The official details on Harmonix/MTV's Rock Band 2 have dropped on to the web, folks and it's killer. Pardon our fanboy-ness, but we're crazy psyched: We're talking new tracks, wireless, improved instruments and other enhancements. Plus, backwards compatibility, so all your Rock Band tracks, both in-game and downloadable, will be playable in Rock Band 2!

New features and massive details are under the cut, but in short, it looks like the game developers listened to just about every reasonable gamer suggestion and made many improvements, both large and small...nothing earth-shattering, but everything solid.

First, the only officially confirmed tracks are:

• Foo Fighters “Everlong”
• The Muffs “Kids in America”
• Red Hot Chili Peppers  “Give it Away”   
• Motörhead  “Ace of Spades”     
• Cheap Trick “Hello There”
• Elvis Costello “Pump it Up”
• Journey  “Anyway You Want It”    
• The Who “Pinball Wizard”  

Battle of the Bands contests allow you to go head to head against other bands with. Contests will be generated by Harmonix on a regular basis.
• Real time alerts updating you when another rocker or band has surpassed your score on leaderboards.
• Mini-campaigns focused on a specific instrument, your favorite artist, your preferred genre, or a particular album.
• Customizable Set Lists: Create your own set lists in Quickplay mode to keep the music rolling and your band rocking!
• Customizing: New clothing, accessories, tattoos, hairstyles, instruments and more to keep your unique rock avatar playing the full rock part.

Quickplay:

• New prefab characters
• Your customized characters can now play on any instrument 
• Make your own set lists 
• Organize song lists by a variety of categories (alphabetical, genre, era, etc.)  

World Tour

• World Tour is now online  
• No more band leaders. If you need to fire your guitarist but keep the band going, fire away!
• Switch up instruments throughout world tour  
• All new collection of opportunity gigs, challenges, cities, venues, and hirable staff

Tour Challenges

• Focused mini-campaigns featuring the best songs by instrument, decade, genre or artist
• Automatically generated DLC challenges
• Album specific challenges

Battle of the Bands

• Dynamic content with regular new contests designed by Harmonix
• Matches up your score against overall competition and friends’ bands - with REAL TIME feedback
• Get updates on new battles from your Band Profile, as well as notifications when your score has been topped!

Drum Trainer

• A true teaching tool that gives players a step-by-step lesson through the basic beat and fill vocabulary any real world drummer would know. 

Check out our gallery for an early look at the game.

Of course more details are coming for Rock Band 2, like more songs, and more features and extra awesomeness. It all goes down at E3, and G4 is your ticket inside the convention with our 17 hours of live E3 coverage. Beginning July 14th and continuing through the 17th. Here are the details, man.