Being a product of the US punk scene of the 80s and very early 90s, hearing that next week's Rock Band DLC will be something of a punk extravaganza, featuring song packs by the likes of The Dead Kennedys, Mission to Burma and others leaves me a little torn and sounding kind of like a grumpy old man.

On one hand, more power to three chord rockers from any genre, who are able to make a few bucks decades after the fact. If he/she happened to be part of the post-Ramones, pre-Nirvana and Green Day US punk scene, back in the day there was almost certainly never an inkling that there would ever be any money that came of it, just hopefully fun. All I can say is I hope that all parties involved with this DLC held on to the rights to their songs instead of signing them away to pay for some piddly debt to a crappy label. I'm pretty sure that the Dead Kennedy's have, although not necessarily happily. So, what's the other side of this?

We are talking f'ing punk rock here; slam dancing, stage-diving, Maximum Rock n' Roll listening, seven bands for a cover and screw you guys because tonight I got beer AND burrito money, punk rock. Yup, ridiculously self-righteous, and I was never even much of a DKs fan; in that era I always leaned more towards the bands of LA's SST label, and those that filled my local scene. So, will Rock Band players get any of punk rock's no rules/make it up as you go along/all punks don't have to sport a mohawk, ethics by way of osmosis? Probably not and certainly not if they take the time to customize their band to look like stereotypical punks. But in the end I guess that's okay, especially if it sparks any interest at all in seminal bands like Minutemen, Hüsker Dü, Minor Threat, Descendents, Black Flag, Meat Puppets and others that will always have a place in my memories of those un-comoditized times and on one of my playlists. Remember that grumpy old man reference earlier? There you have it.

Check out next week's DLC below (11/18 on LIVE/11/20 on PSN). No, really, I want you to.

Dead Kennedys 3 Pack - 440 Microsoft Points (.50)

• "California Uber Alles" - 160 Points ()
• "Holiday In Cambodia" - 160 Points ()
• "Police Truck" - 160 Points ()

Mission Of Burma 3 Pack - 440 Microsoft Points (.50)

• "Mica" - 160 Points ()
• "That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate" - 160 Points ()
• "That's When I Reach For My Revolver" - 160 Points ()

Century Media Girls of Metal 3 Pack - 440 Microsoft Points (.50)

• In This Moment - "Forever" - 160 Points ()
• Lacuna Coil - "Closer" - 160 Points ()
• Lacuna Coil - "Swamped" - 160 Points ()

Individual Tracks

• Crooked X - "Gone" - 80 Points ()

--Hobson's Choice

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