Smashing Pumpkins’ Drummer Auditions Documented in Video

Posted on Nov 19th 2009 4:00PM by Adam Horne

Back in September, we reported that Billy Corgan had found a replacement for original Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin after a quick open casting call. Corgan’s choice of 19-year-old Portland, Ore. native Mike Byrne came as a huge surprise — but in the following video, we’re given a glimpse into the audition process that resulted in the eyebrow-raising pick.

The documentary footage shows the wide-eyed teenager living out the thrill of a lifetime as viewers are made witness to the birth of a musical relationship.

The candid footage comes courtesy of the David Lynch Foundation, a non-profit artist promotion network, film house and meditation advocacy group founded by the controversial filmmaker. Lynch, whose dark, dreamlike work has plenty in common with the Pumpkins’ musical output, is a noted fan of Corgan’s. “Billy Corgan is a Magical Musician-a singer-songwriter with his own unique voice and way,” he says. “A deep honest coolness emerges every time and his music has big lasting power.”

This documentary short is not the first item the two artists have in common. Back in 1997, Corgan penned a song for Lynch’s film ‘Lost Highway,’ a story he shares in the interview portion of the video. Without giving too much away, let’s just say Shaquille O’Neal is involved. Have a look below.

Poor Billy Corgan.

Dixie Carter, presidenta de TNA, insinuó en su Twitter, que Billy Corgan, el aclamado vocalista de la mítica banda Smashing Pumpkins, podría ser un un futuro, un conductor invitado en TNA iMPACT

Billy Corgan/Smashing Pumpkins, se tomó un descanso de sus grabaciones (de su disco), para ver iMPACT esta noche, y enviarme mensajes de texto como si fuera el programador famoso de esta noche

Los Smashing Pumpkins ya han tenido que ver con TNA, recordemos que  “Bullet With Butterfly Wings”, fue el tema oficial de Lockdown 2009 (Arriba  un video con la banda tocando el tema en vivo)

Okay so it’s half midnight and I have to be up around 6.30, but my computer’s asked me if I want to back up my files, and I’ve stupidly said “yeah, ok computer, good idea”. I have no idea why I do these things.

Well, I didn’t post the other day, but I’m sure you weren’t surprised in the slightest. If I’m honest, I did want to write something- but the other day was just so boring. So was today in a sense, but DAMNIT I WILL WRITE.

Today I’ve felt like I’ve been on top of things. I probably haven’t, but the feeling was nice. I wrote the news for Tattoo TV, did some stuff for university with my mad nerd skillz, and received a cool banner/ graphic- type thing, courtesy of Dave, that Matt and I can use for the petition. Here it is:

I even have tomorrow’s news story ready to write- yes, how organised I am today.

This evening I caught the Execution of Gary Glitter on 4OD. I wanted to write about it, but to be honest, I still can’t put into words how I feel about it. For those of you who don’t know, the show is set in an alternate reality, where the UK brings back the death penalty, and its first victim is Gary Glitter. Did I just say victim? Sorry, I meant… nope, I meant victim- in my opinion, killing someone for doing wrong makes you just as bad as they are, it’s disgusting. We need better prisons and prevention, we don’t need to make ourselves into murderers. I was pretty shocked by the show, really- it’s designed to make you think, and it did that, but I’m not sure how I feel about feeling so shocked, too. I don’t believe in being vengeful towards anyone, no matter what they’ve done- they should just serve their time and be fucking sorry for their crimes.

The whole thing reminded me of an article I read by Billy Corgan that was written the other day, about forgiveness. Should we forgive those who’ve served their sentence, and believe a person can change, or should we believe that some people are just evil? I can see that being a question I’ll think about for a long time.

You can click on the picture for a link to the article I’m talking about:

You can also catch the show on 4OD for another week, I think. I’ll warn you mind, that last scene’s going to stick with me for a little while, you might not like it either.

I think it’s time I slept.. screw the back up disk, I’ll just set a timer on my laptop, it can turn itself off later whether this disk is done or not! Learning cure for the future: When we invent Artificial Intelligence, make sure it has a better grasp of time than a Windows computer.

Mel

And by that we mean: Billy Corgan, we don’t give a shit about your opinion. Billy’s the latest sort-of-famous person we’re adding to the category “Celebrities weighing in on something about which they have zero knowledge.” (The list includes Jenny McCarthy and anything, John Ratzenberger and health care, and Warren Beatty and the 2003 recall of Gray Davis.) This week’s topic: SWINE FLU!

See, swine flu is on Fat America’s mind. Billy Corgan is part of Fat America. He’s also a quasi-celebrity with a lot of time to reflect (because no one cares about him anymore). He’s got a blog. You see where we’re going with this, right?

If you follow some of the links I have been supplying as of late, you’ll notice many are focused on the propaganda build up to our day of reckoning with the Swine Flu virus. I say ‘propaganda’ because, in my heart, there is something mighty suspicious about declaring an emergency for something that has yet to show itself to be a grand pandemic. Our American President Obama has declared a national emergency about this virus, which he in his own words said was, at this point, a preventative measure. So, why declare an emergency if there isn’t one?

There’s just too much awful stuff in that paragraph to pick apart, so we’ll just sum up by saying that Billy has difficulty with word choice (“propaganda”) and syntax (“I say ‘propaganda’ because, in my heart, there is something mighty suspicious about declaring an emergency blah blah blah more words that don’t work well together”).

In case you haven’t been keeping score, there are a lot of famous people out there who won’t be getting the swine flu vaccine. Some of those people we don’t like (Rush Limbaugh). Some we do (Bill Maher).

We’re getting ahead of ourselves, though. (Cheap journalist’s trick coming up.) Will Billy be getting the H1N1 vaccine?

I for one will not be taking the vaccine. I do not trust those who make the vaccines, or the apparatus behind it all to push it on us thru fear. This is not judgment; it is a personal decision based on research, intuition, conversations with my doctor and my ‘family’. If the virus comes to take me Home, that is between me and the Lord. I have put up some of these links to inspire the question in you, so that perhaps you can make a better decision for yourself. That is what holistic life is about: a willingness to look at all the facts or opinions.

Ugh. First, thanks for making one more dose available to someone else, Billy. We were really worried that because of the vaccine shortage, your bald, aging ass would prevent some pregnant woman or stupid kid or Goldman Sachs executive from getting dosed. Second, who really cares what you’re doing? Have you written a good song since “Bullet with Butterfly Wings“? Does Goth America need another fat guy weeping over a guitar to know that things out there are bad and, like, maybe just getting worse?

One thing we’re pretty sure of is that Billy’s highly informed opinion (“based on research, intuition, conversations with my doctor and my ‘family’,” whatever that means) is just as illegitimate as the rest of Fat America’s. As Billy himself says:

I am not a doctor, and I am in no way suggesting that you should follow any medical advice from me.

Thanks, Billy! If you’re not a doctor and you’re not suggesting anyone follow your advice (bullshit), why the 840 rambling, poorly composed words? We know songwriting is your forte, but come on!

I am willing to question anything: the existence of God, the existence of me or you or Robert Zimmerman. I am willing to wonder aloud whether any of this we experience here on Earth is real. What is there to be afraid of in questioning life itself? I know God is not afraid of my doubt. That is why He gave me the faculty to doubt, to overcome its mystique to better know faith.

And while we appreciate your need to question shit, we’re not sure why you need to get all cheeky and cute and invoke Bob Dylan, John Lennon and rock history with a dumb reference to the nature of celebrity culture and worship, but OK. Your lyrics are kind of obtuse and self-important in a childish way, too. Makes sense that your weird science-based religious theory would be as well.

Just so you know how ridiculous Billy’s thought process is, here’s a sampling of his recent tweets:

Maybe life really is a bummer when you’re a hummer. Get the vaccine or don’t get it, Billy. But please: SHUT UP. Oh, and break up Smashing Pumpkins, too, because they’re crap without Jimmy Chamberlain.

Two more from my reviews archive today. Both of these I stand by, though the second is probably the most bile strewn review I’ve ever written. Firstly, though, the never-ending majesty of Doves.

DOVES

Put on the headphones, unleash the rain and treat yourself to a truckload of euphoric melancholia as Some Cities sucks you in.

Anyone who has ever witnessed Doves live will vouch that onstage they produce a joyful racket, on a good night transcending their recorded output and achieving something truly beguiling. Their stunning debut, ‘Lost Souls’, was followed by 2002’s ‘The Last Broadcast’, an album that was never less than good but which failed to capture the widescreen sound of which this band are capable. With ‘Some Cities’, Doves come good on their early promise. Lead single, ‘Black And White Town’ careers along with a momentum so ferocious that it drops us smack into the next track before anything can get too familiar.

Never ones to allow genre boundaries to get in the way of a good tune, at times ‘Some Cities’ sounds like Doves have ripped off any number of little ideas, and yet the sum of these parts is ultimately unlike anything I’ve heard in ages. ‘The Storm’ opens with an electronically tinkered vocal and develops into the kind of atmospheric beauty that could soundtrack a million late night drives. This nocturnal claustrophobia dominates much of the record, before collapsing in on itself for the ethereal, and oddly serene, closing track ‘Ambition’.

The lyrics tackle changing relationships, attitudes and places, in most cases not changes for the better. Fear, anguish and battling the worst have always been key lyrical concerns for Doves, but they do it with more conviction than most. When I heard ‘I tried to sleep alone, but I couldn’t do it’, on ‘The Cedar Room’ over five years ago, I believed every word. On this evidence, life hasn’t got much more carefree.

Some Cities is on Heavenly.

Originally published in Word Magazine, 2005

***

BILLY CORGAN

Now somewhat less smashing, Billy Corgan returns with The Future Embrace, an album dogged by the past.

It’s rare when a successful band crumbles for the lead singer to subsequently achieve similar success on their own. Going on this evidence, it seems unlikely that Billy Corgan will buck this trend. Where the scope of the Smashing Pumpkins’ music enthralled, the heavy, over-bearing production of this effort ensures that any half-decent songwriting is buried beneath turgid rhythms and distorted drums.

Tracks flow by with such scant regard for the listener’s enjoyment that the tedium begins to annoy. The Eighties sounds that are being so successfully plundered by the likes of The Killers and Goldfrapp are all over this record, and yet someone appears to have forgotten to add anything new to proceedings. It’s a shame that one of the album’s few highlights, ‘Strayz’, is the closing track, as I suspect most people will have got bored some time prior to its fragile melody gracing the speakers. Stripped of the dense noise that suffocates the majority of the album, ‘Strayz’ finds Corgan at his most refreshingly simple, his voice working with the music rather than against it.

The greatest disappointment of the whole affair is the much vaunted collaboration with Robert Smith. At least William Shatner has the good grace to admit he’s taking the piss when he does his covers; Corgan’s attempt at ‘To Love Somebody’ sounds like the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang doing a Depeche Mode tune at the local karaoke night. You have been warned.

Originally published in Word Magazine, 2005

“God is just out my back door, yet I choose not to visit. I would rather sit alone and scheme on how to be remembered, on what more that I can do here to cement the evidence that I once walked these roads with you. It is a futile exercise. I know it is, and yet I persist.” – BC

Raised in small town Southwestern Ontario, music has always been a major part of the livelihood of Kevin Graham and his twin brother Sean. In fact, they’ve never met an open mic night they didn’t like. 90’s grunge and alternative, music that was the soundtrack to their growth and development in rural Perth County, is now as much a source of nostalgia for the Grahams as it is an influence for their own music.

Before recording their debut, Greens & Honey (now available on itunes), the duo adopted the name Dress Rehearsal, with Kevin singing and playing guitar and Sean handling drums. Performing the songs off the album live as a duo would’ve meant sacrificing the rich sound achieved by the dense layering of guitars and vocals heard throughout the album. This prompted the duo to take on additional members, including lead guitarist Ryan Watson and bassist Paul Vergeer.

Honing their performance chops in cities like London, Toronto and Guelph, where the brothers attended university, the band is ready to take the next big step. With the impressive achievement that is Greens & Honey, Dress Rehearsal have proven that they’re ready to take centre stage.

I caught up with Kevin, after the band’s live set on CKMS 100.3 FM Radio Waterloo, to find out about the formation of the band and its future.

How did you come up with the name Dress Rehearsal?

I was driving around outside St. Marys one day and listened to “Ahead By a Century” by the Hip followed by “Left & Leaving” by The Weakerthans. Both songs have the phrase “dress rehearsal” in the lyrics so it kind of stuck out. At the time I was looking for a new name and it seemed to fit what Sean and I were up to, which was basically writing songs and kind of pretending we were in a band. I always knew I’d eventually record an album so we used that name with loose plans of changing it once we got around to recording. Though some people aren’t fond of it, there were enough people that didn’t want us to change it, so we left it as is.

If Dress Rehearsal was a single physical being, what would it be and what sort of characteristics would it have?

I think Dress Rehearsal would be a Mogwai -if you know your Gremlins, of course; full of love and compassion for others, excitable in social situations and equally gentle on slow nights, scared of bright light (we much prefer lamps) and equipped with an ability to be ‘furoscious,’ particularly after midnight.

When did you first get involved in music?

We actually started writing songs in [a band called] Beverage Tunx before I knew how to play guitar. I’d write the riffs on one string. So, that was in the spring of 2001, I think. I started actually playing guitar that fall and took lessons for about five months. The first time I ever played in front of an audience was my first year at Guelph [University]. I played an open mic and played “Mayonaise” by the Pumpkins, “Low Light” by Pearl Jam, and “Miss You Love” by Silverchair.

How did the band first come about?

[Kevin’s twin brother] Sean [Graham] and I were the only members for the longest time. In the summer of 2008, I was at an open mic in St. Marys and talked to Tiffany [Blom] about adding backing vox on some of my songs. I picked four for her to work on and all four made the album. She did such a good job coming up with harmonies for them. She really gave new life to “Gumdrop Hills” and “Molly Flower” especially. The album was recorded with just the three of us.

Once it was in the works, I obviously started freaking out a little as I knew we couldn’t possibly pull the songs off live with only three of us. Ryan Watson wrote me one day and said he wanted to jam. I basically was like, yeah, we should jam, and you should probably join my band. It came together very quickly.

Paul Vergeer, our bass player, was a good friend from University and we’d kept in good touch. Sean and him had an apartment together in Banff. He’s been offering his bass services for years and he’s very intelligent with it. He was more than happy to help us out and so by the end of June, we had a five-person unit.

What do you think Tiffany Blom’s voice adds to the song “Gumdrop Hills”? Is it likely she’ll be featured in Dress Rehearsal songs in the future?

I’m happy to say that it was my idea to include her in that song. As I said earlier, I approached her with 4 songs and that was the first one we worked on – it’s my favourite as well. She turned that song into something so enchanting. Because of the lyrics and chord progression, it always had that x-factor of taking you to another place, but Tiffany really took it to another world in my opinion. The work she did on that song is perfect. As far as future plans, it’s all up in the air. I’d love to feature her on our next album but that will be something that will come up when it needs to.

Iron & Wine or The Smashing Pumpkins?

Smashing Pumpkins. Though I’d say that Sam Beam has written more quality songs in the past decade, I personally don’t think anyone will ever be able to write the kind of stuff Billy Corgan wrote from 1992-1994 – basically Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie and all-encompassing releases around those. He was a genius during that time and was so prolific. It’s almost mind boggling to me. I still listen to the Pumpkins, no matter what era, every single day.

The Smashing Pumpkins and Blind Melon are two influences of yours that you can really hear in the lyrics and melodies – how do you relate to Billy Corgan and Shannon Hoon as song writers? How do you think growing up listening to their music has affected yours?

I think both Hoon and Corgan are good at “sugar coating” their lyrics, in that they write about stuff that might seem to be happy and sweet, but in actuality, it’s much darker at their core. Shannon Hoon was just very “real” and I think that’s what attracted people to him. His lyrics weren’t always obvious, but you could tell that what he was feeling had a lot of substance. Corgan is the same way, especially on the early albums and on Adore.

You get to a point where you just can’t worry what people are going to take from your lyrics and just write them for you. They were both very good at that.

How would you describe your music?

Without saying we sound like other bands, I do feel as though we’re kind of a fusion between the Pumpkins and Elliott Smith. Every song I’ve written started with me and my acoustic guitar, and things were built up from that point. I think the music is generally bright and happy sounding, though the lyrics delve into darker areas.

I love to double up my vocals which is totally an Elliott Smith/Mark Kozelek influence. I tell people we’re “acoustic indie rock” for lack of a better term. Acoustic at the core, with layered vocals, pretty little guitar solos, and super solid drumming. There are so many experimental bands out there that have far reaching ambition that I can’t always comprehend. So, I like the fact that we have songs that are easy to digest yet have enough to make them sonically and emotionally pleasing.

What’s one unique thing you bring to the table that other bands don’t?

Well, I feel that because of our undying love for 90’s grunge/alternative, we have the elements that those bands had – guitar solos, personal but not always obvious lyrics, and an attachment to rocking out power chords (ha). That’s been offset by our love for more stripped down music like Sun Kil Moon, Elliott Smith obviously, Hayden, Wilco, etc. In other words, I think we kind of threw all of our influences into a big musical pile and the end product was Dress Rehearsal. I don’t really know many bands these days that will put out an album with a song like “Featherbrain” and follow it with “Killing Spiders”… except maybe Pearl Jam.

What’s been your favourite show that you’ve played and why?

Our show at the Horseshoe Tavern was amazing. We certainly had the biggest draw there and everyone there came with open ears. The sound was good and for one of the first times, I had the feeling that we could actually make something of this if we just keep at it.

What’s missing from Canadian music, and what does it need less of?

I don’t think there’s anything missing from Canadian music. I think Canada offers listeners a ridiculous amount of fresh music that either pushes the boundaries in quirkiness, a la Sunset Rubdown, or screams “we’re fucking Canadian and we love it,” a la Elliott Brood and Rural Alberta Advantage. Between the growing popularity of Feist, Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, and Metric, along with the up-and-comers like Wolf Parade, Wintersleep, Hayden, Basia Bulat, Great Lake Swimmers, Land of Talk, Plants & Animals, etc. – we’re in good hands.

I could use a little less from these bands like Nickelback, Theory of Deadman, Three Days Grace, etc. How they came to be this big really confuses me.

What’s your favourite place to hang out at in St. Marys?

I love [O’Neill’s] pub for the simple notion that you’ll know at least 50% of the people when you go there. Harvest is a great little coffee shop and they’ve decorated it well. It’s actually got some good culture to it. I can feel content anywhere in St. Marys. It really is a beautiful, beautiful place and I’ve always been proud to say that I grew up there.

Before Dress Rehearsal, you performed under the names Tiger Zebra, as well as Devito and Schwartz, where did these names come from, and (referring particularly to the latter) will you ever perform under either of those names again?

Tiger Zebra came from a Tom Green skit. He sneaks into the Ottawa Art Gallery and puts up one of his own paintings and it’s called “Tiger Zebra” – we thought it was funny. Devito & Schwartz refers to Danny Devito and Arnold Schwarzenegger from the movie “Twins.” The people that know and love that movie, like we do, get a real kick out of it. We actually do still perform under that name sometimes. We play shows in Guelph on occasion at Doogies, and we use that name. Basically, any time someone wants to “book” us for a gig playing covers and stuff, we use that name.

What’s your favourite band/musician you’ve ever played on the same bill as, and why?

Luke Michielsen. He’s a good friend of ours and we met him during first year of University in Guelph. We’ve played probably 7-10 shows with him over the years. I am such a huge fan of his music.

He used to make acoustic demos in school and give them out for free. I always loved those. He’s got tons of stuff that will probably never see the light of day. He released an album with a band known as Slowking in late 2007. I fell in love with that album.

In late 2008 he released a solo album, Burn to the Ground. He’s as talented a songwriter as anyone I’ve known. Unfortunately, he’s currently teaching English in Korea so we’ll have to wait until next year to play more shows with him.

On your live performance on 100.3 FM Waterloo Radio, you mentioned you had never played north of Toronto – when/where is this landmark event going to happen?

Haha. We’ve talked about doing a weekend tour of Kingston, Ottawa and Montreal. Sadly, it’s all just been talk and no action. I made contact with people in all those cities about playing but when you’re in a band with members who all have strange work schedules, it’s hard to get it accomplished. My guess is we’ll head up there next Spring, or maybe this winter if Mother Nature decides to be on our side.

Have you begun to write any songs for the follow up to Greens & Honey? Do you have any plans to head back into the studio again any time soon?

I’m constantly writing. A lot of songs I’ll write and play a few times over the course of a week, then they kind of fall by the wayside. At this point there are two or three that I would consider putting on our next album. In addition, I have a lot of old songs that I would love to dust off and rework.

For our next album though, I’m sure it will be more of a group effort, especially from the musical standpoint. I feel as though once we have a chance to grow together as a group, the influences of Paul and Ryan will start to shine through. We probably won’t be back in the studio for some time, unless it’s to record a demo or two. It costs a lot of money – something that we don’t have at this point.

Having said that, I’m hopeful that we’ll have a follow up to Greens & Honey set in a year or two. I have no doubt that it will happen, and it will be a wonderful experience, just like the first album was.

What does music mean to you?

After Family and Health, music means more to me than anything else. It’s the driving force of my livelihood. It’s shaped the way I live my life and it’s shaped the way I look at life. Most of my best friends are my best friends as a result of our love for music. I can’t go anywhere without my Ipod and consider it my good buddy. Music is the only thing in the world that can literally bring you back to another moment in your life in a split second. That’s my favourite part about it – the nostalgia factor.

Ser un estrella de rock o del pop implica muchas veces que sus imágenes se vuelvan icónicas y se nos grabe su cara o sus fisonomía por siempre, pero cuando desaparecen por mucho tiempo y luego los volvemos a ver, nos llega a sorprender como los años han pasado sin misericordia sobre ellos, igual que pasa con cualquier ser humano común y corriente,  aquí algunos ejemplos de algunas personalidades que cambiaron drásticamente.

Todas las fotos son del sitio inglés NME.

Cyndi Lauper fue una cantante que llegó alto en los 80’s con “Girls just wanna have fun”, y cuando se pensaba que estábamos frente a una de las intérpretes más importantes de la década, apareció Madonna, y ella dejó de brillar. Ahora su imagen es muy distante de la extravagancia que la caracterizaba.

Cyndi Lauper ahora luce más "elegante"

En esos mismos 80’s había un tecladista llamado Howard Jones, quien también cantaba y sacó varios temas pegajosos, para después desaparecer de la escena, no lo había visto hasta que encontré esta foto de él.

Howard Jones fue considerado en un tiempo el mejor en el sintetizador

¿Se acuerdan del otro de Wham!? El ignorado Andrew Ridgeley, quien siempre estuvo a la sombra de George Michael, pues ahora menos lo reconocerían, ya que el tiempo no ha tenido compasión con este músico.

Andrew Ridgeley siempre fue opacado por George Michael

Boy George siempre buscó gustar con una imagen andrógina en Culture Club. Actualmente es un artista en decadencia por sus vicios y tras perder su gran cabellera, está muy lejos de aquel muchacho talentoso que se ponía diariamente lápiz labial.

Boy George ya no tiene glamour

Gary Glitter fue todo una estrella del glam rock inglés, sin embargo su decadencia llegó a los extremos donde se ventiló su gusto por la pedofilia, por lo que fue detenido por las autoridades llevándolo a juicio.

Gary Glitter actualmente ya no tiene prestigio

Limalh, el ex cantante de  la banda Kajagoogoo, impuso todo un estilo con su original cabellera, con las puntas rubias. Es de los cantantes que han luchado por resucitar su carrera y mantener la nostalgia de los buenos tiempos.

Limahl lucha por mantener el estilo

Axl Rose cuando inició con Guns N’ Roses tenía una figura espigada que fue su carta de presentación para atrapar a sus millones de fans, y luego conquistarlos totalmente con su voz y su música. Ahora con kilos de más, miles de litros de alcohol consumidos, ya no tiene la misma presencia, aunque su ego sigue siendo muy grande.

Axl Rose nunca perderá su ego, aunque pasen los años

A Bono siempre lo tenemos presente y  se nos olvida que usó el pelo más largo, que se veía más fresco y contrasta con su imagen actual donde los años ya lo han marcado, pero todavía,  para beneplácito de sus fans, sigue cantando con U2 como si tuviera 20 años.

Bono comenzó muy joven en el rock

Ya todos nos habíamos acostumbrado a ver a Billy Corgan de Smashing Pumpkins, totalmente calvo, pero hubo un tiempo en que tuvo cabellera.

Billy Corgan también tuvo pelo

Last year I wrote a tune titled “Wikipedia Brown”, using the format, policy and idiosyncrasies of that wholly addictive interweb entity as a literary vehicle to illustrate various aspects of my romantic past and present.

I did not realize at the time that my title was shared with some bigshot actor-comedian jerk named B.J. Nor was I aware that I was soon to become a pioneer in a groundbreaking new sub-subgenre of love songs: those making explicit mention of Web 2.0 phenomena.

Exhibit A: “Google You”, a forlorn lament penned and set to music by art-star couple Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer:

Exhibit B: “Are You Fucking Kidding Me? (Facebook song)”, by Kate Miller-Heidke (who admittedly is otherwise unknown to me):

Despite the surprise and humor of hearing references to relatively new fixtures in our cultural landscape, there’s nothing extraordinary about communications technology making an appearance in our popular sentimental songs. 1899’s “Hello! Ma Baby” mentioned the telephone, developed a mere thirteen years earlier (I hope you’ll presume with me that new gadgets did not pervade our common life so swiftly a century ago). More recently, I recall cocking my head when Billy Corgan sang about Caller ID, or when ‘Licia said in the love rap to “You Don’t Know My Name“: “Hold on, my cell phone breakin’ up”. Though I suppose it’s worth noting that these newest works are distributed virally by the very media used as subjects.

Each of the two examples, however, seem to have clear antecedents in terms of sentiment. “Google You” is a stalker song, not unlike “Every Breath You Take“, while “Are You Fucking Kidding Me?” has clear strains of “I Will Survive” in its lyrical code.

Not to toot my own horn whatsoever, but I’m having a hard time identifying the ancestor to my own number. Can anybody think of a song that obsessively catalogues one’s amorous trials and triumphs without analogizing to an interactive, collaborative, user-oriented information hub? Do you know of any other Web 2.0 love songs, so that our new musical movement may have more than three hallmark compositions?

Ha, you’re overwhelmed by a sense of irony, I know.

Billy Corgan, formerly resident bald man in American alternative rock group Smashing Pumpkins and later less inspiring frontman of Zwan etc.. has announced that swine-flu is a man-made illness at the centre of a conspiracy to scare people, created by Barack Obama.

What’s obvious from this is that Billy Corgan is a nutcase likely to be found in the basement of his house wearing a tinfoil hat to stop aliens from stealing his thoughts.

But aside from that piece of prejudice. It does seem a bit insane to criticise Obama for declaring a national emergency when all around us people are dropping like dominoes being gently toppled by an illness.

He also decries the ‘forced vaccinations’ taking place in Massachusetts. Fair enough, if only that were true.  George Orwell would be spinning in his grave.

Corgan bases this crackpot theory on his ambiguous ‘own research’ and discussions with his doctor and family and claims that there is a lot of propaganda about swine flu.

It’s one of the lesser accusations made against the US government. Torture? That’s fine. Sponsoring terrorism? Cool! Suggesting that people get vaccinations against flu? Those corrupt bastards!

Next for Billy Corgan – he blames the Democrats for stopping the advancement of the mole people.

(A video from less crazy times)

Oops! Wrong photo.

1. LAPD dissociates from the Boy Scouts – The Los Angeles Police Dept. no longer wishes to continue their Explorer program for youths because the group responsible, Learning for Life is linked to Boy Scouts of America, which bans gays from becoming members:

A department official told the Police Commission Tuesday that the Boy Scouts policy is “inconsistent” with the city’s policy of non-discrimination. He suggested that the department manages the Explorer program itself.

I have a better idea. Tell the Boy Scouts to stop being such bigoted assholes.

2. Asheville, NC city council candidate Cecil Bothwell attacked for his atheism – I know all’s fair in politics, but at the risk of sounding too much like Bill Donohue, would we tolerate this sort of bigotry for other minority groups? I know atheism isn’t a race, nationality, gender, or a sexual orientation. But anyone who resorts to these sorts of shameless hate-mongering tactics belongs nowhere near government. Fortunately though, Bothwell isn’t complaining as the mailer his opponents created that expose his atheism are accurate and are helping his book sales. One of those books is an unauthorized biography of Rev. Billy Graham titled “The Prince of War.” I think I love you, Cecil Bothwell.

3. Scientists put a leash on HIV? -

Researchers have shown how an antiviral protein produced by the immune system, dubbed tetherin, tames HIV and other viruses by literally putting them on a leash, to prevent their escape from infected cells. The insights, reported in the October 30th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, allowed the research team to design a completely artificial protein — one that did not resemble native tetherin in its sequence at all — that could nonetheless put a similar stop to the virus.

4. Billy Corgan is a vampire. . .sent to draaain! – After only a week since Star Trek’s Brent Spiner announced his growing interest in anti-vaccine quackery, now it seems the lead singer of the Smashing Pumpkins has been turned into an anti-vaxxer vampire too:

“I do not trust those who make the vaccines, or the apparatus behind it all to push it on us thru fear,” Corgan explained in his critique, which can be read in its entirety here. According to him, the virus is not yet an emergency and he believes it’s ridiculous that “our American President Obama” has declared it so.

If that’s not enough, Corgan, struggled with the notion that the government can require people to take the vaccine. He’s also of the opinion that the “virus was created by man” writing that he has “read reports from people who say (as doctors) that there is evidence to suggest this.”

Finally, Corgan stated, “If the virus comes to take me Home, that is between me and the Lord.” But that’s not to say he expects fans to follow his logic.

“I am not a doctor, and I am in no way suggesting that you should follow any medical advice from me,” he wrote early in the essay, adding, “I am willing to question anything: the existence of God, the existence of me or you or Robert Zimmerman [aka Bob Dylan].”

No Billy, you’re clearly not a doctor. And quite frankly, I find it somewhat disingenuous to use your celebrity influence to take such a public anti-scientific stand on this issue and then tack on a little disclaimer at the end saying you’re not necessarily suggesting anyone follow your “medical advice,” of which is based on your ZERO medical training. Seriously, even in 1979, you’d have no excuse to be this bloody ignorant of scientific facts. This whole story is just giving me nothing but melancholy and infinite sadness.

Allemaal het aluminium-hoedje weer op, want Billy Corgan komt met onweerlegbaar bewijs dat de Mexicaanse griep één groot complot is. De zanger van de Smashing Pumpkins heeft zelf onderzoek gedaan en bericht daarover op zijn blog.

Conclusie van Corgan is dat de Mexicaanse griep door de mens is gemaakt en dat je die vaccins absoluut niet moet vertrouwen. Het is een complot en Barack Obama probeert ons bang te maken.

Corgan legt niet uit waarom dat virus door mensen is gemaakt en wat er zo erg is aan die vaccinaties. Hij toont zich wel een typische Amerikaan.

If you’re still looking for inspiration for your costume for tomorrow night, look no further than the ever flamboyantly-dramatic Smashing Pumpkins. To celebrate All Hallows Eve with one of the creepiest front-men in the business, Billy Corgan, today’s jam is a great live version of one of the Pumpkins best songs ever, “Tonight Tonight.”

Happy Halloween!

The Smashing Pumpkins – Tonight Tonight:

-Melissa

Weise Worte von Billy Corgan.

Everything From Here To There » Blog Archive » Health and A Well-Being.

Billy lived in to this beautiful home at 3448 N. Greenview from 1993 – 2001 when the magic happened. He painted it bright purple (kinda looks like the Grateful Dead house in Height Ashbury, SF, maybe it was a hat tip) and had to put up a wrought iron fence to fend off fans. Now an attorney lives there. Billy must have made a killing during that time frame in Lakeview!

Everything From Here To There » Blog Archive » The Superlative Now.

My second post on Billy Corgan’s holistic livin’ blog looks at H.G. Wells’ description of the world in Comet, and compares the “bad” world then with the “bad” world now.

I’m honestly starting to wonder if we’ve always hated the world, or if there’s ever been a time in the past where people have been generally cool about things the way they were. It seems that as the world gets smaller, our complaints get bigger.

billy corgan, the frontman of the smashing pumpkins, has a blog on his site.  the latest one is about the h1n1 virus.  according to billy, it’s man made and if he contracts it, he and the lord will decide his treatment (which precludes the vaccine) and outcome.  he also writes silly things like, “the state of massachusetts in america…”  and “our american president barack obama.”  apparently, billy is getting a medical degree online from a shady school in guyana because he’s dispensing medical advice as if he’s parading around a white lab coat with a medical chart in his hand.  here’s the link.  read it if you have downtime and the energy to shake your head in bemusement.

http://www.everythingfromheretothere.com/2009/10/27/health-and-a-well-being/

Lil Wayne's No Ceilings mixtape leaked today

Lil’ Wayne’s No Ceilings has leaked four days prior to its scheduled debut of Halloween, reports RS. The mixtape is the most recent release after Weezy pleaded guilty to weapons charges, and includes hints at his pending incarceration like, “T.I., hold your head.” Carter rhymes over tracks like  The-Dream’s “Fancy” and the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling”. Check out the leak courtesy of our friends over at Nah Right.

Midlake has finally released the details regarding their third release, which is apparently set to be titled The Courage of Others, reports Stereogum. The record, which will come to us via Bella Union Records, will feature a sound more reminiscent of, “British folk scene of late 60’s stuff,” says the group. With three years having passed since their last release, we’re expecting quite the album. Stereogum has a look at the track list and a few of the first dates of their 2010 US tour.

Billy Corgan hasn’t released anything worth its salt from the past couple of years, but apparently he’s feeling confident enough to take on the Swine Flu in his blog. In an 800-word rant against the disease and the “propaganda machine” behind it, Corgan explains why he won’t be taking the vaccine, reports Pitchfork. Corgan claims that the disease is man-made, according to “people” whom he has spoken to “as doctors”. He further goes on to boldly proclaim that, “I am willing to question anything: the existence of God, the existence of me or you or Robert Zimmerman.” That’s right, folks, even Bob Dylan.

For those of you who couldn’t make it to this year’s Bonaroo, fear not. On December 15^th, the powers behind one of the indie communities most massive festivals will be releasing a DVD of this past year’s show, the aptly named Live From Bonaroo 2009, reports Pitchfork. The DVD will include performances from The Beastie Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Santigold, Passion Pit, and the Decemberists, to name a few.

– John Luposello

This morning I stumbled across Billy Corgan’s “faith” blog (Twitter is a wonderful thing).

Being an artistic “child” of the 90s, I have a certain soft spot for Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins. They’re responsible for some amazing musical/emotional moments, some of which will always be hardwired into my soul.

It’s also been refreshing to watch, from a distance, Billy Corgan’s journey through faith and spirituality, which really seemed to break through with his brief project of 2002 – 2003, “Zwan“. Billy is just one of those interesting guys in rock and roll, equal parts pretense and honesty, brashness and vulnerability (not to mention he was a neighborhood “homey” from Wrigleyville). For all his faults, he wasn’t afraid to put his search out there for people to see, and that means a lot to me as a fellow “pilgrim” and musician.

So I was glad to find his blog. I make no claims to know exactly where Billy is, faith-wise. There certainly seems to be an acknowledge of the “One God” (and I assume Billy agrees his name is Yahweh), and occasionally Jesus gets thrown in for some extra good measure, but there’s also a lot of “everything else” in there as well: Native American/First People spirituality, some pan-Eastern approaches. It’s definitely a bit “Everything-but-the-kitchen-sink”.

At one point he says this: “Jesus Christ never said to build a church, so enough said about the God system. The real God machine is you. God made you to know to understand, to feel, to grow, to enjoy, to remember. He did not make you to grovel at the feet of another human… Man is lost.”

I had two immediate reactions. First, from a Christian worldview, Billy, you are so close! Yes, God made us to know and understand and feel and grow and enjoy and remember. A thousand times yes! I believe that God’s message to us (through Christ) is one of deep affirmation and love of who we are at our most basic level. It is an affirmation of our humanity (as part of redeemed creation).

But I have to push back (Billy, are you listening? Ha.) on his second point, specifically that Jesus Christ never said to build a church. Yes, in a sense Christ never said to  build a church, and if you read the gospels from an ahistorical, non-contextualized point of view, you can throw all kinds of things into Jesus’ mouth (a lot Christians are experts at this, by the way). Because, even though Jesus never said to build a church, the assumption throughout the entire bible–and the context that Jesus was speaking in–was that God would always have a people for himself to help bring about the redemption of the creation. Jesus never said to build a “church” (how about the definition of church as “Called-Out-Ones”) because, um, he was speaking to the original “church” (called the nation of Israel!).

Simply put, rejecting “church” is like rejecting Jesus. You can’t divorce one from the other. Now, the expression of “church” is another topic altogether, and much more fluid and creative. But unfortunately, Christianity can never, ever be reduced to a hyper-individualized, atomized faith experience. It’s simply another consumer product of the west, masked in a bunch of new age Eastern pop mysticism. You have to have others. You have to participate in the body. You have to be part of the “Called-Out-Ones.”

Muestra de la veta del aliso

El aliso es una de las maderas más usadas en la construcción de cuerpos de guitarras y bajos eléctricos debido a su poco peso (aproximadamente 2 kilos en un típico cuerpo ”stratocaster”) y sus buenas características sonoras. Se trata de una madera procedente de un árbol bastante común, sobre todo en América del Norte (lugar de procedencia de muchas compañías de fabricación de instrumentos) y de ahí su bajo precio. Pero no hay que asimilar precio bajo con un mal material. Por ejemplo, el aliso es uno de los materiales más usados por Fender en la fabricación de sus instrumentos, y Fender ha demostrado ser una muy buena marca hasta el momento.

Si bien no destaca en ningún registro sonoro su sonido es altamente equilibrado, con unsa buena dosis de graves, medios y agudos por lo que se convierte en un buen material para muchos estilos distintos. Estéticamente tiene un color claro con pocas o ninguna veta profunda en la madera. Aunque a través de algunos lijados y demás se puede remarcar esta veta por cuestiones estéticas

El aliso se usa tanto para la fabricación de cuerpos como para tapas por lo liso que es. Queda muy bien con un acabado tipo “sunburst” (un color que degrada en negro) o un color solido. Sin embargo, el aliso no se usa para la fabricación de mástiles ni diapasónes.

Estos son algunos ejemplos de guitarras que tienen cuerpos de aliso, destacando la Fender Stratocaster hecha bajo las especificaciones de Billy Corgan (guitarrista y vocalista de los Smashin Pumpkins).