White Stripes make Rock Band debut next week

Harmonix and MTV Games will release a three pack of tracks from The White Stripes and singles from The Damned and Kasabian will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii.

Tracks from No Doubt and Dropkick Murphys will be available for download next week for Rock Band Unplugged on PSP.

Sadly, no LEGO Rock Band content mentioned unless I am missing something here, which Is highly doubtful. Anyway, here’s the completel list:

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Nov. 10) and PlayStation 3 system (Nov. 12):

- The Damned – “Smash It Up (Part II)” 

- Kasabian – “Club Foot”

- The White Stripes – “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground”

- The White Stripes – “Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine”

- The White Stripes – “Icky Thump”

Tracks available for Rock Band Unplugged (Nov. 12):

- No Doubt – “Excuse Me Mr.”

- Dropkick Murphys – “I’m Shipping Up to Boston”

Rocking your blocks off: LEGO Rock Band released

Warner Bros. Interactive has released LEGO Rock Band, much to the delight of kids and adults alike - assuming the game is good, of course. Combining Rock and Roll with the popular building blocks, LEGO Rock Band adds LEGO style into the Rock Band formula. The game features 45 songs and at launch and lets players of all skill levels play bass, drums, guitar and mic to such songs from Queen, Foo Fighters, Jackson 5, The All-American Rejects, Jimi Hendrix, Good Charlotte, Tom Petty and more.

Unique to LEGO Rock Band is the introduction of Rock Power Challenges, where players can harness the power of rock to pull off killer riffs that have the ability to do crazy things like demolish a building, stop an angry octopus or send players on wild missions. Naturally the game promises build-and-play elements that let players customize their own experience by creating a minifigure avatar, band and entourage.

The game will also be supported by the Rock Band Store’s regular release of weekly content as well, with some tunes already ready for purchase. LEGO Rock Band is available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and various incarnations of the DS.

Jesper Kyd scores Assassin’s Creed II

If you didn’t know, Jesper Kyd has created the soundtrack for Ubisoft’s upcoming third-person stealth action game, Assassin’s Creed II. Kyd scored the first game’s soundtrack and hopes to bring the same kind of magic to the follow-up - an atmospheric score that offers a “new direction and crafts an immensely diverse, melodic and progressive musical palette featuring acoustic and symphonic orchestrations with emotional depth and diversity.” Sounds fanciful and footloose. The original score was recorded with a Hollywood orchestra and choir at the Capitol Studios. The Assassin’s Creed II Original Soundtrack will be available for digital download from popular music stores on November 16th.

The game is scheduled to launch on November 17th, 2009 for the PS3, Xbox 360 and the PC. For more information about Assassin’s Creed II, visit www.assassinscreed.com.

Nirvana headlines next week’s Rock Band DLC

Harmonix and MTV Games will release a three pack of tracks from Nirvana, a four pack of tracks from Foo Fighters and a single from Joan Jett & The Blackhearts to the Rock Band Music Store and the LEGO Rock Band Music Store for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii. Tracks from Bullet for My Valentine and System of a Down will be available for download next week for Rock Band Unplugged on PSP.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nirvan’s Bleach album, Sub Pop will release a special edition of the album, featuring a complete and previously unreleased live concert recorded in 1990 in Portland, Oregon. The anniversary edition of Bleach will be released the same day and date as Nirvana Bleach Pack, which includes About a Girl, Blew and School.

Foo Fighters will release Greatest Hits Nov. 3, the same day the third DLC pack from the band will be available in the Rock Band Music Store. Greatest Hits will feature 14 of the band’s most-loved songs, as well as two new songs, Wheels and Word Forward, both of which are featured in Foo Fighters Pack 03, along with Best of You and The Pretender.

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts’ Fake Friends from the 1984 album, Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth, will also be added to the Rock Band Music Store and LEGO Rock Band Music Store Nov. 3. Full track listing after the break.

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Rob Zombie headlines next week’s Rock Band DLC

Harmonix and MTV Games will offer three tracks from Rob Zombie and five from Wolfmother, as well as tracks from Liz Phair and Morningwood, that will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii.

Tracks from Sonic Youth and Steely Dan will also be available for download next week for Rock Band Unplugged on PSP - though I know most of you don’t think of Steely Dan when you think about Halloween.

Former White Zombie frontman and part time movie maker Rob Zombie will see three of his tunes on Rock Band next week including “Dragula” and “Superbeast,” from his debut solo album, Hellbilly Deluxe, as well as “Burn,” from his new album, Hellbilly Deluxe 2 (to be released Nov. 17). Zombie’s latest film Halloween 2, which he wrote, directed and produced, is in theaters now if you care. For the record, I don’t.

Australian rock trio Wolfmother have a five pack of songs being released next week including “Woman” and “White Unicorn,” from the band’s self-titled debut album. Also featured in the Wolfmother five pack are “Sundial” and “Pilgrim,” from the band’s new album, Cosmic Egg, which was released Oct. 23.

Liz Phair’s “Rock Me,” as well as Morningwood’s “Sugarbaby” and “Best of Me,” will also be added to the Rock Band Music Store Oct. 27.

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Ubisoft’s Jam Sessions 2 in stores this week

Ubisoft has released Jam Sessions 2 for the Nintendo DS and DSi at retailers across the U.S. Jam Sessions 2 is a guitar game developed by Plato that attempts to make improving your guitar skills fun and rewarding.

Each song in the game play mode serves a different role in advancing players’ guitar skills and songwriting abilities. By progressing through the songbook, players can learn techniques that will help them play the guitar and write songs. Armed with their new skills, players can then play, create and share their original music with others.

Jam Sessions 2 is rated E10+ by the ESRB and has an MSRP of $29.99.

KORG DS-10 Plus coming in early 2010

Cavia Inc. is developing KORG DS-10 Plus for DS and DSi in conjunction with Procyon Studio, which will be published by XSEED in North America in early 2010, it was announced today. KORG DS-10 Plus builds on KORG DS-10 with new upgrades and improved performance that utilize the special features of the DSi.

KORG DS-10 Plus is a revamped version of the famous music-creation program offering per-track MUTE/SOLO built into the SONG mode, and EDIT/PLAY enabled for all modes within the SONG mode for further improved real-time performance. The touch-screen controls of Nintendo DS are utilized to provide an authentic feel and operability across a dual-screen layout and the 6-track/16-step sequencer enables control and a wide range of musical possibilities. Up to eight units can be linked via wireless connection to play together or to exchange sounds and songs.

Nintendo DSi owners can enjoy additional improvements including 12-voice polyphony, 4 tracks for the analog synthesizer simulator, 2 drum machines and more. Also available exclusively when played on the DSi are 2 effects layers, essentially giving users the functionality of two original KORG DS-10’s in one.