Kole, Ben, and Dennis convene for a spoilerific discussion of Heavy Rain, only 6 months late! Don’t worry if you haven’t played Heavy Rain, there are 30 minutes of pure gold before that discussion kicks in.

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The featured song this week is “Fresh Blood” by the Eels.

Let us know what you think! Send your thoughts in an email to dont.tree.riddle@gmail.com.

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Kole (@donttreeriddle)
Dennis (@dfuria)
Ben (@merkelizer)

Topics:

What’cha Been Playin’?

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
• Mod Nation Racers.
• Final Fantasy XIII.
• Starcraft 2.
• Alan Wake: The Signal.

Discussion

• Heavy Rain.

Kole, Ben, and Dennis talk about Bioshock Infinity, Starcraft II, and ask the listeners how difficult they like their games.

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The featured song this week is “Nugget” by Cake.

Let us know what you think! Send your thoughts in an email to dont.tree.riddle@gmail.com.

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Follow us on Twitter:
Kole (@donttreeriddle)
Dennis (@dfuria)
Ben (@merkelizer)

Topics:

Quick Hits

• Bioshock Infinite announced.
• Dragon Age II dated.
• Mass Effect 2 coming to PS3.
• Ratchet and Clank: Four Play announced.
• Resistance 3 announced.

Portraits of Shame

• 3D might not make your eyes fall out.

What’cha Been Playin’?

• Starcraft II.
• Bioshock 2.
• Modern Warfare 2.
• Warhawk.
• Little Big Planet.

Discussion

• How difficult do you like your games?

Ten more tracks were announced for the game yesterday, leaving just about half of the tracks unannounced. Ever since the lead-up to Guitar Hero II, I’ve formulated a list of songs I’d like to play in music games. With Rock Band 3 adding keys and vocal harmonies, there are even greater possibilities for the songs on my list to get their due.

What follows is a list of seven songs I’d like to see in the game. Will they make it in? Maybe not, but I will provide a brief justification for each. Most of the videos will be from live versions of the songs, because those work really well.

“For Real” by Okkervil River

This is the big daddy of them all. Okkervil River is an indie band from Austin, TX, which you probably don’t know about. “For Real” is the single from their seminal album Black Sheep Boy, and its explosive energy can hardly be contained. There’s plenty here for everyone, with huge guitars, keys, drums, and passionate vocals. It plays with dynamics, and ends with a batshit insane breakdown. Will Sheff, the lead singer for the band, throws everything he has into the track, making it one of my favorite songs of all time, and a killer prospect for Rock Band inclusion.

“The Snow Leopard” by Shearwater

Shearwater is another Austin indie band, and an offshoot from Okkervil River itself. “The Snow Leopard” is the haunting single from the album Rook, and everyone I show this song to says it’s like if Radiohead grew a spine. The keys are featured here, along with Jon Meiburg’s chilling falsetto. Like “For Real,” it builds to an explosive conclusion.

Forgive the video and audio quality of this video. Very few live recordings of Shearwater exist.

“Tangled Up in Plaid” by Queens of the Stone Age

The Queens of the Stone Age are no strangers to Rock Band, but that doesn’t mean there’s nearly enough of their songs in the game. Lullabies to Paralyze is an underrated album, and “Tangled Up in Plaid” is its standout track. Josh Homme is the king of sleazy weirdness, and “Tangled” stomps around the city like a perverted robot that runs on synth and dirty guitar.

“Hey Hey, My My”  by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

The team at Harmonix loves to put classic rock in their games, treating Rock Band as a music history lesson for younger generations. Given this fact, it’s inexplicable that we don’t have ANY Neil Young to play. Young was the original everything-man, creating genres every time he picked up his old black Les Paul. “Hey Hey, My My,” from Rust Never Sleeps, is one of the most influential tracks of all time, with loud guitars and Neil Young’s distinctive voice singing about how it’s better to burn out than fade away.

“Doin’ the Cockroach”  by Modest Mouse

Modest Mouse has achieved a great deal of commercial success, but forgive my snobbiness in saying that they did their best work when nobody knew about them. There’s some disagreement, but The Lonesome Crowded West stands as their magnum opus, and “Doin’ the Cockroach” is still a favorite at live shows today. Isaac Brock’s lyrics about the alienation of modern life are set to a creeping, skittering background of guitars that shift from lull to frenzy with abandon. With all of the time signature changes, this would be a killer song on drums as well.

“Jesus, Etc.” by Wilco

Let’s turn the volume down for a little bit, and get to know a little song by Chicago band Wilco. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot should be required listening. Blast it from speakers on street corners, play it every morning at high schools around the nation. “Jesus, Etc.” won’t blow anyone’s mind with its loudness, but when you dig into its intricacies, you’ll find a chill, enjoyable song for everyone involved.

“Novocaine for the Soul” by Eels

This isn’t the best Eels song, but the best Eels songs wouldn’t work in a Rock Band game. This track from Beautiful Freak, however, would be a great time on keys with its toy piano part, and the guitar isn’t half bad as well. The song may cause you to float around, so exercise caution if your ceiling is decorated with especially sharp chandeliers.

That concludes our tour of my iTunes library. Do you think my songs suck? Then suggest your own in the comments!

Kole and Dennis talk about Batman: Arkham City, the WoW cybersex epidemic, classic Starcraft, and we ask the audience what game made them into gamers.

Be sure to tell your friends about this podcast!

The featured song this week is “Turning on the Screw” by Queens of the Stone Age.

Let us know what you think! Send your thoughts in an email to dont.tree.riddle@gmail.com.

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Direct download.

Topics:

Quick Hits

• Batman: Arkham City announced.
• Ueda to announce “Something” at TGS.
• “Everquest Next” unveiled.

Portraits of Shame

• The World of Warcraft cybersex epidemic.

What’cha Been Playin’?

• Final Fantasy XIII.
• Jak and Daxter: The Last Frontier.
• Starcraft.
• Limbo.

Discussion

• What game made you into a gamer?

Kole, Ben, and Dennis discuss Starcraft 2, Mass Effect 2: Overlord, and ask listeners why the play games.

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The featured song this week is “Saturday Morning” by the Eels, which is now available on Rock Band as DLC.

Let us know what you think! Send your thoughts in an email to dont.tree.riddle@gmail.com.

Subscribe in iTunes.

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Direct download.

Topics:

Quick Hits

• Starcraft 2 sells 1.5 million copies.
• Downloads only account for 10-20% of game sales.
• Bungie to punish rage quitters in Halo: Reach.

Portraits of Shame

• Nerd Rage.

What’cha Been Playin’?

• Mass Effect 2.
• Alan Wake.
• Condemned: Criminal Origins.
• Mass Effect 2: Overlord.
• Final Fantasy XIII.
• Bayonetta.

Discussion

• Why do you play games?

Preview:

Kole and Dennis discuss Kinect pricing, the California games ban, Alan Wake, and sales numbers. Oh, and we also give some terrible advice regarding hirsute babies.

Be sure to tell your friends about this podcast!

The featured song this week is “The Ruling Class” by Loose Fur, a side project of Wilco.

Let us know what you think! Send your thoughts in an email to dont.tree.riddle@gmail.com.

Subscribe in iTunes.

Subscribe through RSS.

Direct download.

Topics:

Quick Hits

• Microsoft prices the Kinect.
• June NPD.
• Rock Band 3 dated.

Portraits of Shame

• 11 states come out in support of the California violent game ban.

What’cha Been Playin’?

• Alien Swarm.
• Dungeons and Dragons: Online.
• Company of Heroes: Online.
• Braid.
• Final Fantasy XIII.
• God of War 3.
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
• Alan Wake.
• Dead Space.

Discussion

• Is online multiplayer killing game sales?

This episode is a little different. Due to a recording error on my part, I had to go back in and re-record a great deal of the podcast. What results is a truncated episode of the show, featuring Kole and Dennis.

I will not make this recording mistake again.

Be sure to tell your friends about this podcast!

Let us know what you think! Send your thoughts in an email to dont.tree.riddle@gmail.com.

Subscribe in iTunes.

Topics:

Quick Hits

• Blizzard nixes RealID plans.
• China bans “vulgar” game ads.
• Call of Duty: Black Ops pre-orders.
• Ubisoft is crazy optimistic about 3D TV.

Portraits of Shame

• Jeff Green calls Arnold Schwarzenegger a hypocrite.

What’cha Been Playin?

• Guitar Hero 5
• Mini Ninjas
• Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
• Crackdown 2
• Tiger Woods 2011

Discussion

• Do review scores affect purchase intent?

I know that ~2 hours is a lot to ask of you on the first go. Hopefully this ~2 minutes will give you a taste for what we offer, and intrigue you into subscribing and telling your friends.

Click the play button below to hear the trailer, and let us know what you think.

Click here to subscribe in iTunes.

Kole, Ben, and Dennis discuss Mass Effect 2, EA Sports Active, the May NPD numbers, whether or not games can be art, and the classic film “Over the Top.”

Many of the audio issues have been ironed out, but Ben experienced significant lag and had to be dropped for the discussion.

Be sure to tell your friends about this podcast!

Let us know what you think! Send your thoughts in an email to dont.tree.riddle@gmail.com.

Subscribe in iTunes.

Topics:

Quick Hits

• May NPD Sales Numbers
• Playstation Plus not required for Hulu Plus.
• Sony acknowledges that Team ICO HD Collection might be a good idea.
• Rock Band 3 to have pitch correction for vocals.

Portraits of Shame

• Blizzard forces forum users to attach their full names to posts.
• Finland makes broadband access a human right.

Segue Challenge

What’cha Been Playin?

• Mass Effect 2
• Guitar Hero 5
• Mini Ninjas
• Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
• EA Sports Active

Discussion

• Roger Ebert, and “Can Games Be Art?”

It’s my policy to keep this page relatively cruft-free. Personal things go on my Twitter, or on my Tumblr. This space is for news relevant to the show, and any review/critical work I write to supplement the show.

If you want a window into the Sturm und Drang that is my search for a career, or my thoughts on the latest Youtube video sensation, check out my newly minted Tumblr.

If you want to hear glib remarks on sandwiches I’ve eaten, or shits I’ve taken, boost my follower account on Twitter.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming.