world-of-warcraft-soundtrack
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Video Games Live Level 3 album out now
If you're a fan of great video game music, you're probably familiar with Video Games Live, which produces orchestral arrangements of songs from your favorite games. Last year, frontman Tommy Tallarico took to Kickstarter to fund VGL's third album, Level 3, and the finished product is now available on iTunes and cdbaby. (Kickstarter backers, don't fret -- digital downloads and physical rewards will be headed your way soon.) On the Warcraft front, the album features VGL's take on Invincible from Wrath of the Lich King (zoom the video above to 4:25 for a preview). If you're interested in picking up your own copy you can get Invincible for $1 or the entire album for $10 -- and if you enjoy Level 3, you should definitely check out VGL's back catalog which features more music from World of Warcraft and plenty of other games.
Blizzard music now available on Pandora
If there's one thing that's been a constant over the years of Blizzard games, it's been the music - and there's some good news for those that love Blizzard's tunes. The Video Game Music station on streaming internet radio site Pandora is now cycling in Blizzard soundtracks from Warcraft, Diablo and StarCraft as well. For those that use Pandora for listening, it means you may get a bit of Blizzard mixed in with your usual fare -- for those that don't use Pandora, you might want to check it out. The site uses your personal tastes in music to fashion a playlist for you and suggest songs you might like based on what you listen to already. From the strains of Stormwind City to the heights of Grizzly Hills, the music in Warcraft has always been a high point of every expansion for me. While I don't leave the music running constantly when I'm playing the game, new patches and new content always has me turning up the in-game music to see what new tunes have been added. Be sure to check out Pandora for a taste of Blizzard's soundtracks -- you can listen to Pandora via online stream, or through one of their many mobile apps.
Win tickets to hear WoW soundtrack composer David Arkenstone
What, ho! If thou dost live anywhere at all near Austin, Texas, we hath a merry proposal for thy consideration: a chance to win weekend passes for two to hear WoW soundtrack composer David Arkenstone on the weekend of March 31 and April 1 at the Sherwood Forest Faire near Austin. Forsooth, 'tis verily so -- a meatspace contest for readers in a single mid-U.S. region. (Our most sincere condolences to residents of other fiefs and kingdoms ... There's only so much of the noble Sir Arkenstone to go around!) Mark you, there be no place more fitting to tarry on a sunny spring morn than a renn faire featuring three-time Grammy nominee David Arkenstone performing songs including some of his melodious compositions for World of Warcraft. So hear ye, hear ye (in plain English): We're giving away two pairs of tickets (a $72 value per pair) for the weekend of March 31 and April 1 to Sherwood Forest Faire, 35 miles east of Austin, Texas. To enter, leave a comment on this post before the contest ends at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Sunday, March 18, 2012. Since this is a location-specific event, please don't enter unless you can actually attend the faire in Austin on March 31 and/or April 1; alternate dates and locations are not available, and we want a WoW fan who can be there to enjoy these shows. Winners must be legal residents of the United States or Canada (except Quebec). You may only enter once, and winners must be 18 years of age or older. Two winners will be chosen at random, and tickets will be held in their names at the Will Call window of the faire admissions area. See the official rules for more details. Jousting in your entry comment is optional.
Music in World of Warcraft: What does it mean to you?
Musical history was made this week as composer Christopher Tin won the first Grammy award for Best Instrumental with Vocalist. What's so special about this win, you ask? The song that won was "Baba Yetu," the main theme for Sid Meyer's Civilization IV, making this the first piece of video game music to ever win a Grammy. Many well-deserved congratulations to Tim and all who worked on it, as it is a truly stunning piece of music. After such a monumental occasion, one should consider the role that music plays in our gaming experience -- and in this case, for World of Warcraft. Blizzard has brought on some of the most talented composers, singers and musicians in order to make the music more than just background noise -- it's become part of the entire culture of WoW.
15 Minutes of Fame: Cataclysm soundtrack composer David Arkenstone
From Hollywood celebrities to the guy next door, millions of people have made World of Warcraft a part of their lives. How do you play WoW? We're giving each approach its own 15 Minutes of Fame. There's absolutely nothing like the sweeping vistas of an orchestral soundtrack to help you slip the surly bonds of earth and touch the face of Azeroth in all its epic glory. One of the composers behind World of Warcraft: Cataclysm's in-game soundtrack, David Arkenstone, took time not only leading up to expansion's launch but again after last night's game launch concert in Fountain Valley, California, to chat exclusively with WoW Insider about painting a new sonic palette for Azeroth. Arkenstone is one of a team of Cataclysm composers headed by Blizzard's Audio Director Russell Brower that tackled a whopping eight hours of new music for the expansion -- about the same amount of music as was added with Wrath of the Lich King expansion, bringing World of Warcraft's musical tally to something like 36 hours of in-game music. "I think it's exciting for a player to get all this new content at one time," Arkenstone says enthusiastically. "When you have all this music spread out across the word, composers, meshing ... It's hours and hours of music."
