The Smashing Pumpkins are suing their record label for harming their “artistic integrity” by using them in a “Pepsi Stuff” promotion with Amazon.com and the soda giant. According to TMZ.com, the band recently filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against Virgin Records asking for the profits from the promotion and a stop to the use of their name or music in the future. One of the band’s songs was also recently used on a commercial for the Ford Focus vehicle. At least Virgin is keeping it classy. Imagine if your record label started using your songs to sell hemorrhoid creams and Cialis. On an unrelated note, remember that all Rock Hunt entries become property of WBRU, which means we can do whatever we want with them.

Occasionally, people ask me why I like the Smashing Pumpkins. It’s really hard to describe why you like music, but I think I’ve come up with a pretty good reason. The music they have released over the years is so incredibly diverse that I could almost never get tired of listening to them. The Smashing Pumpkins are definitely my all-time, number-one, if-I-only-had-one-band-to-listen-to-on-a-desert-island favorite band.

So I was excited to hear they were releasing an EP, in a relatively short time after their first release in seven years, Zeitgeist. This four song EP, American Gothic, does exactly what I love: it introduces a new sound to the band. At least, it is a new sound for the new Smashing Pumpkins, which is essentially a rehash of frontman Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlain’s short-lived project Zwan with different people on the bass and guitar. After a heavy, head-banging release in Zeitgeist that was vaguely reminiscent of Siamese Dream and more a nod towards metal and hard rock with power-chords galore, it’s nice to see the band slowing down into a mellower, more acoustic groove. For those of you not well-versed in the esoteric history of the Smashing Pumpkins: Zeitgeist was surprising and powerful, where American Gothic is more melodic, more relaxed, and more beautiful. Read More

When word first broke that the Smashing Pumpkins were going to be reuniting, I remember discussing the “reunion” with my friend and WBRU’s resident die-hard Pumpkins fan, DJ Chase. I pointed out that it wasn’t really a reunion because half of the band (Melissa Auf Der Maur* and James Iha) were not even involved. His response: “It doesn’t matter. Billy Corgan is the Smashing Pumpkins.” After seeing the band’s new incarnation perform at the PPAC last Thursday, I can say that we were actually both right. For passing fans, like me, the concert sounded sloppy and forced as the non-original members failed to hold their own next to alt rock legends desperate to “fake it for just one more show.” For all the hardcore fans, however, my guess is it didn’t matter. They still got to see Billy freaking Corgan playing the songs that he made famous.
Read More

Tonight was the Smashing Pumpkins show at the PPAC. While I will spare you the entire review, (after all, it was the Smashing Pumpkins… what can I possibly say?) let me just remark that Billy Corgan performed all of the favorites in what looked like electric blue scrubs over a striped shirt borrowed from Jack the Pumpkin King (from Tim Burton’s “A Nightmare Before Christmas.”) My only gripe with the show was that because of the seating situation the audience was mildly unresponsive, even when the band was playing great songs. Also, the encore consisted of only one song, which was kind of lame, but I will let it go because the overall performance was so amazing.

As for the listeners who won tickets to see the Smashing Pumpkins last week by carving alt rock pumpkins (and bringing in pumpkin pie,) in case you didn’t get around to the station to see the pumpkins, here is the grand prize winner. Click here to see more winners!

For the first time in seven years, the Smashing Pumpkins are touring. This time, they’re promoting the release of their sixth album, Zeitgeist. Having completed the European portion of their tour, the Smashing Pumpkins have finally realized their mistake in overlooking Providence. Read More