The Fresh Beat Band Is Fresh, I'll Give 'Em That Much

What's that, parents? Your kids want to watch yesterday's episode of Nick Jr's new show The Fresh Beat Band and you don't have a DVR? Well, it's iTunes to the rescue -- they already have the 3 episodes shown yesterday and today (Stomp the House, Stick Together, Doggone It!) available for sale, just $1.99 each. I'm guessing that a lot of regular readers won't care much about this, but I do think it shows just how quickly the TV landscape has changed in a few years. Jack's Big Music Show? Just 4 episodes on iTunes, the ones on the Let's Rock DVD. But now even these shows for kids are being treated like The Office. Obviously, I think this is a great idea. Why should I have to wait for the next Biscuit Brothers DVD when I could download the episodes immediately from iTunes? But I've heard from assorted musicians that iTunes isn't necessarily the fastest in responding if your name isn't "Hannah" or "Montana." Makes me the think that finding the best independent music/shows for kids is a niche that Kidos could nicely carve out for itself. (But I still want my Biscuit Brothers on iTunes.)

There's A Party On My Stereo: Yo Gabba Gabba Album / DVD Out October 14

Hot on the heels of the this week's Season Two premiere of Yo Gabba Gabba! comes word that episodes of Season One of the show will hit DVD on October 14 (Yo Gabba Gabba!: The Dancey Dance Bunch. Really.) [Update: I got an update from the folks at Viacom. It is not a complete set, but just four shows with a MSRP of $16.99 -- "Friends," "Eat," "Dance," and "Happy." Sorry if the original vaguely worded heads-up from Viacom made me think it was a complete season set. It's not. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Hey, there's a song there...] Yeah, yeah, I know there are some big fans of the show out there, but even cooler from my perspective is the news that October 14 will also see the iTunes release of a digital-only Yo Gabba Gabba! soundtrack. That's right -- those of you with a desperate need to have "Party In My Tummy" available to you at a moment's notice in the car or during a particularly recalcitrant dinner experience will now be able to fill that need. For the rest of us, Mark Kozelek's great "Bedtime Lullaby" will do just fine. And because the album tracks will be available a la carte, you'll be able to pick and choose... The full track listing after the jump.

Ralph Covert, Dan Zanes, and the Wiggles Walk Into A Bar...

... and say, hey, we all have an iTunes Essentials list! That's right, there's now a Ralph's World Essentials list to go along with Zanes' and the Wiggles' lists. Since I, uh, compiled it, let me know which of your favorite RW songs I skipped. Not that it'll change the list at all, but you might feel better.

Yes, But Will He Get His Own Funky Dancing Shadow?

Did you know you can get every Dan Zanes family album at the iTunes Music Store? Including audio for his All Around the Kitchen DVD? Even a bonus track from Parades and Panoramas? And that now he's just the second kids' artist to get their own "Essentials" list, which is an iTunes Music Store-endorsed collection of, well, essential tracks from an artist's catalog? The Wiggles, meet Dan Zanes. Dan Zanes, meet the Wiggles. I mention this for two reasons: 1) It's a recognition of the changing nature of kids' music (Ralph's World is featured on the sidebar; Justin Roberts is featured on the page, too). 2) I compiled the list. (And, yes, there are more coming. If it takes a while, there are good reasons for that having nothing to do with my opinion of the artist.)