While I do like being your first source of news, tonight I must bring you a late-breaking update from our friends at Weazel News, which should bring you up to speed with the "Motorcycle Menace" sweeping Liberty City. Allegedly, this is due to the release of Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned, which hit Xbox Live last night, complete with a stellar new soundtrack we've also got the details about.

I could tell you more, but really - local reporter Mike Whitely and the team say everything far more eloquently (and with more sensationalism) than I ever could.

Download the Grand Theft Auto IV 'The Lost and Damned' - Weazel News Clip
Thanks to the guys at Rockstar for letting us know about this new menace!
(While you should probably focus on the details packed into this clip from the local news bulletin, I must admit that I paid a bit more attention to the ticker at the bottom.)


And now, for something completely different...

Set against GTA IV's iconic and beautifully rendered homage to New York, Liberty City, Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned is the first of two downloadable episodes that fit seamlessly alongside the larger Grand Theft Auto IV storyline. In addition to delivering an all-new story and a new protagonist - Johnny Klebitz, Vice President of The Lost biker gang - The Lost and Damned features its own, all-new enhanced soundtrack that reflects the episode's story.

Following on in the grand tradition of Rockstar's rockin' soundtrack releases, The Lost and Damned is no exception. Available today exclusively via iTunes is the first of two separate downloadable album releases, designed to tie in to the new expansion.

The first release, out now, is labelled Statik Selektah's The Lost and Damned EP, and is a collection of six original tracks compiled and produced by hip hop DJ Statik Selektah, exclusively for the game's release.

Statik Selektah's The Lost and Damned EP · Termanology - Here in Liberty City · Freeway - Car Jack · Saigon - Spit · Skyzoo - the Chase Is On · Consequence - I Hear Footsteps · Talib Kweli - My Favorite Song

The second compilation - The Music of Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned - is coming soon, and promises five more highlight tunes from the overall soundtrack, and promises listeners more of a taste of the updated musical stylings you can pick up via the Liberty City airwaves in The Lost and Damned.

Just in case you hadn't had enough just yet, the new expansion also gives gamers the ability to tag any song playing on any one of the game's 16 radio stations, just by calling "ZIT" on their in-game mobile phone. This creates a customised playlist, which is then uploaded to your registered Rockstar Games Social Club profile, so you can hear it using the built-in ZIT music player. If that's not enough, iTunes is just a click away, which will bring up your playlist and give you the option of buying any track you want - or the whole lot, if that tkes your fancy.


So - whether you're into bikes, music, frontal nudity or just want an excuse to revisit Liberty City, sounds like you should definitely look into grabbing a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned - available right now, exclusively for Xbox 360. We hear it's roughly a 1.8GB download, so maybe start this one before you get dinner, so it'll be done in time for some late-night bike action. Stay tuned, we'll have a review for you very shortly!