Music Blogs

"Eruption," anyone? Video game publisher Activision announced last week that Van Halen would follow in the digital footsteps of Aerosmith and Metallica and be the next band to get its own branded version of Guitar Hero, due for release in the second half of 2009. It's hard to quibble with the choice: Eddie Van Halen is an inarguable axe hero, and a generation of wannabe guitar players can testify to the joys of faux-finger-tapping along with party rock classics like "Hot For Teacher" and "Runnin' With The Devil."

But while Van Halen is a good pick for a Guitar Hero, it's also an obvious one. I know that Activision is shooting for mass appeal and not cool cred, but wouldn't it be awesome if the game had some indie steeze? In fact, I'd love it if a whole edition were devoted to a band that didn't wear spandex, play arenas, or have a "no brown M&Ms" clause on its tour rider.

So which one? There are some factors to consider: First, a band has to have a sufficiently deep catalog. So while Vampire Weekend's songs have jittery rhythms and popping little licks that would be fun to play along with, the band just don't have enough of them. Also a good Guitar Hero candidate needs guitar parts that are simple enough for beginning gamers, but also has ample deedly-deedly bits (so that expert players won't get bored). For example, Sonic Youth's music is full of chunky chord patterns, but it's hard to imagine Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo's atmospheric washes of noise translating to the game. Those guys aren't about shredding.

But Dinosaur Jr.'s J. Mascis is. And his band meets my other criteria too: eight albums of riff-fests like "Sludgefeast" and "Tarpit" as well as songs that showcase fleet-fingered solos, like "Get Me" and "Kracked." There's even a precedent for the band's video game compatibility--1994's semi-hit "Feel The Pain" is featured in Rock Band 2.

Though Dino Jr. was an easy choice, there were some other contenders. The Meat Puppets' best songs feature plenty of sterling guitar work, but Curt Kirkwood's playing isn't quite epic like J's, darting and ducking where the latter's burns. Similarly, Pavement's music also has lots of intricate picking, but when Stephen Malkmus soloed, he did so with an economy that didn't exactly scream video game excitement. But what do you think? Which band that would never get played in a strip club deserves its own Guitar Hero?

SPIN's 40 Best Albums of 2008 http://www.spin.com/articles/40-best-albums-2008

Search 1,400 Album Reviews http://www.spin.com/reviews