ThePumpkins.net

Freak, the fifth song from Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, is now available for your streaming and downloading pleasure through SmashingPumpkins.com. Originally heard during the Spirits in the Sky shows in 2009, Freak is the first song from the second Teargarden EP, titled "The Solstice Bar".

From SmashingPumpkins.com:

I see this band coming together as it has as a sign that the past has been healed, and it is time to find new roads to travel. When music is played the right way to my heart, I see stars and fireworks. And this band gives me stars and rainbows and a big 4th of July. The time is coming right for us. I really feel that.

Joining us on the tour are Bad City and Kill Hannah, two excellent bands from my hometown of Chicago. Bad City play with the fire of early SP and somehow have managed to gene splice in 80's hair metal. A superfresh take on the Rock. I really look forward to watching them play. Kill Hannah I have known now going on about 10 years, and this is our first chance to play together. They are certainly one of the pioneering bands of what is now a successful mix of glam, alternative rock, and electronic music. When I first saw them back in the day I didn't totally understand, but now I see how ahead of their time they really were.

As of today, June 24th, 2010, the next Teargarden by Kaleidyscope song will be released on July 6th. Please spread the word and I encourage you to help by sending friends and family mp3s of the new SP songs, which are of course available to anyone on SP.com. So far I am very pleased with the reception to the music, and the people we have worked in conjunction with to get the music out have been fantastic. So thank you to all of them. While the rest of the world continues to engage in an outmoded and inherently negative way of releasing music, I am proud to release music in a holistic way. Free isn't really free. But I have great faith in the power of my music, and the power of this band to reach anyone who is open to listen. Please know I am grateful to you for your love and support. See you on the tour!

Kerry Brown has started a video stream on the website Ustream where viewers can watch The Smashing Pumpkins as they work live from the studio. Watch now before it's over!

The first physical release from Teargarden By Kaleidyscope has shipped today. Songs For a Sailor is the first in eleven EPs that will eventually become released.

Songs for a Sailor is packaged in a silk-screened wooden box (7 1/4" tall x 8" wide x 1.05" thick). Each box contains: a 4-song CD (with four new Smashing Pumpkins songs and instrumental intros), a 7" vinyl single (containing a new song and a B-Side), and a hand-carved "leopard stone" obelisk, about 2" tall, similar to marble. Tracks include the guitar squealing "Song for a Son," "Widow Wake My Mind" - a jagged-chorded, keyboard-buttressed ballad; "Astral Planes," and "A Stitch in Time." Billy Corgan is playing and recording almost everything himself, with studio help from long time collaborator Kerry Brown and new drummer Mike Byrne.

In a recent interview with MusicRadar.com Billy Corgan expresses his positive outlook on the future of the Pumpkin's, discussing everything from the current lineup, including new bassist Nicole Fiorentino, to the recording process and equipment he is using for his ambitious 44 song project Teargarden By Kaleidoscope. He describes the current lineup as "the best lineup the band's had since the original four" and expresses his excitement as he looks ahead at touring and continuing work in the studio. In the interview Corgan also opens up about the newest member of the Pumpkin lineup, bassist Fiorentino, stating that "it was an instant click, [and] probably the easiest search I've ever had to find a musician."

To listen to the podcast or to read a full transcript of part 1 of what will be a two part interview click here.

Nicole Fiorentino has been confirmed via the Smashing Pumpkins Twitter page to be the next in a long succession of female bass players. From Nicole Fiorentino's Myspace page:

Nicole is proud to announce that she is the newest member of The Smashing Pumpkins. She is keeping herself very busy these days in the studio with Billy and the rest of the pumpkins crew. She will also be performing live with band for any future tours/gigs. From 2005 until just recently, Nicole was busy writing, recording, and touring with the internationally renowned pop rockers Veruca Salt. In addition, she recently played bass with Spinnerette (Brody Dalle) for their shows in So Cal and the UK, and locally with L.A. acts Light FM and Twilight Sleep. In her down time, she has a side project with Meghan Toohey (The Weepies/Lenka) called The Cold and Lovely.

Tomorrow, April 20th, The Smashing Pumpkins will perform "Widow Wake My Mind" on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The program airs at 11:35 EST on NBC.

On Saturday, The Smashing Pumpkins celebrated Record Day by performing at Urban Outfitters Space 15 Twenty in Los Angeles. Accompanying Billy Corgan were Mike Byrne, Jeff Schroeder, Kerry Brown and Mark Tulin. They performed the four songs featured on "Songs For A Sailor", a few classics like Today and Ava Adore, and some songs that haven't been played in years, as well as a few new ones.

Stumbeline
Soot and Stars
Tristessa
Baby

The fourth song from Teargarden By Kaleidyscope has been released for free over the internet. This marks the final release for the first EP "Songs For a Sailor" which releases on May 25th.

The swirling, psychedelicized song will first be available for free download on www.amoeba.com (in the left-hand corner under "Breaking News") and then, later that day, available for free download via www.smashingpumpkins.com along with three previously released tracks: "A Stitch In Time," "Widow Wake My Mind" and "A Song For A Son."  The site also offers a widget enabling fans to host the songs anywhere on the web. "Astral Planes" is the final song to be issued for TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE VOL.1: SONG FOR A SAILOR, the first of the eventual 11 EPs to be sold in record stores. TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE VOL. 1: SONGS FOR A SAILOR is set for official release on May 25th thru Martha's Music / Rocket Science Ventures. This very limited edition collector's EP will be packaged in a beautiful collector's silk-screened wooden box. Each box will contain a 4-song CD, a vinyl 7" and a hand-carved obelisk.

Click here to read the full press release.

The Smashing Pumpkins will be headlining the Summer Sonic Festival in Mihama-ku and Osaka Japan. The festival takes place on Saturday, August 7th and extends to Sunday, August 8th. Other headliners include Jay-Z, The Offspring, The Pixies and Dream Theater. This is the first performance that has been announced for The Smashing Pumpkins in 2010.

Act IV and Siva have teamed up to bring Pumpkins fans an exclusive digital EP entitled, Ghost Children/Machines of God. The EP includes a preview track from Ghost Children 2, along with a track from the Act IV/ThePumpkins.net Zeitgeist Cover Song Contest, and three previously unreleased tracks by artists from Act IV past and present. 

People who purchase the Ghost Children 2/Friends and Enemies charity compilation will be e-mailed a unique username and password to gain exclusive access to this new digital EP. Ghost Children/Machines of God is FREE to those who purchase Ghost Children 2 and it is not available in stores or anywhere else.

Tracklisting: 
1."Set The Ray To Jerry"-The iOs (Ghost Children 2 album version) 
2."Ma Belle"-Julio and Jessica (Zeitgeist contest entry) 
3."Stand Inside Your Love"-Laden Angel (previously unreleased Ghost Children 2 outtake) 
4."Meladori Magpie"-Analogue (previously unreleased track from Act IV 2002 alumni) 
5."Soma"-Lindsey Kuper and Tanny Phillips (previously unreleased track from Act IV 2001 alumni) 

In addition to the free EP, people who purchase Ghost Children 2/Friends and Enemies will be getting the charity compilation for a reduced price of $7 USD! Furthermore, with the bonus tracks on the EP, fans will be now be getting 17 tracks for the price of 13. All covers are by original artists and Pumpkins fans inspired by The Smashing Pumpkins, and the covers included span the Pumpkins back catalog. 

To check out preview tracks and purchase Ghost Children 2, please go to the Act IV site, as well as the Act IV Myspace and Facebook pages.

All profits from the sale of Ghost Children 2/Friends and Enemies will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois.

From Blabbermouth.net:

With the news that the SMASHING PUMPKINS bassist Ginger Pooley has left the band to raise her new baby with her husband, Billy Corgan has announced that he will look for a new bassist in the same manner as he found new drummer Mike Byrne last year: via an open audition process (see below for details). Corgan also says that auditions will be held (again, see below) for a new keyboardist who is a fan of — and can play in the prog-rock style of — Jon Lord and Rick Wakeman. Until a new bassist is found, Mark Tulin of THE ELECTRIC PRUNES — with whom Billy toured last year in SPIRITS IN THE SKY — will fill in on an interim basis. Look for the PUMPKINS to soon announce a world tour, including dates in the U.S. Says Ginger, who toured the world with the band in 2007 and 2008: "With sorrow and yet with much thankfulness for the opportunity to have played in the PUMPKINS, I am sad to say that I can no longer tour with the PUMPKINS.

"Although I've been blessed beyond belief over the past few years through playing with the PUMPKINS, my priority now is to keep our little family unit together, which includes my husband and my baby. "Although I do plan on continuing to do music in different forms, my priority is for neither for my husband nor myself to be apart from our daughter so that we can raise her together. "I wish Billy all the best and look forward to seeing the PUMPKINS in the near future. I would also like to thank all of the PUMPKINS fans for all of their support. I will see you at the PUMPKINS shows!"

Says Billy: "Although I am heartbroken that Ginger is leaving the group, I really respect her decision to put her family first. I appreciate everything that she has contributed to the SMASHING PUMPKINS, and I'm proud of her for being such a great musician and friend. "We were lucky enough to find drummer Mike Byrne through an open audition process," Billy adds, "so why not open the doors again to anyone who might be interested for the bass or keyboard position. "As you can see from our past and present, age, race, or a person's background is not an issue. Everyone is truly welcome to audition."

Audition info: Bassists and keyboardists looking to play with the PUMPKINS should send their background info (including age, a resume of any bands/recorded work), photos and performance web links via email only, either to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Note: only musicians with video clips can be considered. YouTube.com-type posts are perfect — that's how Mike was found. Final date for submission is March 31.

In the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine, Billy Corgan sheds light on the occurances that lead up to the departure of Jimmy Chamberlin from the band.

The new song from Teargarden by Kaleidyscope is now available to be streamed and downloaded on The Smashing Pumpkins SoundCloud profile.  Written by Corgan in 2008 while on tour supporting Zeitgeist, "A Stitch in Time" is the third release from the ongoing 44 song project.  In a press release, Corgan describes the song in more detail:

"The song came in during a stream of consciousness moment while sitting backstage at a Pumpkins concert in those wee, still hours between soundcheck and the show. The lyrics came just as surprisingly fast as the music, and the whole process took about 20 minutes. I recorded it on my phone, and so for a year it was the only document I had of the song. But the song stuck with me and I put it in my back pocket as something worth coming back to later. When I drew up the list of the first 4 songs to record this one easily made the cut because I think it has a signifying effect of what the album stands for, not so much musically but energetically and thematically."

Click here to read the rest of the press release.