Rotting Pumpkins

When I learned that the Smashing Pumpkins were going to be playing a pair of anniversary dates at the United Palace Theater, I was, needless to say, pumped. Along with Oasis, these guys were my rock idols in 1996 (I think this point has been driven home just a few times), and I was absolutely blown away when I saw them at The Brendan Byrne Arena (now IZOD Center) during their Mellon Collie tour. This was, of course, before D'Arcy and James Iha left the band, and way before they began to dabble in electronica. This was pure, unadulterated Pumpkins -- a rock and roll machine that could not be stopped. Until, of course it was. The Pumpkins started to rot, and were eventually replaced by more marketable blends of "nu-metal" that made Corgan's distinctive whine seem stale. The head-scratching appeal of Korn and Limp Bizkit reigned in these years, forcing bands like the Pumpkins to hang it up.

But like any band desperate take advantage of fomer die-hards' cash, the "Smashing Pumpkins" reunited last year, albeit with only half the classic lineup. Sure, there were new members that resembled Iha and D'Arcy, but this unfortunately didn't quite cut the mustard. Holes were left unfilled, and this took a serious toll on the band's sound. Zeitgeist was a failure that resembled the very "cock rock" that dethroned the band's original creative sound. With all this being said, I decided it was better to keep my fond memories of the Pumpkins in my heart, and not try to replace them with newer, inferior ones. I made the painstaking decision to not even attempt to get tickets to these "intimate" anniversary concerts. If early reviews are any indicators of the shows I missed, I am beginning to think I made the absolute right decision.

Apparently, Corgan is still the same ego-maniac that destroyed the Pumpkins the first time around. Bypassing the very classics these shows were organized to celebrate, Corgan opted to scatter the setlist with cacaphonous, experimental noise that rendered many in attendance speechless. Sure the crowd got its fill of the occasional hit, but these moments were apparently overshadowed by terrible covers, out-of-tune jams, and a host of mediocre new tunes. But here's the kicker -- on Friday night, Corgan chilidishly invited a heckling fan onstage. When the fan told him to his face that the previous night's show "sucked," Corgan lampooned the fan with some pretty disparaging and homophobic remarks that would have made Josh Homme proud. Take a look at the video:

This sad, embarrassing display just goes to show that you can never go home again.

Sweetness!

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of their (sort of) breakout record, Clarity, Jimmy Eat World will be playing a string of club shows around the country in early 2009. The dates will span the late February/early March realm and will hit Terminal 5 first on February 23rd before visiting nine other cities. Following in the footsteps of many bands these days (see Coheed & Cambria), JEW will play their record, Clarity, in its entirety throughout this mini tour. Those itching to hear "The Middle" or "A Praise Chorus" might want to keep their fingers crossed for a catalog-spanning encore. This a fine record, so I'm cool either way.

Tickets go on sale November 15th, and will surely sellout based on the reception the band got at T5 last year.

No Sunlight? No Problem.

If you've read this blog for the past few months, you know how much my opinion has swayed about Death Cab For Cutie's Narrow Stairs. I think a lot of this change of heart has to do with the creativity of the music videos for the album's singles. I really liked what they did with "Cath" a few months back, and the mometum is only building. Ben Gibbard and crew just released the video for the album's third single, "No Sunlight." Only appropriate considering the suckiness of Daylight Savings Time. They're taking it a step further as you'll see:

No Sunlight

History Made

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

For those of you suffering from the post-election blues, cheer up! Jay-Z has gotten back to work and so should you. HOVA is ahead of the pack of what will surely be a very long run of Obama-inspired victory tracks. The rapper leaked "We Made History" today, and it is currently available for free download HERE. The song, as I'm sure you'll hear, is a collaboration with Kanye West and Tony Williams.

Decoration Day

The Drive-By Truckers are all about the election. To inspire you to go out and cast your vote (cough, cough OBAMA), they are giving away a free song on their website called "Uncle Phil & Aunt Phyllis In The Month After The Election". According to Stereogum, frontman Patterson Hood wrote the song right after the '04 debacle while in a state of "semi-shock and near-depression as [his] daughter's birth was impending and [he] was depressed to think of her born into the world during a Bush Presidency."

Hopefully no deja vu this time around. Go out and vote, please.

On another note, the Drive-By Truckers play a pair of dates with The Hold Steady at Terminal 5 this week. This should not be missed.

Kanye All the Way

We've gotten more than just a sample of the new material from 808's & Heartbreak. There's obviously a theme going on to this new record (one that I can relate to very well right now on a personal level), and let's just say it ain't smiles and butterflies. Yet another new track was "leaked" the other day called "Anyway," which is "experimental"to say the least. Here's a listen:

And in other Kanye news, the artwork for the album has been released. Not surprisingly, it's a deflated heart balloon -- the same image from the "Love Lockdown" promotional single. Now all you pirates have some iPod images to accompany your leaks:


808's & Heartbreak comes out November 25th.

Letting It Ride -- Ryan Adams & The Cardinals @ The Apollo 10/31/08

It might have been a Ryan Adams Halloween show at the Apollo, but other than the handful of spirited fans adorned in costumes, you would have been fooled. The only semi-frightening element this evening was the volume level -- one that was exceedingly high for an artist traditionally obsessed with the aural clarity of his performances. Other than this, it appeared as if Adams has finally accepted the credo from the closing song off of last year's Easy Tiger -- "I Taught Myself How To Grow Old". The once unpredictably raucous singer-songwriter has visibly matured, and his voice, stage presence, and overall performance are clear indicators of this change. Typically shaken up by crowd banter and song shoutouts, it's evident that Adams now lets all distractions roll off his back and simply lets the music do the talking. This was the case Friday night at a show that leaned heavily on the band's newer material from their most recent albums Easy Tiger and Cardinology (which came out last Tuesday).

The Cardinals opened up with one of the more aggressive numbers from the new record -- the rock-leaning "Cobwebs" -- before easing the crowd into a pair of soft alt-country gems, "Everybody Knows" and "Born Into A Light". Next up was the R&B-tinged single "Fix It," which showcased the band's penchant for beautiful three and four-part harmonies. Guitarist and fellow songwriter Neal Casal's backing pipes soared on this one, and would complement Adams' lead vocals throughout the course of the evening. The band didn't explore Ryan's older catalog until the eighth or ninth song, when the audience was finally treated to newly arranged version of one of Adams' better-known older tunes, "The Rescue Blues". From then on, we got the old strategically interspersed with the new. The jam-bandy "Peaceful Valley" proved that these guys are more than wannabe Grateful Dead one-trick ponies, as this tune segued perfectly into Heartbreaker's "Bartering Lines". Ryan then proceeded to deliver a stirring version of the Oasis super-smash "Wonderwall" before knocking out what was perhaps the evening's harmonious highlight, "Dear John".

After a brief intermission, the band came back strong with a second set, beginning with the song that started it all for the Cardinals -- 2005's rollicking "Let It Ride". Adams surprised the crowd with a plugged-in rendition of the usually soft "Desire" before playing a few more cuts off Easy Tiger and Cardinology. The quietest moment of the evening came when Adams stuck in an intimate number off of 2003's highly underrated Love Is Hell -- the confessional ballad, "Please Do Not Let Me Go". The singer then proceeded to show off his guitar chops with the riff-heavy "Cold Roses" and sped up version of "Shakedown on 9th Street" before letting Casal take helm with his own "Freeway To The Canyon". Strangely enough, it was after this song that Ryan made his first comments of the night -- a string of self-deprecating jabs about the melancholy nature of his own songs. From then on in, it was new material 'til the end. The band capped off an astounding 27-sound set with the final track from Cardinology -- the piano-laden "Stop".

It's only appropriate that Adams would skew his setlist to the fresher material he's written with the Cardinals. He's taken on a selfless level level of maturity -- one that that's clearly more focused on reaching new heights musically than preserving a persona. The singer, who would often grab headlines more frequently for his off-stage antics, has changed for the better. No worse off for the wear, he's letting bygones be just that and proving that we've only gotten a taste of what will surely be astounding prolific career.

The complete setlist:

1. Cobwebs
2. Everybody Knows
3. Born Into A Light
4. Fix It
5. Natural Ghost
6. Goodnight Rose
7. Sun Also Sets
8. Rescue Blues
9. Peaceful Valley >
10. Bartering Lines
11. Wonderwall
12. Dear John
13. Go Easy

14. Let It Ride
15. Desire
16. Grand Island
17. Sink Ships
18. Evergreen
19. Please Do Not Let Me Go
20. Two
21. Magick
22. Cold Roses
23. Shakedown on 9th Street
24. Freeway to The Canyon
25. Crossed Out Name
26. Like Yesterday
27. Stop