Hyper post-punk revivalists Maximo Park have joined forces with Microsoft to find the best Rock Band in Europe.
The continent-wide search titled Xbox 360 Presents Rock Band Live kicked off this past weekend in Ibiza, and will travel to the UK, France and Germany in order to find the best pseudo rockers out there.
Contestants will be asked to perform songs by a variety of artists like David Bowie, the Clash, Jet, Radiohead and Garbage, and a winner will be chosen by Maximo Park and MTV. The top "band" will win a VIP lifestyle that includes a week's holiday at the Ibiza Rocks Hotel, aka party central.
Maximo Park front-man Paul Smith stated the bands will have to have a bit of everything to impress him. "All the best rock bands have got amazing star quality and whilst theyve got to play their instruments well theyve also got to have the showmanship to excite a crowd," he said. "From outrageous outfits and haircuts to amazing postural performances we are looking for a group who give us all of this and more on top!
The band will take advantage of this partnership while promoting their next single, "Girls Who Play Guitars," from the last year's Our Earthly Pleasures, which will be released for download to play through Rock Band on June 10.
In other Maximo Park news, the Newcastle band are also currently working on their third studio album.
Speaking with XFM, Smith said the material so far points to a new direction for the band. "I like intriguing people with the names [of the songs]," he said. "But I don't know what people are going to make of these ones. They sound quite different... there's a funny groove to them.
"'Tanned' has a lurching groove to it, like the Fall," he singer added. "'Questing' has a head-noddy groove. It's quite an uplifting song, whereas 'Tanned' is quite dark, but also has this big lift in it."
Though no date has been set, Smith said he expects it some time in early 2009, saying "We're working every day on the songs. Personally, I'd like to get the songs out January or February next year which would mean recording this autumn, and I don't see why we can't."
Maximo Park "Girls Who Play Guitars"
The continent-wide search titled Xbox 360 Presents Rock Band Live kicked off this past weekend in Ibiza, and will travel to the UK, France and Germany in order to find the best pseudo rockers out there.
Contestants will be asked to perform songs by a variety of artists like David Bowie, the Clash, Jet, Radiohead and Garbage, and a winner will be chosen by Maximo Park and MTV. The top "band" will win a VIP lifestyle that includes a week's holiday at the Ibiza Rocks Hotel, aka party central.
Maximo Park front-man Paul Smith stated the bands will have to have a bit of everything to impress him. "All the best rock bands have got amazing star quality and whilst theyve got to play their instruments well theyve also got to have the showmanship to excite a crowd," he said. "From outrageous outfits and haircuts to amazing postural performances we are looking for a group who give us all of this and more on top!
The band will take advantage of this partnership while promoting their next single, "Girls Who Play Guitars," from the last year's Our Earthly Pleasures, which will be released for download to play through Rock Band on June 10.
In other Maximo Park news, the Newcastle band are also currently working on their third studio album.
Speaking with XFM, Smith said the material so far points to a new direction for the band. "I like intriguing people with the names [of the songs]," he said. "But I don't know what people are going to make of these ones. They sound quite different... there's a funny groove to them.
"'Tanned' has a lurching groove to it, like the Fall," he singer added. "'Questing' has a head-noddy groove. It's quite an uplifting song, whereas 'Tanned' is quite dark, but also has this big lift in it."
Though no date has been set, Smith said he expects it some time in early 2009, saying "We're working every day on the songs. Personally, I'd like to get the songs out January or February next year which would mean recording this autumn, and I don't see why we can't."
Maximo Park "Girls Who Play Guitars"
