Now, with a new lineup behind him—Jeff Schroeder on guitar, Nicole Fiorentino on bass, and 21-year-old Mike Byrne on drums—Corgan is on the verge of releasing the band’s ninth album, Oceania. And what better way to get your appetite whet than by playing a bunch of big ‘ol rock shows, like this one here at the Fillmore in Detroit on Saturday, October 15? Pumpkins gigs have always been a marathon experience, and with so much new material to draw from, this year’s batch of shows have been particularly eclectic.

Originally set for release on September 1st, Oceania is now due to drop in spring of 2012, but we’ve already got a track listing and cover concepts to chew on. Furthermore, the Pumpkins’ classic back catalog is set to get a refresh this fall, with Gish and Siamese Dream first up for the remastering/reissue treatment. (Pre-sale going on now, by the way.) It’s a project Corgan first talked about in an interview with EQ Magazine back in 2008. Needless to say, there will be b-sides a-plenty to pore through when those classic albums return for another spin.

Words by Rich Thomas (@TheLandfill). Photos by Joe Gall (@JoeGallPhoto).

Apologies to all you gorgeous party people, I’m afraid this week’s post is going to be a bit on the short side; was one of those highly infuriating weeks where there just wasn’t that much to write about and very few new tracks that I actually enjoyed. Although Sade (who doesn’t love a little Sade action?) announced the release of a second greatest hits album (no released date yet) and she finally agreed to collaborate with my future BFF Jay Z on a track for it. So that’s rather magical.

Cris Cab is a young guy from Miami who’s currently working with Pharrell on his debut album and garnered some attention last Fall with his cover of Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow”; this time around he’s covered Kanye’s “All Of The Lights” and I’m really digging it; it’s completely different from the original. Check out the video below.

Stream “Live Those Days Tonight”, the new track from Friendly Fires’ much anticipated, Pala (out May 16th). I really enjoyed their previous album and while this new song took me a few listens before I got into it, am rather liking it as well. Looking forward to giving the rest of the album a listen!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N9yLr2VmAY

Architecture in Helsinki (great name) covered Cut Copy’s “Need You Now” and I’m kind of, sort of, okay really in love with it.

The Morning Benders have put together an EP to support relief efforts in Japan entitled Japana Echo Ep. This EP was put together to support Japan in light of the horrific disaster that has taken place in there. Please give what you can, and know that 100% of these proceeds will go to the Japan’s Society’s Earthquake Relief Fund. On the front page of their website, Chris wrote “Last week we were scheduled to go to Tokyo to play our first show ever in Japan. It was going to be a very special trip for us, and for me in particular. I had always dreamt of going back to Japan to play music Not many people know this, but I was actually born in Japan, and although I only lived there for a couple years, I’ve always had a deep love for the country and its people. I cannot express how sad and helpless I’ve felt reading about everything that is happening there right now, and even though we couldn’t be there, we wanted to do everything we could to help.” Head on over here to donate and grab your download of the EP.

The Smashing Pumpkins pulled a robbery with their latest single “Lightning Strikes” (it was initially intended for The Electric Prunes; sadly their bassist, Mark Tulin, recently passed away). Corgan said “I found an element in it that suggests a bigger picture, and unfortunately I stole it back from them. The lyric in my mind combines the isolation of modern life with the need for a never ending romantic story.” “Lightning Strikes” (dedicated to Tulin) is part of The Smashing Pumpkins 44 track Teargarden By Kaleidyscope.

And lastly, head on over to the fine folks at NPR to stream Peter, Bjorn and John’s latest album Gimme Some until it’s March 29th release.

That’s it for this week kids!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Peace, love and Red Bull

Mandy

Ross McNae’s Solid Bass lines glued together the thundering drums and crunching guitars while front man Sam McTrusty’s Scottish accent kept the crowd on their toes.  Formed in 2007, this Red Bull Records act recently opened for Scottish rock trio Biffy Cliro and supported Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins at Glasgow’s SECC in February of 2009.  To hear the Quartet’s new single “Light Speed,” Click Here http://www.myspace.com/twinatlantic.

Words by Mike Bucher with photos by Joe Gall

Download Home Video’s Maybe What You Need MP3

As electronic-rock producers and performers, they record everything themselves, then adapt it live into a full on rock show with live drums and hypnotic visual projections. After sharing a bill in London at the start of Home Video’s first European tour, Blonde Redhead were so impressed that they invited the band to support them for three weeks of shows in North America. Since then they have opened for such diverse acts as Justice, Yeasayer, Flying Lotus, Pinback, Colder, Radio 4, and His Name is Alive.

It Will Be OK is the first new material Home Video have released since 2006, and illustrates the band’s new direction in both sound and attitude. The new music has a thickness and complexity that their early minimalist work lacked; the gloom and darkness gives way to glimmerings of hope marked by sublime swells of sound.

The EP was released as a free download from the band’s website: www.homevideo.fm We highly recommend you head on over there and giver ‘er a listen. Headphone mandatory music!

Download Home Video’s Maybe What You Need MP3

Every dish that was placed in front of us was examined, sniffed, tasted, analyzed in detail and then fully consumed.  It was a treat to see tacos, nachos and Austin’s famous queso appreciated anew and experienced on what was a culinary adventure for these Scotts.  For us SXSW vets, this food, while craved and appreciated, and devoured, is far short of adventurous eating.  It was truly fun to experience the band’s first margaritas with them.  You realize the complexity in everyday things, the beauty in the mundane, when you see/taste/feel those familiar things through the experience of someone else.

The conversation was fun, too.  We talked about the band’s origins in the city, their process for writing songs and the brilliantly quick pace at which they write what they write.  Double Dose, one of my favorites, came together faster than any of their other tunes, about 20 minutes start to finish – less time than it took our waiter to refill the queso. The band told an amazing story of how the Smashing Pumpkins specifically asked for them to open their show in Glasgow. These genuinely affable guys are standing at the precipice of great things and massive recognition.  You can feel it as they go on about anecdotal touring disasters, and their should-be-a-reality-show-made-about-him tour manager.  The potential energy is palpable around this band and they are so damn friendly you want to see that potential realized.  I am joining their street team as soon as one is formed.

Words by Mark Roemer, Photos by Zoetica Ebb

Twin Atlantic on Myspace

First point of intrigue (and this is before I ever heard a note of their music) is that their debut album is being released on the newly formed TBD records.  “What’s in a label?” you say.  Well, normally I am with you on that but in this case we have something to actually take note of.  TBD has exactly one other release: Radiohead In Rainbows.  Yeah, holy shit is right.  So, theirs is the second release on probably the most lauded new record label like, ever – that’s some juice.  Oh, and the album is produced by Joey Waronker, a legend in indie music for his work with Walk Mink (which he founded in 1990), REM, Smashing Pumpkins, and Elliott Smith.  Interested yet?

The band comes from a town with exactly one music venue in the middle of Oklahoma.  Their instrumentation includes guitars, bass, and drums that you’d expect from a middle-America group.  Add to that the haunting delicate brilliance of the cello, layers of keyed instruments like harpsichord, harmonium, and mellotron, and you have yourself a sound like you’ve never heard.  Sonically, its parts symphonic, rock and roll, acoustic Americana, soul and bourbon whiskey.  Add to this the strong, sorrow soaked, and multiple personality-ed vocals of singer and songwriter Jesse Tabish and there you have a recipe worthy of the follow up release to In Rainbows.  This record has become a good friend over the few weeks that I’ve known it.  It gives to me something different every time I sit down with it.  My favorite records have always been like that, unfolding, each listen unlocking your ability to absorb what you take away from the next one.

I was excited to see how the band would attempt to pull of these album arrangements in a live setting.  Often times the album is delicate and understated as it pulls you through a full spectrum of emotions.  To pull this off at a festival, a band needs the help of the audience.  It’s a rare occasion these days that you find a completely captive audience, hanging on every pull of the cello bow.  Other Lives performance in the parking lot of the San Jose hotel in south Austin not only held the attention of those watching, it drew in dozens of people walking by on the busy sidewalk licking their ice cream cones, on their way to somewhere else and helped them get lost for a while.

I put this performance in my top 2 or 3 of the entire year thus far.  So, you missed the show in the parking lot.  They are going to be doing dates with the Decemberists and Elvis Perkins in the near future so not all is lost.  In the meantime, the album is highly recommended for a cloudy day and a pair of headphones.

Words by Roemer, Photos by Zoetica Ebb