The Smashing Pumpkins

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Chicago, United States (1988 – 2000, 2007 – present)

The Smashing Pumpkins are an band, formed in Chicago, Illinois, USA, in 1988. Billy Corgan and James Iha met in a record store, and began performing in local nightclubs with their bassist, D’Arcy Wretzky, using a drum machine. Playing with a drum machine frustrated both the band and their audience, and so Chicago jazz drummer Jimmy Chamberlin was hired soon afterwards.

Less influenced by than many of their contemporaries, the Pumpkins had a densely layered, guitar-heavy sound, with powerful loud-to-soft-to-loud transitions, while still picking up , , , , -style production.

In later recordings, namely Adore, the fourth album, an flair filtered in after Jimmy Chamberlin temporarily left the band for drug rehab. Though Jimmy Chamberlin returned for their fifth album, Machina/The Machines of God, electronica undertones remained. The emotional tone of bandleader Billy Corgan’s songs ranged from angry (X.Y.U.) to dour (Disarm) to jubilant (Cherub Rock).

Selling more than 18.3 million albums in the United States alone (as of 2006), The Smashing Pumpkins were one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands of the 1990s. However, internal fighting, diminishing sales, drug problems, cultural vitality, and what is speculated to be improper treatment from their record company, hampered the band in their later years, leading to the 2000 break-up.
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  • koolsamarkand

    Hipsters unite

    yesterday afternoon

  • danielforster

    I want to start a vinyl collection (by basically stealing my dad's and adding to it occasionally when i forget I'm living off student loans) and am wondering if anyone can tell me if by getting the vinyl of this I'll get a download voucher thingy too?

    yesterday afternoon

  • ForsakenHorizon

    <3 RiR 2012

    yesterday morning

  • mattmacneil

    This band really had it together from like 1991-1996. The fact that Pisces Iscariot is a 'B-sides and Rarities' album proves that. Crazy shit.

    Monday evening

  • danielforster

    i'm not surprised, he's getting mellow in his old age

    Monday evening

  • maryann2version

    I WANNA BE D'ARCY. DAT BASS.

    Monday evening

  • victorlaia

    billy corgan tá uma baleia

    Monday afternoon

  • stefani_saturn

    Great quality audio of Quasar and Panopticon, especially on Panoticon 5:00, Billy's voice sounds great like back in the siamese era http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7-MbJC9v3w

    Monday afternoon
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Tom Tom Debuts and The Solstice Bare Is In Stores now!

23 Nov 2010 | from blog.myspace.com/smashingpumpkins

Hey folks - head on over to MySpace.com to hear the latest single "Tom Tom."  Also, the second EP, Teargarden by Kaleidyscope Vol II: The Solstice Bare is in stores now and …

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