Party Animal

Eric Herman brings the party on his long-awaited 6th CD for kids and families, featuring incredibly upbeat and memorable tunes with really long names like 'Can We Buy a New Car (So I Can Have a Balloon)?' and 'The Strange and Mysterious Fate of Mister Teddy Bear.' And in order to fit everything on the back of the CD case, Party Animal also includes short-named songs like 'Alive.' But regardless, there are some seriously fun and catchy songs here, including the above mentioned tracks, as well as the lead song, 'Up All Night,' which uses a 7/4 funk rhythm as a backdrop for a kid's excitement over staying up late on New Year's Eve. And inasmuch as a 43 year-old white guy with a blue shirt and yellow tie can be considered 'funky,' Herman definitely hits that mark on this album, with the Stevie Wonder inspired 'A Million Ways to Play,' and the quirky classic, 'The Best Parts,' which may answer the question of what The Beatles would have sounded like if they became a 70's funk band. As with his other albums, Eric Herman demonstrates his unique voice... musically, lyrically and sonically... within the greater children's music genre. Known for performing with his 'invisible band,' Party Animal is something of a transitional record for Herman, who now sports a fully visible live band called Eric Herman and the Thunder Puppies. Though Herman still wrote and performed most of the album himself, all of the Puppies make guest appearances on Party Animal, and 'A Million Ways to Play' represents their first combined songwriting effort (Herman's next music CD, due in 2015, will be a full band effort). Guest appearances on Party Animal include the beautifully brassy DidiPop singing delicious harmony vocals on 'Can We Buy a New Car...' and Kindie darlings Recess Monkey and Caspar Babypants doing cameos for the odd and amusing 'Be a Mime.' Party Animal also showcases the songwriting talents of Herman's daughters, Becca and Evee, who respectively came up with the hooks for 'Party at My House' and 'Can We Buy a New Car...' when they were 7 and 5. Herman's long-time collaborator, Kenn Nesbitt, also inspired the appropriately frenetic 'November First.' Herman is best known for his music videos, which have become hugely popular online with 50 million views on YouTube. Herman's songs and videos have also been featured nationally on PBS Kids, XM Radio, The Today Show, Fox & Friends, and in the Warner Bros. Film, Life as We Know It. His award-winning CDs and songs have spanned a wide variety of styles and approaches, and his high-energy concerts, filled with comedy and crowd interaction, have made him a favorite of audiences around the U.S.