There was so much news yesterday that I didn’t want to muddy the waters with this week’s podcast, so here we are on a Wednesday with our 15th auditory offering.

I anticipate having a podcast next week, but once the tour starts we may miss a week or two as we follow the Pumpkins through small town America on the August tour.

If you make it to one of the shows or head to Davenport early and spot Billy on the streets, let me know if you’d like to answer a few questions via email or Skype.

Listen to the whole show (1:12:09)

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This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris, Jason, Jill, and Andrew

News
-Samsung and AT&T present: this segment of the podcast, in which we discuss the recently-announced Summer Krush traveling corporate roadshow concert addition to the August tour. Plus, Jill joins the Cult of Mac and Jason picks up where we left off last week. (7:21)

-James and D’Arcy sue Virgin for royalties. Will Billy end up becoming involved? (12:56)

-The Beginning is the End is the Beginning has some staying power on the online charts, and a members of Pumpkins management gives some ill-advised comments to Rolling Stone magazine. Jill comes out swinging at his perceived ineptitude. (11:06)

Speculation
-The band heads to the Quad Cities next week to prepare for their Davenport, Iowa concert, and we address rumors of a secret show. Jason plans on growing a scruffy beard just in case. (12:19)

This Week in Pumpkins History
-Siamese Dream is released, making the Smashing Pumpkins a household name. Jason does his best to distract Andrew, but we all end up reminiscing about how we got introduced to the album. Plus, I reveal the unlikely Pumpkins song that started it all for me, and we discuss whether Siamese Dream is the best Smashing Pumpkins album. (22:08)

Song of the Week
-Rocket, July 28th, 1993

Thanks for all the feedback and comments last week.

There was lots to talk about this week despite the short time since the last podcast, so we went a bit long, and for the first time since episode 5 we had all four original members of the podcast on to give their opinions on what was a bizarre half-week of news.

Listen to the whole show (1:10:19)

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This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris, Jason, Jill, and Andrew

Jill responds to our ticket price comments from last week and discusses her new gig at smashingpumpkins.com.  Plus we get a sneak peek at some of her future articles. (10:02)

News
-We go Access Hollywood and discuss Courtney Love and her alleged blogging skills. (5:32)

-The August tour gets some new dates, and we discuss the slow rate of ticket sales.  Plus, Jason hatches a plan to get my grandparents to the Boca Raton show, and Jill is unaware of the musical genius of Lifehouse. (6:09)

-The Beginning is the End is the Beginning shoots to the middle of the iTunes sales charts, was there ever a more unlikely “hit”?  Plus, Jason, who runs a Smashing Pumpkins fan blog, calls Watchmen fans ”dorky”, and Andrew humbly recalls predicting the whole thing. (13:55)

In Depth Discussion: Where do the Pumpkins rank amongst their 1990’s peers?
-VH1 considered the Pumpkins worthy as a promotional tool for their top 100 songs of the 1990’s list, but not as musicians to be included.  What was the most likely Smashing Pumpkins song to be included on the list and where would we place it?  We have a few laughs and ponder the Pumpkins’ place in the 90’s.  Plus, we once again groove to Third Eye Blind, Jill warms up her vocal chords, and Andrew reveals himself as the only hair metal fan on the panel. (26:16)

This Week in Pumpkins History
-The band plays an extended stay at the Fillmore. (1:17)

Song of the Week
-The End is the Beginning is the End, June 28th, 1997

Stay tuned after the credits for some outtakes from our discussion of 1990’s music.

Sorry we are a bit late this week, but I wanted to be sure to get Jason and Andrew on board to talk about the upcoming tour. We will hopefully be back to our regular schedule next week.

Listen to the whole show (1:05:49)

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This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris, Jason, and Andrew

News
-The band is looking for Gish photos, and I dig out my box of film negatives from 1987. (2:06)

-It’s not X.Y.U., it’s not Mina Loy (M.O.H.), the new single is G.L.O.W. Jason takes a stab at the abbreviation and we reminisce about past song titles. (3:45)

In Depth Discussion: The Hammond Concert
-Is playing a concert at a casino any less acceptable than playing at a bar or national restaurant conglomerate? (8:50)

-Is playing a show 20 minutes from Chicago proof of some not-so-subtle vendetta Billy has against the Windy City? (6:16)

-The $83 ticket price: designed to lure hardcore fans? Determined by The Venue? Plus, Jason contrasts the Arising tour with Resume the Pose and comes to a not-so-surprising conclusion about which was better. (7:45)

-Despite, or perhaps because of, being the only show announced and on sale, tickets were slow to sell out. Does this spell the end of the band? Plus, Jason thinks we pay too much attention to the fringe crazies, and I’m still out of touch with the youth of today. (12:16)

Concert Review
-Moon; New Haven, CT July 21st, 1991. How does this concert supporting the release of Gish compare to a possible Gish-era tour? Plus, Jason rediscovers his love of music, and I finally start to convince him that the whole Gish-era tour thing is a good idea. (14:53)

This Week in Pumpkins History
-Jonathan Melvoin dies, Jimmy Chamberlin is fired, and the band is never the same again. (5:09)

Song of the Week
-Money, October 31, 1998

We appreciate your feedback and hope to have Jill back on the show very soon.

My fellow compatriots had 4th-of-July plans this past weekend, but we took a week off from podcasting in mid June and didn’t want to bail out again.  So this week I flew solo and recorded my thoughts on some of last week’s Pumpkins news.  I did not split up the show into individual audio segments this time since each segment was so short.

Listen to the whole show (11:19)

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This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris

Topics
-I find myself in the unexpected position of defending the fan writers on the official website.

-I take a look at the 30-40 demos rumored for the pre-Gish/Gish box set by the numbers to try and determine what could be included.

-When a news story falls through the cracks at HU, I pick it up.  Rumors abound of the Pumpkins’ music appearing on Rock Band 2 (sadly without Billy and his mo-cap suit).

This Week in Pumpkins History
-July 7th, 1998 in Chicago: the free show that never was.

Song of the Week
-Starz, June 6, 2007

This show was recorded before the big news about the August tour hit the web, but rest assured we will cover that next week when the gang returns.  We are also planning a concert review a Gish-era show, which you can listen to at the Live Music Archive: New Haven, CT July 21st, 1991.

This week’s show is abbreviated, as Andrew lost power midway through and the resulting segment couldn’t be edited into something that I would have been happy with releasing.  So for the first time, the HU podcast has an unreleased demo.  Think of it as our Signal to Noise.

Listen to the whole show (29:07)

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This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris, Jason, and Andrew (until his power goes out)

News
-We get some details on a format for the first batch of early demos: a Gish/Pre-Gish box set in advance of a Gish-themed tour.  Plus, Jason gives the year 1990 some much-needed love. (9:06)

-The official websites welcomes a new writing staff.  Plus, Jill sells out and won’t give us an exclusive scoop on her article. (5:53)

This Week in Pumpkins History
-Two soundtracks featuring Smashing Pumpkins songs are released: Singles and Transformers.  Plus, I make another excuse to post the picture of Billy in his motion-capture suit. (5:00)

Song of the Week
-Drown, September 8, 1992

Next week is kind of up in the air due to some of our panelists having Independence Day plans.  I still plan on doing a podcast, but it will most likely be a shorter one once again and may even be solo.

After a bit of a hiatus the podcast returns with a full slate of panelists three-quarters of a panel. Barring any unforeseen business travel, we should be able to stick to our weekly schedule at least until the end of the summer. This week we talked about the residency DVD, which seems on track to defy the odds and actually get released, and a topic near and dear to my heart: marketing.

Listen to the whole show (1:01:36)

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This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris, Jason, and Andrew

News
-Billy is playing with Cheap Trick on June 28th, anyone want to iReport it for us? (2:04)

-A new single is announced for September, will it be a pop hit or a sweeping epic? Plus, we make our first reference to the Machina Mystery on this podcast. (7:11)

-IMDB reveals more information about the residency DVD, which is scheduled for the end of this year, and provides a unique interpretation of alphabetical order. (7:12)

In-Depth Discussion
-With the news slowing to a trickle, fan sites start going dark as fans enjoy the summer weather and forget about the Pumpkins until the next blitz begins. Now that the band is label-less and in charge of their own marketing, does this promotional pattern make sense? I figuratively hire Jason and Andrew to play Madison Avenue Executive, and we all have our own advice for how to keep fans engaged. (31:25)

This Week in Pumpkins History
-TheFutureEmbrace is released. Jason ponders the accolades it would have received had it been released by Radiohead. Plus, I reveal my darkest secret: that I listen to James Iha’s solo album more than Billy’s. (8:36)

Song of the Week
-Lover December 12, 1998

Next week we may be doing a show review for a Gish-era show to go along with the announcement of the rerelease/box set/Gish tour. If so, I’ll post the date of the show we’ll be discussing in the comments for this post later in the week.

In the final chapter of our Adore discussion, we take a look at the tour and what Jimmy’s impact would have been if he were involved in the record. 

Listen to the whole show (36:30)

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This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris, Jill, and Andrew

Topics
-Touring for Adore begins in Europe with a variety of new touring musicians.  Lisa Germano was slated to be one of them but was let go at the eleventh hour.  By listener request, we speculate as to why. (4:08)

-The Pumpkins donate $2.6 million to charity, play a free concert, and give the United States an intimate concert setting, but all Jill can talk about is how excited she was to meet the Barenaked Ladies. (11:27)

-What if Jimmy had never been fired?  We play alternative history and speculate on how the album would have changed. (6:30)

-Our listeners didn’t want to hear themselves talk on the podcast, but luckily a certain missing panelist sent in his contribution to the show.  Will he celebrate with us or be the dissenting opinion? (4:37)

Song of the Week
-For Martha August 4, 1998

There will most likely be no podcast next week, but check back in two weeks for discussion on all the news that we missed in my absence.

As I mentioned last week, this is part 2 of our 3-part celebration of the 10th anniversary of Adore.  This week we focus on the album, its singles, and its b-sides. 

Listen to the whole show (48:28)

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This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris, Jill, and Andrew

Topics
-Our initial impressions on the Adore release.  We tell stories from our misspent youth. (10:33)

-Has history colored our opinions of the album any differently than the initial excitement of first listen? (6:59)

-The mainstream response to the Adore album was one of surprise and disinterest.  We spend some time talking about why.  Plus, I compare Billy to another Bill: coach Belichick of the New England Patriots. (10:12)

-Another listener-posed question this week: could the Pumpkins have selected better singles from the album that would have spurred record sales? Plus, Jill leads a semi-charmed life. (7:50)

-Finally, we take a look at every hardcore fan’s favorite part of every album: the b-sides.  Were there any that should have made it onto the album? (5:05)

Song of the Week
-Let Me Give the World to You May 19, 1998

Tune in next week for the third and final chapter.

This week begins our 3-part series of podcasts about Adore in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the album’s release.  I will be unavailable to record new episodes for the next few weeks, so rather than go dark for a month we recorded an extra-long show and divided it up chronologically.  In part 1 this week, we discuss the buildup to Adore and the recording process.  In part 2 we discuss the album and its b-sides, and in part 3 three we give our thoughts on the Adore tour.   

Listen to the whole show (40:15)

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This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris, Jill, and Andrew

Topics
-The pre-Adore buildup, were we fooled by the electronica rumors or excited by the live acoustic songs from the Tibet House and Bridge School Benefits? (8:14)

-We take a closer look at the Viper Room show from January 15th, 1998 both from a musical perspective and the importance of this show to the bootleg trading community.  (8:50)

-Seemingly everyone in the music business recorded drum parts for Adore.  We talk about why the Pumpkins couldn’t pick a percussionist and stick with him.  (4:32)

-The band also had a hard time picking a producer, we discuss Billy’s debut as a Pumpkins album producer. (5:13)

-We take a moment to answer a listener-posed question: what happened to the Adore-era version of Let Me Give the World to You? (2:40)

-Finally, we tackle another listener suggestion and discuss James and D’Arcy’s contributions during this period of the band’s history. (3:42)

Song of the Week
-Behold! The Night Mare October 19, 1997

Check back next week for part 2, and as always keep those suggestions for future episodes coming.

We had a short show this week as preparations have begun for next week’s Adore anniversary show.  As a reminder, send me your audio clips or questions for the show as I posted last week.

Listen to the whole show (43:05)

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This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris, Jill, and Andrew

News
-Billy enjoyed his time off from touring by…playing guitar with Duran Duran.  Could Simon Le Bon be a very special guest this Fall? (3:09)

-We spend more time talking about 6234 than all previous conversations combined.  Was Jason right about the bogus song title?  Plus, I pose an obscure trivia question to the group and am subsequently fired again.  (6:44)

In-Depth Discussion
-Billy has mentioned plans to release early demos this Christmas, but what early demos aren’t already out there?  Would we buy songs we already have?  Plus, are the Pumpkins becoming primarily a live band, and I break the bad news — casual fans don’t want to hear Spiteface. (20:48)

This Week in Pumpkins History
-Homerpalooza and the Ava Adore single.  Plus, the squirrels that power Andrew’s internet connection get tired.  (5:05)

Song of the Week
-Razor August 25, 1990

Join us next week for a decidedly less geeky show.  I may even be able to make it through the whole thing without mentioning The Marked.

This week we pondered the idea of the Pumpkins as a “collective”, speculated on whether the band will have another mainstream hit, and reviewed last year’s acoustic Berlin secret show.  See the end of the show notes for a chance to take part in a future episode of the podcast.

Listen to the whole show (1:00:49)

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This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris, Jason, Jill, and Andrew

News
-In yet another post-RockWalk interview, Billy and Jimmy introduced the possibility of the Smashing Pumpkins as a collective of rotating band members.  We discuss how that may affect future plans.  Plus, Jason starts the drum circle and Andrew clues us in on the lifestyles of the rich and the German.  (13:59)

In-Depth Discussion
-Could the highest-charting Pumpkins single still be yet to come?  Jason has some compelling reasons why while Andrew maps out a plan to make it so.  Plus, Jill groups the Pumpkins in with Boyz II Men and Celine Dion, and I realize that I definitely do not have my finger on the pulse of mainstream youth.  (20:26)

Concert Review - Zitadelle Spanau; Berlin, DE June 5th, 2007
-We review this very special acoustic show.  Jason fires me from the podcast, Jill gives us the fangirl perspective, and if you listen carefully you can hear the 10:00 PM trucks slithering by.  (16:28)

This Week in Pumpkins History
-Andrew brings us down on the 12th anniversary of the unfortunate death of Bernadette O’Brien, and I attempt to cheer everyone up with a call for audience participation.  (3:38)(

Song of the Week
-Tarantula, June 5th, 2007

As I mentioned at the end of this week’s show, in honor of the upcoming 10th anniversary of the release of Adore we are planning an entirely Adore-centric show for the end of May.  If you would like to be part of the show, record yourself giving your thoughts on the Adore album or tour and email the audio file to (chris at hipstersunited dot com).  Please keep the file less than 60 seconds and limit background noise as much as possible.  You can be pro- or anti-Adore, but I will pick my favorite questions and comments to play and discuss during the show.

We deviated from talking purely about the Pumpkins’ music this week to have a special themed show about former band members.  I didn’t mention it in this week’s show, but our next show review will be of the June 5th, 2007 secret show at Zitadelle Spandau.  This will either be in episode 5 or 6 depending on what pops up in the news.

Listen to the whole show (1:01:45)

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This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris, Jason, Jill, and an uncredited Andrew

We welcome back Jill by grilling her on the topics that she missed. (3:54)

News
-Cherub Rock has now been included in virtually every video game released in the past year.  We talk about what’s with all the cross-promotion. (5:02)

-David Pajo makes some snarky comments about Billy, and Jason and Jill swoop in with talons sharpened. (14:05)

In-Depth Discussion
-Pajo wasn’t the only former band member in the news this week.  We tackle last year’s controversy over whether it’s really The Smashing Pumpkins without James and D’Arcy.  Plus, Jason makes a comparison between Billy and Michael Jordan that doesn’t have to do with both of them being bald, and I make references to a Marked song. (28:16)

This Week in Pumpkins History
-The first official Smashing Pumpkins release, the Limited Potential I Am One single, is delivered to the masses.  Plus, I promise giveaways on which we can’t possibly follow through.

Song of the Week
-Farewell and Goodnight, April 5th, 1996

I’m a little late getting the podcast up this week due to some technical issues, but here it is for your enjoyment.  We’re in between tours, so I’m expecting to the news to slow to a trickle, leaving me with plenty of time in the show plan for debate.  If you have a question you’d like us to talk about in a future in-depth discussion segment, leave a comment below or email me (remove the NOSPAM).

Listen to the whole show (56:13)

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This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris, Jason, and Andrew

News
-Billy mentions James and D’Arcy’s absence at the RockWalk induction.  We awkwardly discuss the awkwardness of his comments. (3:42)

-What is a 20th anniversary show?  Andrew predicts a rock-’til-you-drop marathon, while I opt for surprise guest musicians, each more surprising than the last. (5:34)

-Billy rekindles more DVD rumors, and we do more gambling on the band’s future. (2:05)

In-Depth Discussion
-How could the Pumpkins put on a show that would satiate the hardcore fans yet still remain solvent enough to the dresses and costumes to which they’ve become accustomed?  We throw out ideas while Jason schools us in economics. (14:53)

Show Review: February 28th, 1995 Double Door; Chicago, IL
-Upon a relisten, the Double Door shows aren’t as fabulous as I remembered.  I break down the screaming crowd, the setlist, and the songs that never made it.  Plus, we enjoy a classic James Iha rap. (20:15)

This Week in Pumpkins History
-The MCIS 3LP is released in a limited pressing, although Andrew remains bitter about the limit.  D’Arcy turns 40.  Plus, we look back on the historic April 30th, 1989 show, and I somehow refrain from singing a few bars of Alabaster. (4:27)

Song of the Week
-Speed February 28th, 1995

The band may be ending their touring and going into hibernation, but the HU podcast is just getting started. Thanks to everyone who listened last week and welcome to those just now finding us from one of the many places on the web I’ve shamelessly plastered the URL. This week we kept our technical difficulties mostly in check so that we could discuss recent band news, the end of the tour, and the future of the Pumpkins.

If you’ve fallen into the clutches of the Cult of Steve Jobs, you can now subscribe to our podcast through the iTunes Music Store, or you can always listen to or download the entire show right here.

Listen to the whole show (53:23)

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This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris, Jason, and Andrew

News
-The Pumpkins get inducted into the Rockwalk, high honor or shameless PR? (7:48)

-Got Milk? Milk has the Pumpkins, along with a totally radical teen-oriented website. (3:33)

Tour Roundup
-The tour ends, but not before Jason educates us on the finer points of mariachi outerwear and discusses the evolution of United States. (9:26)

In-Depth Discussion
-What’s next for the Pumpkins? I give Andrew and Jason $100 to wager on the band’s next move. Will they put it all down on a return of the Audio Vanguard Association? Plus, I drop all pretense and beg for a pre-Gish tour. (18:57)

This Week in Pumpkins History
-The Zero single is released, leading to years of Pastichio Medley timecode debate. Plus, the Arising! tour ends and Andrew assigns blame for the breakup of the band. (5:59)

Song of the Week
-Zero April 17, 1999

Next week we will be doing a review of the Double Door Show from February 28th, 1995. If you’d like to listen to the show before hearing us talk about it, download it from the Live Music Archive.

Thanks for all the great feedback last week. Again, you can Contact Us or leave comments in this post.

As previously alluded to, my name is Chris, and I am here to announce the latest addition to the HU universe: the HU Podcast. Each episode, the distinguished panel and myself will discuss the latest news and rumors surrounding the Smashing Pumpkins. While the blog is a great way to get information out quickly, I hope that the podcast will allow us to go a little deeper into the news and share our opinions on the events of the week. See the end of this post to find out how you can become a part of the show.

Until we are listed in the iTunes Music Store, you can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or your podcatcher of choice using the following link: http://www.hipstersunited.com/blog/podcast/rss.xml.

This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris, Jason, Jill, and Andrew

News
-Billy Corgan vs. The Presets, the feud that never was (9:54)

-Lisa Harriton interview in Keyboard Magazine (9:34)

-Linda Strawberry covers W.P. in an attempt to become Miss Hooker 2008
-The final leg of the Spring tour begins

Tour Roundup
-Mexico City, MX April 12, 2008

In-Depth Discussion
-Billy sues Virgin Records (20:38)

Song of the Week
-Cherub Rock August 14, 1993

Listen to the whole show (1:03:42)

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Note: Due to technical difficulties, we had problems keeping Andrew on the line for the show and the last 5 minutes of the Virgin lawsuit discussion were lost. Each show we will strive to improve our audio and connection quality to bring you the most informative and entertaining show we can.

Have a topic you want us to discuss? A suggestion for improvement? Want to gripe about the length, audio quality, or sound of our voices? We’re always looking for feedback. Contact Us or leave comments in this post. Responders who leave their real first name and location may even hear their comments on the air.