A break for the vacuum tube mic stand

This week we'll continue to climb the top 10 of the "All Songs" Leaderboards by playing last week's new DLC, plus our worst songs by rank, %-ile, star rating or spread to #1. Sylvie will be back this week so we can put away the vacuum tube mic stand for now (see previous post)... :)

Here is my top 3 DLC from last week:

3. "All Star", by Smash Mouth: This was a smash hit (no pun intended) in the late 90s. It played so much on the radio back then that I expected it to be slightly annoying to play in Rock Band. Surprisingly this wasn't the case, as it has an awesome drum beat that has a nice flow. The guitar is simple but still fun, especially in the chorus.

2. "Blood on My Hands", by The Used: This group's 2 other DLC this week were pretty average. Apart from the guitar chart on "Born to Quit", they weren't anything to write home about. This song redeems this group in my mind, with its high energy and great drum chart. There are 2 or 3 unique drum patterns that are somewhat repetitive but always fun. The bass chart chart is also fun as it has some neat movement. Whoever sings should watch out for the last "There's blood" at the end.

1. "Empty Walls", by Serj Tankian: This amazing singer is so unique that it's always great to get more DLC from him, whether it's from his previous band "System of a Down" (currently on hiatus), or as a solo artist. As is common with his bands, there are lots of tempo and mood changes. The low pitch verses were a challenge to hit at first. The fast shifting singing in the pre-chorus section is one of the neatest patterns on vocals that I've seen in a while, and it flows nicely into the chorus. The pre-chorus also has a really unique drum pattern that looks too difficult to hit, but when you get it it's an awesome feeling. The guitar and bass charts are fairly simple but are still fun to play.

Honorable mention. "Sky Is Over", by Serj Tankian: This is another neat song from the Aremenian-born singer. As is becoming apparent in most songs by this artist, there is a faster shifting vocal part that is lots of fun (also fun on bass, less so on guitar). It is a nice lyrical song that has an interesting drum chart with a constant pedal. The piano throughout the song sounds great. It would be fun to play if there ever was a keyboard add-on to these games.