30 years ago this album changed rock music forever
And it sounds just a fresh as the day it was released. If the phrase “pressure makes diamonds” is ever to be believed in a metaphorical sense, there is no better example than the Smashing Pumpkin’s sophomore outing, ‘Siamese Dream‘. The early 90s was a transformative time for rock music. Nirvana’s emergence with the genre-altering […]
2 years ago
Smashing Pumpkins frontman reveals his influence on one of U2’s biggest albums
But what was the advice, Billy? The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has revealed that he had a major influence on U2’s album All That You Can’t Leave Behind when he gave Bono some advice after first listening to a rough cut of the record. Speaking on Zane Lowe’s podcast, the Chicago rocker and wrestling […]
3 years ago
James Vincent McMorrow on his nu metal education and the music that makes him
“I wrote about ‘Freak on a Leash’ in my English paper!” Though he plays around with genre, you might not usually associate James Vincent McMorrow with the eternal noise of nu metal, but the man knows his Mushroomheads from his Spineshanks. In conversation with JOE the morning after a late-night rehearsal for a couple of […]
4 years ago
“I just wanted to be asleep all the time” – how Fangclub came back from the brink
Fangclub frontman Steven King on hanging with Metallica and Smashing Pumpkins, and how he conquered personal demons to take back control. “You’re living in a nightmare, baby.” So goes the chorus of a breezy early cut on the new Fangclub record – their second, but kind of their third, which we’ll get to in a bit. […]
7 years ago
It’s the 4th of July so here’s the 10 best songs that capture the American spirit
Honouring the most vivid tunes inspired by the red, white and blue. American Independence Day brings a rake of powerful imagery to mind. The stars and stripes. The bald eagle. World Cup ’94. Bill Pullman. Bruce Springsteen. Endless baseball games. The terrible opening scene from The Newsroom. Music may just be one of the above […]
8 years ago
REWIND: Ranking the top five tracks from the Smashing Pumpkins’ breakthrough record
Siamese Dream turns 25 this month. While their debut album Gish had been received as a beautiful mess, follow-up Siamese Dream introduced the world to The Smashing Pumpkins faster than you could say “Homer Simpson, smiling politely”. But the story behind the album is one of depression, addiction and confrontation. Though lead singer Billy Corgan […]
8 years ago