“I believe in the power of art to transcend betrayal and disappointment,” Glass says. “‘Drown’ is not just a cover; it’s a testament to resilience and artistic integrity. This track was created after we were asked to be a part of an exciting compilation that ultimately didn’t end up happening. But I didn’t want that to stop us from sharing our interpretation of this iconic Smashing Pumpkins track. This release is a declaration of autonomy and a reminder that true artistry cannot be stifled by broken promises.”

Read more: The Smashing Pumpkins albums ranked: From worst to best

According to a press release, Glass has a “new project” coming out in the summer, too, so stay tuned for more on that. In the meantime, listen to her cover of “Drown” below.

Madame Zuzu’s — Billy Corgan’s Highland Park, Illinois tea shop — will become a Tower Records pop-up for four days, wrapping up with a pair of acoustic Smashing Pumpkins sets on Sept. 17, at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. They’re being billed as “the same set played on the evening of July 27, 1993,” with music from the then-just released Siamese Dream, and the second set will stream on Veeps. Claim a free streaming ticket here.

Read more: The Smashing Pumpkins albums ranked: From worst to best

Tickets to attend the Madame Zuzu’s shows in person started at $345 each and are currently sold out.

This article was originally published on BrooklynVegan.com and has been edited by Alternative Press.

With Corgan at the helm as a tormented songwriting force, over the years the group became known for their poetic lyricism that captivated rock fans of all ages, and have since remained beloved for their quirky blend of garage rock, heavy metal, and new wave. 

Read more: The Smashing Pumpkins albums ranked: From worst to best

While the Smashing Pumpkins members have come and gone since its height of stardom, the group seem to have no plans of slowing down. With their 2023 World is a Vampire tour and 2020 album Cyr, the band’s 11th album, it’s clear that the Smashing Pumpkins are anything but a spent force.

Spanning decades, genres, and a revolving door of band members, their immense catalog is now close to 400 songs deep. Ranking the greatest tracks of a behemoth like the Smashing Pumpkins is almost an impossible task. But our readers were up for the assignment. Here are the top five fan picks.

5. “Cherub Rock”

Sarcastic and spiteful, “Cherub Rock” captures a critical moment in time for the alt-rock band within just five minutes of play time. Written by Billy Corgan at a time when the band were setting their sights on arena-rock superstardom, the song tackles Corgan’s contentious relationship with the music industry. Bolstered by swooning riffs, thick waves of distortion, and clever, seething lyrics that have proved to be timelessly catchy, “Cherub Rock” is the ultimate “f*ck you” to the phonies, critics, and industry hanger-ons that always had something to say. Years later and this is still one of the best album openers of all time, setting the tone of Siamese Dream with the band’s silky-smooth guitar prowess and memorable refrains.

4. “Disarm”

Billy Corgan’s lyrical finesse will forever shine brightest on a ballad. There are several variations on “Disarm” — the string arrangement on Siamese Dream, the stripped-down acoustic recording, and a metal version they perform live — but no matter the rendition, Corgan’s heart-wrenching lyrics tear through the track like ignited gasoline. Reflecting on his traumatic childhood, Corgan’s haunting sorrow is seared into the memories of anyone who grew up listening to Siamese Dream. Delivering both a commercial success and a deeply personal tribute, “Disarm,” with its iconic bells, will persist as one of the band’s most poignant songs.

3. “1979“

This nostalgic pop-hit is easily one of the most recognizable songs from the Smashing Pumpkins extensive catalog. Breezy, wistful, and undeniably catchy, “1979” encapsulates suburban youth culture in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. The seminal music video, directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, is a visceral depiction of teenage angst with reminiscent shots of basement parties, reckless cruising, and toilet-papered houses. Released as the second single from their 1995 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, the track builds off their churning guitar-heavy rock sound with processors, drum pads, and synthetic instrumentation. The result is a bouncy new wave tune that is a perfect combination of carefree and longing.   

2. “Tonight, Tonight“

“Tonight, Tonight” is one of Corgan’s most optimistic songs, a rallying cry against cynicism set to a sweeping string arrangement recorded by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The track’s grandiose orchestral composition is stunning, yet it’s in the quiet moments that “Tonight, Tonight” really comes to life. Corgan’s melancholic reflection on the passage of time is a necessary break from the upbeat hopefulness that pumps through the rest of the song. The Georges Méliès-inspired music video is a theatrical trip into the silent film “A Trip to the Moon” with full-out costumes and whimsical set design, showcasing the magic of their genre-defying sound.

1. “Mayonaise”

“Mayonaise” – officially spelled incorrectly – is a longtime fan favorite. And it’s easy to understand why. With an intoxicating melody and thrashing, moody guitar riffs, the track epitomizes the brilliance of the Smashing Pumpkins — a band that consistently played with contradictions. The balance struck between industrial noise and polished rock is best exemplified within these six minutes. In drawing together all the many endearing qualities of the band, “Mayonaise” explodes with complexity, vulnerability, and ingenious songwriting that has endured decades later.

Written and produced by frontman Billy Corgan, ATUM is a 33-track album that plays as three acts and is the audio sequel to 1995’s Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness and 2000’s Machina/Machine of God. As echoed by the music video below, each project has offered a technically complex, unshakeable deep dive that talks to technology, alternate universes, and intergalactic experiences, ideologies, and emotions — be it through the lyricism or soundscape alone. And today, we are able to enter that world in a new way.

Read more: Radiohead debuts In Rainbows at Bonnaroo 2006

Speaking on the making of this video, Kerslake shares: “We adopted a virtual production model for the ‘Spellbinding’ video, creating it entirely in the gaming engine; unreal, with digital avatars moving through fantastical worlds that play a key role in the ATUM storyline. Billy and I share an interest in the fusion of old-world elements with state-of-the-art technology, and all the stars aligned on this video to break new ground.”

Catch the Smashing Pumpkins on tour this summer, starting July 28, with support from Interpol, Stone Temple Pilots, and Rival Sons.

Billy Corgan and co. never let that put them off, though — their back catalog being a series of ambitious, theatrical, occasionally bizarre albums that cover everything from urgent rock ‘n’ roll to freewheeling jazz. 

Read more: Every Foo Fighters album ranked: From worst to best

They’ve also gone through many iterations. Original bassist D’arcy Wretzky left the group in 1999 before the entire band broke up in 2000; then in 2006, Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin reunited, only for Chamberlain to leave again in 2009 while Corgan kept Smashing Pumpkins going. Finally in 2018, Chamberlain officially rejoined, along with guitarist James Iha, before the release of a new album and setting out on tour.

Most recently, the band released their latest album Atum, which acts as a sequel to 1995’s double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and 2000’s Machina/The Machines of God. See, we told you it was complex. To help make things easier, we ranked the Smashing Pumpkins’ complete discography.

The Smashing Pumpkins albums ranked

Martha's Music/Reprise Records

10. Zeitgeist (2007)

Zeitgeist is the black sheep of the Smashing Pumpkins’ back catalog. Released in 2007 by the recently reunited band featuring Corgan and Chamberlin, Zeitgeist is a no-frills punk record that seemingly takes heavy influence from Green Day’s American Idiot. Snotty and to-the-point, but without the theatrics fans had come to expect from the Smashing Pumpkins, the excitement about the band’s return quickly diminished. “The mindset of the record was to put our best foot forward and not get too artsy,” Chamberlain said at the time. Hoping to speak to a new generation of fans with something urgent and accessible, it’s a record stuck between worlds. (Perhaps that’s the reason it’s not currently available to stream.)

Martha's Music

9. Oceania (2012) and Monuments to an Elegy (2014)

Following the departure of Chamberlin in 2009, the Smashing Pumpkins recruited an ever-shifting lineup that, at different points, featured members of the Killers, Rage Against the Machine, Mötley Crüe, and Madina Lake. At the same time, Corgan announced plans to release a 44-song album to be titled Teargarden By Kaleidyscope for free, one song at a time. 2012’s Oceania was an album within an album, with 2014’s Monuments to an Elegy making up the second part of their Teargarden By Kaleidyscope project. However the third and final installment Day For Night was abandoned, after criticism that the project was confused. There are moments of brilliance across this era, but with Corgan wrestling with the weight of expectation without a solid foundation, all that ambition quickly fell apart.

Martha's Music/Sumerian

8. Cyr (2020)

Following an epic tour celebrating three quarters of the original lineup returning and the comfortable SHINY AND OH SO BRIGHT, VOL 1 / LP: NO PAST. NO FUTURE. NO SUN., the Smashing Pumpkins took a left turn. A 20-track double album, Cyr is an optimistic synth-pop record that couldn’t be further from the doom and gloom the band is famed for. Corgan described the synth-heavy sound as his attempt to prove that the Smashing Pumpkins could be a modern band that still had something to say. Despite the 72-minute run-time, though, there’s not a whole lot of depth to this polished, space-pop record.

Constantinople

7. Machina/The Machines of God and Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music (2000)

A concept album about a rock star named Zero hearing the voice of God, Machina was designed to let the Smashing Pumpkins play up to the caricatures the media had apparently turned them into. Taking everything to the extreme, Machina is super ambitious and super dynamic. Released shortly before the band broke up for the first time, it’s basically a Greatest Hits album, driven by a newfound confidence. Corgan originally wanted Machina to be a double album, but after the disappointing sales of 1998’s Adore, they refused and Machina II was given away to fans to share amongst themselves. An 80-track reissue is due out at some point in the near future, which will perhaps give Machina the respect it never got at the time. 

Caroline Records

6. Gish (1991)

Gish is a highly focused debut album that saw the Smashing Pumpkins blend the heavy, visceral riffs of Black Sabbath with the more emotional introspection of the Cure, cut with moments of grunge and psychedelia. It might sound messy on paper, but the 10-track record is perhaps the Smashing Pumpkins at their most distilled. The likes of “I Am One” and “Rhinoceros” have an early-career flicker of theatrical grandstanding that went on to become the band’s signature trick, while the urgency of “Snail” and “Crush” shaped the band’s most iconic songs. 

Napalm Records

5. SHINY AND OH SO BRIGHT, VOL 1 / LP: NO PAST. NO FUTURE. NO SUN. (2018)

At only eight tracks long, SHINY AND OH SO BRIGHT isn’t really an album. Even Billy Corgan has disputed its status as a full-length — but it’s simply too good to ignore, so here we are. Fresh from a triumphant reunion tour that celebrated the Smashing Pumpkins’ storied origins, the band went into the studio to make this record. Despite not having worked together since 2000, there’s no apprehension or awkwardness on SHINY. Instead, the eight songs offer a glimpse of the magic that once was, without succumbing to nostalgia. There’s a touch of Oasis’ swagger to opener “Knights of Malta,” while “Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)” sees the band embracing their own legacy. “Solara” and “Marchin’ On” are driven by a familiar rage before beauty shines through on the hammering “Seek and You Shall Destroy.” A fine return from a band who’d spent years in the wilderness.

Martha's Music/Thirty Tigers

4. Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts (2023)

Nothing says “for the fans” like a triple album continuing the story of a record originally released over 20 years ago. But Atum is far from a nostalgic cash-in. Continuing the urgency of SHINY AND OH SO BRIGHT with a dash of Cyr’s desire to stay relevant, Atum sees the Smashing Pumpkins return to guitar-driven theatrics. Recorded over two years and with plans being drawn up long before that, there’s a considered narrative to Atum that’s been missing from recent Pumpkins albums. The record swings confidently between fury, apathy, hope, and beauty in a way that feels unpredictable but never jarring. Like the best records from this band, Atum goes in a million different directions and gleefully sits opposing ideas next to each other. That ambition often pays off though. After years of back and forth, Atum is a true return to iconic form. 

Virgin Records

3. Adore (1998)

A string of successful albums in the early ‘90s had turned the Smashing Pumpkins into superstars — but Corgan would later say Adore was made by a group “falling apart.” They weren’t getting on as a band and there were big questions about the future. It didn’t help that Corgan lost his mother and his marriage broke down around the same time.

The Smashing Pumpkins responded with Adore, a bleak, electronic-driven album that rebelled against everything people thought they knew about the band. It was divisive and only sold half as many copies as Mellon Collie, but it ensured the Smashing Pumpkins were more than another grunge band. It’s gone on to become a fan favorite, while tracks like “Ava Adore,” “Perfect,” and “Pug” remain some of the most effecting songs the band have ever created. 

Virgin Records

2. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)

After tentatively dialing up the confidence between their first and second albums, the Smashing Pumpkins went all in with the ambitious double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, which was described by Corgan as Pink Floyd’s The Wall for a new generation. The opening title track is a lush, piano-driven instrumental before the reflective “Tonight, Tonight” kicks in. Over the next two hours, the 28-tracks of Mellon Collie range from ferocious alt-rock anthems like “Zero” and “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” to haunting moments of introspection (“Thirty-Three”). The menacing “X.Y.U” is a prog-rock breakdown that sits comfortably at unhinged, while fuzzy electronic tracks like “1979” hinted at where the band would go next. Driven by a familiar teenage angst, but refusing to settle into the ever-growing grunge scene that was rapidly taking over the world, Mellon Collie was the first time the Smashing Pumpkins really shook things up. A critical and commercial success, it gave the band the belief to shake things up time and time again.

Virgin Records

1. Siamese Dream (1993)

After the game-changing release of Nirvana’s Nevermind, the Smashing Pumpkins were set to become “the next Nirvana” after the release of their debut album. Rather than wanting more of the same, though, Siamese Dream saw the band out to carve their own lane. A vicious grunge album driven by a genuine aspiration for greatness, Siamese Dream almost destroyed the Smashing Pumpkins before they even got going — but Corgan turned that friction into a strength, writing candidly about his own insecurities. It went on to sell over 6 million copies and is probably one of the greatest alternative-rock albums of all time. While later albums would be hindered by Pumpkins’ quest to go against the grain, on Siamese Dream, that fierce rebellion gave a voice to a generation quickly becoming disillusioned. From the sarcastic opening number “Cherub Rock” to the troubled “Today,” the Smashing Pumpkins tapped into unspoken and complicated feelings of apathy, isolation, and anxiety, and twisted them into a snarling rallying cry. 30 years on, it’s as powerful as ever.

Today, the Smashing Pumpkins announced a large slate of upcoming live dates for the World is a Vampire Tour. The ’90s favorites are bringing a handful of guests on tour, including Interpol, Stone Temple Pilots, and Rival Sons, as well as wrestlers in the National Wrestling Alliance, who are set to compete a handful of dates. The tour is set to kick off in Las Vegas, Nevada in late July and run throughout August in much of North America.

Read more: The Strokes albums ranked: From worst to best

Of the tour, frontman Billy Corgan said in a press release, “I grew up in a world where I needed to know bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Cure existed, it meant there was a place for people like me to hang out and belong. That’s what the World Is A Vampire is about. Bringing back that sense of community. If you don’t fit in, you belong here. It’s about having a shared experience and respecting others, but ultimately having fun. A true alternative festival, where all the self-proclaimed weirdos and outsiders of the world can get together and have a party.”

The tour comes shortly after the release of the third and final installment of their 12th studio album ATUM, which is due out May 5. Aside from a handful of festival performances, the World is a Vampire Tour marks the band’s latest tour since 2018 and 2019. So, in addition to the classics, you can likely expect them to play tracks off both ATUM and their 2020 album Cyr, which they have yet to take on the road.

The pre-sale for the Smashing Pumpkins’ 2023 tour begins today, Mar. 28 at 12pm local time and lasts until Thursday, Mar. 30 at 10pm local time. The general on-sale will then kick off Friday, Mar. 31 at 10am local time. You can find more details here and see the full list of dates below.

Are you a sucker for sad indie-pop? If you can’t stop listening to Lucy Dacus reflect on relationships and love Clairo’s gentle musings, Canada’s finest, fanclubwallet, needs to make her way onto your playlist. ​​

As fanclubwallet, named after a Dennis the Menace wallet that belonged to her father, Hannah Judge shares vulnerable musings about intense relationships and the difficulties of touring with a chronic illness. The Ottawa-based singer-songwriter dropped out of university and moved home, pivoting from making comics and band photography to creating music. 

Read more: 15 best punk albums of 2007, from Arctic Monkeys to Fall Out Boy

“I actually dropped out of school to pursue making comics,” Judge tells Alternative Press. Originally, she didn’t intend to make music at all. Instead, Judge reveals, “I wanted to write a graphic novel and I wasn’t enjoying uni anymore, so I started making music on the side and found I actually liked it a lot more!”

It was only during the pandemic that Judge began pursuing music professionally. She started playing the guitar and ukulele, and eventually made music at home on an iPhone with GarageBand. The inception of fanclubwallet then may have been when she began using a children’s keyboard to make uncomplicated tracks. And while it’s now more complex, it hasn’t lost its innocence. 

The Canadian cartoonist often collaborates with friends on dreamy tunes and works closely with her grade-school-best-friend-turned-producer Michael Watson. “Songs usually start with me alone in my bedroom, and then I bring them to Michael or get input from friends,” Judge says, calling the process “pretty quick” and joking that she has “a very short attention span.” 

Judge is open about making music while dealing with Crohn’s disease, which she was diagnosed with at 16, the summer before 11th grade. On social media, she shares everything from what it’s like crafting songs in bed during a flare-up to the medications she takes and the reactions to them, writing in an Instagram story, “It makes recording hard sometimes because I can’t always get out of bed but luckily we’ve got long headphone cords and heating pads.” 

The mellow musician has made friends with people online through their open discussion about Chron’s, calling the community “really cool” and sharing, “When I was younger I didn’t know anyone else with Crohn’s, so I feel really lucky that I can be open about it online and hopefully help some people out.” 

It hasn’t stopped 23-year-old Judge, though, who released her debut album You Have Got To Be Kidding Me in May of this year. The freshman offering is chock-full of thoughtful bops — perfect for fans of quietly emotional indie-pop that makes them think. Judge cites Tegan and Sara, The Smashing Pumpkins, Teen Suicide, Sleigh Bells, and Rilo Kiley all as inspirations for the album. 

One notable cover is a hot take on the Talking Heads mega-hit “This Must Be The Place,” giving frontman David Byrne a run for his money with her own version of the alt-rock anthem. Judge’s version is so inventive you might momentarily forget the song wasn’t actually written by her. She calls herself a “huge Talking Heads fan,” and wants to cover other classic songs, naming the rock band’s “Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town” and “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield as favorites. 

In June, Judge wrapped up what she called her “longest tour ever” on Instagram, opening Chvrches. Judge raves the band is “so, so nice” and that “their team was lovely to work with,” and says she was able to “connect with new fans” as the opening act for the Scottish alt-pop band.  

Now, Judge is focused on writing more music and taking a short break from touring. Coming up, the singer says she’s “looking forward to taking things at my own pace, and hopefully experimenting with sound more.” With influences like Tegan & Sara and Jenny Lewis, fanclubwallet’s sound could take her anywhere. 

On the “You Have Got To Be Kidding Me” title track, Judge sings, “Can I catch a break?” but it looks like she might be on her way to a big break after all.

Sarah Paulson will play infamous cult leader Gwen Shamblin in new HBO Max series

Known for her many show-stopping character roles in American Horror Story, those of which we previously ranked, Sarah Paulson is set to take on yet another massive role when she portrays Gwen Shamblin, the cult leader and founder of the Weigh Down Workshop. In September 2021, HBO Max unleashed the docuseries The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin, exposing the dark and disturbing history behind the Remnant Fellowship Church. Now, Paulson will take on Shamblin’s charismatic disposition and big-haired cult leader ambitions. Watch the docuseries trailer below for a preview of what Paulson’s getting herself into. —Anissa Sanchez

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiQSsrQCG6c

Get a taste of the Smashing Pumpkins’ 33-track rock opera with their ambitious new single “Beguiled”

The Smashing Pumpkins have released “Beguiled” ahead of their upcoming three-act rock opera, Atum. “Beguiled” is just one of 33 tracks on the new record, which also serve as a companion piece to the band’s classic concept albums Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness (1995) and Machina/The Machines Of God (2020). With something as ambitious as a rock opera, the Pumpkins are sure to provide an epic sonic journey with their 12th studio album, and “Beguiled” showcases a more prog-metal-inspired sound that’s a striking but welcome deviation from their alt-rock roots. Fans can witness the live debut of “Beguiled” this Friday, Sept. 23, as the band are set to perform on The Tonight Showing Starring Jimmy Fallon. —Alessandro DeCaro

Sudan Archives makes her TV debut with a visionary performance

Earlier this month, Sudan Archives unveiled her masterful new album Natural Brown Prom Queen. Now, she’s making her late-night TV debut on Stephen Colbert’s Late Show with “Selfish Soul.” In the music video, Archives flexes by playing a violin upside down, and she raises the ante with her visionary performance, which features a trio of backup singers, a bassist and Archives ripping on her stringed instrument, all clad in black. Witness her magic below. —Neville Hardman

White Lung are giving us one final album, Premonition 

While we’re gutted to learn that White Lung’s long-awaited fifth studio album Premonition will be their last, the band seem ready to go out with a bang. Sharing two new singles, “Date Night” and “Tomorrow,” White Lung have reemerged as energized as ever with their signature blend of blast beats, angular guitar riffs and Mish Barber-Way’s dynamic vocal style. Additionally, the band have shared visually stimulating and abstract videos for both singles, which were directed by close friend and visual collaborator Justin Gradin. Premonition, which arrives Dec. 2, finds the band rejecting and making peace with the idea of nihilism while also shedding light on the events that have transpired not only within society over the last five years but also within their personal lives, including the birth of Barber-Way’s two children. —Alessandro DeCaro

Read more: 10 ‘Simpsons’ band cameos that’ll make you wish you lived in Springfield

“In ‘When Billie Met Lisa,’ Lisa Simpson is discovered by chart-topping artists Billie Eilish and FINNEAS while searching for a quiet place to practice her saxophone,” according to a press release. “Billie invites Lisa to her studio for a special jam session she’ll never forget.”

The Simpsons has a long history of including musicians in the show. blink-182 and Tony Hawk both appeared on the show’s 300th episode. The episode featured the band performing “All The Small Things” at a party hosted by Hawk.

The Smashing Pumpkins, the White Stripes, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica have also been featured on The Simpsons, just to name five.

This announcement follows the siblings’ recent Oscar win, as well as their recent performance at the 2022 Grammy awards.