The Smashing Pumpkins

[Pandabear 414]

The Smashing Pumpkins is an American band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan (vocals, guitar) and James Iha (guitar, backing vocals), the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin (drums, percussion), D'arcy Wretzky (bass guitar, backing vocals), Melissa Auf der Maur (bass guitar), and currently includes Jeff Schroeder (guitar), Mike Byrne (drums, backing vocals), and Nicole Fiorentino (bass guitar, backing vocals) amongst its membership.

Less overtly sharing the punk rock roots of many of their alt-rock contemporaries, the Pumpkins have a diverse, densely layered, and guitar-heavy sound, containing elements of gothic rock, shoegazing, grunge, new wave, heavy metal, dream pop, psychedelic rock, arena rock, and, in later recordings, electronica. Frontman Billy Corgan is the group's primary songwriter—his grand musical ambitions and cathartic lyrics have shaped the band's albums and songs, which have been described as "anguished, bruised reports from Billy Corgan's nightmare-land".

With 18.75 million albums sold in the United States alone. The Smashing Pumpkins were one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands of the 1990s. However, internal fighting, drug use, and diminishing record sales led to a 2000 break-up.

In 2006, Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin reconvened to record a new Smashing Pumpkins album, Zeitgeist. The band toured with a lineup of between five and nine musicians through much of 2007 and 2008. Chamberlin left the band in 2009 and was replaced by Mike Byrne. Corgan, Byrne, returning guitarist Jeff Schroeder, and newest addition Nicole Fiorentino are currently recording the 44-song Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, which has been released, one song at a time, since late 2009.

The Smashing Pumpkins - Stand Inside Your Love

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I love this band. Their still one of my favorite of all time, and Billy Corgan is one of my favorite songwriters. Plus I totally dig that their releasing their news songs online for free, though I'd wish they actually have a physically release and not have to wait for the complete 44 song boxset.

[LIDL 692]

O! they have new releases?

I thought the reuniting project with only one album so far just for releasing that album only D:

gonna check out soon!

[Tony 1]

One of my favourite bands too.

[Furik 832]

Was a big fan of them until Zeitgeist.

Then they just kind of disappeared.

[LIDL 692]

yeah, it's incomplete without Iha.

I was surprised it was Iha who wanted the band to dissolve,

thought it was Corgan all along.

[Pandabear 414]

I was surprised it was Iha who wanted the band to dissolve,

thought it was Corgan all along.

I thought the same at first too. Also excited about this:

On April 26, 2011, Corgan announced via a video uploaded to the band's Facebook page that the band will record and release a new album titled Oceania, labeled as "an album within an album" in regards to the Teargarden by Kaleidyscope project, which will see the light around September.

A tentative track list has been posted via Corgan's Twitter account. Song titles and track order are "subject to change".

Pale Horse

Panopticon

The Chimera

Four Winds Chime

Glissandra

Inkless

My Love is Winter

The Celestials (formerly titled Special K & Helios)

Pinwheels

Oceania

Violet Rays

Quasar

I'm curious to see what the album will sound like. Corgan's been doing a good job with the EP'S and I really liked songs like Tom, Tom, Freak U.S.A and Lightning. But I'm glad the bands doing an album since it will help unify the sound of the songs. Plus it'll get a phsyical release.

Lots of awesome stuff to be released in late summer/early fall

[Furik 832]

Haven't heard anything from them since '07.

Don't like the idea of them releasing songs every few months which, in then, becomes an album.

Annoying as hell.

Just release a few singles then an album. It's not that hard, Corgan.

You're making this return a mess.

[Maiku 4]

I love them. ;O;

[nekkichi 6043]

they're back again?! nice, they're like american caligari in some ways

[Pandabear 414]

Has anyone heard their new album yet? I can't believe I totally forget about it. I'm going to go and pick up my copy today. So far, I've heard a lot of good things about. It suppose to have a more Gish/early smashing pumpkin type of sound.

[Heroin 53]

I heard one song from there new album. Since on facebook they keep on mentioning about it so I just decided to search it up. The song that I heard was pretty good, don't remember what it was called, I just typed in Smashing Pumpkins Oceanea (I think I spelled the album wrong) and picked the first song that showed. So yeah it was pretty good (:

I would like to say that the song that got me into music is Walking Shade by Billy Corgan. Gah that song is so awesome!!!!!

U7HheYR-vDM

[Maiku 4]

The album is just half assed wanna be early SP riffs and trying too hard to reclaim old sound. Utterly boring.

[Neon 6]

wery awesome band , I liked same of Zeitgeist's songs but.

I have not listen new album jet

[Pandabear 414]

The album is just half assed wanna be early SP riffs and trying too hard to reclaim old sound. Utterly boring.

I half agree with this. I went in expecting a gish sound and all I heard was a couple of few riffs that reminded of their early albums. I was actually hoping for that Pumpkins sound but it doesn't really sound like them at all. At least Zeitgeist still had that going for it. Oceania sounds completely different from everything else they've done. I think is why I was disappointed at first. Since I went expecting a pumpkins sound. After a while I realized its just a okay/good rock album.

[Kuro/Shiro 1]

The album is just half assed wanna be early SP riffs and trying too hard to reclaim old sound. Utterly boring.

I half agree with this. I went in expecting a gish sound and all I heard was a couple of few riffs that reminded of their early albums. I was actually hoping for that Pumpkins sound but it doesn't really sound like them at all. At least Zeitgeist still had that going for it. Oceania sounds completely different from everything else they've done. I think is why I was disappointed at first. Since I went expecting a pumpkins sound. After a while I realized its just a okay/good rock album.

I thought the new album was pretty sweet. Some shoegaze-esque stuff and neat guitar pop. Some people were dissapointed from the new stuff but I guess those are the people who didn't liked Adore or Machina/The Machines of God in the first place since both of these releases didn't have the flair of the first two albums.

[ficsci 50]

I still haven't listened to Oceania, and maybe I don't actually want to...

[Pandabear 414]

I thought the new album was pretty sweet. Some shoegaze-esque stuff and neat guitar pop. Some people were dissapointed from the new stuff but I guess those are the people who didn't liked Adore or Machina/The Machines of God in the first place since both of these releases didn't have the flair of the first two albums.

I loved Adore, especially all the acoustic work and the lyrical improvement on Corgans part. I also really liked The Machines Of God. I wouldn't have minded if Oceania was something like that, but's it not. It's along those lines, but not quite. I still liked it, but nowhere near how much I enjoyed previous pumpkin albums.