The Smashing Pumpkins have christened their reunion album “Zeitgeist” and announced an unusual release date of July 7, a Saturday, for the project, which willl be issued by Reprise. The news was broken this morning to fans that had been added by the band as a “friend” on MySpace.com. However, a Reprise spokesperson tells Billboard.com the label has yet to settle on a specific release date for the album beyond “summer.” Frontman Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin are the lone original members in this new incarnation of the group. The pair has been working in the studio with producers… Read more »
After he joined the Smashing Pumpkins 17 years ago, drummer Jimmy Chamberlin’s career began to revolve around incidents of death and rebirth. In March of 1996, his father died when the Pumpkins were on tour. Then in July of that same year, road keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin died from a heroin overdose while shooting up with Chamberlin. The drummer was arrested for possession and booted from the band for his inability to kick smack, with which he had battled since 1991. Ironically, the seeming death of his career triggered his spiritual rebirth. With help from friends, he got clean and rejoined… Read more »
Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins has been added to the bill for the fourth annual Waltz benefit concert taking place in Chicago Saturday night (March 23). Corgan joins previously announced performers Steve Earle, Ronnie Spector, Wilco’s John Stirratt, former Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin (who now drums for Corgan’s new band Zwan), Sonia Dada, Alejandro Escovedo, Graham Parker, Ivan Neville, Sonny Landreth, Kelly Hogan, the Mekons’s Jon Langford, Ken Nordine, David Amram, and Nicholas Tremulis and his band at the Chicago club Metro. Ronnie Spector revealed she’s looking forward to being on the bill with such a wide array of… Read more »
In the Fall of 2001, Virgin Records will release the long awaited Smashing Pumpkins “Greatest Hits” album. The tracks for the compilation are currently being selected by the band. To coincide with this release, Virgin will also release a two-CD package (limited edition) that will include the “Greatest Hits” disc as well as “Judas O Riley.” “Judas O Riley” is the follow-up to “Pisces Iscariot,” the 1994 b-sides release by the Pumpkins, and will include b-sides and rarities culled from the band’s sessions, which produced “Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,” “Adore,” and “MACHINA/the machines of God.” The artwork for… Read more »
A previously unreleased Smashing Pumpkins song, “SuperChrist,” will be released on a CD featuring bands consisting of employees of Guitar Center. The album will be available from March 1 at Guitar Center outlets. The members of the Pumpkins chose the acts appearing on the compilation based on submissions from Guitar Center. “SuperChrist” did not make the cut for the Pumpkins’ 2007 album “Zeitgeist,” but has been performed on tour. It will be the subject of a new video, premiering February 27 on MySpace. “We didn’t feel we understood the song and thought playing it on tour would help us sort… Read more »
Rockers want to act, actors want to rock. What are you gonna do? For musicians who lack thespian aspirations, though, scoring a movie seems to suffice. Following in the footsteps of everyone from Bob Dylan and Jon Bon Jovi to Björk and Peter Gabriel, bandleaders Jonathan Davis, Billy Corgan and Jeff Tweedy and solo act Badly Drawn Boy are scoring some points with the Hollywood crowd this summer. Korn singer Davis teamed up with film scoring veteran and ex-Oingo Boingo keyboardist Richard Gibbs for the soundtrack to “Queen of the Damned,” released earlier this year. The pair co-wrote and performed… Read more »
The Smashing Pumpkins will release their upcoming greatest hits package, Rotten Apples, on November 20th. Along with the prerequisite never before seen band photos, the album features songs from all five of the Pumpkins’ studio releases, as well as the song “Drown,” which was featured on the soundtrack to the film Singles. “Real Love,” a previously unreleased track from the Internet only release Machina II: Friends and Enemies of Modern Music and “Untitled,” a new track, are also included on the hits disc. Along with Rotten Apples the band’s former label Virgin Records will release a limited edition double-disc set… Read more »
PVRIS is back with a brightly romantic single, “Oil & Water,” out via Hopeless Records. Highlighted by sultry vocals partnered with mellow guitars and layered with a continuously catchy beat, the song displays vocalist Lynn Gunn’s knack for creating a dizzyingly reflective track. Gunn says the inspiration behind the lyrics is about what you would do for a relationship. “The song is about the push and pull of mismatched love and the lengths you’d go to make it work.” Not only does she develop a sound that is intriguing and infectious, but she becomes relatable through her writing that connects… Read more »
There’s no doubt that Green Day is “Still Breathing” and ready to rock. In a recent interview with People, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong revealed that a popular pop-punk boy band wanted him to write them a song. But Armstrong had a different thought about it. “All of a sudden, I was writing the lyrics, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, there’s no fucking way I’m giving these guys this song,’” he says about their Revolution Radio single, “Still Breathing.” 5 Seconds Of Summer asked him to pen a track for them, however, after Armstrong saw what he created, he… Read more »
If you’re excited about the upcoming Green Day tour and Saviors album, the year 2024 is about to be so much sweeter. Today, the band announced they will be playing both Dookie and American Idiot in full on The Saviors Tour. The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, The Linda Lindas, Nothing But Thieves, The Hives, and more, will be joining the trio on this historic run. This means that fans and concertgoers will get to hear older non-singles such as “Pulling Teeth” and will have the chance to hear the nine-minute “Homecoming” live. Of course, our fingers are crossed that new Saviors… Read more »
