Video: "Here We Go" - The Fresh Beat Band

I think it's clear that I am, at best, a wary observer of Nick Jr.'s Fresh Beat Band. After all, even though I'm not a huge fan of the term, I'd much rather cover the "kindie" artists that are taking exciting chances on making, performing, and distributing their music than spend time on color-outfitted artists. Which is why my ratio of Recess Monkey to Fresh Beat Band mentions is about 9:1 (not an exaggeration).

But I will give credit where credit is due, and this new song of theirs, "Here We Go," is pretty darn catchy. Not to mention less than two minutes long. And if you want to teach the full lyrics to your kiddo (or, they to you, because they've probably already memorized it), Nick Jr.'s got you covered. Anyway, here's a video for the song, featuring enough confetti to require a bath.

The Fresh Beat Band - "Here We Go" [Nick Jr.]

Yo Gabba Gabba, Fresh Beat Band Get New Episodes

And the world, what? Rejoices? Shrugs? Little of both? I don't know.

Anyway, a little late with this news, but did want to note that a couple weeks ago, Nick and its many affiliated channels announced that it had picked up both The Fresh Beat Band and Yo Gabba Gabba! for new 13-episode seasons. That would be the third season for the four primary-colored human forms and the fourth season for the four primary-colored, er, whatever it is Brobee et al. are. There aren't any details on what sort of craaaaazy adventures each quartet will get themselves into (or what guests the YGG! folk will have). However, as YGG! co-creator Christian Jacobs noted in an interview, they've also been working on a movie script, so perhaps the additional episodes will give the script an added push as well. Anyway, given that it took them basically a year to debut Season 3 YGG! episodes after they approved production, expect DJ Lance and friends to come back for Season 4 in spring of 2012.

Photo Credit: Ben Clark/Nickelodeon

Fresh Freat Beat Band - Season 2 Premieres Next Week

As previously reported, Nick, Jr. greenlighted Season 2 of their show The Fresh Beat Band. And now their "hijinks and high-energy music" (which, y'know, is not a bad description of the show) will be featured in four new Season 2 episodes premiering Monday, Aug. 30 - Thursday, Sept. 2, at 11:30 a.m. ET/PT. And while future episodes promise that the band will "learn and play new styles of music, including Jazz, Conga, Bluegrass and Motown," for now fans will have to be satisfied with these 4 shows.

The Fresh Beat Band - "You Got It" [Posted with permission of Viacom]

PR descriptions of the 4 premiere episodes after the jump. Note: one sentence in each description may be less than totally truthful.

Monday, Aug. 30 "Circus Mojo" - When only some of the circus arrives, the Fresh Beats jump in to help save it for the Junior Beats. Twist and Shout claim the flying silks, Kiki performs on the floating lyra and Marina on the soft swing. The Fresh Beats find their acts harder than they expected. Marina encourages the others but then needs some encouragement of her own when asked to step in as the ringmaster. This is because the lion ate the previous ringmaster.

Tuesday, Aug. 31 "Honk Honk" - The Fresh Beats decide to order a new car online. However, when it’s delivered, it comes in 57 boxes and they can't figure out how to put it together. Shout rallies them to put the car together by following the instructions one step at a time to build a rockin’ new car! The state revenue authorities then seize the car for failing to pay use tax.

Wednesday, Sept. 1 "Camping with the Stars" - It's summer and the Fresh Beats go camping and hope to spot a shooting star. They bring their acoustic instruments so they can jam along with the sounds of nature. But it’s Twist’s first time camping and he has a lot to learn – until he saves the day by staying up and spotting shooting stars! However, since the Fresh Beats failed to bring any caffeine, they are totally grumpy the next day.

Thursday, Sept. 2 "Singin' in the Rain" - When it starts raining, Twist, Shout and Kiki run for cover, but the rain sounds inspire Marina to write a new song. When the rain suddenly stops, Marina can't finish her song. Twist, Shout and Kiki help Marina and they create an authentic "rhythm-of-the-rain" sound. In the rain, Marina kicks off a cool song and dance number with everyone wearing bright colored raincoats, hats and carrying umbrellas. The ghost of Gene Kelly shows up and tells the band that they're close to violating copyright infringement statutes.

Nickolodeon's Mega Music Fest: Biggest Mashup Ever

What do you get when you cross Yo Gabba Gabba! with the Laurie Berkner Band and Colbie Caillat? Synergy!

Or, at least, that's what Nickolodeon believes, as they announced yesterday the first-ever "Mega Music Fest." (Note to self: "Mega" is no longer a prefix, apparently. It's a word unto itself.) On May 22 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the channel will be hosting the concert and taping it for a prime-time special this summer. In addition to the folks above, the concert will feature Wycleaf Jean, the Roots, Dora the Explorer, and the Fresh Beat Band, along with Sherri Shepherd and John Leguziamo. Caillat, Jean, and the Roots will apparently be performing duets with the other folks.

For those of you thinking that this would make for a fun live concert experience, you're going to have to know people -- there's no mention of the concert on the BAM calendar even though it's just ten days before the concert.

I'm 99% sure that Caillat, Jean, and the Roots will be performing with the Nickolodeon folks, but would it be too much to ask for at least a Roots/Berkner performance? (Yes, apparently it would.)

Photo credit: Todd Owyoung

They're Baaack: New Fresh Beat Band Episodes Start Monday; Season 2 On Its Way

It's been awhile since I've talked about The Fresh Beat Band, Nick Jr.'s live-action show with music that couldn't be more different from its other live-action show with music (Yo Gabba Gabba!).

But they're back, with four new Season 1 episodes running next week (January 11 through 14). And bringing joy (and probably some pain) to families worldwide comes news that Viacom's ordered 20 new half-hour episodes for Season 2. (Oh, and apparently you'll be able to buy "Great Day" and "The Fresh Beat Band Theme Song" on iTunes soon.) So, yeah, folks, they're not going away.

The network's summaries of the four premiere episodes from next week presented (mostly) without comment after the jump. They're pretty amusing read aloud, but I suppose so would a summary of a Lost episode....

Monday, Jan. 11 – “March Our Way”
The Fresh Beats are leading the school parade, but they can’t seem to march in a straight line. Instead, they march in different directions, crashing into each other. So, they decide to lead the parade Fresh Beat style, transforming into a dancing, hip hopping marching band!

Tuesday, Jan. 12 – “Glow for It”
The Fresh Beats are performing at the moonlight block party, but as soon as their performance begins, all the lights go out, and the Fresh Beats need to figure out a way for the audience to see them. Taking a cue from Marina’s glow-in-the-dark drumsticks, the band makes glow stick costumes and the party becomes a glow-in-the-dark extravaganza. Ed: Safest. Rave. Ever.

Wednesday, Jan. 13 – “Rock to Sleep”
Shout finds a bugle inside a box of his favorite cereal and he can’t stop playing it, even refusing to go to sleep at night. The Fresh Beats try all sorts of things to get him to sleep – they rock him in a hammock, walk his bed around the neighborhood and even sing him a lullaby, but Shout is still wide awake and intent on playing the bugle. Finally they decide to rock out, Fresh Beats style, and Shout is so exhausted from playing that he promptly falls asleep.
Ed: The idea that cereal boxes still have toys in them -- and a bugle to boot -- puts a stupid grin on my face. Really, it's kinda cool in a retro way.

Thursday, Jan. 14 – “Rhyme Time”
Twist is rapping at the picnic, but when he can't find a word that rhymes with music he loses his voice. The others make up silly words that rhyme with music and Twist gets his voice back just in time for the picnic.