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Recess Monkey to Release Desert Island Disc

Family music group, Recess Monkey, has recorded its 10th studio CD, Desert Island Disc, set for release in October. The new album features acoustic instruments conveying the relaxed, sun-drenched pace of good friends exploring a strange new land together. Graced with elegant and colorful orchestrations by Jherek Bischoff, Desert Island Disc is like the calm exhale following a rampaging storm of summer excitement.

Guest artists on Desert Island Disc include Justin Lansing of the Grammy-winning Okee Dokee Brothers (banjo), Dean Jones of Dog on Fleas (vocals), and Johnny Bregar (B3 organ). The album was recorded on an island—Bainbridge Island, Wash.—in Johnny Bregar’s Brickyard Studios.

USAopoly Debuts The Walking Dead-Inspired Board Games

USAopoly, under license by Hasbro, Inc. will debut Monopoly: The Walking Dead Survival Edition and Risk: The Walking Dead Survival Edition. Each game is based off Robert Kirkman’s comic book series and graphic novels. The games relate to the comic in detail as seen through game tokens, playing cards, the playing board itself, and other details.

Available exclusively from Skybound, Kirkman’s imprint at Image Comics, and Diamond Comic Distributor, both games will be released in late September.

Hasbro Introduces My Little Pony Equestria Girls Dolls

Straight from the halls of Canterlot high, the My Little Pony Equestria Girls dolls are six best friends with a flair for fashion and fun. Each doll in the collection comes dressed in an ultra-chic look and features her signature cutie splash, a unique design similar to the cutie marks on their pony alter egos. Girls will love to share styles between their favorite My Little Pony Equestria Girls friends, as each doll has an interchangeable fashion skirt and shoes in addition to a signature accessory. Each My Little Pony Equestria Girls doll comes complete with a Canterlot High membership ID card. Each doll sold separately. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com

Kidz Bop 24 Release Coincides with Kidz Star USA Competition

Kidz Bop 24, the latest volume in the best-selling Kidz Bop audio series, is the sixth consecutive Kidz Bop title to debut in the Top 3 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart.

Timed with the release of Kidz Bop 24, Kidz Bop launched its annual talent competition, Kidz Star USA, America’s biggest online talent search for kids ages 15 and under. This summer, Kidz Bop has teamed up with Six Flags Entertainment to bring The Official Kidz Star Live Audition Tour to 10 different Six Flags Theme Parks, where kids can audition live for the first time ever. Aspiring young singers can enter for their chance to win an RCA Records recording contract in two ways. Kids can upload a 90-second performance video to KidzBop.com or audition in person at select Six Flags Theme Parks.

Auditions and activities are free with paid park admission. TV and film star Jennette McCurdy is this year’s celebrity mentor and will help select the 2013 Kidz Star USA Grand Prize Winner. Four finalists will be flown to Hollywood to compete on stage at a Six Flags Magic Mountain finale event on September 28, where McCurdy will make a special appearance and help determine who will be crowned the next Kidz star. The winner will be announced this October.

Frito-Lay and Activision Partner for Skylanders Giants

PepsiCo‘s Frito-Lay North America division and Activision Publishing Inc. have launched a summer promotion for Skylanders Giants. The promotion includes the free Skylanders Giants In-Store Adventure mobile app, which is available for download on iOS and Android platforms. Once downloaded, users can scan in-store barcode headers and special-edition Frito-Lay variety packs to see a Skylanders Giants character appear on their mobile device.

Players can also obtain limited-edition Skylanders Giants Sidekicks figures by purchasing specially-marked Frito-Lay 20-count variety packs and entering the in-pack code online. Four different figures, compatible with the Skylanders Giants video game, are available through this offer.

When shoppers use the app to scan all three Frito-Lay and Skylanders Giants in-store displays, they’ll unlock additional interactive content. The promotion ends September 2.

Disney Consumer Products Releases Disney’s Planes Collection

Disney Consumer Products (DCP) has announced a product collection inspired by Disneytoon Studios’ high-flying adventure, Disney’s Planes, with products that leverage technology and interactivity from Disney Store and companies, including Mattel, Thinkway, and Jay Franco. With track sets for side-by-side racing and stunts and launchers, kids will be able to recreate their favorite racing moments from the film. Fueling imagination and role play, the line also includes R/C planes that kids can guide with flight controllers that mirror their own body movements. The planes can be programmed to talk, and move and turn with a programmable joystick. A collection from Disney Store and DisneyStore.com, as well as an assortment of fashion, home décor, lifestyle, and publishing products, rounds out the collection for fans of this new comedy-adventure from above the world of Cars.

Disney’s Planes is set for release in theaters August 9, and takes off with Dusty (voiced by Dane Cook), a small town dreamer who longs to enter the most epic around-the-world air race despite his fear of heights.

Josh &The Jamtones to Release New CD

Boston-based kindie rock band Josh & the Jamtones are ready to break new ground with the release of its second kids’/family CD, Bear Hunt!

Bear Hunt! introduces an array of musical styles, all delivered with a sense of current musical taste, from New Orleans-style street music, roots/reggae, second-wave ska, pure folk, folk-punk, alt-country, and classic country/bluegrass.

Bear Hunt! will be released on October 1. Josh & the Jamtones will perform live September 21 and 22 at the Life is Good Festival in Canton, Mass., November 24 at the Solomon Schechter Day School in Newton, Mass., and February 1 at the Symphony Space in New York City.

Rubik’s Cube Enthusiasts Compete for World Championship

More than 575 competitors from 37 countries made the trip to Las Vegas this weekend in an attempt to make it into Rubik’s Cube history at this years Rubik’s Cube World Championship. The three-day event took place at the Riviera Hotel & Casino where some of the world’s best Rubik’s Cube solvers competed in more than 15 classic and non-traditional official cubing events.

After three straight days of competition, Feliks Zemdegs of Australia won with the fastest average time for solving the classic 3×3 Rubik’s Cube in 8.18 seconds. The bi-annual World Rubik’s Cube Championship is comprised of 17 official events, with the culmination being the crowning of the 3×3 Rubik’s Cube champion.

Out of town Rubik’s Cube enthusiasts were able to follow the competition from start to finish via live updates on the Rubik’s Cube Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages using #RubiksWorldChamps.

Brush Buddies Launches Smurf-Themed Toothbrushes

In anticipation of Sony Pictures Animation’s release of The Smurfs 2, in theaters July 31, Brush Buddies announces a partnership with Sony Pictures Consumer Products for the launch of Brush Buddies Smurfs Poppin’ toothbrushes, Brush Buddies Smurfs Talking Toothbrushes, and Brush Buddies Smurfs manual toothbrushes. This collection will be the newest addition to the Brush Buddies licensed toothbrush collection.

The Poppin’ and Talking line is designed with safety features in mind for kids ages 2 to 11 years old. The products are BPA free with soft DuPont Tynex Bristles and designed with an ergonomic handle that easily fits a child’s hands.

To order your own Smurfs Poppin’ or Talking Toothbrushes, visit www.brushbuddies.com/thesmurfs. The products are also available at Toys “R” Us and Walmart.

Mind Candy Partners with Activision for Moshi Monsters Game

Mind Candy has partnered with Activision Publishing Inc. for a new video game, Katsuma Unleashed. The game is planned to hit store shelves on October 11 in Europe and November 5 in North America, and is currently in development at UK-based studio Sumo Digital for the Nintendo DS and 3DS handheld gaming systems.

Katsuma Unleashed is a side-scrolling, action-adventure platform game designed to appeal to Moshi fans of all ages. In a move away from the previous two titles, the game will feature stand-alone hero character Katsuma. As the franchise’s most popular Moshi Monster, players will embark on a voyage with Katsuma through new worlds packed with mini arcade challenges and boss battles. Along the way, Katsuma will have to battle enemy characters using powerful new capabilities, including Furi’s Smash and Diavlo’s Flight, in order to rescue other Moshi Monsters. Another feature available in the 3DS version is StreetPass secrets—18 explorable maps and monster attack games where users get to play as each of the Moshi Monsters, each with its own unique set of moves.