Tapulous

The Band: NO DOUBT

The Jam: HELLA GOOD from the multi-platinum “Rock Steady.” Also available in the No-Doubt Premium-Track Pack.

Northern California, home of Tapulous Enterprises and Tap Tap Revenge, has given the world so many amazing inventions: Silicon Valley, and all that compu-magic. Blue jeans, made for miners in the Gold Rush. The fortune cookie, created for San Francisco’s Tea Garden.

But our greatest creation is the word “hella.” Gwen Stefani picked up on it during No Doubt’s early tours through the Bay. Let’s all make an effort this week to really work “hella” into our vocabulary. Examples:

“Oh man, that track on Extreme was hella hard! My finger’s burnin!”
“I saw the Tapulous Holiday Party at the Lady Gaga show. They were gettin’ hella rowdy!”

Trust me, people will respond positively. Speaking of positive things, this week’s track, “HELLA GOOD,” is certainly hella good. No other band from the modern ska revival has achieved the heights of No Doubt, and it’s not just because they lack international fashion icon Gwen Stefani behind the microphone. No Doubt brings the best influences of punk, pop, dancehall, and new-wave back to the O.C., mixes them up, and puts them back out in songs beloved by millions of fans around the world.

Go get HELLA GOOD now in the Tap Track store!

THE HELLA GOOD CONTEST

Alright, get your fingers warmed up, because you’re going to be doing hella tapping this week, yo! The winner of the No Doubt HELLA GOOD CONTEST is going to win…A LIMITED EDITION CITY POSTER, SIGNED BY THE MEMBERS OF NO DOUBT! Five runner up winners get the entire No Doubt catalog.

Here’s what you’ve got to do:

You have to have hella skills to win this one. Between Friday, December 18th and Monday, December 21st, play against Ed’s challenge on No Doubt’s Hella Good in Tap Tap Revenge 3. You can find it in your Tap Tap news feed or in the featured page in the store.

The grand prize and runner up winners will be drawn from the TOP 50 players who beat Ed by the most points. He plays on hard, and he’s pretty good — so practice up! You must play through the entire challenge, while online, during the contest period, for entry into the contest.

The Man: ROBBIE WILLIAMS

The FREE TRACK: BODIES from the new album “Reality Killed The Video Star.” Remix by U.K. dance wizards CAHILL

Here we are in December 2009. The end of the decade. Congrats everyone, we’re almost out of the “Aughts.” Or the “Naughties,” depending how it went for you. I’ve got a feeling everyone is ready to blast out of the last 10 years in a serious way, which means this New Year’s Eve is going to be BIG. Therefore, it is very, very important you look good this coming 31st. And the way to make that happen is…
THE TAP TAP “BODIES” WORKOUT!

STEP 1: Download this week’s track, Robbie Williams’ “Bodies.”
STEP 2: Suit up properly. To achieve maximum exercise potential, Spandex is crucial. Tights, leotard, long sleeves, all in different colors. Top it off with a neon green headband and mirrored aviator shades. This is a unisex uniform.
STEP 3: Start the track.
STEP 4: Left rail tappers are high kicks. Center rail tappers are knee lifts. Right rail tappers are squats. On a shake, push your booty out in that direction.
STEP 5: Repeat until you look good, or pass out.

Robbie Williams sings in this week’s track, “All we’ve ever wanted is to look good naked,” and with the remix skills of Cahill, we now have the song to achieve that goal. With “Bodies,” Robbie has come back swinging, with a flowing, intense song that has topped charts around the world. Despite his jaw-dropping achievements (#1 selling British solo artist of all time, most BRIT Award wins in history, and the UK Music Hall of Fame’s Artist of the 90’s), Robbie Williams remains charmingly aware of his role as performer, and continues to give us innovative and engaging music.

Get this week’s FREE track in the Tap Tap Store, and don’t forget to check out the Robbie Williams 2-pack with “Let Me Entertain You,” and “Angels.” Roll by robbiewilliams.com for all the news on the big man. And peek through the window at Tapulous HQ if you want to see Andrew leading the a.m. Tap Tap Bodies Workout. We are definitely getting results down here!

THE ROBBIE WILLIAMS CONTEST

Did you know Robbie Williams’ song “Angels” was the #1 karaoke song of 2008? Did you know during his time off in 2007-08, Robbie became heavily involved in UFO research, including a trip to an alien conference in the Nevada desert? Did you know he is in the Guinness Book of World Records for selling 1.6 million tickets to his 2006 tour in a single day?

None of this has anything to do with this week’s contest. They’re just cool Robbie Williams facts. Now, onto the contest!

The loot: Five winners get a nice crisp envelope in the mail that contains Robbie Williams’ latest album Reality Killed the Video Star, and the Live At The Albert DVD. One Grand Prize winner gets that and the rest of the Robbie Williams catalog! That’s Intensive Care, Escapology, Sing When You’re Winning, (deep breath…) I’ve Been Expecting You, and Life Through A Lens.

How to win: It’s a BUZZ contest! After playing ANY Robbie Williams track in Tap Tap Revenge 3, hit the buzz tab and rate the song. You get one entry for each song you rate. You can buzz the songs anytime from Thursday, December 10th through Monday, December 14th. You must buzz the track in Tap Tap Revenge 3, while online, for entry into the contest.

The Band: SMASHING PUMPKINS

The Song: BULLET WITH BUTTERFLY WINGS from “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,” and part of the Smashing Pumpkins 6-track pack in TTR3.

“The world is a vampire.”

14 years ago, Smashing Pumpkins’ lead singer Billy Corgan sang this simple observation. The year was 1995, and vampires were not a hot topic; the only ones we had were Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Corgan’s was a bold, visionary statement, and today we are awash with vampires. You literally cannot go out for a latte without bumping into at least 4 vampires.

What other eternal truths can we draw from the teachings of Smashing Pumpkins? This is a band who sold more than 20 million albums over a 20-year career, and who rock so hard the earth trembles, so clearly they know of what they speak:

- You can never overdub too many electric guitars, as evidenced in the song “Today.” That first big hit will knock your teeth out.
- You can never break up and re-form too many times. You can also endlessly kick out and rehire band members. Especially when every note on every album was performed by Billy anyway. (Allegedly)
- If the first time you hear the band, you’re not sure if the lead singer is a dude or a chick, that’s a good thing. Ask the Silversun Pickups. Actually, ask them all about Smashing Pumpkins.
- Pick a chord, and declare ownership. A G# octave chord at the eleventh fret with the low E string played over it? That’s the “Pumpkin Chord.” Check out “Cherub Rock,” and everything after that.

Basically, Smashing Pumpkins did it the right way: Heavier, Bigger, and Balder. When the history of Alternative Rock is written, they will have their own chapter. This week we pay tribute to their lasting legacy with the free feature track “Bullet With Butterfly Wings,” and breathlessly await the new music, which will be released free on smashingpumpkins.com.

SMASHING PUMPKINS, SMASHING FINGERS: THE CONTEST

“Hey man, what gives? I bought the Pumpkins track-pack, and now you’re giving away a song. Lame.” First, thank you for buying the pack. Second, if you bought the pack, you’re a fan. Believe it or not, there might be people who are unfamiliar with Smashing Pumpkins. They get the song free, they become fans. They buy the albums, create a demand, the band goes on tour sooner, and you don’t have to wait as long to push through the pit to the front of the stage, to get your world rocked. It’s simple math, really.

So let’s get people tapping and rocking out to Smashing Pumpkins, with the Smashing Fingers Contest:

Up for grabs: Five winners get the Smashing Pumpkins – Greatest Hits Video Collection DVD, the Grand Prize winner gets the DVD, the entire Smashing Pumpkins catalog on CD, AND a Tap Tap Revenge 3 skateboard deck!

How you win: Download and play Bullet With Butterfly Wings in Tap Tap Revenge 3. Submit your best scores to the global scoreboard. The grand prize goes to the player who submits the highest score during the contest period, the runner up prizes go to the next five highest scores. We are counting any score submitted on Bullet With Butterfly Wings, on any difficulty level, with shakes ON or shakes OFF. You MUST submit your score in Tap Tap Revenge 3, while online, during the contest period for entry into the contest. The contest runs from Friday, December 4th through Tuesday, December 8th.

Tap on.

The Band: FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH

The Song: WALK AWAY from the album “War Is The Answer”

Friends, let me ask you some questions: Have you worn out the Metallica, Godsmack, and Korn in TTR3? Have Thursdays been a bit “soft” for you lately? Would you rather live in a city made of shadows than one made of owls? Well step right up, because I’ve got the cure for what ails you, a big bottle of liquid metal to rock your foundation.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this week’s track is the foolproof solution to your light-rock doldrums; a vital, volatile voice of voracious, visceral, and simply volcanic Rock And Roll! Look no further, for coming straight at you is FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, and it’s going to get you right again. Winners of Metal Hammer Magazine’s Best New Band of 2009, 5FDP are a force to be reckoned with, and are proving that by climbing the charts and churning mosh pits around the world. Formed in 2005, this L.A.-based band features members of U.P.O., W.A.S.P., Motograter, and Anubis Rising. BE CAREFUL: this is not the song with which to introduce your grandmother to Tap Tap Revenge.

When you have been thoroughly rocked and need a break, head over to fivefingerdeathpunch.com and see what these guys are up to. I think the album cover of “War Is The Answer” might make a sweet wallpaper.

THE FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH CONTEST.

We all know Tap Tap Master DXChain has his own signature “DX Grip.” In honor of this week’s band, we had him work on developing a special “Five Finger Death Tap.” Unfortunately, the test track we gave him was 1.5X speed, and…it didn’t work out. We’re happy to say DX is healing perfectly, and the Tapulous Lab needed a fresh coat of paint anyway. Get your best grip in order, and bring it to this week’s contest:

“The Five Finger Death Room!” We’ve created a special online room for this week’s featured track. Get in there, meet some people, do a little chat, and then play a game. Every game completed is a point. Rack up as many points as you can. Every day we’ll award one prize to the top earner. At the end of the contest, we’ll draw the grand prize from the top 25 point earners. The contest runs all day Friday through Tuesday, Pacific Time. Simple, huh?

The 5 daily winners will receive an an autographed copy of “War Is The Answer.” One Grand Prize Winner will receive a special SKATEBOARD DECK SIGNED BY FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH! Nothing is more exciting than playing TTR and trying to skate down a bumpy sidewalk. Remember: always wear your helmet, and always put your iPhone in a titanium shell.

Who: OWL CITY

The Song: FIREFLIES from the album “Ocean Eyes”

This week, there is no hype. There is no need. The universe, in its glorious celestial dance, has fortuitously shuffled all the stars and planets into perfect alignment, and delivered to us this flawless gift:

Ladies and gentlemen, we give you the #1 app, Tap Tap Revenge 3, and the #1 single, “Fireflies” by Owl City, together on Tap Tap Thursday. BOOYAH!

Go ahead, take a look for yourself. We’re both sitting atop our respective iTunes charts, and now are the greatest pairing since peanut butter and bananas. Some say it’s lonely at the top, but we beg to differ. For TTR3, being on top means more Tappers, more avatars out there in the rooms getting splattered with goo, and more bands saying, “Hey, how do we get our song in this game?”

For OWL CITY, being on top means more people are joining the club that has discovered one of the year’s best songs. Owl City’s sole band member, Adam Young, spent many insomnia-addled nights recording in his parent’s Minnesota basement, and uploaded the treasures to a ravenous MySpace fanclub. The World Wide Web flexed its muscle, and Owl City was elevated to international adoration and exposure for one single reason: the music makes you feel good. And isn’t that awesome right now? Check out owlcitymusic.com for all the info, including tour dates in China!

THE OWL CITY CONTEST

Have you seen the Owl City “Fireflies” video? Are you like me, thinking, “How did they get all the old stuff out of my room? MOM?!!” Well here’s your chance to start rebuilding your collection:

This week’s grand prize is the boxing ring toy from the video, autographed by Owl City’s Adam Young himself! Plus you’ll get a signed vinyl copy of “Ocean Eyes”, a t-shirt, and more! Is this our freshest prize yet, or what?

Here’s how you get that monkey:

First TTR3 challenge/battle contest: Get a high score on “Fireflies” and send out a challenge to your network. You get 1 point for each challenge you send and 2 points for each challenge you win. And that’s not it: challenges in TTR3 count double!

On Wednesday, we’ll take the top 100 earners, and draw the winners. 5 runners-up will get an autographed copy of “Ocean Eyes”. And one stoked Grand Prize winner will get the boxing ring toy from the Fireflies music video!!

This contest runs from Friday, October 23rd at 12:01 AM through Tuesday, October 27th at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

Who: AFI

What: MEDICATE from the just-released album “Crash Love”

Just because we’re finishing up TTR3, it doesn’t mean we’re going to just sit back and let TTR2 and TTThursday wither away and die. POW! Just like that, here’s a GINORMOUS track that’s going to make a lot of tappers very, very happy.

Over the course of 7 albums and nearly 20 years, AFI have grown out from their hardcore-punk roots, moving through darker periods of goth and industrial, before breaking out to a wider audience with their 2006 multi-platinum album “Decemberunderground,” and the smash single “Miss Murder.”

With “Medicate,” AFI is unencumbered by any previous musical labels placed on them. Punk energy mixes with moody, mysterious lyricism, and it’s all slammed into your ears by a barrage of guitars. Singer Davey Havoc describes “Crash Love” as “a really straightforward rock record. I don’t think we’ve ever recorded one of those before… so it’s very fresh for us.”

Click HERE to download and play “Medicate.” You MUST tap the link on your iDevice and have TTR2 installed. Cruise by afireinside.com for all your AFI info, and check them out on tour all across the USA this fall.

THE AFI CONTEST

We really wanted this week to be a Cannonball Run-style race from Tapulous HQ in Palo Alto up Highway 101, across the Golden Gate Bridge, and through the redwood empire to AFI’s hometown of Ukiah, CA. But our legal firm, Tapum and Shakem LLP, nixed that idea. Instead, here’s this week’s contest:

Your goal: submit the most points on AFI’s Medicate in Tap Tap Revenge. Simple as that. The top 50 players with the most points at the end of the contest are entered into a drawing for some totally awesome AFI prizes.

So what can you win? Think 5 copies of the new album “Crash Love” — and A SIGNED GUITAR! Yea thats right, we went there.

The contest begins on Friday, October 2nd at noon, and runs until Monday, October 5th at 11:59 PM Pacific Time. You MUST submit your scores to the global scoreboard during the contest period, while online, for entry into the contest.

The Band: The Temper Trap

The Jam: Sweet Disposition from their debut album “Conditions”

Oops. We might have done it again. We might be giving some people their new favorite song in this week’s TTThursday.

If you haven’t heard The Temper Trap’s “Sweet Disposition,” prepare to be blown away. From an all-time great intro, dripping with delay-drenched guitars and a haunting falsetto, through the driving, marching rhythm that is reminiscent of a young and hungry U2, this upcoming Aussie group has delivered a glorious, dreamy anthem that will swing you from tears to ecstatic laughter.

FACT: CEO Bart has been lately leading late-afternoon hikes into the hills above Palo Alto, to a secret clearing in the redwoods where he has a massive speaker set-up. He cranks this song as the sun sinks into the vast expanse of the Pacific to re-energize us, reconnect us with the world, and inspire us in the final stretch to TTR3. Try it yourself. It’ll shiver your timbers.

Follow the global rise of the Trap at TheTemperTrap.net, at MySpace, and @TheTemperTrap.

THE TEMPER TRAP CONTEST

Why do we love The Temper Trap? Because their initials are TTT, and so are Tap Tap Thursday’s! So this week we give you the TTTTTTC!

The rules to the TTTTTTC are simple: Get the best streak!! You are shooting for the perfect FC (full combo) run on Sweet Disposition. The winners will be drawn from the top 100 players with the best streak — including ties. This is the best streak BY NUMBER, so I’d get started on the extreme track. Don’t be afraid, practice makes perfect – even Ed can do it. The contest begins on Friday, September 25th at noon, and runs until Monday, September 28th at 11:59PM PDT. You must submit your scores to the global scoreboard while online, during the contest period for entry into the contest.

The winner of the TTTTTTC gets a pair of tickets to see The Temper Trap LIVE in LA, SF, NYC, Philly or Boston! Five runner up winners get an autographed copy of The Temper Trap’s album “Conditions.”

GLWTTTTTTTC! KT! Did you get all that? Good.

Who: Morgan Page

What: Fight for You

There is a change happening, a slow movement that has been rhythmically building. It is a deep, unstoppable rumble that is pulsing through the very foundations of our world. It is dance music, and it is becoming the mainstream.

Some of you are saying, “Well duh!” But some of you are unaware that DJ’s are the new superstars, that they are selling out stadiums around the world, and playing to tens of thousands of ecstatic fans. They are being flown in jets from Ibiza to Brazil, while the rock bands are driving the van from Reno to Fresno.

Take this week’s featured artist, Morgan Page. Literally raised in a Vermont log cabin, he discovered his passion for tech-house in high school, pursued it through NYC and L.A., and is now a highly sought after remixer for artists such as Madonna and Katie Perry. With this latest banger, the ethereal, melodic “Fight For You”, he shows his skills at turning out refined original music of his own.

Hit up @MorganPage on Twitter & Morgan-Page.com for more music, remixes, news, and juice.

THE MORGAN PAGE CONTEST

Coach Tapulous here. Let’s talk drive. Morgan Page got into electronic music, got himself an Akai MPC2000, and took it all the way to Best Breakthrough Artist at the ‘08 International Dance Music Awards. Now, what are you doing to make yourself a Tap Tap Champ? Get in there, tiger, and win this contest!

The loot: five runner up winners will each get an autographed DPRO of the Fight For You single (it’s a special version given only to VIPs), and one Grand Prize winner gets a back catalog of 40 remixes & originals with a PERSONALIZED NOTE FROM MORGAN! Yea, this prize defines awesomeness.

How to win: Submit your best scores on Morgan Page’s “Fight For You” in Tap Tap Revenge. Each day, Friday – Tuesday, the player that submits the top score gets an autographed copy of the single. Then, the player with the highest CUMULATIVE score (all your submitted scores added together) over all 5 days wins the grand prize! You must submit your scores in Tap Tap Revenge 2, while online, for entry into the contest.

MORGAN PAGE BONUS CONTEST

If the entire Tap Tap Community gets a cumulative score of 10 BILLION points on “Fight For You” before the next Tap Tap Thursday, Morgan will spin a special remix of Tap Tap DomiNation! To spice it up a little more, the player that submits the 10 billionth point gets a copy of Fight For You! Keep an eye on the Tap Tap Revenge home screen for a live-updating total score ticker…

The Band: Panic! At The Disco

The Song: New Perspective from the “Jennifer’s Body” Soundtrack Album

“So much time and so little to do… Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it.” – Willie Wonka, describing Tapulous in September 2009.

It’s a little known fact, but Tapulous Inc.’s business plan is simply a photocopy of the book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, and the investor power-point was scenes from both movies crudely spliced together. But it’s been a complete success, because we too are allowed to come up with fantastical contests and dish up scrumptious, mouth-watering TTThursdays, just like today! Plus Bart rides to work in a glass elevator.

So, what sounds tasty to you? A little Panic At The Disco? You’re hungry for some theatrically-grandiose Vegas rock? No problem, here’s “New Perspective,” their first new single in nearly a year and a half. Fill up on layers upon layers of thick guitars and sharp, glittering vocals. And for the final treat, you’re going to be tapping on Megan Fox in the “Jennifer’s Body” theme.

Check out the Jennifer’s Body movie trailer on YouTube.

THE CONTEST AT THE DISCO

This week is a MAX STREAKS contest. Lock into as many streaks as you can on “New Perspective.” Your MAX STREAK on each game submitted to the Global Scoreboard will be placed in your Streak Bucket. At the end of the contest, we’ll line up the top 50 buckets, and draw out the 1 grand prize winner and 5 runners-up.

Here’s what you can score: FIVE runner-up winners each get an autographed copy of the “Jennifer’s Body” soundtrack. One Grand Prize winner gets an ultra-rare autographed limited edition hardcover Panic! At The Disco photo book titled “A Picture With Books,” with their “Live In Chicago” CD/DVD. There are only 5000 of these books in existence, and this one is autographed!

The contest begins on Friday, Sept 11th at noon, and runs until Monday, Sept 14th at 11:59 PM Pacific Time. You must submit your scores to the Global Scoreboard while online for entry into the contest.

The Band: FLYLEAF

The Song: AGAIN from the upcoming album “Memento Mori”

This week’s featured artist FLYLEAF is going to do 2 things. First, they are going to give us an intense and passionate new TTThursday track from their eagerly anticipated sophomore album. In “Again”, vocalist Lacey Mosley both pleads with and taunts her lover, her voice soaring over heavy, tension-filled guitars and driving rhythms. Also, bonus points in the under-represented Tap Tap Thursday category of Rock Frontwoman.

The second thing Flyleaf is going to do is remind us that all things come to an end, and all things die, which is the rough translation of their new album title, “Memento Mori.” And poor, dear Tap Tap Revenge 2? Sadly, it’s days are numbered. But “Memento Mori” also reminds that hope is constant, and every moment is precious. So we are going to celebrate our fleeting time with Tap Tap Revenge 2 with…tons of contests! Which is so our style.

FLYLEAF CONTEST

This week is a Flyleaf challenge/battle contest. Get a high score on “Again” in TTR, then send out a challenge to your homey. That is 1 point. Send the challenge to ten of your crew. That’s 10 points. Win any of those battles, and you get 2 points. See how they can pile up?

At the end of the contest, we’ll take the top 25 earners, and draw the winners. 5 runners-up will get an autographed copy of the new CD. And one stoked Grand Prize winner will receive a beautiful EPIPHONE GUITAR SIGNED BY THE BAND! This contest runs from September 3rd to September 9th.