Archive for the 'smashing pumpkins' Category
BILLY CORGAN AND TILA TEQUILA…
The earth just tilted even slightly more off axis and every Smashing Pumpkins fan has died a little inside after discovering that 90s rock god Billy Corgan is dating reality TV “star” Tila Tequila. The pairing marks the first documented relationship in United States history between a pygmy and an albino. I’m already taking their kids’ lunch money.
2:1 odds that Tila Tequila has zero Smashing Pumpkins songs on her iPod. The couple made their public “debut” at Bravo’s 2009 A-List Awards last week. I honestly can’t remember if I ever took Billy Corgan seriously, but now there’s no doubt in my mind that any music released while he’s under the wrath of Tila Tequila will not make its way into my iTunes library.
How about some “Disarm”? Good excuse to post it.
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10 BEST ROCK SONGS OF THE 90s (by year)
The early 1990s were three or four of the most important years in the history of rock. Unlike the 1960s, when rock was popularized, the early 1990s did something almost equally as important as the genre’s inception: a resurrection.
I consider 1990 to be one of the most interesting years in popular music history. The first year of the decade was more of an extension of 1989. A year when bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden were perfecting their sound and polishing their craft, with eventual plans to change the landscape of rock for the foreseeable future.
While you read this list, as you glance through the years, you’ll notice that the songs listed from 1990 will seem almost out of place. It wasn’t until 1991 that hair bands were virtually obsolete because a few bands from Seattle buttoned up their flannel and pleasantly surprised us all.
Alternative rock was born. And for someone who discovered rock in the early 90s, that word - alternative - is one of the best words in the musical dictionary.
Here’s a dedication to an important decade. When if you wanted a song from the radio, you didn’t download it from iTunes - you sat in front of your stereo for hours just waiting for that opportunity to press record on your tape player.
This list was formed with popularity in mind. I wanted to include songs that were not only great, but were at one point radio singles.
Also, remember that it isn’t a “Top 10″ list, the only thing this list achieves is naming the best songs, by year, of the 90s, with honorable mentions. Feel free to comment with your changes/additions.
THE 10 BEST ROCK SONGS OF THE 90s (by year)
1999 | Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Californication”
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: since the advent of the microphone, 1999 has been by far the worst year in the history of music. Luckily, there was still some good music being made. “Californication” beats out “Guerrilla Radio” on a technicality: I am not allowing one band to occupy the top spot in more than one year.
Honorable Mention: Rage Against the Machine - “Guerrilla Radio”
1998 | The Verve - “Bittersweet Symphony”
One of the most well-rounded rock songs of the 90s. Production value and composition are top-notch from this British quartet whom probably have other songs - none of which I can name.
Honorable Mentions: Fuel - “Shimmer”, Goo Goo Dolls - “Iris”
1997 | Radiohead - “Karma Police”
Radiohead hasn’t released an album this decade that will match 1997’s OK Computer, and “Karma Police” is a rock song that will influence for decades. One of the most beautifully somber, masterfully eerie songs of the 90s.
Honorable Mentions: Marcy Playground - “Sex and Candy”, Foo Fighters - “Monkey Wrench”, Third Eye Blind - “Jumper”, Blur - “Song 2″
1996 | The Wallflowers - “One Headlight”
Bob Dylan’s son makes a name for himself on 1996’s Bringing Down the Horse, an album whose single and first track, “One Headlight”, is accompanied by 10 other great tunes from an extremely under-appreciated album. It’s a shame to highlight only one.
Honorable Mentions: Rage Against the Machine - “Bulls on Parade”, The Cardigans - “Love Fool”
1995 | Smashing Pumpkins - “Tonight, Tonight”
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness produced two of the best rock songs of 1995. “1979″ and “Tonight, Tonight” were unparalleled for the 365 days of the middle year of the 90s. I couldn’t decide between the two, so I gave it to Tonight because of its music video.
Honorable Mentions: Everclear - “Santa Monica”, Oasis - “Wonderwall”, No Doubt - “Don’t Speak”, Smashing Pumpkins - “1979″, Radiohead - “High and Dry”, 311 - “Down”
1994 | Soundgarden - “Black Hole Sun”
A lot of damn good rock music was released in 1994, one of the best years of the decade. Every one of these songs could make an argument to be the best of the year, but Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” earns the spot. Why? Because I like it slightly better than the others. That’s about all I’ve got for you.
Honorable Mentions: Bush - “Machinehead”, Cake - “The Distance”, Green Day - “When I Come Around”, Nine Inch Nails - “Closer”, Offspring - “Self Asteem”, Stone Temple Pilots - “Interstate Love Song”, Weezer - “Buddy Holly”
1993 | Nirvana - “Heart Shaped Box”
“Heart Shaped Box” is Nirvana’s best song. Great description.
Honorable Mentions: Counting Crows - “Mr. Jones”, Smashing Pumpkins - “Disarm”, Pearl Jam - “Daughter”
1992 | Rage Against the Machine - “Killing in the Name”
Rage Against the Machine is my favorite band of the 90s, Rage Against the Machine is my favorite album of the 90s, and “Killing in the Name” is the best song of 1992.
Honorable Mentions: Stone Temple Pilots - “Plush”, Alice In Chains - “Would?”, Blind Melon - “No Rain”
1991 | Pearl Jam - “Jeremy”
Pearl Jam’s catalogue is incredible, but “Jeremy” is, for me, their flagship song. One of the most important and moving rock songs of the last 25 years.
Honorable Mentions: Metallica - “Enter Sandman”, Nirvana - “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, R.E.M. - “Losing My Religion”, Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Under the Bridge”, U2 - “One”
1990 | Tom Petty - “Free Fallin’”
To be completely honest, I didn’t even want to do 1990. Boring. Hell, “Free Fallin’” came out in 1989 - but didn’t become a hit until ‘90. Maybe you can email me some better rock music from 1990…
Honorable Mentions: Aerosmith - “Janie’s Got a Gun”, Faith No More - “Epic”
Like this list? Check out these:
Top 20 One-Hit Wonders of the 90s
Top 10 American Rock Bands of All Time
TINTED WINDOWS RELEASE FIRST SINGLE
TSF told you about new supergroup Tinted Windows this weekend, and sure enough we didn’t have to wait too long to hear the band’s first single, “Kind of a Girl”. Power chords and background “whoa oh-ohs” from the rest of the band point towards the production of the skilled hand that brought us “That Thing You Do” and “Stacy’s Mom”, Fountains of Wayne bassist Adam Schlesinger. Taylor Hanson’s vocals are the perfect complement to Schlesinger’s style, and having former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha on guitar doesn’t hurt either. Listen below to the pop/rock goodness:
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TINTED WINDOWS - THE NEW SUPERGROUP
What do you get when you combine former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos, Hanson’s Taylor Hanson, and Fountains of Wayne bassist Adam Schlesinger? A new supergroup called Tinted Windows who has just finished recording their first album in NYC set to release this spring. They will play their first show on March 20th at the South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. If anyone is going to SxSW, report back to me about this project if you get to see them live … I’m highly curious and pretty damn excited. Adam Schlesinger is a great songwriter - he’s the mastermind behind the insanely catchy song “That Thing You Do”, the title track to the 1997 Tom Hanks movie of the same name. Not only one of my favorite movies, but one of my favorite songs of the 90s. I met Adam Schlesinger after a Fountains of Wayne concert in 2005. I scared him off after repeatedly announcing that “he’s the dude who wrote ‘That Thing You Do’!” and proclaiming him a genius to everyone in the vicinity. True story.
And Taylor Hanson is a highly underrated songwriter and musician. Everybody and their brother assumes Hanson faded somewhere around 2001, but they’ve matured into a pretty damn good band with two high quality releases over the last few years, 2004’s Underneath and 2007’s The Walk. Proof:
Tinted Window’s MySpace page doesn’t have any music up yet - we’ll be waiting…
WEEKLY POP CULTURE UPDATE (7.29.08)
Album of The Week
The Avett Brothers
The Gleam II
The Avett Brothers have done it again and released a sort-of-EP, sort-of-full-length Album consisting of 8 new songs. An eight song release would be frowned upon pre-internet download era. This album was released last Tuesday and I already love every song on it. If you are reading this sentence right now and you haven’t listened to The Avett Brothers, please do it. Like now.
Best songs: “Murder In The City“, “Bella Donna“, “The Greatest Sum”
Picture of The Week/News Story of The Week
If you aren’t understanding this at first, read it again. You’ll get it soon enough…
Reality TV Update of The Week
You may not have cable, you may not care. Oh well. Aaron McCargo Jr, 36, of Camden, New Jersey, (top middle of picture, orange shirt) has won The Next Food Network Star competition on The Food Network. He was the last standing of 10 average joes hoping to be the next Rachael Ray. Aaron is cool but Rachael Ray is attractive. Here’s what I like about Rachael Ray: she’s got a little pudge on her. If someone is going to cook for me I’d like to see some pudge. It means they know how to eat.
Ass of The Week
Amy Winehouse and husband Blake Fielder-Civil need to be quarantined by some governing power 
(British, US, UN, I don’t care) and kept away from each other for the sake of the progression of the human race. I can’t imagine a more mutant human being spawning from this upstanding couple. Long story short: Amy Winehouse has been told by Doctors (what do they know, right?) that she will die if she keeps up her drinking and drug habits. Death isn’t a threat…is it?
Movie Trailer of The Week
The Watchmen. Release date: 3.9.08. One of the best previews I’ve seen. The song in the trailer is called “The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning” by Smashing Pumpkins.
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