Here are this week’s Pro-Guitar/Bass charts for yesterday’s Heart and James Brown DLC from the always awesome thenewnoelisoncruz. Definitely check out and subscribe to his YouTube channel!

NOTE: In preparing this recurring post each week, I try to include pictures of the guitarist, but I when I saw that Bootsy Collins played on Super Bad, I HAD to include him instead.

Heart – Barracuda

James Brown– Super Bad, Pts. 1 & 2

Coming to the Rock Band library this week are five singles from four different bands, including two tracks from the Beastie Boys, as well as singles from Heart, James Brown, and Rufus feat. Chaka Khan. Below are playthrough videos of the DLC from the always awesome thenewnoelisoncruz. Definitely check out and subscribe to his YouTube channel!

Links to purchase DLC songs online at Xbox.com are included below for each track. All individual tracks are 160 MSP ($1.99). Pro Guitar/Bass charts are listed below where applicable, and can be purchased for an additional $.99.

Directly below is a playlist of all the DLC videos, followed by individual videos of each DLC track after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

When the Rock Band Network was originally unveiled, it opened up an unlimited potential for anyone to put music in to the game. And while the RBN wasn’t the first tool available for adding music to a rhythm game (GHTunes debuted in Guitar Hero: World Tour), it was a total comprehensive approach to getting real songs into the game via tools that music makers already know and love. RBN was the perfect option for those looking for increased exposure for their music, but the amount of effort required to prepare a song for Rock Band is nothing short of intimidating.

The folks at Harmonix knew there was a barrier to entry for most people, so they created a repository of resources to help people get started. As Harmonix helped and trained the early adopters to become familiar with the process, the Creators community started to become much more self-sufficient. Ultimately, John (AKA DJGryph) from RockBandRelief decided to pull together a webseries for YouTube called “Finding the Rhythm,” where he virtually holds viewers hands through the process of creating and submitting a track into the Rock Band Network.

If you are an RBN author, an aspiring one, this series is a MUST watch. Even for those who have no intention of creating music for the RBN, this is an excellent video series, as it will give you a much deeper and intimate understanding of the effort it takes to create music playable in Rock Band. The video series is ongoing, updated as John adds more videos, so sure to subscribe to him so you don’t miss the latest episode.

The first episode is included below, and each currently available episode is linked below. Updates will be added to this page as more episodes are completed. I have also included a link to this page in the menu at the top of the site titled “Finding the Rhythm,” for easy reference for all current and future RBN authors.

Episode 1: RBN 2.0 Overview, Resources and Tool Requirements, Reaper Introduction

Episode 2: Reaper File Setup

• Part A
• Part B
• Part C
• Part D

Episode 3: Magma File Setup

• Part A
• Part B

Episode 4: Drum Charting

• Part A
• Part B

Episode 5: Drum Reduction

• Part A
• Part B
• Part C

Episode 6: Drum Animation

• Part A
• Part B

Episode 7: Bass Charting

Episode 8: Bass Reduction

Episode 9: Bass Animation

Episode 10: Guitar Charting

Episode 11: Guitar Reduction

Episode 12: Guitar Animation

Episode 13: Keys Charting

Episode 14: Keys Reduction

Episode 15: Keys Animation

Episode 16: Pro Keys Charting

Episode 17: Pro Keys Reduction

Episode 18: Pro Keys Animation

Episode 19: Vocal Charting

Episode 20: Harmony Charting

Episode 21: Vocal Animation

Episode 22: Venue: Camera

Episode 23: Venue: Lighting & Filters

Episode 24: RBN Submission

Following up on our tradition of coming up with both interesting and random facts when we reached 1,000 and 2,000 songs in Rock Band, we’ve pulled together a quick list of random offerings about the Rock Band library.

One of the interesting things to note as I was reconciling the list of songs I compiled versus the official 3,002 tracks as submitted by Harmonix after this week’s Yes DLC, was that their number did not include any of the Beatles tracks (for good reason), nor did their number contain any of the most recent Country Track Pack, probably as these tracks are not yet (but are still intended to be) DLC available to everyone.

Also, with 3,000-ish tracks in the game, these stats were compiled based on all available data as of Tuesday (so these do not include the Xbox 360 RBN DLC released yesterday).

Here we go…

• To date, over 100 MILLION tracks have been downloaded from the Rock Band music store!
• 193 consecutive weeks of Rock Band DLC offerings
• Not counting RBN, DLC tracks released by year:
• 2007: 90
• 2008: 443
• 2009: 481
• 2010: 554
• 2011 (so far): 212
• Total RBN tracks released: 1,264
• Most populous genre: Rock (614)
• Least populous genre: Fusion (1)
• Songs available for play in Rock Band 3 per console:
• Xbox 360: 3,023 (remember, this number INCLUDES the Country Track Pack 2 songs that Harmonix’s tally does not)
• PS3: 2,119
• Wii: 1,785
• Songs that once were playable in Rock Band, but are now unplayable on any console in Rock Band 3: 12
• Enter Sandman, Paranoid (cover), Run to the Hills (cover), Black Hole Sun, Dani California, Hier Kommt Alex, Rock n Roll Star, Let There Be Rock, Any Way You Want It, Battery, Give It Away, Spoonman
• FREE songs: 36 (see which ones in the FAQ)
• Songs superseded by “RB3 Versions:” 18 (14 DLC, 4 RBN)
• Songs that also have a “2x Bass Pedal” version: 64 (RBN only feature)
• Shortest song title: (tie)
• Rx (by Wounded Soul)
• Ox (by Zack Wilson)
• Longest song title: Epic Symphony in A Flat Minor, Third Movement: Zero Hour (2x Bass Pedal) by Van Friscia
• Artist with the most songs in the Rock Band library: Green Day with 50
• RBN Artist with the most songs in the Rock Band library: Amberian Dawn with 39
• Tracks featuring Dave Grohl performing: 50
• 29 Foo Fighters
• 12 Nirvana
• 4 Tenacious D
• 2 Queens of the Stone Age
• 2 Them Crooked Vultures
• 1 Nine Inch Nails
• Artists with only a single song in Rock Band: 325
• Tracks with identical titles: 48
• Tracks titled “Sick, Sick, Sick“: 2 (by Bayside, Queens of the Stone Age)
• Tracks titled “Burn“: 5 (Big Square, Captor, Mike Orlando, Nine Inch Nails, Rob Zombie)
• Tracks with the world GIRL in the title: 34
• Tracks with the word BOY in the title: 9
• Tracks with the word COWBOY in the title: 3
• Live versions of songs titled “Jailbreak“: 2
• Studio versions of songs titled “Jailbreak“: 0
• Tracks with the word LOVE in the title: 38
• Tracks with the word HATE in the title: 6
• Tracks with the title “Somebody to Love“: 3
• Tracks containing the word LOVE: 20
• Tracks containing the word SEX: 7
• Tracks containing the word BEAUTIFUL: 11
• Tracks containing the word UGLY: 0
• Tracks containing the word LIFE: 30
• Tracks containing the word DEATH: 14
• …that aren’t “metal:” 5
• Songs with devil-tiered guitar: 150
• Songs without guitar: 11
• Songs with devil-tiered bass: 67
• Songs without bass: 17
• Songs with devil-tiered vocals: 58
• Songs without vocals: 113
• Songs with devil-tiered drums: 197
• Songs without drums: 18
• Songs with devil-tiered keys: 63
• Songs without keys: 2,614

August already? Man, we are just speeding through the summer here, aren’t we? I can only imagine we’re going to be seeing back-to-school advertisements soon, too. All you younglings have a finite amount of time left to play Rock Band all day, so here’s to hoping we end the summer with some killer DLC this month. Here is what’s coming for the first week of August:

• Beastie Boys – Make Some Noise
• Beastie Boys – No Sleep till Brooklyn
• Heart – Barracuda *
• James Brown– Super Bad, Pts. 1 & 2 *
• Rufus (ft. Chaka Khan) – Tell Me Something Good 

* Denotes Pro-Guitar/Bass chart availability for an additional $.99.

[Official announcement]

Today, Greek progressive metal band Winter Crescent releases their first song on the Rock Band Network, Battle of Egos Part I. It is available in standard and 2x Bass Pedal versions for 80 Microsoft Points each, and will be joined in the near future by the rest of the songs on their Battle of Egos album.

This song is pretty challenging, and the band hopes to have it available for PS3 users to enjoy. In fact, the band would love nothing more than to have their music on PS3. To do that, it must sell well on Xbox (at least, we know that helps somewhat). So to encourage sales and bring attention to their songs, the band is holding a series of promotions for people brave enough to tackle this song on Expert and capture it on video! So as an incentive for picking up the song and giving it a shot, here are the contests they are sponsoring:

• Microsoft Points Contest! Five people will receive 3 codes for 160 MSP each (total 480 MSP per winner). The codes will go to the first person to submit a video of themselves getting 100% on Expert for each of the following instruments: Guitar, Bass, Drums, 2x Bass Pedal Drums, Solo Vocals. Either version of the song can be used, except for Drums in which you’ll need the specific version to compete. Only one entry per instrument. The band hopes you’ll use the codes to check out their future offerings on the Rock Band Network, which will each be 80 MSP.
• Battle of Egos Album Contest! Nine people will receive a free hard copy of the Battle of Egos album (ARV $10 each). To win, you must be one of the first nine people to submit a video of yourself scoring 95% or higher on any instrument on Expert (or 90% on the 2x Bass Pedal drum chart on Expert).
• Grand Prize Contest! The very first person to get 100% on every single instrument (Harmony not required, either standard or 2x Bass Pedal is fine for drums) in the song (known as a “One-Man-Band Full Combo” or OMBFC) will receive an advance promotional copy of Winter Crescent’s brand new upcoming studio album, which is currently in production will also be coming to Rock Band Network in its entirety! This special copy will be signed by all five members of Winter Crescent as proof that it is the very first print of the album! In addition, for being such a beast, you will also get a copy of the Battle of Egos album and 3 codes for 160 MSP each! (NOTE: New album is not yet completed. Winner will be sent the new album as soon as it is finished and printed.)

So how do you enter? Purchase either Battle of Egos Part I or Battle of Egos Part I (2x Bass Pedal) by Winter Crescent, record a video of yourself playing the song on any instrument (or on all instruments if entering the Grand Prize contest) and upload it to YouTube. Email the link to your YouTube video along with your name and mailing address (required if you enter either the Battle of Egos album contest or the Grand Prize contest) to contest@charttoppersauthoring.com. The first entry received will be the first one counted. Each entrant can only enter one of the three contests, can only submit one entry, and must declare which contest will be entered if the video qualifies for multiple contests.

The band hopes you will spread the word about the songs so PS3 players can enjoy them too, and that you will check out the entire album on Rock Band Network! Good luck to you all, and happy shredding!

[Official rules]