My Gadget, Game & Gizmo Obsession

Last week, we updated our Slacker Radio Rock Band radio station with the recent DLC plus upcoming DLC.  We even started moving into the realm of Rock Band Network (RBN).  Today, we have taken it a bit further.  Realize that many RBN artists are unsigned, and not well known on the internet radio world, but surprisingly,I am able to find quite a few RBN tracks.

I have only sifted through the announced list of RBN tracks from last Wednesday, and only up to the letter “J” “T”.    The good news, 16 31 songs so far from RBN are available on Slacker…and I have added them to the station for your listening pleasure.  The updated RBN list is at the bottom.

Remember, Slacker can be enjoyed from your favorite web browser, as long as you have Flash installed (and I’m 101% sure you do).  Plus, Slacker for iPhone, BlackBerry, Palm WebOS, and Android all exist.  If you haven’t tried Slacker on your phone, just go to www.slacker.com to download the free app.

Direct link to Rock Band Station on Slacker.com

Rock Band Network, now on Slacker:
3 Inches of Blood – Battles and Brotherhood
Bif Naked – Sick
Color Theory – If Not Now When
Dear and the Headlights – Talk About
Despised Icon – Day of Mourning
Fake Shark-Real Zombie! – Angel Lust
Fake Shark-Real Zombie! – Horses in Heaven
Fake Shark-Real Zombie! – Running for the Razors
Fake Shark-Real Zombie! – Sestri Levante
Five Finger Death Punch – Burn it Down
Flogging Molly – Drunken Lullabies (Live)
Flogging Molly – Requiem for a Dying Song
In This Moment – Mechanical Love
Jonathan Coulton – Creepy Doll
Jonathan Coulton – Ikea
Jonathan Coulton – The Future Soon

UPDATE: Just added a bunch more.

KMFDM – A Drug Against War
KMFDM – Juke Joint Jezebel
Lacuna Coil – Survive
Longwave – No Direction
Marillion – Whatever Is Wrong With You
of Montreal – Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse
Senses Fail – Lady in a Blue Dress
Skeletonwitch – Crushed Beyond Dust
Skindred – Stand for Something
Steve Vai – For the Love of God
Steve Vai – Get the Hell Out of Here
Steve Vai – The Attitude Song
Stroke 9 – Kick Some Ass
Stroke 9 – Little Black Backpack
Suicide Silence – Disengage

Our Slacker Radio Rock Band radio station has been updated with this weeks installment of Rock Band DLC. This week you get 21 new tracks including packs from White Stripes, Mother Hips, HIM, and Disturbed. I now working to locate the additional 116 Rock Band Network songs released withing the past 48 hours.  Yes, 116 RBN songs released in less than 48 hours.  Those will be coming to the channel soon.
UPDATED: Just added a few RBN songs to the station.

3 Inches of Blood – Battles and Brotherhood
Bif Naked – Sick
Color Theory – If Not Now When

Direct link to Rock Band Station on Slacker.com

We have the official current list of songs available on Rock Band Network (which just opened this afternoon).  This is defintely the biggest week for Rock Band downloadable content since the release of Rock Band 1 in 2007.  Check out the current band/song list below.  Then, turn on your Xbox 360 and start spending those MS Points. SOURCE

3 Inches of Blood – Battles and Brotherhood
Alias Unknown – Top Back
Amberian Dawn – He Sleeps in a Grove
Amberian Dawn – River of Tuoni
Andrew Buch – Trippolette
Audio Fiction – Race The Hourglass
Bif Naked – Sick
Blackmarket – Tongue Twister Typo
Bojibian – Still There
C&O – We Are the Best
Chaunce DeLeon and The Fountain of Choof – Tadpole Search and Rescue
Children of Nova – The Complexity of Light
Color Theory – If Not Now When
Dear and the Headlights – Talk About
Despised Icon – Day of Mourning
DnA’s Evolution – The Heist
Error 404 feat. CJ Watson – If Trucks Drank Beer
Fake Shark-Real Zombie! – Angel Lust
Fake Shark-Real Zombie! – Horses in Heaven
Fake Shark-Real Zombie! – Running for the Razors
Fake Shark-Real Zombie! – Sestri Levante
Five Finger Death Punch – Burn it Down
Flogging Molly – Drunken Lullabies (Live)
Flogging Molly – Requiem for a Dying Song
Foreword – Watch It All Go Down
Free Spirit – Far Away from Heaven
Full-Source – End Quote
Full-Source – It’s Not You, It’s Everyone
Full-Source – Red Sky At Morn
Furly – Icarus’ Song
Gandhi – Arigato
Giant Target – In Memories
Giant Target – Signs
Glass Hammer – Hyperbole
Glass Hammer – Sleep On
Heaven Ablaze – Parhelia
In This Moment – Mechanical Love
James William Roy – Paper Valentines
Jonathan Coulton – Creepy Doll
Jonathan Coulton – Ikea
Jonathan Coulton – The Future Soon
KMFDM – A Drug Against War
KMFDM – Juke Joint Jezebel
Kristin Hersh – Fortune
Kristin Hersh – Mississippi Kite
Lacuna Coil – Survive
Lead the Dead – Rip’er
Longwave – No Direction
Marillion – Whatever Is Wrong With You
Matter in the Medium – Persistence of Vision
MC Frontalot – Goth Girls
Nick Gallant – Inside Out
Nick Gallant – Turn Yourself Around
Of Last Resort – Fade Away
of Montreal – Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse
Pink Flag – Nancy Drew
Ron Wasserman – Fight Back
Rose of Jericho – Buried Cold
Scratching The Itch – Lemon Juice
Scratching The Itch – The Buddy Disease
Scratching The Itch – You’re My Everything
Senses Fail – Lady in a Blue Dress
Skeletonwitch – Crushed Beyond Dust
Skindred – Stand for Something
Speck – Grumpytown
Speck – VP of Booty Reports
Stars of Boulevard – Limousine
Stephanie Hatfield and Hot Mess – Can I Stay
Steve and Lindley Band – Backyard Buildyard
Steve Vai – For the Love of God (Live)
Steve Vai – Get the Hell Out of Here
Steve Vai – The Attitude Song
Stroke 9 – Kick Some Ass ‘09
Stroke 9 – Little Black Backpack ‘09
Suicide Silence – Disengage
Surprise Me Mr. Davis – Sissyfuss
The Cold Goodnight – Give
The Dirty Love Band – Moonboy
The Everybody – You Got That
The Fisticuffs – Liverpool Judies
The Hold Steady – Sequestered in Memphis
The Humans – It’s Good
The Kimberly Trip – California
The Main Drag – Cease and Desist
The Main Drag – Don’t Let Me Down (Slowly)
The Main Drag – Dove Nets
The Main Drag – Homosuperior
The Main Drag – How We’d Look On Paper
The Main Drag – Love During Wartime
The Main Drag – Megatron
The Main Drag – Talk Them Down
The Main Drag – Teeth, Face, Outerspace
The Main Drag – Tricky Girl
The Main Drag – What’s Your Favorite Dinosaur?
The Shins – Australia
The Slip – Children of December
The Slip – Even Rats
Ultra Saturday – Not My Fault
Ultra Saturday – Superhero!
WaveGroup Feat. Becca Neun – Liquid Smog (StompBox Remix)
Wounded Soul – Rx
You Shriek – Lilith in Libra
You Shriek – No Heroes
Zack Wilson – Another California Song
Zack Wilson – Ox

There is some interesting pontification going on over at the Rock Band forums today, around one of the most anticipated (and yet still not delivered) bands to be added to the Rock Band DLC arsenal. The one and only, Pantera.

From newcomer phildo2000 over at RockBand.com

I know RB likes to sometimes time their DLC releases with cd releases……well check out the news below. March 30?????

“The planned onslaught of Pantera reissues will soon kick off with what looks to be a new greatest hits collection set to be the first out of the gate. Due out through Atlantic/Warner on March 30th is a new compilation titled “1990-2000: A Decade Of Domination“. No further details have been revealed as to what the offering will feature as of yet.” I got this info from www.theprp.com.

For me, I’m more than ready for some Pantera. 1 song, a 3 pack, or their entire greatest hits collection…I’ll take them all.

What about you?

Our Slacker Radio Rock Band radio station has been updated with this weeks installment of Rock Band DLC. This week you get Megadeth’s classic album Rust In Peace, in its entirety; plus 5 tracks from King of Soul, Otis Redding; plus 4 singles to make a very eclectic mix. (see Simon’s post for the details…whenever he gets to writing it).

Direct link to Rock Band Station on Slacker.com

Well it certainly looks like the weeks of ‘re-run’ DLC have come to an end! No more songs that you already heard about when the expansion disc came out and no more limited-time ‘exclusives’.  On Tuesday, Harmonix provided us with a rare full-album DLC: Megadeth’s “Rust in Peace”.  This is Megadeth’s second full-album DLC, and third Tuesday DLC appearance; 1986’s “Peace Sells.. But Who’s Buying” album and their 2007 song “Sleepwalker” were added to the Rock Band DLC catalogue  in August-September 2008.

Released 20 years ago, “Rust in Peace” is a hallmark speed-metal album that is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of speed-metal music.   Late last year the band announced that they would be touring to support the anniversary in March 2010, and they would be playing the album, in its entirety, at each show.

• “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due”
• “Hangar 18″
• “Take No Prisoners”
• “Five Magics”
• “Poison Was the Cure”
• “Lucretia”
• “Tornado of Souls”
• “Dawn Patrol”
• “Rust In Peace… Polaris”

Thanks to Rock Band, you can now play the album, in its entirety, with three of your friends for the low cost of 1200 points for all nine tracks, or 160 for individual tracks.  I have clear memories of owning this album and loving every song as a teenager, but the level of skill required to master these in the game will be quite daunting.   I enjoy challenging setlists, but I also enjoy playing music that people like to listen to and some of the tracks on “Rust in Peace” are very complicated and dark.  The first two tracks on the album are excellent and if you are a passing fan of Megadeth, you should check them out, especially if you plan to simulate your own Megadeth World Tour in your living room.

Next Week’s Predictions:  3 tracks from Angels & Airwaves upcoming “LOVE” album, in stores on February 14th.

This year’s NFL Superbowl halftime show was a rock’n'roll medley by legendary rock icons “The Who” called the Superbowl S-Mashup.  The medley features five of their greatest all time hits arranged together to form a seamless song.  The majority of these songs are already available as master tracks or DLC in the game, which should be no surprise, as The Who are one of the game’s main acts with 19 tracks available to play.  The songs in the S-Mashup are, in order:

• Pinball Wizard (Rock Band 2)
• Baba O’Riley (DLC)
• Who Are You ? (DLC)
• See Me, Feel Me  (New)
• Won’t Get Fooled Again  (Rock Band 1)

The song is rated as a 5 star difficulty (bass and drums and vocals).  Here is a preview of the medley in two parts.  The song is a mere 160 points, but if you’re like me, you already own the master tracks and would rather play those all the way through.

Did you get your 3-day pass for PAX East before they sold out this week?  If not, there are still a few single day badges left.  Are you wondering who is going to PAX East?  Go here for a partial list.  Are you wondering what events are going to be at PAX East?  Go here for the up-to-the minute unofficial schedule.

Are you interested in what games are expected to be demoed (and possibly playable) at PAX East?  Now we have a possible list that has been posted on the PAX East forums.  Sure, it’s rumormill at this point, but I’d put it in the very probable category.

The games are listed in order of current release date. Soonest at the top. SOURCE

• 2K Games:
  • Mafia II
  • Spec Ops: The Line
• EA
  • APB
  • Battlefield: Bad Company 2
  • Dante’s Inferno: Trials of St Lucia
  • Skate 3
  • Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11
  • Medal of Honor
  • Crysis 2
  • Dead Space 2
• Harmonix

  • Green Day: Rock Band

• Microsoft
  • Super Street Fighter IV
  • Lost Planet 2
  • Alan Wake
  • Dead Rising 2
  • Fable III
  • Halo Reach
  • Micorsoft Game Room
  • Natal
• Nintendo
  • WarioWare D.I.Y.
  • Monster Hunter Tri
  • Super Meat Boy
  • Sin and Punishment 2
  • Metroid: Other M
  • Epic Mickey
• NVIDIA
  • Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2
  • Dark Void
  • Resident Evil 5
  • Alan Wake
  • Crysis 2
• Rockstar Games
  • GTA IV: The Lost and Damned (PS3)
  • GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony (PS3)
  • Red Dead Redemption
  • Max Payne 3
  • Agent
• Sega
  • Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Rise From the Ashes
  • Mega Man 10
  • Yakuza 3
  • Iron Man 2
  • Valkyria Chronicles 2
  • After Burner Climax
  • Alpha Protocol
  • Resonance of Fate
• The Behemoth
  • BattleBlock Theater
• Turbine
  • Turbine Next-Gen MMO Project
• Twisted Pixel Games
  • Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley
• Ubisoft
  • Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon 4
  • Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction
  • Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
  • Tom Clancy’s HAWX
• Wizards of the Coast
  • NEW! Dungeons and Dragons on Microsoft Surface!!

Let’s start February off on the left foot, with a Slacker Radio Rock Band radio station update.  This week you get more live Tom Petty, the rest of the Metal Track Pack (minus Bulls On Parade…sorry it’s not on Slacker), the rest of the Country Track Pack, plus a couple from Blue Öyster Cult. (see Simon’s post for the details).

Direct link to Rock Band Station on Slacker.com

Green Day Rock Band

Straight from a post at vg247.com, an interview with Demiurge employee, Adam Rosenfield, spills the beans that Green Day Rock Band has been outsourced from Harmonix (a la Lego Rock Band), and that likely means Harmonix is devoting all its resources to Rock Band 3.

Rosenfield quote from vg247:

“Not included in the announcement was the fact that Demiurge Studios was working on Green Day: Rock Band. And I gotta say, it’s pretty freakin’ awesome working on it. I’d love to tell you more, but NDAs, yada yada yada, so I can’t say much else.”

Demiurge is known to have been involved in developing some of the Rock Band Track Packs, so they aren’t exactly new comers to the Rock Band universe.