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N e w s A r c h i v e |
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| 02-02-06
Management Deal Confirmed, Lollapalooza not likely,
and more... |
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From MTV
News
Smashing Pumpkins Reunion Is
Under Way, According To Sources
Rumors of a Smashing Pumpkins reunion
have been rife ever since bandleader Billy Corgan
took out a full-page ad in a Chicago newspaper
saying he wants the group to re-form. And according
to onetime Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf Der
Maur as well as a source close to the situation,
the rumors are true.
In fact, Auf Der Maur said Corgan has been working
on material that will, at some point, surface
in the form of a new Smashing Pumpkins album.
"From what I understand, Billy [will be]
making a Pumpkins record over the next little
while," Auf Der Maur told MTV News last
week. "Everyone knows Billy doesn't need
too many people to make a Pumpkins record, other
than Jimmy [Chamberlin, longtime Pumpkins drummer]
— who he has [on board]."
A spokesperson for Azoff Management confirmed
Thursday (February 2) that Corgan and Chamberlin
have signed on with the firm as Smashing Pumpkins,
and that the two are writing new music. A source
close to the situation told MTV News that the
duo plan to record over the summer and that
the new Pumpkins could surface before the end
of the year — however, no definitive plans
are set.
Auf Der Maur said she's not sure whether Corgan
has reached out to guitarist James Iha or bassist
D'Arcy Wretzky to complete the band's original
lineup, but she said she's told Corgan that
she'd be happy to pitch in if he needs her;
Auf Der Maur replaced Wretzky in 1999 and worked
with the group until it disbanded in 2000 (see
"Pumpkins Circus Folds Up With Epic Show").
"My services are there for him whenever
he needs them," she said. "Assuming
I'm not on tour — but even then, we can
cross paths. I love the Pumpkins, and to play
those songs again would be nothing but fun for
me. It was a big part of my life."
Still, Auf Der Maur said it wouldn't be a true
Pumpkins reunion without D'Arcy's bass. "The
coolest thing would be if D'Arcy was around,
but I don't know where she's at and I don't
think [Corgan or Chamberlin] do either,"
she said. "But I feel very comfortable
being second best."
The bassist worked with Corgan several months
ago on a track called "Took Me Apart"
that's slated to appear on her forthcoming,
as-yet-untitled second solo disc, which is tentatively
scheduled to come out late this year. Since
Corgan's proclamation in June that he'd re-form
the group (see "Billy Corgan Says He Wants
To Re-Form Smashing Pumpkins"), there's
been little in the way of actual confirmed news.
But that hasn't stopped the rumor mill from
cranking, nor has it deterred the dissemination
of misinformation.
Last week, for instance, a Web site popped
up that claimed the band's forthcoming disc
would be out in April, that it would be called
Drawn and would feature backing vocals from
Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard. Of course,
the site was a hoax — and its timing couldn't
have been better, coming after weeks of online
speculation that had the Pumpkins reuniting
for a headlining spot on this year's Coachella
Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Speculation that Corgan's seminal rock troupe
would be taking Coachella's stage in late April
was at least partially quashed on Wednesday,
when the event's organizers released the two-day
concert's Pumpkin-less official bill (see "Tool
And Franz Ferdinand Will Rock Coachella").
That same afternoon, rumors began circulating
that the Pumpkins would be headlining Lollapalooza
this summer. However, according to the source,
if Lolla does come back, "You can take
it to the bank [that the Pumpkins] won't be
on it."
Chamberlin responded enthusiastically to Corgan's
announcement in June (see "Smashing Pumpkins
Drummer On Reunion: 'I'm In, And I'm Excited'
"), but no further details followed. The
drummer has also had an uneasy relationship
with Corgan at times, having left the band in
the wake of his heroin addiction before rejoining
in 1999. Chamberlin also played in Corgan's
post-Pumpkins unit Zwan.
Corgan's reunion plans were first revealed
in June via an ad printed in his hometown's
newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, which contained
no information on what form the band would take
or which members would be involved; his relationships
with Iha and Wretzky have been reported as strained.
Corgan has remained mum since taking out the
ad, posting only occasional (and nebulous) messages
on his MySpace blog. The last, dated December
12, promised, "The surprise I have in store
for you all will be announced soon enough. Hold
on to your horses. After all, good things surely
come to those who wait. Don't you just love
the suspense?"
Whether or not she's involved, Auf Der Maur
says she just wants the band's reunion to be
done right. "I hope they don't rush it,
'cause the record should be the absolute best
it can be. [And they should] then strategize,
because as we know, grunge is about to come
back: The '80s trend is almost done and we're
about to hit 1990 again. It's scary to think,
but very true."
Corgan, Chamberlin, Iha and Wretzky could not
be reached for comment at press time.
|
 12-21-05
Here's an article
to hold you over until we get some news. |
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Where Boys
Fear to Tread:
Unlocking Your Feminine Side with Billy Corgan
by Kevin Davis
Camaraderie
It may seem a concept both hokey and archaic
in this age of the diversified arts and the
War Against Cliché, but it's sure as
beans been an underlying force in every worthwhile
life experience I've ever had, be it personal,
communal, or in this case, musical.
I was sitting in the nose-bleed section of
the University of Illinois Assembly Hall back
in October of 1996, attempting to somehow shield
my eyes from an obnoxiously blinding red light
that seemed to be conveniently shining solely
on our row while still managing to retain full
view of the stage. It wasn't an easy task, but
if you cocked your head at the correct angle,
the red light reflected off Billy Corgan's bald
head and shiny silver pants in a manner that
flattered him a duality of both Glorified King
of Rock and Big Bald Angel of Death. But them's
details; it was our first concert, and having
to participate in a little cornea endurance
test was the least we could do to pay our entry
fee into the world of rock and roll.
Read
the rest
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|
| 12-21-05
No News... |
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Nothing
happened.
:(
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| 12-20-05
Is the surprise coming
soon? Maybe tomorrow... |
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I got
this info from the Netphoria
Message Board, a quote posted by chicagosong.
Maybe it's true...
From Q101 FM in Chicago
"Q101 here in chicago has told everyone on the
air to brace for what could be a shot in the arm for
rock music, announced tomorrow on WGN morning news,
with billys favorite news anchor Larry Potash at his
side, (haha) Billy will be performing, and much like
the announcement to break up the pumpkins, tomorrows
suprise will also be revealed on WGN morning news.
Fans hope for the best, but whatever he suprises us
with, it should surely light a fire under rock music's
fat pathetic lazy ass. That and new TOOL in January
06, which insiders say is the end all prog metal masterpiece...yeah
yeah...so could it be folks, the return of SP as we
once knew it?? Or something new altogether.. We'll
see tomorrow."
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| 12-12-05
Patience, Patience....
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This
was posted on Billy's MySpace Blog on the 11th.
Patience, Patience....
The surprise I have in store
for you all will be announced soon enough....hold
on to your horses. Afterall, good things surely comes
to those who wait....Don't you just love the suspense?
Love,
bc
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| 12-11-05
Cowboy Bill Back in Action!
New MySpace Bulletin |
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This
was posted on MySpace Bulletins on the 8th.
Cowboy Bill Back in Action
Hello everyone!
I have finally returned to
myspace to check up on things. How is everyone doing?
I have been away for some time now working on some
very exciting things to come! I will be back to update
more on things soon! Be good!
bc
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| 12-04-05
More on the tribute CD and The Frogs! |
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Here is the
official site for the tribute CD, "The Killer
in You":
Reignition
Records
Official Site
There are also links to buy the CD when it is released
as well. The disc also has a myspace
page that currently has Roses are Red's version
of Cherub Rock.
Here is also a good article on The Frogs, one of
Billy's favorite bands and featured on the Vieuphoria
video.
No More Frog Jokes - The Daily
Iowan
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| 12-02-05
Anniversary
of the final Metro Show - Bow your heads. |
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Please join
me in a moment of silence.
Thank You.
Hopefully, by next Dec. 02 we will all be in the midst
of the newest rock revolution!
|
11-23-05
The Future of Music?
MySpace Music Gives Artists A Whole
New Way To Find An Audience: But Is It Working? |
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"Currently,
I think MySpace is great for the indie music community.
Bands, clubs and stores that I like and admire have
taken advantage of having a MySpace page." But
his enthusiasm wavers: "I love R.E.M., but seeing
them on MySpace made me think it was an attempt for
a veteran major-label band to maintain 'cred' with
the indie community. Weezer, Nine Inch Nails, Billy
Corgan: These are very mainstream, established 'alternative
acts'. If this becomes the trend with the big labels
and big bands, MySpace will become just another pawn
of the industry, looking to capture the youth market."
Click
for entire article.
|
| 11-17-05Vote
for Billy |
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Billy is being
nominated by the Chicago Music Awards for Best Rock
Entertainer. We get to be a part of the selection
process, so here is a link to vote: CMA
Vote.
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| 11-13-05
Billy
Corgan, rock godhead, and what to make of celebrity
interviews |
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By:
Chuck Klosterman (Spin)
Here's a little counterintuitive truth about celebrity
magazines: For the most part, they don't interview
famous people. Now, I know it seems like that's all
celebrity magazines do, and one could certainly argue
that interviewing famous people should be a celebrity
magazine's prime directive. But this is an illusion.
Most of the time, magazines interview people who are
becoming famous, or they interview people who used
to be famous. This is because it's almost impossible
to interview people in that rarefied kill zone of
hydroelectric superstardom; they don't need publicity.
As a consequence, the kind of artists who give interviews
are (a) people who aspire to be recognized, and (b)
people who have lost that recognition and want some
of it back.
Both of these categories apply
to Billy Corgan.
Click for entire article
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| 11-12-05
Mike Garson and Jimmy Chamberlain release M-Audio |
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Jimmy Chamberlin Signature Drums Vol.
1.
Known for his work with Smashing Pumpkins and Zwan,
Jimmy Chamberlin is a well-seasoned drummer with an
itch for technology. Chamberlin combines his talents
with both skins and electronics in this superbly sampled
and immediately useful drum library. Vol. 1 is the
first in a 4-part series containing his trademark
rhythms. Jimmy Chamberlin Signature Drums Vol.1 contains
approximately 500MB of 24-bit samples in both Acidized
WAV and REX2 formats, as well as a "Making of"
video showing this consummate pro in action.
Click
for entire article.
|
| 11-08-05
Smashing
Pumpkins Will Never Rot |
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November
is here and with the colder weather and the shorter
days, one thinks about the passing Halloween. It is
at this point during the year when the sorrowful chore
of taking out the rotten pumpkins to the mulch pile
is bestowed upon the lowly Halloween celebrant. It
is also at this point that a certain music enthusiast
looks back upon one of the most successful, yet quickly
forgotten, acts of the 1990s.
Nearly every fan of the 1990s alternative genre that
exploded with Nirvana, Soundgarden and Stone Temple
Pilots owns a copy of "Mellon Collie and the
Infinite Sadness," by The Smashing Pumpkins.
The album - widely considered the band's opus - stands
as the top-selling double-disc album of its time and
was well represented at the 1997 Grammys, winning
"Best Hard Rock Performance" for "Bullet
With Butterfly Wings." However, it was after
the release of this album that the following of the
Chicago-based four-piece shrank remarkably.
A great deal of the band's downfall is credited to
singer Billy Corgan's outspoken demeanor. After his
statement that "rock is dead," he received
a volley of flack from the press, particularly those
magazines covering heavy metal. However, this was
only one of the reasons the band's fan base continued
to decline.
Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin was incarcerated after a
highly-publicized, tragic overdose in which tour-pianist
Jonathan Melvoin died. This could very well have been
the coup de gras as Chamberlin's drumming was as pivotal
to the band as Corgan's howling vocals, but the band
soldiered on. As it approached the recording of 1998's
"Adore," it was faced with the problem of
filling Chamberlin's position and brought in numerous
drummers from other bands (such as Matt Cameron of
Soundgarden) as well making use of drum machines.
With the changing of the guards behind the kit, the
band's attire changed remarkably as well. Corgan and
company traded in their alternative hipster style
of torn jeans and his famed Zero shirt for gothic
dress and makeup.
Click
for entire article.
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| 11-06-05
Another
article about the tribute album from antimusic.com |
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(Adrenaline
PR) It’s been over 17 years since The Smashing
Pumpkins formed in Chicago; with their intention of
bringing together the group’s love of progressive,
goth, psychedelic, glam, and arena rock into a potent
mixture that had designs on assaulting the pop charts.
In those magical moments of music in the late 80’s
and 90’s; the members of this four piece phenomenon
didn’t even look like the popular bands coming
from the hair-rock mecca of Los Angeles. Even their
name sounds as subversive as it does antagonistic—hardly
suggested the machismo of contemporaries like Guns
N’ Roses, Motley Crue, or Warrant. Hell, the
Pumpkins had a female bassist, a guitarist who had
never even picked up a guitar before he joined the
band, a drummer with talent bordering on preternatural
(who also had brushes with substance abuse), and a
singer/lead guitarist who gave the term “control
freak” new meaning. Yet, with the release of
the band’s first record, Gish, and later their
breakthrough album, Siamese Dream, the gave the world
such hits as ”Today,” “Disarm,”
and “Cherub Rock,” among others.
Even though The Smashing Pumpkins’
recorded output was slim, the band left an indelible
mark on genres as diverse as punk rock, mainstream
pop rock, and the burgeoning emo/screamo scene currently
ravaging its way across the world.
Reignition Recordings, a label
out of New York City, spawned from the late Law of
Inertia Records (long association with the magazine),
brings the world their second tribute CD, but arguably
their best: The Killer In You: A Tribute To Smashing
Pumpkins.
Click
for entire article .
|
11-04-05
Tribute
album due in Jan.
Blabbermouth.net
|
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Reignition
Recordings has set a January 31, 2006 release date
for the SMASHING PUMPKINS tribute album, entitled
"The Killer In You: A Tribute To Smashing Pumpkins".
The 11-song collection is currently available exclusively
via iTunes and will be released via all other digital
music sites on November 15. The complete track listing
for the effort is as follows:
01. ROSES ARE RED - "Cherub
Rock"
02. A THORN FOR EVERY HEART - "Jelly Belly"
03. POISON THE WELL - "Soma"
04. EMANUEL - "Mayonaise"
05. ARMOR FOR SLEEP - "Today"
06. HOPESFALL - "Eye"
07. A STATIC LULLABY - "The Everlasting Gaze"
08. VAUX - "1979"
09. 32 LEAVES - "Zero"
10. MURDER BY DEATH - "We Only Come Out At Night"
11. EIGHTEEN VISIONS - "Quiet"
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| 11-04-05
More
articles about the Corgan-Auf Der Maur Collab. |
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Blabbermouth
Gigwise
FMQB
Nothing really new in these articles.
|
11-02-05
Interview
with Taproot
LiveDaily.com
|
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When Michigan rock band Taproot parted
ways with the original producer of its latest release,
"Blue-Sky Research," the group was understandably
frustrated. But an unexpected blessing soon fell in
the members' laps: help from former Smashing Pumpkin
Billy Corgan.
"His name came up after we ran into some troubles
with our first producer," said lead singer Stephen
Richards, without naming the producer. "We had
a list of backup guys that we all wanted to work with.
The people that popped up unanimously were people
like a Dave Grohl and a Billy Corgan. We knew that
Billy had worked with Breaking Benjamin and Blindside.
We threw it out there to his people, and management
ran it by him."
Click
for entire article
|
11-01-05
Auf
Der Maur Nabs Corgan
Rolling Stone |
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This shift includes not only a return
to her roots but to her most significant collaborator
to date, former Smashing Pumpkins mastermind Billy
Corgan, who recommended her to former Hole frontwoman
Courtney Love more than a decade ago and then invited
her to join the final Pumpkins lineup.
"It's really symbolic for me to have this opportunity
with Billy, who is one of my main musical mentors,"
says Auf Der Maur. "It's an amazing full circle
for me, because his music is directly related to why
I picked up a bass. [The Pumpkins' 1991 album] Gish
inspired me to play rock music, and then I was able
to be in his band ten years later. But in all of this
time, I've never actually written a song with him.
I've written half the album on my own -- but I'm looking
to really be kicked in the ass and whipped into a
much better songwriter."
Click
for entire article.
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