been heard before, framed by a cornucopia of dance style effects. Old and new fans alike will recognize and love the freshness and timeless charm of every song.
A former preschool music teacher by day and indie rocker by night, Laurie Berkner started marketing her music twenty years ago from her living room on her own label, Two Tomatoes Records. She is now widely recognized as a pioneer in the “kindie” music genre and was crowned “the undisputed queen of kindie rock” by USA Today. The Wall Street Journalnoted “Her music is distinctive because it speaks to kids without talking down to them, charming youngsters without boring grown-ups.”
Laurie has previously released eleven bestselling, award-winning albums, was the first recording artist ever to perform in music videos on Nick Jr., appeared regularly on the network’s Jack’s Big Music Show, and helped develop the short-form animated musical preschool series Sing It, Laurie! on Sprout TV. Laurie has written the music and lyrics for three Off-Broadway children’s musicals: Wanda’s Monster, The Amazing Adventures of Harvey and the Princess, and Interstellar Cinderella, which will debut in November 2017. Laurie tours nationwide, performing both solo and with The Laurie Berkner Band. She has authored a number of books based on her songs, including a series of three new picture books published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. The first of these, the bestselling We Are the Dinosaurs, illustrated by Ben Clanton, was released in March 2017, and the second, Pillowland, illustrated by Camille Garoche, will be available in November and may be pre-ordered now at www.simonandschuster.com. Watch for the third book in this series, Monster Boogie, with illustrations by Ben Clanton, in summer 2018.
Visit www.laurieberkner.com for more about The Laurie Berkner Band, including press photos and tour dates. Media assets and press photos are also available at www.razorandtiepublicity.com.
Laurie Berkner: The Dance Remixes will be available for download at all digital retailers, including iTunes, Amazon Digital, Google Play, and more. Physical CDs will be available at all Laurie Berkner concerts and at www.laurieberkner.com.
CD Details: Laurie Berkner: The Dance Remixes
Release date: September 22, 2017
For ages toddler to teen
Label: Two Tomatoes Records; distributed by Razor & Tie
SRP: $12.98 for CD; $9.99 for digital download
Run time: 47 minutes
LAURIE BERKNER: THE DANCE REMIXES TRACK LIST:
We Are The Dinosaurs (Dance Remix)
Drive My Car (Dance Remix)
I Really Love To Dance (Dance Remix)
Bumblebee (Buzz Buzz) (Dance Remix)
Monster Boogie (Dance Remix)
Where Is The Cake? (Dance Remix)
I’m Gonna Catch You (Dance Remix)
The Cat Came Back (Dance Remix)
Telephone (Dance Remix)
BOOTS (Dance Remix)
Rocketship Run (Dance Remix)
Shake Your Body Down (Dance Remix)
BONUS: My Family (Dance Remix)
BONUS: Victor Vito (Dance Remix)
