Green Day songs added to the Rock Band Music Store

Green Day is one of the more than 390 bands currently available through the Rock Band platform. With more than 1,000 songs available, Rock Band is, without question, the industry leader in providing the best selection of interactive musical content, songs and artists.

Beatles Rock band Official Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Gameplay Trailer release date

New gameplay trailer for The Beatles album Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) that will be available in its entirety for purchase and playable as downloadable content in The Beatles: Rock Band Music Store starting November 17, 2009.

U2 will follow Beatles with Rock Band video game

Full-time popsters, part-time humanitarians U2 have set their sights on stepping out on the gaming stage to star in their own Rock Band game.

Talking to USA Today, bass player Adam Clayton revealed that the band had been in initial talks with the creators of the game EA and MTV Games last year, only for discussions to break down.

The Raconteurs, Alanis Morissette, Electric Six and Flobots all join Rock Band

Also, tracks from Green Day and Rush for Rock Band Unplugged!

Harmonix and MTV Games announce that The Raconteurs will make their Rock Band debut next week with a three pack of songs available for download in the Rock Band Music Store.

This is Spinal Trap comes to Rock band Plus tracks from Black Sabbath and Foo Fighters for Wii and songs from Jane's Addiction and Styx for Rock Band

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced they will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the theatrical release of This is Spinal Tap, by making available newly recorded versions of the songs featured in the cult classic film and its 1984 soundtrack album. The songs will be available in the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content next week on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Nintendo Wii system. With the addition of the Spinal Tap tracks, the Rock Band music platform now offers more than 800 songs to consumers via disc and download, and has surpassed more than 50 million paid downloads to date.

Additional tracks from Black Sabbath and Foo Fighters will be available in the Nintendo Wii Rock Band Music Store, and tracks from Jane’s Addiction and Styx will be available for Rock Band Unplugged.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 Systems and Wii Console

The 11 songs that comprised the film’s original soundtrack were recently re-imagined and newly interpreted by the band for its latest CD Back From The Dead. The end result is that England’s Loudest Heavy Metal Band, Spinal Tap, has never sounded better. Back From The Dead also features six brand new songs including “Back from the Dead,” “Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare” and “Warmer Than Hell” which are already available in the Rock Band Music Store and an hour-long DVD featuring band commentary. This is Spinal Tap is now available on Blu-Ray from MGM Home Entertainment.

Tracks available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Aug. 4) and PLAYSTATION 3 system (Aug. 6):

Spinal Tap “(Funky) Sex Farm”
Spinal Tap “(Listen to the) Flower People (Reggae Stylee)”
Spinal Tap “America”
Spinal Tap “Big Bottom”
Spinal Tap “Cups and Cakes”
Spinal Tap “Gimme Some Money”
Spinal Tap “Heavy Duty”
Spinal Tap “Hell Hole”
Spinal Tap “Rock ‘n’ Roll Creation”
Spinal Tap “Stonehenge”
Spinal Tap “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight”

(All tracks are original master recordings from Back From The Dead recording sessions.)

These tracks will be available for purchase as part of the “Spinal Tap’s TAP TEN” or as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 systems.

Price: $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$17.99 (1440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Spinal Tap’s TAP TEN”
$2.00 USD, (200 Wii Points) per track

Wii Back-Catalog Additions
Additionally, tracks from Black Sabbath and Foo Fighters will be available Aug. 4 in the Wii Rock Band Music Store. These tracks come from the catalog of Rock Band music already released to owners of Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system. With the addition of these tracks, there are now more than 450 tracks in the Wii Rock Band Music Store.

Additional tracks available for Wii (July 28):

Black Sabbath “N.I.B.” *
Black Sabbath “Sweet Leaf” *
Black Sabbath “War Pigs” *
Foo Fighters “Doll”
Foo Fighters “Enough Space”
Foo Fighters “February Stars”
Foo Fighters “Hey, Johnny Park!”
Foo Fighters “Monkey Wrench”
Foo Fighters “My Hero”
Foo Fighters “My Poor Brain”
Foo Fighters “New Way Home”
Foo Fighters “See You”
Foo Fighters “Up in Arms”
Foo Fighters “Walking After You”
Foo Fighters “Wind Up”

(* Denotes cover version)

Price: $2.00 USD, (200 Wii Points) per track

Rock Band Unplugged Tracks for PSP System
Rock Band Unplugged fans will enjoy the addition of Jane’s Addiction’s “Had a Dad” and Styx’s “Renegade” to the 25 tracks already available via the Rock Band Unplugged in-game music store for the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system.

Tracks available for Rock Band Unplugged (July 30):

Jane’s Addiction “Had a Dad”
Styx “Renegade”

Price: $1.99, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU per track on the PSP system

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

Ministry, The Cranberries and The Zombies content coming to Rock Band

The Zombies, The Cranberries Also Make First Rock Band Appearance

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that three tracks from industrial metal pioneers Ministry will be added to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content next week for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and the Nintendo Wii system. Also coming in next week’s lineup is music from The Cranberries and The Zombies.

Ministry played together from 1981 until 2008 and, during this time, laid the foundation for American industrial metal. The “Ministry Pack 01” will feature “Cuz U R Next,” from The Wicked Soundtrack by Al Jourgensen, the Ministry frontman-scored soundtrack to the 2008 film, Wicked Lake, as well as “The Great Satan” and the Grammy-nominated“LiesLiesLies,”both from the band’s 2006 album Rio Grande Blood. This three pack marks Ministry’s first appearance in the Rock Band catalog.

Also making Rock Band soundtrack debuts next week are 60s English rock band, The Zombies, and Irish alternative rock band, The Cranberries. “She’s Not There” and “Tell Her No,” both from The Zombies self-titled 1966 album, will be made available, as will “Linger,” from The Cranberries 1993 album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? The song was named by VH1 as one of the 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.

Tracks:
Ministry “Cuz U R Next”
Ministry “LiesLiesLies”
Ministry “The Great Satan”
The Zombies “She’s Not There”
The Zombies “Tell Her No”
The Cranberries “Linger”
(All tracks are original master recordings)
The Ministry tracks will be available for purchase as part of the “Ministry Pack 01” or as individual tracks for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system. These tracks will be available for purchase as individual tracks only for Wii.
Release Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2009
(Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 and in-game Rock Band 2 Music Store for Wii)
Thursday, May 28, 2009
(PlayStation Store)

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

Price: $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points) for Xbox 360 per track
$2.00 (200 Wii Points for Wii) per track
$5.49 (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Ministry Pack 01”

Locations: Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360
PlayStationNetwork
In-game Rock Band 2 Music Store for Wii

Rock Band - trackes added from Silversun Pickups, Duran Duran, The Pretenders, Mötley Crüe and many more.

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today a massive array of new tracks coming this week to the Rock Band Music Store catalogue of downloadable content for the Nintendo Wii system, including 25 hit songs from artists like Silversun Pickups, Duran Duran, The Pretenders, Mötley Crüe and many more.

As previously announced, Wii Rock Band 2 owners will also gain access this week to three tracks from Social Distortion, two tracks from Disturbed, two tracks from Steely Dan and singles from Elvis Costello and The Replacements.

British post-punk pioneers Siouxsie & The Banshees offer three tracks to Wii music fans including “Hong Kong Garden,” from Once Upon A Time: The Singles (1981), “Kiss Them for Me,” the lead single from the band’s tenth album, Superstition (1991) and “The Killing Jar,” from Peepshow (1988).

Indie rockers Locksley offer up three tracks this week with “All Over Again,” “Don’t Make Me Wait” and “She Does,” all featured on the band’s 2007 album Don’t Make Me Wait. Plus, rising indie rockers Silversun Pickups make their way into the Wii Rock Band store with “Melatonin” and “Well Thought Out Twinkles” from Carnavas (2006).

This week’s content update also includes two tracks from Duran Duran: “Girls on Film” and “Rio.” “Girls on Film” was the band’s breakthrough single and the biggest hit from their 1981 self-titled debut album, while “Rio” was the fourth single from Rio (1982) and featured one of the most well known music videos from the 1980s.

Six additional singles from a variety of rock artists round out this week’s music store offering with “Rescue Me” from Buckcherry’s album Black Butterfly (2008), Mötley Crüe’s “Face Down in the Dirt” from Saints of Los Angeles (2008), “Life is Beautiful” from Sixx:A.M.’s album The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack (2007), “Pretty in Pink” from Psychedelic Furs’ Talk Talk Talk (1981), Pretenders’ hit “Brass in Pocket” from the band’s self-titled 1980 album and “Get Your Rock On” by The Janitors featured on the American Mall soundtrack (2008).

The tracks from Social Distortion, Steely Dan, Disturbed, Elvis Costello and The Replacements will be released simultaneously with the weekly content update for other consoles. The remainder of the tracks comes from the back catalogue of Rock Band music already released to owners of Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system. Wii fans can expect a rollout of previously released downloadable Rock Band content until the entire back catalogue of more than 670 songs is available.

Release Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2009
** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **

Tracks:
Social Distortion “Bad Luck”
Social Distortion “Ring of Fire”
Social Distortion “Story of My Life”
Steely Dan “Black Friday”
Steely Dan “My Old School”
Disturbed “Stricken”
Disturbed “Stupify”
Elvis Costello “Radio Radio”
The Replacements “Kids Don’t Follow”
Siouxsie & The Banshees “Hong Kong Garden”
Siouxsie & The Banshees “Kiss Them For Me”
Siouxsie & The Banshees “The Killing Jar”
Locksley “All Over Again”
Locksley “Don’t Make Me Wait”
Locksley “She Does”
Silversun Pickups “Melatonin”
Silversun Pickups “Well Thought Out Twinkles”
Duran Duran “Girls On Film”
Duran Duran “Rio”
Buckcherry “Rescue Me”
Mötley Crüe “Face Down in the Dirt”
Psychedelic Furs “Pretty in Pink”
Sixx:A.M. “Life is Beautiful”
The Pretenders “Brass in Pocket”
The Janitors “Get Your Rock On”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

Price: $2.00 (200 Wii Points) per track
Location: In-game Rock Band 2 Music Store (Wii Points must be purchased through the Wii Shop Channel)

Franz Ferdinand and music from The Allman Brothers Band, Prong, The Distillers, Alien Ant Farm and Luscious Jackson join Rock Band

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced the addition of 10 songs from six popular rock bands to the Rock Band™ Music Store of downloadable content including a three-pack from Franz Ferdinand and music from The Allman Brothers Band, Prong, The Distillers, Alien Ant Farm and Luscious Jackson.

Franz Ferdinand has produced a string of memorable, chart-topping hits since the band’s formation in 2001. The Scottish band’s signature song, “Take Me Out,” from their self-titled 2004 album will debut in the Rock Band Music Store next week. The Franz Ferdinand 3-pack also includes “Do You Want To” from You Could Have It So Much Better (2005) and “Lucid Dreams” featured on the album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand (2009). The tracks will be available for purchase as a three-pack or as individual tracks.

Southern-rock outfit The Allman Brothers Band makes its first appearance in the Rock Band Music Store with “Midnight Rider,” featured on 1970’s Idlewild South, and “Blue Sky,” featured on the band’s 1972 classic album Eat a Peach. The band has received numerous awards and was named one of Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” in 2004. Eat a Peach was the band’s final album to include legendary guitarist and founding member Duane Allman before his tragic motorcycle accident death in 1971. Rolling Stone magazine listed Allman as the second greatest guitarist of all time, behind only Jimi Hendrix. The Allman Brothers Band made it’s Rock Band debut with “Ramblin’ Man” on the Rock Band 2 soundtrack.

New York City metal band Prong makes its Rock Band debut with “The Banishment” and “Idealistic Types,” both featured on Prong’s latest album Power of the Damager (2007). In addition, The Distillers deliver their brand of energetic punk rock power in their Rock Band debut with “Drain the Blood,” the lead single from their third album Coral Fang (2003).

Rounding out this week’s line-up is “Smooth Criminal” from Alien Ant Farm featured on ANThology (2001) and Luscious Jackson’s “Naked Eye” from Fever In Fever Out (1996).


Release Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2009 (Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360)
Thursday, May 7, 2009 (PlayStation Store)

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

Tracks:
Franz Ferdinand “Take Me Out”
Franz Ferdinand “Do You Want To”
Franz Ferdinand “Lucid Dreams”
Alien Ant Farm “Smooth Criminal”
The Allman Brothers Band “Blue Sky”
The Allman Brothers Band “Midnight Rider”
The Distillers “Drain the Blood”
Luscious Jackson “Naked Eye”
Prong “Idealistic Types”
Prong “The Banishment”

(All tracks are original master recordings)


Locations: Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360
PlayStation®Network
Music Videos:
Click on the track below to view the song’s corresponding music video.
Alien Ant Farm “Smooth Criminal”
Franz Ferdinand “Take Me Out”
Franz Ferdinand “Do You Want To”
Luscious Jackson “Naked Eye”

Website Links:
For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website
Franz Ferdinand Official Website
The Allman Brothers Band Official Website
The Distillers Official Website
Prong Official Website
Luscious Jackson Official Website
Alien Ant Farm Official Website

Rock Band 2 is available for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment systems and Nintendo Wii home videogame console from Nintendo.
There are now more than 660 tracks available 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 40 million paid downloads since its launch on November 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.

The Beatles Rock Band PlayStation 3 box art released

The original Beatles catalogue, which has been digitally re-mastered for the first time, for worldwide CD release on Wednesday, September 9, 2009, the same date as the release of the widely anticipated “The Beatles: Rock Band” video game.

Each of the CDs is packaged with replicated original UK album art, including expanded booklets containing original and newly written liner notes and rare photos. For a limited period, each CD will also be embedded with a brief documentary film about the album. On the same date, two new Beatles boxed CD collections will also be released.

The albums have been re-mastered by a dedicated team of engineers at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios in London over a four year period utilising state of the art recording technology alongside vintage studio equipment, carefully maintaining the authenticity and integrity of the original analogue recordings. The result of this painstaking process is the highest fidelity the catalogue has seen since its original release.

The collection comprises all 12 Beatles albums in stereo, with track listings and artwork as originally released in the UK, and 'Magical Mystery Tour,' which became part of The Beatles’ core catalogue when the CDs were first released in 1987. In addition, the collections 'Past Masters Vol. I and II' are now combined as one title, for a total of 14 titles over 16 discs. This will mark the first time that the first four Beatles albums will be available in stereo in their entirety on compact disc. These 14 albums, along with a DVD collection of the documentaries, will also be available for purchase together in a stereo boxed set.

Within each CD’s new packaging, booklets include detailed historical notes along with informative recording notes. With the exception of the 'Past Masters' set, newly produced mini-documentaries on the making of each album, directed by Bob Smeaton, are included as QuickTime files on each album. The documentaries contain archival footage, rare photographs and never-before-heard studio chat from The Beatles, offering a unique and very personal insight into the studio atmosphere.

A second boxed set has been created with the collector in mind. 'The Beatles in Mono' gathers together, in one place, all of the Beatles recordings that were mixed for a mono release. It will contain 10 of the albums with their original mono mixes, plus two further discs of mono masters (covering similar ground to the stereo tracks on 'Past Masters'). As an added bonus, the mono “Help!” and “Rubber Soul” discs also include the original 1965 stereo mixes, which have not been previously released on CD. These albums will be packaged in mini-vinyl CD replicas of the original sleeves with all original inserts and label designs retained.

Discussions regarding the digital distribution of the catalogue will continue.


The Stereo Albums (available individually and collected in a stereo boxed set)
The stereo albums have been remastered by Guy Massey, Steve Rooke, Sam Okell with Paul Hicks and Sean Magee
All CD packages contain original vinyl artwork and liner notes
Extensive archival photos
Additional historical notes by Kevin Howlett and Mike Heatley
Additional recording notes by Allan Rouse and Kevin Howlett
= CD includes QuickTime mini-doc about the album
Please Please Me* (CD debut in stereo)
With The Beatles* (CD debut in stereo)
A Hard Day's Night* (CD debut in stereo)
Beatles For Sale* (CD debut in stereo)
Help!*
Rubber Soul*
Revolver*
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band* (also includes 1987 notes, updated, and new intro by Paul McCartney)
Magical Mystery Tour*
The Beatles*
Yellow Submarine* (also includes original US liner notes)
Abbey Road*
Let It Be*
Past Masters (contains new liner notes written by Kevin Howlett)

‘The Beatles in Mono’ (boxed set only)
The mono albums have been remastered by Paul Hicks, Sean Magee with Guy Massey and Steve Rooke
Presented together in box with an essay written by Kevin Howlett
+ = mono mix CD debut
Please Please Me
With The Beatles
A Hard Day's Night
Beatles For Sale
Help! (CD also includes original 1965 stereo mix)+
Rubber Soul (CD also include original 1965 stereo mix)+
Revolver+
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band+
Magical Mystery Tour+
The Beatles+
Mono Masters





Re-mastering the Beatles catalogue

The re-mastering process commenced with an extensive period conducting tests before finally copying the analogue master tapes into the digital medium. When this was completed, the transfer was achieved using a Pro Tools workstation operating at 24 bit 192 kHz resolution via a Prism A-D converter. Transferring was a lengthy procedure done a track at a time. Although EMI tape does not suffer the oxide loss associated with some later analogue tapes, there was nevertheless a slight build up of dust, which was removed from the tape machine heads between each title.

From the onset, considerable thought was given to what audio restorative processes were going to be allowed. It was agreed that electrical clicks, microphone vocal pops, excessive sibilance and bad edits should be improved where possible, so long as it didn’t impact on the original integrity of the songs.

In addition, de-noising technology, which is often associated with re-mastering, was to be used, but subtly and sparingly. Eventually, less than five of the 525 minutes of Beatles music was subjected to this process. Finally, as is common with today’s music, overall limiting - to increase the volume level of the CD - has been used, but on the stereo versions only. However, it was unanimously agreed that because of the importance of The Beatles’ music, limiting would be used moderately, so as to retain the original dynamics of the recordings.

When all of the albums had been transferred, each song was then listened to several times to locate any of the agreed imperfections. These were then addressed by Guy Massey, working with Audio Restoration engineer Simon Gibson.

Mastering could now take place, once the earliest vinyl pressings, along with the existing CDs, were loaded into Pro Tools, thus allowing comparisons to be made with the original master tapes during the equalization process. When an album had been completed, it was auditioned the next day in studio three – a room familiar to the engineers, as all of the recent Beatles mixing projects had taken place in there – and any further alteration of EQ could be addressed back in the mastering room. Following the initial satisfaction of Guy and Steve, Allan Rouse and Mike Heatley then checked each new re-master in yet another location and offered any further suggestions. This continued until all 13 albums were completed to the team’s satisfaction.


New Notes/Documentaries Team

Kevin Howlett (Historical and Recording Notes)
Kevin Howlett’s career as an award-winning radio producer spans three decades. His music programmes for the BBC have included many documentaries about The Beatles, including 'The Beeb's Lost Beatles Tapes.' He received a Grammy nomination for his involvement with The Beatles’ album 'Live At The BBC' and, in 2003, produced the 'Fly On The Wall' bonus disc for 'Let It Be… Naked.'

Mike Heatley (Historical Notes)
Mike entered the music business via HMV Record Stores in 1970, transferring to EMI Records' International Division three years later. He eventually headed up that division in the early Eighties before joining the company's newly created Strategic Marketing Division in 1984. In 1988, he returned to International, where he undertook a number of catalogue marketing roles until he retired in December 2008.

During his career he worked with many of EMI's major artists, including Pink Floyd, Queen, Kate Bush and Iron Maiden. However, during the last 30 years he has formed a particularly strong relationship with Apple, and has been closely involved in the origination and promotion of the Beatles catalogue, besides solo releases from John, Paul, George and Ringo.


Bob Smeaton (Director, Mini-Documentaries)
Bob Smeaton was series director and writer on the Grammy award winning 'Beatles Anthology' TV series which aired in the UK and the USA in 1995. In 1998 he received his second Grammy for his ‘Jimi Hendrix: Band of Gypsys’ documentary. In 2004 he gained his first feature film credit, as director on the feature documentary ‘Festival Express.' He subsequently went on to direct documentaries on many of the world's biggest music acts including The Who, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Elton John, Nirvana and the Spice Girls.

Julian Caiden (Editor, Mini-Documentaries)
Julian has worked with Bob Smeaton on numerous music documentaries including 'Jimi Hendrix: Band of Gypsys' and the 'Classic Albums' series, featuring The Who, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Elton John and Nirvana among others. He has worked on documentary profiles from Richard Pryor to Dr. John to Sir Ian McKellen, Herbie Hancock and Damien Hirst and on live music shows including the New York Dolls and Club Tropicana.

The Abbey Road Team

Allan Rouse (Project Coordinator)
Allan joined EMI straight from school in 1971 at their Manchester Square head office, working as an assistant engineer in the demo studio. During this time he frequently worked with Norman (Hurricane) Smith, The Beatles’ first recording engineer.

In 1991, he had his first involvement with The Beatles, copy¬ing all of their master tapes (mono, stereo, 4-track and 8-track) to digital tape as a safety backup. This was followed by four years working with Sir George Martin as assistant and project coordinator on the TV documentary 'The Making of Sgt. Pepper's' and the CDs 'Live at the BBC' and 'The Anthol¬ogy.'

In 1997, MGM/UA were preparing to reissue the film 'Yellow Submarine' and, with the permission of Apple, asked that all of The Beatles’ music be mixed for the film in 5.1 surround and stereo. Allan requested the services of Abbey Road’s senior engineer Peter Cobbin and assistant Guy Massey and, along with them, produced the new mixes.

Two years later, he proposed an experimental stereo and surround mix of John Lennon's song 'Imagine' engineered by Peter Cobbin. Following lengthy consultations with Yoko Ono, the album 'Imagine' was re-mixed in stereo and the Grammy award-winning film 'Gimme Some Truth' in surround and new stereo. This led to a further five of John’s albums being re-mastered with new stereo mixes and the DVD release of 'Lennon Legend' being re-mixed in 5.1 surround and new stereo.

Further projects followed, including The Beatles ‘Anthol¬ogy', 'The First US Visit' and ‘Help’ DVD and the albums ‘Let It Be…Naked’ and ‘Love’ along with George Harrison’s 'Concert for Bangladesh' DVD and album.

For a number of years now, Allan has worked exclusively on Beatles and related projects.

Guy Massey (Recording Engineer)
Guy joined Abbey Road in 1994, and five years later assisted on the surround remix for The Beatles film 'Yellow Submarine.' This led to The Beatles’ 'Anthology' DVD and later, along with Paul Hicks and Allan Rouse, they mixed and produced 'Let It Be… Naked.' In 2004 he left the studios to become freelance and has engineered The Divine Comedy: 'Victory for the Comic Muse,' Air Traffic: 'Fractured Life,' James Dean Bradfield: 'The Great Western' and Stephen Fretwell’s 'Magpie,' co-producing the last two. Since leaving, Guy is still a vital member of the team, and has been the senior engineer for the re-mastering project and was responsible for surround and new stereo mixes for the DVD release of 'Help!'

Steve Rooke (Mastering Engineer)
Steve joined Abbey Road in 1983 and is now the studio’s senior mastering engineer. He has been involved on all The Beatles’ projects since 1999. He has also been responsible for mastering releases by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

Paul Hicks (Recording Engineer)
Paul started at Abbey Road in 1994, and his first involvement with The Beatles was assisting engineer Geoff Emerick on the Anthology albums. This was followed by 'Yellow Submarine Songtrack,' 'Anthology' DVD and 'Let It Be… Naked.' Like Guy Massey, he has also become a freelance engineer and since leaving the studios he has been responsible for the surround mixing of Paul McCartney’s DVD 'The McCartney Years' and The Beatles' 'Love.' Paul has been in charge of the mono re-masters.

Sean Magee (Mastering Engineer)
Sean began working at Abbey Road in 1995 with a diploma in sound engineering. With a wealth of knowledge in analog and digital mastering, he has worked alongside Paul Hicks on the mono re-masters.

Sam Okell (Recording Engineer)
Sam’s first job as a member of the team was in 2006, assisting Paul Hicks on Paul McCartney’s DVD 'The McCartney Years,' and during that same year he was responsible for the re-mastering of George Harrison’s 'Living In The Material World' CD along with Steve Rooke. This led to him restoring the soundtrack to the Beatles film 'Help!' in surround and stereo, in addition to assisting Guy Massey with the song remixes.

Sam has re-mastered 'With The Beatles' and 'Let It Be.'

Simon Gibson (Audio Restoration Engineer)
Simon joined Abbey Road in 1990. He has progressed from mastering mostly classical recordings to include a much wider range of music, including pop and rock, with his specialized role as an audio restoration engineer. Apart from the re-mastering project, his other work includes George Harrison’s 'Living In The Material World,' John Lennon’s 'Lennon Legend,' The Beatles’ 'Love' and the 'Help!' DVD soundtrack.

Reserve The Beatles - Rock Band and receive exclusive game content art and videos in May

Reserve Your Copy and Become Eligible to Join The Beatles: Rock Band Pre-Order Club to Receive Access to Breaking News, Exclusive Game Elements Including Art and Behind-The-Scenes Footage, and More Beginning in May

Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks, along with distribution partner Electronic Arts, today revealed the first details surrounding The Beatles: Rock Band Limited Edition Premium Bundle which will include:

• The Beatles: Rock Band software
• Höfner Bass controller: Large scale replica of the Bass famously used by Sir Paul McCartney
• Beatles-inspired and Ludwig-branded Rock Band 2 drums with classic pearl finish and vintage replica Beatles kick drum head
• Microphone
• Microphone Stand
• Additional special content

In addition to the previously announced US MSRP of $249.99, The Beatles: Rock Band Limited Edition Premium Bundle will retail in continental Europe for MSRP €199.00 and for MSRP £179.00 in the UK.

North American and European fans who pre-order any version of the game will be eligible to join the The Beatles: Rock Band Pre-Order Club and receive breaking news and access to exclusive game elements including art and behind-the-scenes footage directly from MTV Games and Harmonix. New material will be released regularly starting in May and leading up to the game’s launch on 9/9/09.

As previously announced, The Beatles: Rock Band will allow fans to pick up the guitar, bass, mic or drums and experience The Beatles’ extraordinary catalogue of music through gameplay that takes players on a journey through the legacy and evolution of the band’s legendary career.

Available simultaneously worldwide in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Nintendo Wii home videogame console from Nintendo on 09/09/2009, the game will be compatible with all Rock Band instrument controllers, as well as most Guitar Hero and other third party music video game peripherals and microphones.

Rock band add Journey, Pat Benatar, Foo Fighters, Glasvegas, Oasis and The Von Bondies added to Music Store

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today 11 new tracks coming this week to the Rock Band Music Store catalogue of downloadable content for Wii home videogame console from Nintendo, including Journey’s definitive power ballad “Don’t Stop Believing.”


This week’s music lineup also includes tracks from American hard rock band Foo Fighters, British alternative band Oasis and three family-friendly tracks from the favorite pineapple dweller, Spongebob Squarepants.

Described by Allmusic as “one of the best opening keyboard riffs in rock,” Journey’s smash 1981 hit “Don’t Stop Believing” will be released for download in the Wii Rock BandMusic Store this week. “Don’t Stop Believing” is one of the most referenced rock songs in popular culture, receiving prominent placement in the 2007 series finale of The Sopranos.
Pat Benatar’s classic single “Heartbreaker” from the In the Heat of the Night album (1979) will also be available for download along with The Von Bondies signature hit “C’Mon C’Mon” from their debut album Pawn Shoppe Heart (2004). In addition, the content update will also include the 2008 single “Geraldine” from Scottish alternative band Glasvegas.

Wii fans will also be able to purchase and download three tracks from Nickelodeon sensation SpongeBob SquarePants including “I Can’t Keep My Eyes Off of You,” “The Best Day Ever” and “Where’s Gary?” from the 2006 album SpongeBob SquarePants: The Best Day Ever.

As previously announced, the above tracks from Journey, Pat Benatar, The Von Bondies, Glasvegas and SpongeBob SquarePants were released last week to owners of Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system.

This week’s Wii Rock Band Music Store update also features four back catalogue tracks from the Rock Band music library including three tracks from the Foo Fighters. “DOA” is from the band’s fifth album In Your Honor (2005), “This is a Call” is the first track of Foo Fighters’ self-titled debut album (1995), and “Times Like These” is the second single issued from the band’s Grammy award-winning fourth album One by One (2002). In addition, Rock Band will also deliver more from Oasis with “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” featured on the band’s seminal debut album Definitely Maybe (1994).

Release Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Tracks: Journey “Don’t Stop Believing”
Pat Benatar “Heartbreaker”
The Von Bondies “C’mon C’mon”
Glasvegas “Geraldine”
Foo Fighters “DOA”
Foo Fighters “This is a Call”
Foo Fighters “Times Like These”
Oasis “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star”
Spongebob Squarepants “The Best Day Ever Song”
Spongebob Squarepants “Where’s Gary?”
Spongebob Squarepants “I Can’t Keep My Eyes Off of You”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

Price: $2.00 (200 Wii Points) per track

Location: In-game Rock Band 2 Music Store (Wii Points must be
purchased through the Wii Shop Channel)

Rock Band make over $1 billion in US sales - sells over 40 million songs

MTV Games, Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, and distribution partner Electronic Arts, announce that the Rock Band franchise has officially surpassed $1 billion dollars in North American retail sales in 15 months, according to The NPD Group. In addition, over 40 million paid individual songs have been sold via download through the Rock Band platform furthering its position as the music video game leader in paid song sales and downloadable content with over 600 songs available to date in the Rock Band catalogue.

Originally launched on November 20, 2007, Rock Band is the multi-million unit selling, genre-defining music game platform that allowed music fans and gamers to interact with and discover music like never before by choosing guitar, drums, vocals, or bass to start a band and rock the world. Developed by Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game development company, and published by MTV Games, the Rock Band platform has had a positive impact on the overall promotion and sales of music, benefiting artists included in the game both directly through royalties associated with game sales and indirectly by causing the sale of more songs and albums.

Key Stats for the Rock Band Franchise

Sales

• Rock Band franchise has officially surpassed $1 billion dollars in North American retail sales in 15 months, according to the NPD Group
• Rock Band was the No1 title of 2008 by revenue across all game genres (NPD)

Music / Downloadable Content

• 614 songs offered via the Rock Band platform, both on-disc and in-game music store, as of March 24, 2009
• 269 different artists / bands offered via Rock Band franchise as of March 24, 2009
• Over 40 million paid songs have been sold via download since Rock Band launched on November 20, 2007
• 11 albums released to date via the Rock Band platform including AC/DC Live, The Cars, Judas Priest, Pixies, Mötley Crüe, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Megadeth, Rush, No Doubt and Stevie Ray Vaughan, as well as special compilations from The Who, Nirvana, The Grateful Dead, Boston and more

Critical Acclaim

• Average Metacritic score of 92 [2] for both Rock Band and Rock Band 2
• Rock Band and Rock Band 2 have garnered more than 50 industry awards including:
• IGN’s “Best Music/Rhythm Game of 2008”
• Gamespot.com’s Editor’s Choice Winner for “Best Rhythm / Music Game of 2008”
• Spike TV’s 2008 Video Game Award Winner for “Best Music Game” and “Best Soundtrack in a Game”
• Gametrailers.com “Best Music and Rhythm Game 2008”
• PlayStation: The Official Magazine’s “Best Rhythm Game of 2008”
• Yahoo’s “Best Party Game of the Year – 2008” and named one of Yahoo’s “Best Tech Products of 2008”
• G4 TV’s X-Play “Best Music Game of 2008”
• Named as one of Entertainment Weekly’s “Entertainers of the Year 2008”
• Called “Best party game of the year” by the Associated Press
• Named as one of USA Today’s “Top Video Games of 2008”
• Cited as one of MSNBC.com’s Top Video Games of 2008 and one of the Best Xbox 360 Games of 2008
• Heralded as “hands down the best party game ever” by Time magazine and named as one of Time’s Top Video Games of 2008

Rock Band Franchise Innovations

• First full band music video game to hit consoles
• First music video game to offer export of content library from disc and cross compatibility of downloadable content (DLC) in sequel games.
• First music video game to offer weekly downloadable content (averaging more than 3 songs per week since its launch on November 20, 2007)
• Lead the way for full compatibility and interoperability between competing peripherals
• First music video game to allow for export of avatars and other game data to create real life merchandise
• First music video game to offer full albums as downloadable content: Judas Priest’s “Screaming for Vengeance,” released in June 2008
• First music game to offer a new song day-and-date with its release to radio, with Mötley Crüe’s “Saints of Los Angeles”

Rock Band expands The Who collection for Wii plus new tracks from Offspring, R.E.M. and Richard Thompson

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today 12 new tracks coming this week to the Rock Band Music Store catalogue of downloadable content for Nintendo Wii home videogame console from Nintendo, including eight more tracks from classic rock band The Who! The lineup also features music from alternative music pioneers R.E.M. and The Offspring, as well as a track from British guitarist and songwriter Richard Thompson.

Wii Rock Band owners can expand their Who library with a diverse selection of tracks from the iconic classic rock band. The Who tracks include “Behind Blue Eyes” and “Going Mobile” from Who’s Next (1971), “Amazing Journey” featured on the 1969 album Tommy, “Leaving Here” from the 1965 album My Generation (Deluxe Edition), “Sea and Sand” from Quadrophenia (1973) and the title track “Who Are You” from the band’s 1978 album. The offering will also include “Eminence Front” featured on the 1982 album It’s Hard and “Real Good Looking Boy” from Then and Now (2004).

The Rock Band Music Store for Wii will also add more alternative hits to the library with music from The Offspring and R.E.M. The lineup includesThe Offspring’s “All I Want” featured on the band’s 1997 album Ixnay on the Hombre and “The Kids Aren’t Alright” from Americana (1998), plus R.E.M.’s breakthrough hit “Losing My Religion” from the 1991 album Out Of Time.

Music from rock guitarist Richard Thompson rounds out this week’s content update with “The Way That It Shows” from Thompson’s 1994 album Mirror Blue.

All tracks come from the back catalogue of Rock Band music already released to owners of Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. Wii fans can expect a rollout of previously released downloadable Rock Band content until the entire back catalogue of more than 600 songs is available.

Release Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2009

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

Tracks:

The Who “Amazing Journey”
The Who “Behind Blue Eyes”
The Who “Eminence Front”
The Who “Going Mobile”
The Who “Leaving Here”
The Who “Real Good Looking Boy”
The Who “Sea and Sand”
The Who “Who Are You”
The Offspring “All I Want”
The Offspring “The Kids Aren’t Alright”
R.E.M. “Losing My Religion”
Richard Thompson “The Way That It Shows”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

Price: $2.00 (200 Wii Points) per track

Location: In-game Rock Band 2 Music Store (Wii Points must be purchased
through the Nintendo Wii Shop Channel)

MTV Games, Harmonix and EA Announce Rock Band Track Pack Classic Rock on Consoles May 19, 2009

New Rock Band Track Pack Allows Players to Download On-Disc Songs Into Their Rock Band Music Library at No Additional Cost [1]

Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks, along with distribution partner Electronic Arts, today announced plans for a North American release of Rock Band Track Pack Classic Rock for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and Nintendo Wii home video game console from Nintendo on May 19, 2009.

Rock Band Track Pack: Classic Rock is a standalone software product that allows owners of Rock Band and Rock Band 2 to keep the party going with more hit songs from the pantheon of rock music. In addition, Rock Band Track Pack: Classic Rock, like all Rock Band software, is compatible with all Rock Band instrument controllers and other current music-based video game peripherals. The 20-song pack features an outstanding mix of Rock Band fans’ favorite classic rock hits including songs by mega artists The Who, Rush, Boston and Police.

Fans who buy the Rock Band Track Pack: Classic Rock for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system can play directly from the disc or download the songs onto their consoles’ hard drives through a free offer with Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network or the PlayStation®Network. Once downloaded, the songs will automatically appear in the player’s custom Rock Band library and can be integrated into setlists and played in all game modes. With more than 600 tracks available in the Rock Band music catalogue and regular releases of downloadable content every week, Rock Band Track Pack: Classic Rock is yet another way rockers can continue to expand and customize their music libraries.

Complete Track List:

Artist Song Title Decade

1. Boston Peace of Mind 1976
2. Boston Rock and Roll Band 1976
3. Dead Kennedys California Über Alles 1987
4. Dead Kennedys Holiday in Cambodia 1987
5. Free All Right Now 1970
6. George Thorogood & the Destroyers Bad to the Bone 1982
7. James Gang Funk #49 1970
8. Jethro Tull Hymn 43 1971
9. Lenny Kravitz Let Love Rule 1989
10. Pat Benatar Hit Me With Your Best Shot 1980
11. The Police Can't Stand Losing You 1978
12. The Police Truth Hits Everybody 1978
13. Rush Closer to the Heart 1977
14. Rush Red Barchetta 1981
15. Siouxsie and The Banshees Kiss Them For Me 1991
16. Steve Miller Band Take the Money and Run 1976
17. Steve Miller Band The Joker 1973
18. The Stone Roses Love Spreads 1994
19. The Who Baba O'Riley 1971
20. The Who Behind Blue Eyes 1971

**All 20 tracks utilize original master recordings**

Price: $29.99 MSRP

The Rock Band Track Pack: Classic Rock is the latest in a series of popular software releases developed to increase player’s library of music for the Rock Band platform including Rock Band Track Pack 1, Rock Band Track Pack 2 and AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band® Track Pack™.

The Rock Band franchise is the ultimate platform for music fans and gamers to interact with music like never before. The game challenges players to put together a band and tour for fame and fortune – all while learning to master lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals. Featuring the most master recordings of any music game ever by the world’s biggest rock artists, the Rock Band music catalogue includes tracks that span every genre of rock ranging from alternative and classic rock, to heavy metal and punk.

Rock Band Track Pack: Classic Rock is rated “T” for Teen with a descriptor of Mild Lyrics by the ESRB. Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are currently available for Xbox 360,
PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation 2 systems and Nintendo Wii.

Rock Band, MTV and VH1 celebrate Pearl Jam debut album Ten re-release out March 24th

Rock Band and Microsoft to Host Game with Fame session with Peadrummer Matt Cameronrl Jam on Friday, March 27th at 7pm ET

In honor of the re-release of Pearl Jam’s debut album Ten on Epic/Legacy Recordings, in retail stores nationwide day-in-date with its launch in the Rock Band Music Store, MTV, MTV2, VH1, and VH1 Classic and Rock Band are teaming up to roll out a two-week long lineup of content that celebrates the band. Its successes and the band’s debut in the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content. Exclusive features include the VH1 Classic premiere of “Pearl Jam Ten Revisited,” including the never before seen version of the music video “Jeremy,” and covers of Pearl Jam classics by current artists on MTV2.

Premiering on Saturday, March 21st at 2:30pm ET/PT on VH1 Classic, “Pearl Jam Ten Revisited” takes you on a half-hour look back at Pearl Jam’s seminal debut album, Ten that brought alternative rock to the mainstream by showcasing videos for “Even Flow,” “Alive,” “Porch” (from the band’s Unplugged performance), and the television premiere of the uncensored version of “Jeremy.” With the help of archival footage and interviews from the band the viewer will be taken back to the early 90’s to reflect on the album’s importance to alternative music. VH1 will air the special “Pearl Jam Ten Revisited” on March 25th at 11:00am ET/PT.

Pearl Jam fans also won’t want to miss MTV2’s “Rock the Deuce” beginning on Monday, March 16th through Thursday, March 19th at 8pm ET/PT and on Saturday, March 21st at 1am ET/PT when the network airs cover performances of Pearl Jam classics by artists including:

• Aaron Lewis of Staind – “Black”
• William Beckett of The Academy Is… – “Jeremy”
• Hoobastank – “Evenflow,” “Alive” and “Oceans”
• P.O.S. – “Why Go”

In addition, MTV, VH1 and VH1 Classic will celebrate Pearl Jam through the end of the month by airing blocks of other Pearl Jam music videos and feature videos and editorial on MTV.com, MTV2.com and VH1.com, as well as VH1 Classic. VH1.com and VH1Classic.com will also be celebrating the re-release of Ten by streaming the full album the week of release.

As previously announced, Ten, the debut album that sold 12 million copies and introduced the world to Pearl Jam (http://www.pearljam.com) in 1991, will also be offered for download in the Rock Band Music Store day-and-date with the re-issue of the album in stores on March 24, 2009. Ten, on Epic/Legacy Recordings, will be reissued in four new and expanded editions and will serve as the launch of a planned two-year catalogue re-release campaign leading up to the band’s 20th anniversary in 2011. Fans can preorder the re-issue of Ten now at www.PearlJam.com.

In addition, Rock Band partner Microsoft will be hosting Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron for a Game with Fame session on Friday, March 27th at 7pm ET. Fans with an Xbox LIVE Gold membership can play Rock Band 2 with Matt Cameron by sending a friend request to Gamertag “Pearl Jam GWF” and be online half an hour before at 6:30pm ET.

Pearl Jam released Ten on August 27, 1991. The album reached no2 on the Billboard 200 chart, sold over 12 million copies and became one of the cultural touchstones of the 1990s. Songs such as “Alive,” “Black,” “Even Flow” and “Jeremy” became staples of rock radio, and still make frequent appearances on the band’s ever-changing concert set lists.

For more information on Rock Band and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com. Rock Band is published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix. EA is the exclusive distribution partner for Rock Band.

Rock Band Wii add 14 new tracks - Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Eat World and No Doubt

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today the addition of fourteen tracks to the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content for Nintendo Wii home videogame console from Nintendo, including tracks from electric blues artists Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble as well as alternative bands Jimmy Eat World and No Doubt.

All ten tracks from Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble’s debut album Texas Flood (1983) will be made available in the Wii Rock Band Music Store. Tracks include the popular studio cuts of “Pride and Joy,” “Texas Flood” and “Rude Mood,”as well as “Love Struck Baby,” “Tell Me,” “Testify,” “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” “Dirty Pool,” “I’m Cryin” and “Lenny.”

In addition, the lineup will also include “New” from the alternative rock pioneers of No Doubt. The track is featured on the band’s album Return of Saturn (2000). As previously announced, the aforementioned tracks from No Doubt and Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble will also be available to Rock Band owners of Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system this week.

Wii owners can also look forward to three tracks from alternative band Jimmy Eat World including “Lucky Denver Mint” from the band’s 1999 album Clarity, “Futures” (Futures, 2004) and “Sweetness” from the band’s 2001 album Bleed American. The tracks come from the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content just released last week to owners of Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system.

Wii fans can expect a rollout of previously released downloadable Rock Band content until the entire back catalogue of more than 570 songs is available. In addition, the regularly scheduled future DLC releases for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system will also be available for Rock Band 2 Wii owners soon.

Release Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2009

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

Tracks:

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble “Love Struck Baby”
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble “Pride and Joy”
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble “Texas Flood”
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble “Tell Me”
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble “Rude Mood”
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble “Testify”
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble “Mary Had a Little Lamb”
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble “Dirty Pool”
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble “I’m Cryin”
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble “Lenny”
No Doubt “New”
Jimmy Eat World “Futures”
Jimmy Eat World “Lucky Denver Mint”
Jimmy Eat World “Sweetness”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

Price: $2.00 (200 Wii Points) per track

Location: In-game Rock Band 2 Music Store (Wii Points must be purchased
through the Wii™ Shop Channel)

Rock Band 2 on PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 2 this March and April in UK

Electronic Arts, Harmonix and MTV announce that Rock Band 2 will be released in the UK for Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Wii fans in the next two months.

The game's instruments costs will also be cut in the UK.

PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 2 Rock Band 2 will be available on 27th March, while a Nintendo Wii game will have to wait until 24th April.

Out for Xbox 360 since last year, and all formats in the US since then - but an exclusivity arrangement with Microsoft has kept it off rival consoles in Europe.

The game will sell for £49.99 on PlayStation 3, £39.99 on Nintendo Wii and £29.99 on PlayStation 2.

The prices of instruments will also be reduced drums to £49.99, guitars £39.99 - full instrument edition set down to £89.99.

Also new official software and hardware bundles at £119.99 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and £109.99 for PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Wii.

Rock Band goes Country with Neko Case, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Drive-By Truckers and Old 97’s Plus Jimmy Eat World rock...

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced the debut of five alternative country acts to the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content including artists Neko Case, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Drive-By Truckers and Old 97’s.

Rock Band fans will also get a 3-pack from alternative rock band Jimmy Eat World.

“Alt Country 01” 5-pack features a signature mix of alternative country sounds from bluegrass and rockabilly to honky-tonk rock. The 5-pack includes “People Got A Lotta Nerve” from Neko Case’s soon-to-be released album Middle Cyclone (March 3, 2009), “Can’t Let Go” by Grammy winning singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams from her album Car Wheels On A Gravel Road (1998) and Steve Earl’s “Satellite Radio” from his album Washington Square Serenade (2007). The 5-pack also features “Three Dimes Down” from southern rock band Drive-By Truckers featured on the Brighter Than Creation’s Dark (2008) album and the Old 97’s live recording “Timebomb” from the band’s Alive & Wi red (2005) album.

Jimmy Eat World makes its second Rock Band appearance with a 3-pack that includes “Lucky Denver Mint” from the band’s 1999 album Clarity. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the album’s release Jimmy Eat World will set out on a short 10 stop tour starting February 23rd where they’ll play Clarity in its entirety for the crowd. The Jimmy Eat World 3-Pack will also feature tracks “Futures” (Futures, 2004) and “Sweetness” from the band’s 2001 album Bleed American. The band’s hit “The Middle” was featured on the Rock Band 2 soundtrack.

Release Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 (Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360)
Thursday, February 26, 2009 (PlayStation Store)

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

Tracks:

Neko Case ”People Got A Lotta Nerve” Steve Earle “Satellite Radio” Lucinda Williams “Can’t Let Go” Drive-By Truckers “Three Dimes Down” Old 97’s “Timebomb (live)” Jimmy Eat World “Futures” Jimmy Eat World “Lucky Denver Mint” Jimmy Eat World “Sweetness“

(All tracks are original master recordings)

Price: $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$8.49 (680 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for Alt Country Pack 01
$5.49 (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for Jimmy Eat World Pack 01

Locations: Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360
PlayStation Network

Harrah's Entertainment and MTV Games Announce The Total Rock, Total Rewards Rock Band Competition

World class gaming and music entertainment giants Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV, have joined forces to find the best Rock Band gamers in America with the first-ever Total Rock, Total Rewards Rock Band Competition. The competition kicks off in March when Harrah’s Entertainment properties become the first in the world to have official and permanent, fully-equipped Rock Band entertainment stages.

Throughout March and April, seventeen Total Rewards casinos* will host local, weekly Rock Band Competitions, allowing fans of the popular game to win an Xbox 360 and Rock Band bundle as well as other Total Rewards items and Rock Band apparel and accessories. Four regional competitions will then offer customers the chance to win more than $50,000 in prizes.

The ultimate winning band will be given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to open for the legendary B-52’s at the House of Blues in Atlantic City on May 9th and will win $10,000 in prize money, making this the richest Rock Band competition in history. In addition, visitors at participating Total Rewards casinos across the country will be able to pick up their choice of guitar, bass, drums or vocals and rock out throughout the year during special Rock Band Nights.

“We’re thrilled to be working with such an energetic and iconic company like MTV Games to further help bring Rock Band to the masses through our Total Rewards venues,” said David Norton, chief marketing officer for Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. “We look forward to giving thousands of Rock Band fans a new reason to jam and take part in an event unlike anything they’ve ever experienced before.”

“Harrah’s is known for extraordinary entertainment and we are pumped to see the first of our fully equipped Rock Band stages hit Total Rewards casinos across the country,” said Christina Glorioso, vice president of sales and marketing partnerships for MTV Games. “The full scope of the Rock Band and Harrah’s program represents a great relationship between our two brands and will create significant value for our shared consumers.”

The local Total Rock, Total Rewards Rock Band Competition will be open at participating properties to pre-registered amateur acts, 21 years and older, on a first come first serve basis. The events will be hosted and promoted by local radio stations. The Rock Band game scoring system will be used to score the participating rock bands on skill and performance, and MTV Games will provide the pre-determined song list for all the competitions.

The winning band from each location will then have a chance to go head-to-head at celebrity-judged competitions in Las Vegas (April 16), Chicago Area (April 24), New Orleans (April 30), and Atlantic City (May 7).

The four winning bands, one from each regional competition, will then have a chance to compete for the championship title in Atlantic City on May 8th. The regional events and Atlantic City events will be produced by MTV Networks Special Events, and hosted and judged by MTV, Harrah’s, and local celebrities. Each band will compete on multiple Rock Band songs.

For more information and official rules on the competition, please visit http://www.harrahs.com/rockband.
The seventeen participating Total Rewards casinos* include:

Eastern Region

Bally’s Atlantic City
Harrah’s Atlantic City
Showboat Atlantic City
Harrah’s Chester (Philadelphia)

Southern Region

Harrah’s New Orleans
Horseshoe Bossier City (Shreveport)
Harrah’s Tunica (Memphis)
Harrah’s Metropolis (Nashville)
Horseshoe Southern Indiana (Louisville)

Central Region

Harrah’s Joliet (Chicago)
Harrah’s St. Louis
Harrah’s North Kansas City
Horseshoe Hammond (Chicago)
Harrah’s Council Bluffs (Omaha)
Caesars Windsor (Windsor, Ontario,
Canada/Detroit, MI)

Western Region

Harrah’s Rincon (San Diego)
Harrah’s Las Vegas

(* Subject to regulatory approval)

Punk and Rock tracks added to Rock Band video game tracks

The addition of two bands that are set to make their first Rock Band® appearance next week. The three track lineup coming to the Rock Band Music Store catalogue of downloadable content includes two songs from heavy metal band White Zombie and a track from punk band Turbonegro.

White Zombie offers Rock Band fans access to the hit single “More Human than Human” from its 1995 album Astro-Creep: 2000, as well as “Black Sunshine” which was initially featured on the band’s La Sexorcisto: Devil Music album (1992). White Zombie’s lead singer, Rob Zombie, released his solo offering “War Zone” on the Rock Band Music Store last month.

In addition, Rock Band goes International again with “Wasted Again” from Norwegian punk band Turbonegro, which was featured on the band’s 2005 album Party Animals.

Release Date: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 (Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360)
Thursday, February 19, 2009 (PlayStation Store)

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

Tracks:
Turbonegro “Wasted Again”
White Zombie “Black Sunshine”
White Zombie “More Human than Human”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

Price: $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track

Locations: Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360
PlayStation Network