Posts Tagged ‘RBN’

South by Southwest (SXSW) starts this coming weekend in Austin, Texas, and with the Rock Band Network going live less than a week ago, you can bet that the folks from MTV and Harmonix will be showing it off.  In addition to highlighting the RBN, they will also be participating in three different panels, including “Playing the Soundtrack,” which brings gamers and musicians together to discuss the world of music in gaming, “Reaching Your Audience on Their Terms,” which will discuss MTV’s response to the changing music environment, and “CrowdControl: Changing The Face of Media or Hype” which focuses on the global impact of social media.

Check out a list of  spots after the break of where to catch some killer Rock Band action.  If you are going, make sure to stop by and say hi to the folks at MTV and Harmonix! Read the rest of this entry »

• The Main Drag – Car Windows (80 MSP)
• The Nebraska Sailing Authority – Second Best Friend (80 MSP)
• The Project Hate MCMXCIX – Descend into the Eternal Pits of Posession (80 MSP)
• Mindflow – Destructive Device (80 MSP)
• Eulogies – Day to Day (80 MSP)

• Flight of the Conchords – The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room) (160 MSP)
• Quartered – Africa (Link)
• Warpath – Life Unworthy of Life (80 MSP)

And if you’re keeping track at home, here were the two songs released yesterday:

• Between the Buried and Me – Mordecai (160 MSP)
• Attack Attack! – Stick Stickly (160 MSP)

Harmonix got a chance to talk to a number of people from RBN-friendly record labels, and was able to get a nice little list of artists that they expect to be appearing in the Rock Band Network very soon.  Some artists include Band of Horses, Sleater-Kinney, Sunny Day Real Estate, Kings X, Arch Enemy (my fave of those listed), and current Rock Band DLC artist, Chiodos.  But be sure to check out the full list of artists that will sooner or later find their way onto the RBN…

• Sub Pop Records
  • Band of Horses
  • Fleet Foxes
  • Iron and Wine
  • Sleater-Kinney
  • Sunny Day Real Estate
  • The Postal Service (pending resolution of technical issues)
  • Mudhoney (pending resolution of technical issues)
• Century Media Records
  • Iwrestledabearonce
  • Vampires Everywhere
  • Kings X
  • The Agonist
  • Firewind
  • Arch Enemy
  • Dark Tranquility
  • Orphaned Land
  • Symphony X
  • Ayreon
  • Nevermore
• Prosthetic Records
  • Scale the Summit – Great Plans
  • Holy Grail – Fight to Kill
  • Animals as Leaders (potentially)
• Red Bull Records
  • Twin Atlantic
  • Black Gold
  • AWOLNATION
• Equal Vision Records
  • Chiodos
  • Portugal. The Man
  • Closure in Moscow
  • Circa Survive
  • Therefore I Am (potentially)
  • This Time Next Year (potentially)

[via Rock Band Zine]

I’ve heard a number of times from different people online the urban legend that if you work at Harmonix, you are required to be in a band.  While not exactly a requirement, it definitely is one of the more musician-friendly employers around.  Giant Target, when not punching faces and kissing foreheads on stage (in a musical sense), makes the most of the musical opportunities presented to them, as all four members of  the band have experience working at Harmonix.  Aaron Price, Caleb Wheeler, Daniel Chace, and Phill Hunt comprise Giant Target, and if you haven’t had a chance to check out their two songs on the RBN, “In Memories” and “Signs,” go listen on their Myspace page now and then come back… don’t worry, we’ll wait… Pretty good stuff, right?  They describe themselves as “Punk?” on their Facebook page, but I hear their music as a healthy mix of punk, alternative, and indie rock, with a solid modern rock vocal sound brining it all together.

I got a chance to ask Aaron and the fellas a few questions about themselves, their music, and their relationship with Rock Band.  Check it out inside…

Read the rest of this entry »

• James William Roy – Shiny Dark Bar (80 MSP)
• The Carsitters – Push Me (80 MSP)
• Mark Mallman – Do You Feel Like Breaking Up? (80 MSP)