Rock Band expands the Wii Rock Band Music store with a monstrous lineup of heavy metal, punk, alternative, classic rock, country and more

Cambridge, Mass. – March 9, 2009 – Harmonix and MTV Games announced today the addition of fourteen tracks, ranging across nearly all genres of rock, to the Rock Band® Music Store catalog of downloadable content for Wii™ home videogame console from Nintendo. The lineup includes music from metal icons Metallica, songs from alternative bands Radiohead and Sonic Youth, as well as tracks from classic rock artists KISS and David Bowie. Rock Band Wii owners will also have access to music from punk band The Clash and rock bands Wolfmother and Garbage.

In addition, the offering features songs from five alternative country acts including Drive By Truckers, Lucinda Williams, Neko Case, Old 97s and Steve Earle.

Metallica’s 1984 title track “Ride the Lightning” and “Blackened” from …And Justice For All (1988) mark the first time Rock Band Wii owners will have access to the iconic rock artists. This week’s lineup also features classic rock from legendary rockers including “Calling Dr. Love” from KISS’ 1976 album Rock and Roll Over, “Moonage Daydream” by David Bowie featured on The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) and “Train In Vain (Stand By Me)” from punk band The Clash released on the band’s 1979 album London Calling.

More alternative rock comes to the Wii with hit track “My Iron Lung” from Radiohead’s 1994 album The Bends and “Kool Thing” featured on Sonic Youth’s 1990 album Goo. Hard rockers Wolfmother offer up “Joker & the Thief” from their self-titled 2006 album and Garbage brings “Why Do You Love Me” featured on their album Bleed Like Me (2005).

The tracks listed above come from the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content 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 590 songs is available.

Rock Band Wii owners will also have access to the alternative country tracks just released two weeks ago to the Rock Band music catalog including “People Got A Lotta Nerve” from Neko Case’s new album Middle Cyclone (2009), “Can’t Let Go” by Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams from Car Wheels On A Gravel Road (1998), Steve Earl’s “Satellite Radio” from Washington Square Serenade (2007),“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 & Wired (2005) album.

Release Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2009

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

Tracks:
Metallica “Blackened”
Metallica “Ride the Lighting”
Radiohead “My Iron Lung”
Wolfmother “Joker & the Thief”
KISS “Calling Dr. Love”
David Bowie “Moonage Daydream”
The Clash “Train in Vain”
Sonic Youth “Kool Thing”
Garbage “Why Do You Love Me”
Drive By Truckers “3 Dimes Down”
Lucinda Williams “Can’t Let Go”
Neko Case “People Got a Lotta Nerve”
Old 97s “Time Bomb”
Steve Earle “Satellite Radio”

(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)

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

Rock Band 2 is available now for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation®2 systems and the Wii system. The Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points purchased through the Wii Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the hard drive of the Wii or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.
To view a complete list of the more than 590 tracks available in the Rock Band music back catalog please visit www.rockband.com/music. With the addition of these tracks there are now 62 tracks in the Wii Rock Band Music Store.

Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers’ voracious appetite for rock with more than 36 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.
For more information on Rock Band 2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com