Unyielding Commissioning Has Open Ears

Hulk Smash! I’m sure a lot of you are soooo over Billy Corgan and whatever he’s up to these days, but I’m still keen on Pumpkins news. You’ve no doubt heard that the band is reformed, but only with Corgan and original drummer Jimmy Chamberlain. James Iha is reportedly not part of it and I’m sure D’Arcy is long done. Current word on the street is that the new members are: guitarist Jeff Schroeder (most recently a contributor to The Lassie Foundation), bassist Ginger Reyes of the Halo Friendlies, and keyboardist Lisa Harrington of comedy music group, The Housewives. I imagine that many today are saying, “Why don’t you just go away? You’re done, hang it up.” I do not share that opinion. Once upon a time, the Pumpkins were my absolute favorite band on the planet. I felt personally connected to Siamese Dream in a way that I’ve not felt with any other album. So the band holds a special place in my heart. Clearly they went through a steady decline with each album after Siamese Dream, bottoming out when their sound became overproduced, and Corgan’s ego ran out of control. I’m sure that ego has had few alterations since that time, but after spending some time with Zwan (an era I referred to as Corgan’s “Happiness Pie” phase) and an experimental solo album that was somewhat well received by critics, but not purchased by very many actual customers (likely because of the $18.99 sticker price), he’s decided that it’s time for the Pumpkins to make a Jimmy Chitwood-esque comeback. The forthcoming album is set to be called Zeitgeist and is due to be released on July 10 (same day as Interpol, for what it’s worth). You can listen to the first track, Tarantula, here via Spinner. My take is that the production is still a bit too slick, but the darn thing really rocks. Chamberlain’s still a phenomenal drummer, and Corgan is smart enough to let him do his thing. Of course, I do wish they would have called it “Taranchula” instead. Feel free to judge for yourself. Either way, I’m excited for the new release. The world is a better place with the Pumpkins a part of it.

Rhymes with Orangina... Apparently, Scott Stapp drinks Orangina. Now the next time someone asks “Who the hell buys Orangina?” your answer will be at the ready. And are you surprised?

Here there be tygers!