When the insanity that is Guitar Hero on “expert” gets too much to play on the guitar, it’s time to take matters into your own hands. Like this guy, who made a custom MIDI drum pad specifically for Guitar Hero 3. Here he is playing “Through the Fire and Flames” on the drums. It also helps if you’re a ridiculously good drummer – insane! [CollegeHumor]

From the makers of Guitar Hero comes Harmonica Hero! Twice the price without the cool!

Since the Guitar Hero franchise releases a new “update” every 6 months, and Rock Band costs more than a month’s rent, I am left with two choices: either buy Rock Band and live off Ramen for the remainder of the year, or purchase the pocket version of Guitar Hero.

Basic Fun, the company responsible for this mini marvel, worked with the creative teams at Activision and Red Octane to produce a pocket-perfect port of the mega-successful series. This portable version of the game includes songs from Guitar Hero I and II, like “Killer Queen” and “Cherry Pie.” You play by following the color-coded notes on the built-in screen and tapping each of the mock guitar’s color-coded buttons, in the correct order, on rhythm, just like the original – only, like, way smaller.

If its 3 x 7.5 inch size wasn’t small enough, the guitar neck folds down, making it small enough to fit in most pockets, hence the name.

And if you’re wondering, yes – the whammy bar is intact.

This is for all those crotchety musicians that hate on Guitar Hero players ’cause, like, they should all learn real instruments and stuff. Truth be told, Guitar Rising looks well executed, though I’m wondering what songs will be licensed due to Guitar Hero’s stranglehold on the music game genre.

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story has stalled at $14.2 million in the box office. While the movie wasn’t the pitch-perfect mock biopic I had hoped for, it was still highly enjoyable – and much better than most of its competition the past two weekends. So why the poor box office gross?

Can somebody explain to me why the dreadful P.S. I Love You (yes, I watched it…against my will) and The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep are both on pace to surpass Walk Hard in the following weeks? Is there an anti-Apatow campaign brewing?

Apatow isn’t the greatest working director/producer in movies by any stretch of the imagination, but there are plenty of studio hacks that deserve a legion of haters before him. If he is to be the standard of which comedy should be measured (standard, as in passing grade), we could do much worse.

And we do have much worse. (more…)

Watch in awe as YouTuber “azuritereaction” runs through “And Justice for All” without breaking a sweat (or a note streak):

“azuritereaction”…YOU ROCK!

Just this morning I was thinking to myself, “Wouldn’t it be great if another 80s icon ran for governor?” Well, guess what? Today, my ultimate wish has came true: Jon Bon Jovi is planning to run for governor of New Jersey.

He’s a cowboy – on a steel horse he rides – but does Jon Bon Jovi have what it takes to wrassle up a worthwhile campaign?

If I take his hand will I make it, as he swore to me years before?

Will he give politics a bad name?

If I know I’m gonna live in his reign, should I just keep the faith?

Does it even matter, considering his lifelong fans will vote for him regardless? (more…)

With less than three months until Rock Band is in stores details and songs are still being announced. The most recent news is the confirmation of four alternative-rock staples – Pixies’ “Wave of Mutilation,” Hole’s “Celebrity Skin,” “I Think I’m Paranoid” by Garbage and “Maps” by Yeah Yeah Yeah’s. The total number of songs now revealed is 30 out of 40; the two albums available for download at launch remain Who’s Next by The Who and Nirvana’s Nevermind.

Considering that my only quibble with Guitar Hero II was the overabundance of “iffy” song choices (who the f*** wants to play “Carry On Wayward Son” by pansy-ass Kansas?) the inclusion of these jam-worthy tracks add greatly to Rock Band’s shelf-life. Yeah, I’ve heard “Celebrity Skin” ten-thousand-times-too-many, but at least it’s less-annoying than the repetitive, neverending mess “Message in a Bottle” turned out to be…I hope.

Also worth mentioning is the newly-revamped duel mode. While a two-guitar showdown is already one of the greatest parts of the Guitar Hero franchise, Rock Band’s drummer duel could make digital guitar-shredding obsolete – it’s that amazing.

Check out a video of drum-dueling to “Wave of Mutilation” after the jump.

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