This week in reunions... A Perfect Circle!

* A Perfect Circle, featuring members of the Smashing Pumpkins and Tool, are back together and on tour this summer.

* If you see Beady Eye on one of their few North American dates this year, don't expect to hear any Oasis songs, Gem Archer says. Not even the ones that Liam wrote?


* The Blink-182 reunion album could be out by summer, according to Rolling Stone.

* Lou Barlow just got Sebadoh back together, and a deluxe reissue of their 1994 album Bakesale comes out in June.

*And, the news you've all been waiting with baited breath for... thank your lucky stars, because after 6 long years, we finally have new Limp Bizkit music to look forward to. Gold Cobra, their first full-length album since 2003, comes out June 7.

Bass Player Week: A tale of two Smashing Pumpkins

Ex-Smashing Pumpkins bassist D'Arcy Wretzky, who left the band in 1999 and now lives in rural Michigan, spent some time in jail last week because some of her horses have been running around free and she skipped several court appearances to deal with the problem. Long-time readers may remember D'Arcy phoning into a Chicago radio station to free-associate about all sorts of random things about two years ago. If you'd like to see D'Arcy's (extremely-unflattering) mugshot, go here. You know, if I wasn't nervous about the laws on libel, I would speculate about certain aspects of D'Arcy's personal life, given these two incidents and that picture.

Meanwhile, the current (and fourth, if you're counting) Smashing Pumpkins bassist, Nicole Fiorentino, has revealed that she's one of the children on the cover of the band's 1993 album, Siamese Dream. Which means yes, she was in elementary school when the album came out. Fun fact: Fiorentino is experienced at being a replacement member of a once-beloved band; she was in a latter-day version of Veruca Salt before joining up with the Billy Corgan Experience.

Who's left to reunite?

Given the big news of the Soundgarden reunion this month, and the successful reunion tours last year from Alice in Chains, Blink-182, the Cranberries, Stone Temple Pilots, Blur, and Sugar Ray, I got to wondering: what big bands from the golden era of grunge still need to reunite? A partial list:

1. Bush. Probably the biggest rock band of the '90s yet to get back together, though not for lack of trying. Gavin Rossdale has been making noise about a reunion in recent years, and if you believe Internet rumor, his 2008 solo album Wanderlust was intended to be a Bush album until ex-guitarist Nigel Pulsford refused to participate. The only other member besides Rossdale who's still active in music is drummer Robin Goodridge, who is in the Stone Gods with the former members of the Darkness.* Odds of reunion: not great, unless Rossdale wants to "reform" Bush with some session musicians.

2. 10,000 Maniacs. While some version of 10,000 Maniacs is still together and touring sporadically (centered around the original bass player, keyboard player, and drummer), we're of course referring to a reunion of Natalie Merchant with her first band. One complication to a possible reunion: lead guitarist Rob Buck, who wrote most of the band's best songs with Merchant, died 10 years ago. In addition, Merchant's spent most of this decade dormant, so if she really wanted to do a reunion, she probably would have cashed in by now. Odds of reunion: Pretty low. Merchant has a new album coming out in March (her first in 7 years), so if this were to happen, it certainly wouldn't be this year.

3. Belly. One of my favorite bands of the '90s (their second album is a lost classic), they broke up in 1996 and lead singer Tanya Donelly has pursued a sporadic solo career since then. Ex-bassist Gail Greenwood is still active in music, and the Gorman brothers, the band's guitarist and drummer, are supposedly commercial photographers now. Odds of reunion: better than the first two. Although I wonder how many people besides me want to see them back together.

4. Smashing Pumpkins / Everclear / Hole. All three bands are technically "still together," though in reality they've become solo projects for their respective lead singers. An actual, all-original-members lineup reunion tour might be pretty cool (Lesser bands from the era like Sponge and Seven Mary Three fit in this category, too).

5. Jesus Jones / EMF. Because hey, why not?

* Interestingly, the rights to Bush's '90s albums are now owned by Kirtland Records, the label run by the ex-drummer of Deep Blue Something. When Trauma (home to Bush, No Doubt, and the Flys) went belly-up, Kirtland bought the Bush master tapes at auction. obtained the Bush master tapes (thanks for the correction, Tami).

News bites: 311, Radiohead, Travis, Pumpkins, Guster, more

Sometimes stuff happens that's not really worthy of its own item. For instance:

* 311 are touring in November and December. Their most recent album Uplifter hit the Top 5 and has thus far spun off two modern rock hits: "Hey You" and "It's alright."

* Thom Yorke of Radiohead is working on a couple of new solo singles, which will more than likely be released on vinyl and digital download.

* Travis, who were very briefly one of the biggest bands in the world (remember when Coldplay were the next Travis?) are doing an acoustic tour across the U.S. from October 8 to November 12. It's being billed as a "chronological acoustical journey." Could be fun.

* That teenage kid who auditioned for the Smashing Pumpkins' drummer chair is apparently now a full-fledged member. Meanwhile, Billy Corgan is doing a solo tour with the Spirits in the Sky, a backing band that includes D'Arcy Wretzky's ex-husband on drums.

* The harmonica dude from Blues Traveler who used to be fat needs another new hip.

* Apparently the theme this year is "10th anniversary tours for albums that came out in '99." Jimmy Eat World and the Get Up Kids both did it. Now Guster is planning to play Lost and Gone Forever in its entirety at various clubs in October.

This week in reunions... Blur! Sunny Day Real Estate! Hole?!?

* Blur's reunion concert in Hyde Park, London was quite well-received (click that link for the setlist and some photos). A new, two-disc greatest hits is out now in the UK and gets released at the end of this month in the U.S.

* Sunny Day Real Estate, the Seattle band who strongly influenced emo, then gave the Foo Fighters half of its original line-up, are back together for a fall tour. Get dates and some YouTube clips here.

* Courtney Love, as you may know, has been working on her second solo album for quite some time. Initially, it was supposed to be co-written with ex-4 Non Blonde Linda Perry, who's become a songwriter for hire for Pink, Christina Aguilera, and others. Then it turned into a "return to rock" album, with Billy Corgan stepping in to co-write a bunch of songs. Now, it's apparently going to be a Hole album. Problem is, the other members of Hole are a little confused about what's going on. Guitarist Eric Erlandson told Spin that, based on the break-up contract signed by himself and Love in 2002, there is no Hole without him, and he hasn't been contacted to participate. Bass player Melissa Auf Der Maur says she's been contacted by Michael Beinhorn, the guy who produced Celebrity Skin, but not by Courtney, and she's not sure what her role's going to be (the NME says she'll record backing vocals on the album, then play bass on tour). Drummer Patty Schemel quit the band during the recording of Celebrity Skin, but then played drums on Love's first solo album and was most recently drumming for Juliette Lewis, so she's probably in.

Here's the 1999 line-up of Hole on Letterman, doing their last big modern rock hit, "Awful":

More D'Arcy news

Q101 in Chicago has posted the entire phone call ex-Smashing Pumpkin D'Arcy Wretzky made last week. According to Pitchfork (who bothered to listen to the entire thing), Wretzky now lives on a horse farm in Michigan and tells a delightful story about Marilyn Manson's parents.

You know, between this, Tinted Windows, and Billy Corgan hiring teenagers to play drums for him, I'm not sure a Smashing Pumpkins reunion is all that likely.

News bites: Vertical Horizon's new sound; Dinosaur Jr.'s too loud; the return of D'Arcy Wretzky

* Vertical Horizon's new album, their first since 2003, will be happier and dance-influenced, says frontman Matt Scannell.

* Dinosaur Jr.'s new album is apparently too loud (it's not that you're too damn old). A problem with the manufacturing increased the dBs too much, and you can return it if you so please for a new one and a free ringtone.

* Why is it still called the Smashing Pumpkins if it's just Billy Corgan and a bunch of no-names? Because Billy says the music he's writing still sounds like the Smashing Pumpkins.

* Meanwhile, ex-Pumpkins bassist D'Arcy, who hasn't been heard from in a long time, called a Chicago radio station to rave about the Monkees a couple of days ago.

* The Deftones had a new album about ready to go, but in the wake of bass player Chi Cheng's brain injury, they're shelving it and recording something new.

New Pumpkins drummer

If you grew up listening to the Smashing Pumpkins, you're apparently too old to be their new drummer, because Billy Corgan looks set to hire a 19-year-old for the seat left vacant by Jimmy Chamberlain.

Meanwhile, if you've been watching television, perhaps you've heard the new Smashing Pumpkins single "F.O.L." in an ad for Hyundai, and now the song's available for free on the Hyundai website.

F.O.L. ... G.L.O.W. ... apparently, Corgan only thinks in initials now.

Corgan and Chamberlain on Cobain and Courtney

Want to watch one of the last Smashing Pumpkins performances with Jimmy Chamberlain? Here you go.

What's that? You'd prefer to watch Billy Corgan turn "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" into a weird spoken-word intro for a minor-league wrestling circuit? Well, it's your lucky day:

DRUMMERS: Want to be in the Smashing Pumpkins?

Do you own your own drum set?
Failing that, can you play "Today" and/or "Cherub Rock" on expert on Rock Band?
Do you live in Los Angeles, or could you get there by Friday?

Well, then you're in luck, because the Smashing Pumpkins (now down to one original member, Everclear-style) are looking for YOU. You've got to e-mail them some information before showing up, though, so get on that. And if you get the gig, let us know.

This week in break-ups... Smashing Pumpkins

* Jimmy Chamberlin, the one non-Corgan original member of the Smashing Pumpkins, has left the band. This is the first time he's done so of his own accord (he was kicked out due to a heroin addiction in '96, but came back to the fold eventually). Corgan still plans to record and tour as the Smashing Pumpkins.

* Nothing concrete, but John Frusciante just released a solo album, and Chad Smith is now drumming for Chickenfoot, the new supergroup featuring Joe Satriani, Sammy Hagar, and Michael Anthony. And I haven't heard much from Flea or Anthony Kiedis in awhile. Are the Chili Peppers still together?

* Don't expect to see more Rage Against the Machine dates this summer, as Tom Morello has a new band called Street Sweeper that'll be opening up for Nine Inch Nails and Jane's Addiction.

New supergroup: Tinted Windows

This spring brings a new supergroup: the Tinted Windows, consisting of ex-Smashing Pumpkin James Iha, Fountain of Wayne Adam Schlesinger, Taylor Hanson, and Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos.

They're playing select dates this spring, including a SXSW showcase in Austin March 20 and a show in Hanson's hometown of Tulsa. The AV Club reports that they'll also be on the Late Show with David Letterman April 20, and their debut album comes out April 21.

Based on the pedigree of all concerned, this is probably going to be some hardcore power-pop, which will be a different direction for Iha, who left Smashing Pumpkins, then joined A Perfect Circle. Oh, and don't forget his '70s singer-songwriter solo album (which I really didn't like).

Oh, Billy... Pumpkins abandon albums

It's been a bad decade for Billy Corgan thus far. Zwan acrimoniously broke up while working on an aborted second album, his solo album couldn't break 75,000 in sales after most of the Smashing Pumpkins' records went multi-platinum, and while the Pumpkins' comeback album Zeitgeist did go gold, a lot of people saw it as a disappointment and a cash-grab (especially considering the only original members involved were Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlain, who was in Zwan). This year, he's made headlines for playing setlists that are upsetting to the fans.

And now Billy says the Pumpkins won't make albums anymore, just singles. The trend's already started, with "G.L.O.W.", from earlier this year. It's done fairly well on the modern rock charts, getting up to #11.

What do you think? Are albums as dead as Mr. Corgan's making them out to be? Or is Billy just frustrated by a decade's worth of diminishing returns?

Links of the week

1) Alternative Addiction has a nice new feature called AA Classics, where you can hear audio links and get more information on bands that may have unjustly fallen off the radar. First up, Oleander, who I kinda liked in '98-'99.

2) Billy Corgan apparently berated the crowd at a Smashing Pumpkins 20th anniversary show in New York City last week, then only played two or three of the hits. Folks are mad.

3) If you're interested in purchasing the upcoming Scott Weiland solo album Happy in Galoshes, it's available from Newbury Comics with an autographed booklet.

Billy Corgan sings about wrestling

The new Smashing Pumpkins song, "G.L.O.W.", has leaked, and apparently it IS about '80s ladies' wrestling! Who knew?

Links roundup

* The Smashing Pumpkins are putting out a DVD (OK, interesting...) But it's a compilation of footage from an 11-night residency on their 2007 tour. (and... no longer interested).

* Simon Jones of the reunited Verve gives us a guide to Manchester. I lived in Manchester in 1998-99, right after the Verve broke up and Oasis moved to London, when the biggest musical act in town was the still-relatively-unknown Badly Drawn Boy (and maybe the Space Monkeys). It's a cool city with a truly amazing musical history, from New Order to the Smiths to the Stone Roses to James to Oasis and beyond, including great newer bands like Doves.

* Early reviews of the Chris Cornell / Timbaland collaboration are... not positive. The phrase "career suicide" is bantered around a bit.

* The L.A. Times gets into the early-'90s controversy over Juliana Hatfield's virginity (I previously discussed this here). Her memoir is finally out; you can get it here (or her new CD, How to Walk Away, here).

* And finally, check this blog out. Forgotten Treasures specializes in out-of-print '90s albums. They've got stuff I never even heard of; some of it's surprisingly great for being so obscure.

New Smashing Pumpkins single on video game

Fresh off doing a free show in Orlando, the Smashing Pumpkins have announced that Billy Corgan will be a character in the next iteration of Guitar Hero, and that a new single, "G.L.O.W," will be made available through the game. Which is cool, I guess.

This week in non-reunions...

* STILL not getting back together, but now the half of the Smashing Pumpkins who aren't currently in the Smashing Pumpkins are suing their record company, because they're not being paid for digital downloads.

* And the new Chris Cornell song, produced by Timbaland. Wow. I know we're not getting a Soundgarden reunion because Matt Cameron's playing with Pearl Jam, but... wow.


* Mazzy Star are not getting back together, but Hope Sandoval has a new song written for Air France. Hear it here.

*The three people in Florida who were hoping for a Limp Bizkit reunion have had those hopes dashed. Wes Borland has joined Marilyn Manson's band.

Live Smashing Pumpkins: 1997

Surf over to I Am Fuel, You Are Friends for a bootleg performance of the Smashing Pumpkins doing an acoustic set at the annual Bridge School concert in 1997. John Popper of Blues Traveler plays harmonica on one track.

Lots of '90s acts on tour this fall

I've been out of town, and my inbox has filled up with lots of tourdates. So here's a round-up:

* Alanis Morrisette (still not fat), September-November, US and Canada
* Less than Jake w/Rancid and Reel Big Fish, September, Pacific Northwest and Canada
* Nine Inch Nails, now through October, US and Mexico
* Cake, September and October, Canada and the Northeast
* Counting Crows, on tour through October with Maroon 5, US (plus Toronto)
* Jackopierce, September-November, US
* Beck, August 21-October 3, US
* Everlast, August 15 - October 29, US
* Juliana Hatfield, September, major US cities
* Smashing Pumpkins' "20th anniversary tour," August 8-20, Midwest and Southeast
* Liz Phair, performing Exile to Guyville in its entirety, August 27-29, Philadelphia, Washington, Boston
* Everclear, August and September, Midwest and Northeast