If you are a fan of Fleetwood Mac, or early 80′s feathered hair, this week of Rock Band 3 track releases is aimed directly at you.  This week we have a six pack of tracks, with a mix of some classic Fleetwood Mac tracks and some great 80′s Stevie Nicks solo tracks to get your jam on.

For the Mac fans, we have Rhiannon, Landslide, Gold Dust Woman and Dreams, while those looking to get their raspy vocals on can play Nicks hit tracks. Edge of Seventeen and Stand Back.  Edge of Seventeen and Dreams will feature Pro Guitar and Bass for an extra buck with each track.

Check the jump for the full release and pricing for each platform after the jump.  Now if you will excuse me, I need to start smoking a few packs to get my Stevie Nicks voice ready for Tuesday.

SIX PACK OF SONGS FEATURING FLEETWOOD MAC AND STEVIE NICKS HEAD TO ROCK BAND 3 NEXT WEEK!

Cambridge, Mass. – April 8, 2011 – Harmonix today announced that a six pack of songs featuring Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac will be available beginning April 12 in the Rock Band 3 Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

Rock Band provides the deepest and best selection of artists, songs and albums through the Rock Band music platform, which features more than 800 artists and more than 2,600* tracks via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/songs). Rock Band’s gigantic music library dwarfs that of any other rhythm video game on the market. More than 75 million songs have been sold through the Rock Band Music Store since its launch Nov. 20, 2007.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system and Wii

Having sold more than 140 million albums and produced more than 40 Top 50 hits since her career began in the early 1970s, Stevie Nicks is American rock royalty. Rolling Stone has called Nicks “The Reigning Queen of Rock and Roll,” she has eight GRAMMY® Awards as a solo artist and another for her work on 1977/1978 Album of the Year Rumours, and she is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Next week, we’re expanding the Rock Band catalog with the addition of a pack featuring two of her solo songs and four songs from Fleetwood Mac, the singer/songwriter’s popular classic rock band.

From her work with Fleetwood Mac, next week’s pack will include “Dreams” and “Gold Dust Woman” from the band’s most successful album, Rumours. The pack will also include “Landslide” and “Rhiannon” from the band’s 1975 self-titled album.

Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks Pack 01 will also feature two songs from Nicks’s solo career, including “Edge of Seventeen (Just Like the White Winged Dove)” from her 1981 album Bella Donna and “Stand Back” from her platinum 1983 album The Wild Heart.

As always, songs available as downloadable content for Rock Band 3 feature five-button guitar and bass parts, drums, Pro Drums, and keys, Pro Keys and harmonies, where applicable. Some songs also feature Pro Guitar and Pro Bass upgrades available for an additional $0.99 upgrade download.

Stevie Nicks will be releasing her highly anticipated new CD In Your Dreams on May 3 on Reprise Records. This will be Nicks’ first CD of new material since the release of her GRAMMY-nominated Trouble in Shangri-La 10 years ago. In Your Dreams was written and recorded at Nicks’ Los Angeles home and is co-produced by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard. Nicks and Stewart co-wrote seven of the album’s 13 songs. Nicks is currently touring with fellow rocker Rod Stewart on the 16-city Heart & Soul Tour. To find out when the tour is in your city, please click here. To preorder In Your Dreams, please click here.

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation®3 system (April 12):

Fleetwood Mac – “Dreams” X

Fleetwood Mac – “Gold Dust Woman”

Fleetwood Mac – “Landslide”

Fleetwood Mac – “Rhiannon”

Stevie Nicks – “Edge of Seventeen (Just Like the White Winged Dove)” X

Stevie Nicks – “Stand Back”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation®3 system April 13)

These tracks will be available for purchase as individual tracks as well as “Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks Pack 01” on Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system and Wii. Tracks marked with “X” will include Pro Guitar and Pro Bass expansions for $0.99 per song.

Price:

$1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points) per song

$2.00USD (200 Wii Points™) per song

$0.99 USD (100 Wii Points/80 Microsoft Points), £0.59 UK, €0.79 EU per song for eligible Pro Guitar/Pro Bass upgrade

$9.99, £4.99 UK, €7.99 EU (800 Microsoft Points, 1000 Wii Points) for Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks Pack 01

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

*Available on-disc, via download and disc export. Internet connection and export key purchase required. Wii has more than 1,500 song tracks available for purchase on the Rock Band platform on-disc, via song import, and download. Not applicable to Nintendo DS™.

Website Links:

For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

Stevie Nicks Website

Fleetwood Mac Website

Rock Band 3 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system, Wii and Nintendo DS. Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library. The complete list of tracks can be found at www.rockband.com/songs.

Rock Band 3 is rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band 3 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo.

Billy Joel, aka “The Piano Man” has returned to Rock Band 3 with a new six song track pack for players to test their ebony and ivory skills on the keyboard.    As with the last Billy Joel track pack, these songs encompass hits from his career including “She’s Always a Woman” and “I Go to Extremes” to name a few.  The full list of tracks is as follows:

• I Go To Extremes
• Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)
• My Life
• Prelude/Angry Young Man
• Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
• She’s Always a Woman

For those looking for extra challenge can add pro guitar and bass tracks to Prelude/Angry Young Man for $0.99 more.  Check the presser below for all the relevant information on the new track pack including pricing on all platforms.

TICKLE THE IVORIES WITH A PACK OF SONGS FOR ROCK BAND 3 THAT CELEBRATES BILLY JOEL’S PIANO CHOPS!

Cambridge, Mass. – March 18, 2011 – Harmonix today announced that a six-pack of songs from The Piano Man himself, Billy Joel, will be available beginning March 22 in theRock Band 3 Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

Rock Band provides the deepest and best selection of artists, songs and albums through the Rock Band music platform, which features more than 800 artists and more than 2,500* tracks via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/songs). Rock Band’s gigantic music library dwarfs that of any other rhythm video game on the market. More than 75 million songs have been sold through the Rock Band Music Store since its launch Nov. 20, 2007.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system and Wii

Looking for a keyboard challenge in Rock Band 3? Next week, we’re bringing you the “Billy Joel Piano Challenge” pack, featuring classics like “My Life,” “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” and “Prelude/Angry Young Man.”

As always, songs available as downloadable content for Rock Band 3 feature five-button guitar and bass parts, drums, Pro Drums, and keys, Pro Keys and harmonies, where applicable. Some songs also feature Pro Guitar and Pro Bass upgrades available for an additional $0.99 upgrade download.

This brings the total number of Billy Joel songs available for Rock Band 3 to 18, featuring everything from “Big Shot” to “Piano Man” to “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” Billy Joel has had 33 Top 40 hits in the United States, has won six GRAMMY® Awards and is the third-best selling solo artist in the United States, according to the RIAA.

Live At Shea Stadium: The Concert was released March 8 by Sony Music Digital. The two CD set and DVD features more than two hours of Billy and his band, as well as duets with guest artists Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, Garth Brooks and John Mayer, along with exclusive DVD/Blu-ray bonus performances with Steven Tyler, Roger Daltrey and John Mellencamp. For more information and to order, please click here.

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation®3 system (March 22):

“I Go to Extremes”

“Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)”

“My Life”

“Prelude/Angry Young Man” X

“Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”

“She’s Always a Woman”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation®3 system March 23)

These tracks will be available for purchase as individual tracks and as “Billy Joel Piano Challenge” on Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system and Wii. Tracks marked with “X” will include Pro Guitar and Pro Bass expansions for $0.99 per song.

Price:

$1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points) per song

$2.00USD (200 Wii Points™) per song

$0.99 USD (100 Wii Points/80 Microsoft Points), £0.59 UK, €0.79 EU per song for eligible Pro Guitar/Pro Bass upgrade

$9.99, £4.99 UK, €7.99 EU (800 Microsoft Points, 1000 Wii Points) for Billy Joel Piano Challenge

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

*Available on-disc, via download and disc export. Internet connection and export key purchase required. Wii has more than 1,500 song tracks available for purchase on the Rock Band platform on-disc, via song import, and download. Not applicable to Nintendo DS™.

Website Links:

For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

Billy Joel Website

Rock Band 3 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system, Wii and Nintendo DS. Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library. The complete list of tracks can be found at www.rockband.com/songs.

Rock Band 3 is rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band 3 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo.

Mentioned on Kotaku and enthusiastically verified by “Bed Intruder”-on-RBN author Kariodude, the auto-tuned bit of local news sound bite heaven has already been charted and tested. Kariodude is working with the folks who first performed the autotuning, the Gregory Brothers, on this remix.. and the one they did for Double Rainbow.

Kariodude claims the legal issues are already ironed out, citing that the Gregory Brothers needed Antoine Dodson’s permission to release the track for sale on iTunes. Presumably RBN works the same way. I’m not sure where this leaves WAFF, the Atlanta television station that got the quotes from Dodson in the first place. Probably pissed.

You can watch a preview of Kariodude’s work after the jump. There’s no formal release date for the RBN version of “Bed Intruder,” just that it’s coming soon.

Last week Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos talked with Edge about his company’s recent history and future plans, admitting that Rock Band 3 has not sold that well. With the shuttering of the Guitar Hero and DJ Hero brands – and the commonly-quoted flagging interest in music games in general – what hope do we have for the continuation of Rock Band?

As soon as this topic is raised, the conversation is immediately sidetracked by people shrugging and walking away. “I’m kinda burned out on notes-and-highway music games.” “I already own enough plastic instruments, and I haven’t used them in months.” Fine, so the fad is over and all the casualies have moved on to other, shiner objects. But what could Harmonix do to bring players back to the stage and maintain Rock Band as an evergreen platform? Owing to my vast experience of sitting around on my ass, here’s some humble suggestions to reinvigorate Rock Brand.

LET MY BEATLES FREE.

When The Beatles: Rock Band debuted in 2009, it was big news. The game was the kind of release that pierced through the usual public fog on video games. My Mom knew about it. Harmonix should leverage the Beatles wave again by making those tracks available for the other Rock Band games. I’ll even allow them keep the Beatles songs exclusive to Rock Band 3 for sake of simplicity in version translation (although I think Harmonix releasing all future DLC as RB3-exclusive had to have hurt their DLC revenue stream).

Spare me the spiel about “keeping Beatles music iconic and separate” and get the Lads to sign where they need to sign.

DROP THE PRICE… MAYBE DROP IT ALL THE WAY.

It won’t be long before last fall’s $60 Rock Band 3 will be found for $20 on discount. It can already be had in the $40 – $50 range. As the price falls, this potentially leads new buyers into the sweet, sweet realm of DLC songs. It’s time to offer Rock Band as the platform it truly is.

Let’s do a super Rock Band bargain and put a new disk out this fall for $20. Rock Band 3.1. Minor upgrades, only 30 new songs… but plenty of hype about the vast library of DLC. Don’t even pretend it’s a major release… call it Rock Band Player or whatever. Drop the Pro crap. Drop the drum trainer. Or hell, do absolutely nothing to the existing RB3 game and just re-release it with new songs for $20.

The point is to make the core game affordable and get new people into the pool.

But what about the instruments, you say? When the first Guitar Hero came out, we paid $80 for a game and a guitar. The cost of manufacturing plastic instruments has to be dirt by now. Offer game+guitar+mic for $40. Game+guitar+drums+mic for $60. Simplify and reduce the price. The piano is probably still too new to be priced down, so leave that entirely optional, as it is now.

I’ll even go one better: offer the core Rock Band 3 with no songs as a free downloadable game. Include the ability to download any 60 songs – ANY 60 SONGS – for $50. There’s enough food on the buffet that anybody could finally craft their own meal with exactly the tastes they like.

CATER, CATER, CATER.

Remember the nerd rush when Portal’s “Still Alive” was added to Rock Band? Sure, it was free, but even if it had been $1, gamers would have made it a hit. Why has Harmonix not continued to pursue video game music in their music video game?

Last week I beat Plants vs Zombies and damned if the game didn’t end with a cute pop song. I’d pay $1 to have that in Rock Band. And we have decades of great music available… surely we could tickle the fanbase by getting tracks from hit games.

Yes, some songs will end up as console exclusives. And yes, plenty would lack a singer. But so what?

Plus, we don’t have to solely cater to gamers. We could also cater to silly, party karaoke kind of stuff… like television theme songs. Dare we ask for j-pop and classical music as well?

And don’t give me that crap about “It’s ROCK Band, it should all be ROCK!” Horse hockey. You’re pretending to play music by timing button presses to flying pixels. ALL music should be up for grabs because that system works with ALL music and ALL instruments.

STOP SCARING PEOPLE.

One area where I think Harmonix can stop the appeal is in Pro Mode. This was a Big Deal for Rock Band 3 and it has done the game no favors in sales. The hardcore types had to wait how many months for the Pro Squier to ship? Momentum lost on a topic that was niche to begin with.

It’s unfortunate, because I’m sure Pro Mode was/is a ton of work, but most people just are not interested. Is it a great bonus? Sure. Most of us, however, had to face the reality that once you scratch away all the Pro stuff out of RB3, you’re left with Not Much Different From RB2.

How many gamers walked away from Rock Band in the first place because it was perceived as too hard when compared to Guitar Hero… simply by virtue of adding drums, and extra buttons to the guitar controller?

My point is that Rock Band lost some eyeballs simply by being Rock Band. Expensive, living-room-dominating Rock Band. Crowing about how cool it will be to learn to play REAL GUITAR is not going to sway people who are put off by an assumed difficulty gap.

Bring back the kid-friendly, “super-easy” option from LEGO Rock Band. Allow you to use whatever instruments you want, in whatever configuration (Guitar Hero did it!), so nobody feels like they wasted money by owning three guitars.

I’m not saying to water down the game to make it more accessible to casual gamers (well, maybe I am a little), but rather play up the points that the game already has. The genius of having a selection of difficulty modes across a diverse selection of songs is that this game can appeal to absolutely anybody… if they aren’t frightened off by thinking RB3 is all about learning to play real guitar (it isn’t), and they have to pay more for RB3 DLC tracks (you don’t).

Some time ago, I remember Harmonix hinting that they were trying to include a free MP3 version of the song with each downloadable game track. That awesome idea seems to have fizzled (imagine that), but it stands as an example of Harmonix trying to keep the consumer first. I trust these guys. They led a genuine cultural movement but were unjustly facepalmed aside. I hope that Activision’s killstroke on Hero does not indicate the unavoidable death knell for Rock Band.

Even as a longtime fan of Rock Band, I can’t deny there’s a weariness to the formula. I mean, what else can you do to make notes-on-a-highway compelling? It’s not like anybody paid attention to Nintendo’s fabulous Elite Beat Agents as a new take on music games.

So it’s with an amount of reticence that I plunge into Rock Band 3. Because, you guys, I could give a crap about Pro mode. I do not want to learn how to play an instrument. Harmonix’s ceaseless storm of Pro talk has me worried, because I can’t see that feature being anything more than a niche inside a niche. I’m sure the teaching system is fine, but I want enhancements and upgrades outside of that particular conversation.

Here’s what I have noticed after my first brush with RB3.

- In certain modes, the game WILL swap in gender-appropriate CPU avatars depending on who is singing the song. Duh! That could not have been hard, but it fixes a weird little detail that has bothered me for years.

- Why can’t the Rock Band games share the same scoring data? They all use the same DLC songs. I hate scrolling through my RB3 song list and seeing that, once again, “Maps” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs has NO high score associated with it. Couldn’t the game import the scores I’m accumulated through RB1, RB2 and LEGO Rock Band?

- But the new song list rating feature is a brilliant addition. I went through 250+ songs last night (and that’s without me bothering to export the on-disc songs from RB2 and LRB) and rated everything on a 5 point scale. Songs rated 1 will NEVER appear in any randomized playlist. Suddenly, I’m not avoiding the game’s many Random challenges.

- The new avatar creation system allows for customized heads and facial characteristics. You can make some really ugly people in RB3.

- The lack of a World Tour campaign is disconcerting. There’s a new structure here where, instead of a mostly-linear tour path across world venues, you have several screens of challenges based on the songs and the instruments. Like, if you play 5 songs on Easy and get at least 3 stars on each, presto, you’ve achieved one of the many challenges. Some challenges are more specific and will require you to actively pursue them, while others will just kind of happen as you play.

No doubt to appease people like me, RB3 does have something closer in format to the old World Tour… but it’s a menu or two apart from all the challenges, so I did not see it at first. Called Road Challenges, this subset of events reflects your band traveling and growing from venue to venue. It’s not as all-encompassing as World Tour mode, but it at least gives me a palpable ladder to scale. I’m glad RB3 has both options.

- Although the game has done away with earning “money” to put towards the unlockables, the Road Challenges include a new currency: spades. In Road mode, spades are earned by fulfilling certain pre-designated stunts during the performance. For example, pull off as many x4 multipliers as you can. Spades unlock avatar clothing and stuff.

There’s also a more familiar currency unit found inside the character clothes closet: actual dollars. Some avatar dress-up items will be available for purchase through the PlayStation Store. Hooray?

- The road highway looks sharper to me. I thought the graphics in previous RB games looked a little rastery, so this is a nice visual upgrade. The crowd animations seem more varied, so you don’t get as many fake people performing the same stupid whooping action in exact synchronization.

- Everything loads much faster than RB2. Scrolling through the song list, the break between songs, jumping into play… all seemed to me to be smoother and quicker.

- Live jump-in multiplayer is huge. No more dumping back to the bandmate selection screen to set up avatars and instruments. Nice one.

- Still unsure about the keyboard. For one, I had to go to three stores to find one. Everybody had the game on launch day, but nobody had the actual instruments.

For another, I’m very wobbly on what the keyboard brings to the mix. I think the Pro mode would probably be much cooler, if you have the talent to play actual piano, which I do not. Outside of Pro mode, it’s just five keys, all in a row labelled green through orange just like a guitar. In actual playtime, this means you’re essentially playing a different guitar, frets only. Still, even just adding another guitar means adding another player, which is great for parties. I felt kind of stupid playing it alone, however, since I was just keytaring it. I definitely will put more time on the keyboard to see if it can provide that same spark that you get with the other instruments.

The STP pack will set buyers back 800 MS Points or $9.99 on PS3, and the Jimmy Eat World pack will set you back 440 MS Points or $5.49 on the PS3.  All of the tracks can be purchased individually on all three platforms for 160 MS Points, $1.99 on the PS3 or 200 Wii Points.

Check the jump for the full presser on these new releases, as well as all the tracks being added.

MORE STONE TEMPLE PILOTS AND JIMMY EAT WORLD COMES TO ROCK BAND!

Cambridge, Mass. – Oct. 15, 2010 – Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that song packs from alternative rock bands Stone Temple Pilots and Jimmy Eat World will be added next week to the Rock Band MusicStore of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

Rock Band provides the deepest and best selection of artists, songs and albums through the Rock Band music platform, which features more than 800 artists and more than 2,000* tracks via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). To date, more than 75 million songs have been sold through the Rock Band Music Store since its launch Nov. 20, 2007. Rock Band 3 will be available Oct. 26 in North America and Oct. 29 in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, Wii and Nintendo DS™ followed by more weekly content additions to the Rock Band music store. Rock Band’s gigantic music library dwarfs that of any other rhythm video game on the market. Find more information on how to pre-order Rock Band 3 today here.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii

American rockers Stone Temple Pilots is made up of Scott Weiland on vocals, Robert DeLeo on bass, Dead DeLeo on guitar and Eric Kretz on drums and has found a wealth of success in the alternative rock genre since their debut album, Core, was released in 1992. It’s already been announced that the Stone Temple Pilots fan favorite, “Plush,” will be featured on the Rock Band 3 soundtrack, joining the already-available “Interstate Love Song,” “Sex Type Thing” and “Vasoline,” but next week, fans can get their hands on some additional Stone Temple Pilots tracks with a six pack of songs from the band.

Next week, six songs spanning the band’s career will be available in the Rock Band Music Store. The pack will include “Creep,” “Dead & Bloated” and “Crackerman” from Core, “Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart” from Tiny Music… Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop, “Big Empty” from Purple, and “Huckleberry Crumble” from the band’s latest and self-titled album, which was released earlier this year. Stone Temple Pilots are currently touring the United States. For More information and tickets, please click here.

Alt rock favorites Jimmy Eat World formed in Arizona in 1993 and are composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind. The band has released seven studio albums, including their latest, Invented, which was released Sept. 28, 2010. Next week, three songs from Jimmy Eat World will be available for download in the RockBand Music Store, joining the already-available “The Middle,” “Futures,” “Sweetness” and “Lucky Denver Mint.” Jimmy Eat World Pack 02 will feature “Pain” from 2004’s gold-certified Futures, “Bleed American” from the 2001 album of the same name and “My Best Theory” from Invented. Jimmy Eat World is touring the United States and Europe this fall. For more information and tickets, please click here.

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 system (Oct. 19):

· Stone Temple Pilots – “Big Empty”

· Stone Temple Pilots – “Crackerman”

· Stone Temple Pilots – “Creep”

· Stone Temple Pilots – “Dead & Bloated”

· Stone Temple Pilots – “Huckleberry Crumble”

· Stone Temple Pilots – “Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart”

· Jimmy Eat World – “Bleed American”

· Jimmy Eat World – “My Best Theory” +

· Jimmy Eat World – “Pain”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation 3 system Oct. 20)

These tracks will be available for purchase as individual tracks, as well as “Stone Temple Pilots Pack 01” and “Jimmy Eat World Pack 02” and on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system and as individual tracks on Wii. Tracks marked with “+” will also be available for download in the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store.

Price: $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points) per song

$2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per song

$9.99, £4.99 UK, €7.99 EU (800 Microsoft Points) for Stone Temple Pilots Pack 01

$5.49, £2.49 UK, €3.99 EU (440 Microsoft Points) for Jimmy Eat World Pack 02

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

*Available on-disc, via download and disc export. Internet connection and export key purchase required. Wii has over 1,500 song tracks available for purchase on the Rock Band platform on-disc, via song import, and download. Not applicable to Nintendo DS.

Website Links:

For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

Stone Temple Pilots Website

Jimmy Eat World Website

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library. The complete list of tracks can be found at www.rockband.com/music.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band 2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo.

Last year, Umloud was a huge success, giving fans a chance to come out and play Rock Band on a grand stage, all while helping out a great charitable cause, Child’s Play.  This year, Umloud is looking to be bigger,  and offer more prizes for those that wish to attend.  As with last year, all that is asked is a small donation to Child’s Play and you will have a chance to play Rock Band on a large stage, with hundreds of songs to choose from, free food and beverages, and spending some time with many people from the gaming industry.

Head over to www.umloud.org for more info on the whole event.

Also, listen to our DLC ideas for the Telltale poker title, including Matthew Broederick, Optimus Prime, the Ghetto bots, and the best possible choice ever, Roman Bellic.  If you are wondering how the picture for this post relates to the podcast, don’t bother.  I have to admit that I was lazy and Leeloo Dallas popped into my head.  Sometimes genius just works that way.

The podcast was mixed, by Stephen “Ruby Rhod” Munn, and features “Droid Girl”, performed by Lazyitis.

Download the podcast from here or subscribe to the podcast using one of the services below.   Also make sure to review us on iTunes and now, the Zune Marketplace.  If you have not yet, make sure to  visit our Facebook Fan Page.

On Wednesday next week, you will get a chance to buy an eight pack of Snoop Dogg tracks that span through his entire career.  Whether you liked his early Doggystyle, or maybe stuff from his Doggfather album or even up to his current stuff, youwill find tracks that will appeal to your inner rapper.

The full Snoop Dogg track back, featuring all eight tunes can be had for 1080 Microsoft Loonies or $13.49 on the PS3.  Tracks can be individually purchased for $1.99 on the PS3, 200 Wii Points on the Wii or 160 Microsoft Loonies on the Xbox 360.

Hit the jump for the full track list.

SNOOP DOGG IS HERE, WITH AN EIGHT PACK PRODUCED EXCLUSIVELY FOR ROCK BAND!

SNOOP DEBUTS AS FIRST HIP HOP ARTIST IN ROCK BAND!

Cambridge, Mass. – Sept. 3, 2010 – Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that an eight pack of songs from rap legend Snoop Dogg will be added to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

“I consider myself an OG gamer, and to be chosen as the first hip hop artist to appear in Rock Band…well, it doesn’t get any better than that, ya dig?!?” Snoop said. “I know my fans gonna get down with tha Pound with this one and tha youngsters really gonna realize who started this gamer ish, u hear me?!?”

With more than 400 artists, including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, AC/DC and Green Day, who are exclusive to Rock Band, as well as more than 1,600 songs available through the Rock Band platform and 70 million songs sold through its download store alone, Rock Band is the undisputed sales and content leader in the interactive music space, providing the deepest and best selection of artists, songs and albums.

Rock Band DLC additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii

Arguably the most famous rap star on the planet, Snoop Dogg has received an impressive 12 Grammy® Award nominations and has won a host of honors from other institutions, including MTV, BET, Rolling Stone, Billboard and The Source. And now, Snoop will debut as the first hip hop artist in Rock Band with eight of his greatest songs, produced exclusively for Rock Band!

Snoop Dogg was introduced to the world through Dr. Dre’s The Chronic and quickly built a name for himself in the rap world. When his 1993 debut, Doggystyle, hit, it became the first debut album to enter the charts at No. 1, with two Top Ten singles, and eventually went quadruple platinum. Snoop has since released nine subsequent albums, most of which debuted in the Billboard Top Ten, with Tha Doggfather and Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not To Be Told debuting at No. 1. Most of Snoop’s 10 studio albums are certified platinum.

Eight songs specifically reproduced for Rock Band and originally featured on a variety of albums spanning Snoop’s impressive career, will be added to the Rock Band Music Store. From Malice n Wonderland, we have “That’s Tha Homie.” “Beautiful” from Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$ will also be available, as well as the 2004 No. 1 hit single, “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” and “Ridin’ In My Chevy” and “Sensual Seduction” from Ego Trippin’. From Doggystyle, we’ll have “Tha Shiznit” and “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?,” as well as “Snoop’s Upside Ya Head” from The Doggfather. Snoop is currently touring the United States and Japan. For more information and tickets, check out http://www.snoopdogg.com/events/.

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 system (Sept. 7):

· “Beautiful”

· “Drop It Like It’s Hot”

· “Ridin’ In My Chevy”

· “Sensual Seduction”

· “Snoop’s Upside Ya Head”

· “Tha Shiznit”

· “That’s Tha Homie” *

· “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?”(All tracks are original master recordings)(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation 3 system Sept. 8)(“That’s Tha Homie” will be available on PlayStation 3 in North America Sept. 14 and on PlayStation 3 in Europe Sept. 15.)

These tracks will be available for purchase as individual tracks on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii and as “Snoop Dogg Pack 01” on Xbox360 on Sept. 7. “Snoop Dogg Pack 01” will be available for PlayStation 3 Sept. 21 in North America and Sept. 22 in Europe.

Price: $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points) per song

$2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per song $13.49, £8.99 UK, €13.49 EU (1,080 Microsoft Points) for Snoop Dogg Pack 01

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:

For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

Snoop Dogg Website

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

With these additions, there are now 1,602 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers’ voracious appetite for rock with more than 70 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007. The Rock BandMusic Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band 2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo

Starting off, someone is listening to pop radio at Harmonix, as “Bulletproof” by La Roux starts off the releases.  Follwing that up, we have “Rapture” by Blondie, considered by Billboard to be the first rap single to hit number one on the charts.  For those that want a message with their music, we have “Jesus Freak” by dc Talk.  Also available this week are tracks from The Decemberists, KMFDM, Eels, Eagles of Death Metal and Family Force 5.

All the tracks will set you back 160 MS Loonies, $1.99 on PS3 and 200 Wii points each.  For more info on these new tracks, check out the presser after the jump.

ROCK BAND PRESENTS A SMATTERING OF SMASH SINGLES, INCLUDING SIX ARTISTS NEW TO ROCK BAND!

Blondie, La Roux, The Decemberists, Eagles of Death Metal and more coming to Rock Band next week!

Cambridge, Mass. – July 30, 2010 – Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that singles from a smattering of stars, including Blondie, La Roux, The Decemberists and more will be available next week in the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

With more than 400 artists, including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, AC/DC and Green Day, who are exclusive to Rock Band, as well as more than 1,550 songs available through the Rock Band platform and 70 million songs sold through its download store alone, Rock Band is the undisputed sales and content leader in the interactive music space, providing the deepest and best selection of artists, songs and albums.

Rock Band DLC additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii

We’re bringing you a bunch of singles next week from a variety of awesome artists, including several who are making their Rock Band debut! Alternative rock group dc Talk debuts in Rock Band with “Jesus Freak,” the title track from their Grammy® Award-winning album of the same name. Indie rockers The Decemberists also make their Rock Band debut with “The Perfect Crime # 2” from 2006’s The Crane Wife. Making their Rock Band debut as well, indie rockers Eels are bringing “Saturday Morning” from their 2004 album Shootenanny!. And English electro-pop duo La Roux also make their Rock Band debut next week with “Bulletproof” from their 2009 self-titled debut. The song debuted at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart and went to No. 8 on the Billboard Chart in the United States. And finally, Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme-formed rock group Eagles of Death Metal debut in Rock Band with “I Only Want You,” the single from their 2004 album, Peace, Love, Death Metal.

We’re also adding to some artists’ Rock Band catalogs! From new wave goddess Blondie, we’re bringing you “Rapture,” one of the first mainstream hits to incorporate rap music and the first rap-influenced single to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Chart. Next week’s additions will also include “Sturm & Drang” from metal rockers KMFDM’s 2002 album, Attak, as well as “Love Addict” from Atlanta-formed rap rockers Family Force 5 debut album, Business Up Front/Party in the Back. Both Family Force 5 and KMFDM have previously only been available through the Rock Band Network Music Store.

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 system (Aug. 3):

· Blondie – “Rapture”

· dc Talk – “Jesus Freak”

· The Decemberists – “The Perfect Crime # 2”

· Eagles of Death Metal – “I Only Want You” +

· Eels – “Saturday Morning” +

· Family Force 5 – “Love Addict”

· KMFDM – “Sturm & Drang”

· La Roux – “Bulletproof” +

(All tracks are original master recordings)

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation 3 system Aug. 4)

These tracks will be available for purchase as individual tracks, on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Tracks marked with “+” will also be available in the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store.

Price: $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points) per track

$2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:

For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

With these additions, there are now 1,568 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers’ voracious appetite for rock with more than 70 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007. The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo.