Greetings and welcome to the second “12 Days of Chartmas” event! For those who are new to this, the next 12 days will feature a diverse amount of customs from a diverse amount of charters! From December 20th to 31st there will be two, that’s right, two releases of new content per day from the kickoff to the finale!
What should you expect to see?
Like last time, we will be presenting songs from across artists, genres, and decades to celebrate the music that brought us all together. Some of these packs are pretty hefty in size so there will be plenty for you to choose from over the next 12 days.
When should you expect these releases?
Below is the general schedule that releases will follow, though keep in mind some may arrive a little early, some a little late. Hey, Santa himself doesn’t always get to the houses at the same time each year, but he does get there. Make sure to check the bottom of each new post which will tell you when to expect the next release. Additionally there will be two special days, the first of which being today’s kickoff event and a finale on New Year’s Eve.
Here are the general times of which you can expect to see releases:
Time Slot 1: 5:00 AM PST/8:00 AM EST/2:00 PM CET
Time Slot 2: 5:00 PM PST/8:00 PM EST/2:00 PM CET
As always, special thanks to BornGamerRob for the epic graphic!
Yaniv
And so, to kick us off, what better day to start this event than with 3 major, rocking, high energy bangers? Get ready for a rocking Christmas – drumming those three in a row is a legit workout!
Fontaines D.C. – Big
Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C. are among the hottest names in alternative music, playing huge stages around the world, and “Big” is their introduction – the first song on their first album, “Dogrel”. “My childhood was small, but I’m gonna be big!” they promise on this song, and they definitely delivered! It’s 1:56 of pure rock and roll.
Arcade Fire – The Lightning I, II
Arcade Fire are already veterans of alternative music, but “The Lightning” – their first single from their 2022 record “We” – is a glorious anthem reminiscent of the old “Funeral” days. Divided into two parts, the first part is relatively slow (gotta get some rest sometime!) with a great melody, before part 2 is all rock and roll and a ridiculously catchy chorus. Plus that transition is fire!
The Only Ones – Another Girl, Another Planet
And to close, let’s go to the classics – The Only Ones are an awesome power pop/punk band from the 70’s. Some people might call them “one hit wonder” – I think it’s disrespectful to the rest of this awesome record – but there’s no denying “Another Girl, Another Planet” is just huge. Called “Arguably, the greatest rock single ever recorded” by AllMusic (it’s really up there!), and covered by Blink-182 to close their “Greatest Hits” album, this song is just pure awesomeness, with amazing melodies, rocking drums and two absolutely awesome guitar solos. Give this one a go, you won’t regret it!
FujiSkunk
Mannheim Steamroller – Deck the Halls
Mannheim Steamroller – God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Mannheim Steamroller – Carol of the Bells
If any band is synonymous with Christmas, it is the Mannheim Steamroller. While the group has been around since the 1970s and have many albums to their credit, their Christmas albums are indisputably their most popular, and arguably their best. Their Christmas tenure began in 1984 with the first holiday release, simply titled Christmas. On that album, bandleader Chip Davis perfected his trademark blend of classical and contemporary, veering wildly from synthesizers and modern beats to lutes and medieval melodies, and then back again. The music couldn’t be more diverse, and yet the album is still of a single voice, a voice proudly declaring, “Merry Christmas!” While the Steamroller’s later holiday albums weren’t quite as groundbreaking as the first, they’ve all contributed songs to the popular Christmas canon, and continue to be played and enjoyed year after year. Now you can play three of the Steamroller’s biggest hits in Rock Band, including the one that started it all, “Deck the Halls”. “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen”, also from the first Christmas album, and “Carol of the Bells” from the second Christmas album round out the pack.
Hope you liked the kickoff! Have a great holiday season from the RGW community!
Get ready for the next post, a big one from the one and only Henry13Hdz!
Been extraordinarily busy and forgot to comment – thanks for the Mannheim Steamroller tracks! My folks are fans and thoroughly enjoyed playing them. I’m particularly excited to play Another Girl, Another Planet as well once I get the chance!