W♥M (Archive)

Weekend Gamer: Free Games (Assassin's Creed Black Flag, Grim Fandango Remastered, and Company of Heroes 2)

About This Game The year is 1715. Pirates rule the Caribbean and have established their own lawless Republic where corruption, greediness and cruelty are commonplace. Among these outlaws is a brash young captain named Edward Kenway. His fight for glory has earned him the respect of legends like Blackbeard, but also drawn him into the ancient war between Assassins and Templars, a war that may destroy everything the pirates have built. Welcome to the Golden Age of Piracy. Read More Games If you like games like early Final Fantasy, the semi-recent I Am Setsuna, Costume Quest, or Earthlock games, you'll love Battle Chasers. …

Read more Weekend Gamer.

ASSASSIN'S CREED BLACK FLAG
ubisoft.com

For the 10th anniversary of the popular Assassin’s Creed franchise, its publisher Ubisoft is offering the fourth installment, Assassin's Creed Black Flag, as a free download. The unfortunately thing is that you have to download U-Play, Ubisoft’s game launcher (similar to other game launchers like Steam, GOG, Blizzard, etc.) Still, free’s free, right?

I bought the first two games and can tell you that it looks gorgeous, but it feels very slow. The other problem I had with the original game, is that many of the mission requires a little stealth to pull off the assassination… which isn’t how I like to play my game.

Still, it’s a very popular franchise, even releasing a film (starring Michael Fassbender), a boardgame, and limited comic book series.

If you already own and played Assassin's Creed Black Flag, Ubisoft also released a standalone story expansion called Freedom Cry. The DLC explores Black Flag’s side character, Adewale. The expansion was free if a PlayStation Plus subscriber (which I’m no longer), but will cost you an additional $15 … which may be worth it if you’re getting the original game for free.

Anyway, I haven’t kept up with the game, but am fairly excited to get Assassin's Creed Black Flag for free.

Free offer ends December 18.

GRIM FANDANGO REMASTERED
grimremastered.com

As you know, I am a huge GOG fan (current game count: 176) and have been buying many of their games on sale. I still call them “Good Old Games” out of habit, but I know the company wants to distance themselves from that name, as they want people to know they also offer new games. Anyway, this 2017 Winter sale features over 900 games on sale, and I’m sure I’ll be buying some more random games this house-bound weekend.

As part of the sale, GOG is offering Grim Fandango Remastered for free. Originally the game launched in 1998 by LucasArt, but in 2015 got the Remastered treatment. While I have played some adventures games, it’s really not my thing. I did grab it for free, but I probably won’t be playing it anytime soon (I actually have too many games…)

Oh well, the giveaway expired as of today (December 14 at 6am PT/2pm GMT), snooze you lose.

BONUS: You can get Company of Heroes 2 for FREE via Humble Bundle.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Weekend Gamer: Omikron and Steam

Read More David Bowie I woke up to the sad news that legendary singer, songwriter, actor, space travelling alien from another planet, David Bowie, has died. …

OMIKRON: THE NOMAD SOUL
square-enix.com

With the unexpected passing of David Bowie, video game publisher Square Enix is giving way copies of Omikron: The Nomad Soul for free until January 22nd. The game featured David Bowie in the role of Boz and also as a role of a nameless lead singer of a fictional musical group called "The Dreamers". The game featured some tracks from his Hours... album.

Head over to square-enix.com and check out Omikron using the promo code "omikron" at checkout to get your free copy.

After you completed the transaction, Square Enix will issue you a Steam Key... so you'll have to also have Steam in order to activate the game.

As it is free, it is totally worth just adding it to your library (even if you have no intention of running the game).

Synopsis:

"I have many things to tell you and very little time I come from a universe parallel to yours. My world is desperately in need of your help. Only YOU can save us."

Responding to the desperate pleas of a mysterious character from another dimension, your soul must enter the dark and futuristic city of Omikron. This heralds the beginning of an epic adventure through an increasingly strange and dazzling parallel world, trying to solve the many puzzles that prevent you escaping alive. Think, fight and interact with the immense gaming environment to defeat the menacing demons that have tried to trap you.

Read More The Witcher I also picked up The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, at Walmart, which came with a lot of bonus items like a DVD and Soundtrack (all at the normal cost of a game product). They are on the right track, I definitely …

STEAM CONTROLLER
steampowered.com

Speaking of Steam, it took some convincing, but I've decided to go all-in on the gaming distribution platform developed by Valve Corporation. Sure, I'm still a fan of GOG (and still buy their games), but since GOG can't match Steam's library, I really have to go where the games are.

My idea is to eventually get a semi-decent Steam Machine and/or a gaming laptop to play games on a big screen television set... but that's for another time.

Currently, my Steam setup is on my PC with a regular-sized wired Xbox 360 controller or a wired PS3 controller. These game controllers are just great, they feel great in the hand.

With the idea of getting the Steam Machine, I decided to get the new Steam Controller at my local Game Stop. At first, I didn't quite "get" the Steam Controller. After all, it pretty much sucked at being a controller... at least compared to either the Xbox or PS controller. It only has one thumbstick, so using the Steam Controller as a first person shooter is just terrible.

I hated the haptic feedback. I hated the XABY buttons to be so close to the center (it's awkward to hit using your thumb). I hate that you must have Steam running to use the controller. Plus, it's just not a very comfortable controller. It's like whoever designed this thing had never used a regular gaming controller before.

It's a definitely a different controller. It's basically a controller for games that does not have controller support. The unfortunate thing is that you absolutely have to use Steam, and for its setting, Steam's Big Picture Mode.

Every game has a different controller setting (usually set by players). You can fine-tuned it, but it just takes so much time to configure it exactly to your liking.

Right now, the Steam Controller is my go-to for Mass Effect 3 since that game did not have controller support and using the Steam Controller felt pretty good. For all other shooters, just use the standard Xbox controller and you should be fine.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

The Maine at Mill City Nights, Minneapolis (03 September 2015)

Tour Dates 09/04 - Godfrey, IL - Hatheway Cultural Center 09/05 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall* 09/03 - Minneapolis, MN - Mill City Nights 09/06 - Westland, MI - Westland Shopping Center 09/07 - Toronto, ON - Mod Club* 09/08 - Niagara Falls, NY - Rapids Theatre 09/11 - Howell, NJ - GameChangersWorld 09/13 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair* 09/14 - Foxboro, MA - Patriots Place 09/15 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom* 09/18 - St Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live 09/19 - Orlando, FL - House of Blues 09/20 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade 09/22 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues 09/23 - Mission, TX - Las Palmas Race Track 09/24 - Austin, TX - The Parish* 09/26 - Tucson, AZ - The Rock* 09/28 - San Diego, CA - Quartyard 09/29 - Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour* 09/30 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom Of The Hill* 10/01 - Fresno, CA - Strummer’s 10/02 - Tustin, CA - District At Tustin Legacy Why are we doing a free tour? This questions has been asked so many times over the last few months I figured it should be explained a little bit. We have been a band for 8 years and have toured all around the world too many times to count, we have met hundreds of thousands of amazing people that support what we do as a band. These people buy a ticket to see us play multiple times a year and are there without fail. Phrases like "we wouldn't be here without our fans" are so over used that I don't even want to say that even though I understand and mean it at the deepest level. Rather than just saying thank you we decided to put this thought into action and show that we mean it.... read more. Read More The Maine The 8123's American Candy Spring 2015 Tour, featuring The Maine, Real Friends, Knuckle Puck and the Technicolors, just came through Minneapolis' Varsity Theater last night …

I've seen The Maine many times before. Last time I went to their show, I wrote about how maybe a concert is just an excuse for the feeling of nostalgia. I was back on the hunt last night and got closer to finding that bliss of nostalgia.

The show last night was a free show. How cool is that? A free freaking show! My bank account was definitely happy about that. My anxiety was not. I was worried that I wasn't going to get in because I had to work all day and it was first come first served. I was so worried that I got my name on the guest list just in case. I was stunned when I got there ten minutes before the music started and it wasn't at capacity. I think that people had the same mindset that I did... there was no way they were going to get in because of work. I felt so bad for the kids that had been waiting in line since 11AM (the show didn't start until 7:45).

I honestly wasn't super stoked about going to the show last night. Not only was I freaking out about being able to get in or not but I figured, being it was a free show, The Maine would get up on stage, play their newest release, American Candy, from front to back and then get off the stage. I could not have been more wrong. They played everything! They played, what seemed to be, every song off American Candy along with the songs I had been dying to hear that took me right back to my high school years.

The crowd was tame and disappointing but the energy coming from the stage was unreal. Even if The Maine is not your favorite band and you can't stand pop-punk boy bands, you cannot deny that they have great interaction with the audience and make you feel like you're the only one in the crowd. John O'Callaghan, the singer, kept checking in with the crowd to make sure everyone was okay. I know bands do that all the time but when he does it, it truly feels like it's just you and him on a coffee date. A girl can dream right?!

Beach Weather

Everything about last night was calm and chill. The opening band, Beach Weather, was awesome. The Maine sounded great. Nothing happened during the show. There were no fights, nothing really to note. Usually I would chalk that up to a boring and bad night. Last night was anything but boring and bad. It was chill and I had a great time.

I've been on the hunt for that feeling of nostalgia for a couple months now. I got that and more last night.

With the exception of a few "American Candy" dates, the current The Maine "Free For All" US tour is completely free... First come, first serve.

If you want to donate some gas money to the band, look for the red box at the merchandise table at a local free show, or head over to cash.me/themaine.

The Maine at Mill City Nights, Minneapolis (03 September 2015)

langen ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ itunes.apple.com

Comics News: Wizard World Minneapolis 2015, ComiXology at SXSW, and Tales of the Wedding Present

Read More Wizard World Wizard World Minneapolis Comic Con Day Two was probably the best-attended show of the three day event (now, having seen the action on Sunday). Unfortunately, this Saturday fell right …

WIZARD WORLD COMIC CON
wizardworld.com

Don't forget that the second annual Wizard World Comic Con Minneapolis will be taking place May 1st and May 2nd (which is also Free Comic Book Day) and May 3rd. We had a fantastic time last year at the inaugural Comic Convention, please read our recaps to get an idea of what to expect for 2015.

Actors/celebrities:

Karl Urban (Star Trek, The Bourne Supremacy)

Katie Cassidy (“Arrow,” “Gossip Girl”)

Morena Bacarrin ("Homeland", “Stargate SG-1”)

Christian Serratos ("The Walking Dead," Twilight)

Gillian Anderson (“The X-Files,” The Last King of Scotland)

WWE Divas The Bella Twins (appearing May 1st only)

Luke Perry (“Beverly Hills, 90210,” Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

Sylvester McCoy ("Doctor Who," The Hobbit)

Kevin Sorbo ("Hercules: The Legendary Journey," “Andromeda”)

Kristy Swanson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Higher Learning)

Jason Mewes (“Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”)

Comic creators:

Neal Adams (“Batman,” “X-Men,”)

Angel Unzueta (“Titans,” “The Flash”)

Salvador Larroca (“Avengers Vs. X-Men,” “Iron Man”)

Arthur Suydam (“Marvel Zombies,” “Army of Darkness”)

Michael Golden (“Spider-Man,” “Daredevil”)

Julian Totino Tedesco ("X-Treme X-Men," "Hulk")

Personally, I'm really excited about Gillian Anderson (being a longtime X-Files fan) and Karl Urban (I absolutely loved that Dredd film, even though he's probably known for being in Star Trek).

Also note, all full-price Wizard World Comic Con Minneapolis attendees will receive a limited edition exclusive variant cover “The Walking Dead” comic, drawn by one of Wizard World's talented artist guests (to be announced shortly). Comics will be issued at registration while supplies last and VIP attendees will receive an additional black & white sketch version.

In other Wizard World news, today (March 14th), they announced that Wizard World Comic Con Greenville will be rescheduled to July 15-17, 2016, from original date May 29-30, 2015. The reason given was that TD Convention Center limited Wizard World to only two days and Wizard World felt that the fans of Greenville deserved a three-day show for the full Wizard World Comic Con experience. That is fair, considering that sometime fans have to work on Saturday (I was in that boat last year), so I can appreciate that they extended it to Sunday. Fans who purchased 2015 tickets will be automatically refunded.

Read More Comic Books Having said all that, and excuse me if you think I do not understand the digital age (because I will agree with you), but selling a digital collection of Crisis for $19.99 is way, way too much. …

COMIXOLOGY
comixology.com

Jumping on the SXSW bandwagon (read all about our SXSW coverage over at sxsw.weheartmusic.com), for a limited time Comixology is giving away free comic books. Codes are good until today, Pi Day - March 14th.

Comixology is sponsoring a Twitch stream of this weekend gaming panels, so if you use SXSWDC, you'll get six comics either based or the source material is from video games (Fables, Batman: Arkham Knight, and Mortal Kombat).

To get these comics, go to comixology.com/redeem, log in and enter these codes in:

COLLIDE – Sonic/Mega Man: Worlds Collide Vol. 1
UNITY – Valiant 8-Bit Adventure: Unity!
RAI – Rai #1
XFILES – X-Files Season 10 Vol 1
SXSWDC – *
SAGA – Saga #1
HOOD - Black Hood #1

* Fables: The Wolf Among Us #1-2, Batman: Arkham Knight #1-2, Mortal Kombat X #1-2

UPDATE 03/15:

LOVECRAFT - Locke & Key: Lovecraft Vol. 1
PILGRIM - Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life Vol. 1
WICDIV - Wicked + The Divine #1

Attending SXSW in Austin, Texas, this year? It's not too late to register for the ComiXology Recommends Comics for You panel on Sunday, March 15 from 4:15pm - 5:00pm at Palmer Events Center (Geek Stage).

This is a free and open to the public, but I recommend showing up early as sometime time venue will reach maximum capacity and will refuse you entry.

ComiXology cofounders David Steinberger and John D. Roberts, as well as marketing maven Chip Mosher and international production supervisor Kara Szamborski, will talk about their vast comic knowledge and personally recommend their favorite comic book series, based on what you like.

Read More The Wedding Present The Wedding Present is currently on tour for the 21st anniversary of their album, Seamonsters. As expected, they are playing the entire album from start to finish. …

THE WEDDING PRESENT
scopitones.co.uk

Did you know that The Wedding Present has a comic book series? It's written by singer/songwriter David Gedge and his long-time former bass player Terry de Castro and drawn by celebrated cartoonist Lee Thacker.

The comic book series was first published in March 2012 and will continue through November 2015. The latest issue is #7.

Tales Of The Wedding Present release schedule:

Issue 1 - March 2012
Issue 2 - August 2012
Issue 3 - May 2013
Issue 4 - August 2013
Issue 5 - April 2014
Issue 6 - August 2014
Issue 7 - November 2014
Issue 8 - Coming in April 2015
Issue 9 - Coming in August 2015
Issue 10 - Coming in November 2015

Gedge's latest musical project is Cinerama. Their brand new album Valentina will be out on May 18th via Scopitones. Valentina is said to be a radical reworking of The Wedding Present's eighth studio album of the same name.

If you live in London, there will be a special one-off Cinerama show, complete with 12 piece band, strings and additional instrumentation, at the O2 Academy Islington on Saturday, June 6th, 2015.

You may recall that we caught the band on their 21st Anniversary tour of Seamonsters at the 400 Bar in 2012.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Free Music: Jessica Hernandez, Dragon Age, and Bob Dylan

Read More Jessica Hernandez Jessica Hernandez is a first-generation American, living in Detroit, Michigan. She lists her influences are Gogol Bordello and Tom Waits, both bands that we like on W♥M. … J Roddy Walston Tennessee rockers J Roddy Walston & the Business are currently touring around Austin City Limits, stopping by Minneapolis' Fine Line Music Café last night, September 15th. …

JESSICA HERNANDEZ
jessicahernandez.net

If you have an iPod or iPad, you can grab the single to "Tired Oak" by Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas for free on iTunes.

If you like what you heard, she'll be on tour in March and April with J Roddy Walston and the Business and Social Distortion .

Tour Dates (more to be announced):

03/10 - Louisville, KY / Zanzabar
03/12 - Asheville, NC / Grey Eagle
03/13 - Charlotte, NC / Amos' Southend *
03/14 - Columbia, SC / St. Pats in Five Points *
03/17 - Chapel Hill, NC / Cat's Cradle
03/19 - Charlottesville, VA / Jefferson Theatre *
03/20 - Washington, DC / 9:30 Club *
03/21 - Akron, OH / Musica
04/17 - Hamburg, Germany / Sporthalle **
04/18 - Bielefield, Germany / Ringlokschuppen **
04/19 - Berlin, Germany / Columbiahalle **
04/21 - Vienna, Austria / Gasometer **
04/22 - Munich, Germany / Zenith **
04/23 - Milan, Italy / Live Club **
04/25 - Loudfest at Komplex **
04/27 - Offenbach, Germany / Stadthalle **
04/28 - Cologne, Germany / Palladium **
04/29 - Paris, France / Bataclan **
05/03 - London / O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire **
06/11-06/14 - Manchester, TN / Bonnaroo

* With J Roddy Walston and the Business
** With Social Distortion

Read More Dragon Age Remember how I beat Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare in just a few hours? I complained about how short the campaign was... Well if you're in the same boat and want a game that is meatier, you need to check out Dragon Age: Inquisition. …

DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION
dragonage.com

Remember our Game of the Year 2014 Dragon Age: Inquisition? Fans of the game may recall various tavern songs in the game - well now is your chance to enjoy them for free! The songs were written by Raney Shockne and featured Elizaveta and Nick Stoubis on vocals. Additional music by Inon Zur.

I know it's free, but the developers didn't bother to release an album artwork - so I've modified their download art and made it a square so you can use that as the cover artwork on iTunes. Download the cover artwork: right-click here.

I've already beaten the game, but since hearing the music, I've been inspired to go back and re-play as a different character.

Download the Inquisition Tavern Songs here.

NOTE: The free download is only good until February 9, 2015. Shortly after that, Bioware will make the songs available for sale on most popular digital platforms. Hopefully once they land for sale, you can get an updated cover artwork.

Read More Bob Dylan Legendary Bob Dylan is back in town for a residency at the Orpheum Theatre from November 4-November 6th. This should be a much better experience than his last stadium-sized show at the Xcel Energy Center in 2012....

BOB DYLAN
bobdylan.com

If you're one of 50,000 subscribers to AARP the Magazine, you may be receive a copy of Bob Dylan's latest album Shadows in the Night - the Frank Sinatra cover album. The new album comes out February 3rd, 2015, on Columbia Records.

The reason behind marketing to older people, Dylan, who is 73, said, "Young people can be passionate. Older people gotta be more wise."

Not a subscriber to AARP? You can try to score one of five free autographed copy of Shadows in the Night, courtesy of Amazon. You will need to let them know your email and phone number.

Bob Dylan Autographed CD Giveaway details:

Sign up below from 12:01am PST on 1/26/15 through 11:59pm PST on 2/2/15 for a chance to win 1 of 5 autographed Bob Dylan "Shadows in the Night" CDs. The winners will be contacted on 2/3/14 via email, and their names will be posted here. All participants are automatically signed up for the Amazon Music monthly delivers mail. (NOTE: this is a "free" Amazon email newsletter.)

The new album "Shadows in the Night" by Bob Dylan releases on 2/3. Pre-order now!

Don't know about you, but I would love to get an autographed CD... but knowing my luck, it's probably a one in a million chances for me.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Twin Cities Students Welcome Back Concert: Featuring Haley Bonar with John Mark Nelson (free concert this Friday, August 29)

Read More Haley Bonar We caught John Mark Nelson at his CD release show Sings the Moon at the Cedar, and it was just full of surprises. He is opening up for Haley Bonar, who we last saw with Wesley Stace's Cabinet of Wonders. … I previously mentioned that the Haley Bonar and John Mark Nelson show was $10, I have been corrected, the show is free to everyone. If you've got nothing going on this Friday evening, why not check out the show, particularly because it's being held at the new Northrop Auditorium. Catch Haley Bonar now before her UK tour in October. Here's the details for the "Twin Cities Students Welcome Back Concert" from northrop.umn.edu. The Council of Graduate Students presents Twin Cities Students Welcome Back Concert Featuring Haley Bonar with John Mark Nelson Fri, Aug 29, 8:00 pm Carlson Family Stage FREE, tickets required Tickets PARKING ALERT: Parking for the Haley Bonar concert is not available in the 4th St Ramp and these Lots: #37, Gold, Maroon, Minnesota, Ski-U-Mah, Victory, Gateway, C58, C33. Those facilities are reserved for State Fair patrons. Concert attendees can park in Church St Garage, Nolte Center Garage, Washington Avenue Ramp, East River Road Garage. Directions to these spaces can be found here. Sponsored by The Marshall and 89.3 The Current Doors Open: 7:00 pm 18+, General Admission Tickets: Free for U of M students and the general public. The Council of Graduate Students (COGS) welcomes University of Minnesota students back on campus and invites the Twin Cities community to join in the celebration. As part of the first annual “Graduate and Professional Student Week of Welcome,” COGS will host local musicians Haley Bonar and John Mark Nelson at Northrop, hoping to allow incoming students to experience cultural life in the metro area. Representatives in the arts, Minnesota museums, radio stations, and more will be on site for students to gain familiarity with these and other cultural offerings in the Twin Cities. Haley Bonar is more than a hard working musician. She is an innovator, creative ass-kicker, and visionary dug into the trenches of living. She writes genuine, epochal, and poetic tales that feel like our heartbreak, failure, frustration, and joy. In a clear, insistent, and often haunting voice, she tells real stories back to us, as if they were our own. It just doesn’t get much better than that. Only 20 years old, John Mark Nelson sings with a slow-smoked croon that belies his age, and he fills his lyrics with sharp, detailed observations of life and love in the Midwest. This folk-pop songwriter has racked up an impressive list of accolades, too. Note: Official After Party will be at The Library in Dinkytown. As a part of the celebration, The Current is providing a giveaway for two free Music-On-a-Stick concert tickets and the Minnesota State Fair. To learn more about COGS Week of Welcome, visit the COGS website. vu ♥ weheartmusic.com

Let Freedom Sing

It's the Fourth of July, so let freedom ring... so here are some free stuff:

Read More They Might Be Giants You know we're big fans of They Might Be Giants (or short TMBG). The band recently announced their latest compilation album called Idlewild. Described as "not a best of" or a "rarities" album …

THEY MIGHT BE FREE: Memo to myself, do the dumb things I gotta do... John and John are at it again!

They Might Be Giants is offering a download of their First Album Live! as a special gift if you give them your email address.... I'm on a lot (and I mean a lot) of unwanted email music lists, and trust me, the TMBG list is not as intrusive. Full disclosure, I am a longtime fan and used to be on their old snail mail list and I used to call their Dial-A-Song (answering machine) service.

So, if you've ever wanted to hear "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head" or "(She Was A) Hotel Detective" or "She's an Angel" or "Rhythm Section Want Ad", grab the First Album Live! free download at theymightbegiants.com/firstalbumlive.

First Album Live! Track Listing:

1. Everything Right Is Wrong Again (live) - 2:18
2. Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head (live) - 2:17
3. Number Three (live) - 1:32
4. Don't Let's Start (live) - 2:27
5. Hide Away Folk Family (live) - 3:27
6. 32 Footsteps (live) - 1:36
7. Toddler Hiway (live) - 6:57
8. Rabid Child (live) - 2:52
9. Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes (live) - 2:07
10. (She Was A) Hotel Detective (live) - 2:09
11. She's an Angel (live) - 2:27
12. Youth Culture Killed My Dog (live) - 2:30
13. Boat of Car (live) - 1:27
14. Absolutely Bill's Mood (live) - 2:52
15. Chess Piece Face (live) - 1:13
16. I Hope That I Get Old Before I Die (live) - 1:40
17. Alienation's For the Rich (live) - 2:21
18. The Day (live) - 1:44
19. Rhythm Section Want Ad (live) - 2:50

Read More Tennis As you can see from their setlist, Tennis had a longer set than all the previous bands. Since they have that new EP called Small Sound, they did work in those new songs, including "Mean Streets" …

TENNIS SINGLES: Ritual In Repeat is the new upcoming album from Tennis. The Denver-based band just came off of a highly successful tour with HAIM... but there's no rest for the duo as they've booked a new headlining tour date, starting in September in support of their upcoming album, set for release on September 9th via Communion Records.

Can't wait for the new album? You can grab its preceding single, "Never Work For Free", as, what else?, a free download.

Tour dates:

09/18 St. Louis, MO The Ready Room
09/19 Louisville, KY Headliners Music Hall
09/20 Atlanta, GA Terminal West
09/22 Orlando, FL The Social
09/24 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
09/25 Washington, DC The Black Cat
09/26 New York, NY Webster Hall
09/27 Northampton, MA Pearl Street
09/29 Cambridge, MA The Sinclair
09/30 Philadelphia, PA Underground Arts
10/02 Montreal, Canada La Vitrole
10/03 Toronto, Canada Virgin Mobile Mod Club
10/04 Columbus, OH A&R Music Bar
10/05 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
10/07 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Cafe
10/17 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
10/18 Boise, ID Knitting Factory
10/20 Seattle, WA Neumos
10/21 Vancouver, Canada Fortune Sound Club
10/22 Portland, OR Wonder Room
10/24 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
10/25 West Hollywood, CA Troubadour
10/26 San Diego, CA The Casbah
10/29 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom
11/01 Austin, TX Red 7
11/02 Dallas, TX The Loft
11/04 Lawrence, KS Granada Theater
11/05 Omaha, NE The Waiting Room
11/07 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater

CAPTAIN EO: The E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation is now offering the complete iBooks Edition of E.O. Wilson's Life on Earth books for free... hoping to introduce and teach students about "the story of life on Earth".

I love these books, and they are an exceptional value for anyone with an iPad.

Additional details from iTunes:

Get the complete 41 chapters of E. O. Wilson’s Life on Earth for free on iBooks. Newly offered as a replacement for your previous purchase, this unabridged seven book collection features four previously unreleased units as well as updated interactive visual diagrams and videos to enhance your learning experience. Tap the link below to get your updated complete copy of Life on Earth today and continue to enjoy learning in a way that is as captivating as it is unforgettable.

Get It in iBooks > iTunes.com/loe

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Free Shows: Those Darlins and Avenged Sevenfold

Read More Those Darlins Speaking of those feisty darlings, they sure know how to put on a rockin’ show! The cow-punk quartet includes Jessi Darlin on vocals/guitar, Nikki Darlin on vocals/guitar, Linwood Regensburg on drums and a tall...

THOSE DARLINS
thosedarlins.com

We're Those Darlins fans. If you aren't familiar with this Nashville cowpunk trio, you can check them out for FREE at Loring Park in Minneapolis on July 27th (Saturday). Should be fun, don't expect them to do "Funstix Party" at this family-friendly free event, instead expect some new material from their forthcoming album, produced by Roger Moutenot (Yo La Tengo, Sleater Kinney, Tennis, JEFF The Brotherhood).

Check out their last 7" release for "Summer's Dead" at soundcloud.com



Tour dates:

07/26: Minneapolis, MN - Loring Park
08/09: St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway
08/10: Appleton, WI – Mile of Music Festival
08/31: Troy, OH – Gentlemen of the Road
09/05: Oxford, MS – Proud Larry’s
09/07: Guthrie, OK – Gentlemen of the Road
09/13: Tallahassee, FL – Club Downunder
09/14: St. Augustine, FL – Gentlemen of the Road
10/14: New York, NY – Mercury Lounge

Read More Ghost B.C. Sweden's Ghost (aka Ghost B.C. in America) announced their sophomore album, Infestissumam, coming out April 9th, 2013, via Loma Vista Recordings. "Secular Haze" is the lead single, coming out February 19th. ...

AVENGED SEVENFOLD
avengedsevenfold.com

As a special thank you to their fans, Avenged Sevenfold will be playing a free show for their fans at the Hollywood Palladium on August 26th. It's also in celebration of their new sixth album Hail to the King release, check with the band's website for more details.

In the meantime, Avenged Sevenfold announced the "Hail To The King Tour" a headlining U.S. arena tour, with support from Deftones and Ghost B.C.

Avenged Sevenfold Hail To The King Tour

10/03 Chicago, IL
10/05 Indianapolis, IN
10/06 Cincinnati, OH
10/08 Baltimore, MD
10/09 Boston, MA
10/12 Bloomington, IL
10/13 Detroit, MI
10/15 Atlanta, GA
10/16 Orlando, FL
10/18 Houston, TX
10/19 Dallas, TX
10/20 San Antonio, TX
10/22 Omaha, NE
10/23 Oklahoma City, OK
10/26 Las Vegas, NV

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com

Freedompop

This has nothing to do with music or videos, but I thought you guys might be interested in affordable internet for the home.

UPDATE: Normal internet users NEED NOT APPLY. You will go over the 10gb limit. I'm also having billing issues, even after I upgraded to the 10gb, it was still automatically charging me for additional GB after 1GB. I'm working with them to reverse the charges, but I'm definitely NOT HAPPY with this.

It's been three months since I placed an order for the Freedompop Hub Burst, and it finally arrived today.

To catch you up, this is a 4G Cellular/Wireless modem. It has one Ethernet port, which you can plugged this a wireless router and have a number of wifi-enabled devices hooked up to it. Setup was a cinch, I never even bothered to look at the user manual.

The device itself costs $89.99, but you are given 1GB of free data a month - so if you are just using Freedompop to check your emails and Facebook, it's free for you. If you are an average user, you can pay for upgraded services, which I've listed below:

Fastest 8X (8mbps) $18.99 /month
Faster 3X (3mbps) $14.99 /month
Basic (1.5mbps) $9.99 /month

The price includes 10GB of data, if you go over, they will charge you $0.005 per MB (which is about $5 per 1GB). I suppose it can end up being more costly than what I was previously paying for internet (Comcast's internet for $60 a month), but if you aren't doing super heavy downloading or video streaming then I think you will be fine.

I don't know what my usage will be, but I'll track my data usage closely to let you know if 10GB will cut it for me or the average savvy internet user.

As for the speed - it's pretty impressive for wireless (read: not cable or wires into the home). I'm on "Basic" 1.5mbps, and I think the speed works great. Upload speed averages .7mbps, which is not great, but I'm not doing heavy uploads. If I'm streaming YouTube, I don't really mind having to let it buffer for a few seconds. YouTube also know and determine the video quality to playback, so videos do load up okay, although the quality suffers. I will likely upgrade to 3mbps, which I think is a good half-way point. We'll see. I'll update this again when I upgrade my service soon.

FREEDOMPOP: WHAT'S IN THE BOX

The only problem I can see is that people will not want to pay for $89 for the modem. However, just think of it this way: it's a one-time installation fee. For example, I inquired Comcast about internet service in my house - and they wanted to charge me up front $79 for them to install wires in my house. Even as a "loyal" subscriber for many years, there just wasn't a way avoiding paying for an installation at a new home. Plus, Comcast will charge you a rental fee for their cable modem. Since you paid for the Freedompop modem, there's no reoccurring monthly rental charge.

If you're not happy with your internet services right now, especially with steep pricing - I suggest looking into Freedompop as an affordable internet alternative. There's no contract, so you can cancel anytime. If you're not happy, you can even return the modem for a refund.

Anyway, I will update later if I have crappy services or problems.... but so far, so good.

UPDATE

Update #1: The Freedom Hub Burst has its own built-in wireless signal name.

Update #2: For some odd reason, it's not collecting how much data I'm using.

Update #3: Okay, they've got the data-thing all sorted out. In two days, I used over 1.63GB of data. If I represent the 'average' internet user, then I don't really think 10GB of data is enough for people in a one month cycle. If you just normally use the internet, then I think you will end up paying $30 to $40 a month. Obviously, if you want to save money, they you are really discourage from watching any sort of videos or downloading large amount of data.

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ +W♥M

Free: VHS or Beta (11/08) and Daredevil Christopher Wright (11/16)

Tour Dates 11/08: Minneapolis, MN, 7th Street Entry 11/11: Denver, CO, Bluebird Theatre 11/14: Austin, TX, Red 7 11/15: Dallas, TX, Kessler 11/29: Boston, MA, Middle East Downstairs 11/30: New York, NY, Mercury Lounge Read More VHS or Beta VHS or Beta had a diverse range of song types and sounds. Some were poppy, some were dancey, some were sort of more ambient. Partially electronic.…

VHS OR BETA
vhsorbeta.com

Fancy seeing VHS or Beta for FREE? The Onion's AV Club and Killian's Irish Red are co-sponsoring these free VHS or Beta shows! The unfortunate thing is because it's Killian's/drinking sponsored, you have to be over the legal drinking age of 21.

You can RVSP to ensure tickets at avclub.com/ruckustour, and if it hasn't sold out, they will also accept walkups. Personally, if you're going to attend, why not just quickly fill in some information to guarantee a ticket? Do it.

VHS Or Beta's latest album is a remix album called Diamonds & Dub which features remixed tracks from their 2011 album Diamonds & Death. Although the album are remixes from other people, the duo has been known to remix other people's music. Check out their Tegan and Sara's remix for "Alligator":



I know we covered 40 shows in Rocktober, but I'm going into winter hibernation very soon. My last show will be Matt & Kim on November 7th… but I may change my mind to end it with the VHS or Beta show.

VHS or Beta's Minneapolis show is November 8th at 7th Street Entry.

Sally saw VHS or Beta in Sydney, Australia, in 2008 and she was so impressed she "purchase some tunes by these guys."

Read More Daredevil Christopher Wright The Daredevil Christopher Wright was excited to play brand new materials from their forthcoming album, The Nature of Things at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis …

THE DAREDEVIL CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT
thedaredevilchristopherwright.com

I saw The Daredevil Christopher Wright this summer. I mentioned in my review that I thought some of their songs had a little religious overtone to them, so I'm actually not surprise that they are playing a free show at the Hennepin Church by Loring Park on November 16th.

More details from hennepinchurch.org:

FREE! November 16th.

Black Audience (7pm)

The Daredevil Christopher Wright (8pm)

Chastity Brown (9pm)

This event has been put together by the Hospitality Committee and funded by a grant from the Hennepin Church Foundation.

Trivia: I mentioned that their album artwork looked like Chino Latino a while back, and surprise, surprise: the cover to The Nature of Things was indeed inspired by Chino Latino.

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ +W♥M