Billy Corgan

Think of how many contemptuous stray kittens Billy has had to deal with

Will I!

http://www.more-japan.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/rage.jpg

I'm not a fan of the band aside from a few songs, but he puts himself in a pretty untenable position by embracing Rush and Boston (or whatever)

^I'd rather listen to Rush and Boston than anything by Sonic Youth or any of the "cool" bands you're supposed to like. Ive never understood why liking these bands is "untenable"

as you demonstrate, claiming allegiance to both Rush/Boston AND noiserock Sonic Youth dudes = not something that really comes off as genuine. opposing aesthetics.

that's why it's untenable

lol at the concept of opposing aesthetics generally - aesthetics aren't really ideologies. it's perfectly possible, and in fact very common, to genuinely love both Boston and Sonic Youth, or Rush and the Shaggs, and all manner of music coming from disparate places. the idea of having an aesthetic that makes it "inconsistent" or "untenable" to like one kind of music while also liking another kind of music that proceeds from a different set of assumptions than the first...that's greasy kids' stuff, music is vast and most musicians I know think of it as a giant well of pleasure, not Jets and Sharks

yeah but this was the 90s, there was a war on

(altho I don't think I actually know anybody who likes Rush and the Shaggs tbh - unless that's you)

I mean I agree w you Ray, but lots of people don't listen to music that way and do draw battle lines between aesthetics. It may be stupid, but people do it (Kim Gordon acknowledges as much in her quote). Granted this is less common with musicians.

Maybe BC is the real elitist here thinking listening to Rush/Boston is some kind of maverick thing to do.

Isn't she just using "in no way punk rock" as a synonym for corny here? I mean, maybe Kim Gordon really was viewing the world through a Maximum RocknRoll purity lens at the age of 40, but my guess is that it was more about "This guy is way too thirsty for the validation of rock fame" than "He likes Rush and Boston"

Also UMS totally otm in multiple posts. xp

"ok kim, billy may be a star tantrum-prone asshole, but where do you get off using punk rock as a shorthand for cool?"

all billy ever wanted to do is make great music for everyone and challenge the hipster paradigm...

heard the pumpkins' "landslide" on the radio and i'd like to reaffirm that billy has done REALLY WELL for himself considering he sings like jon lovitz as harvey feinstein doing "love to love you baby"

fierstein, rather

Billy Corgan = Bill Clinton
Sonic Youth = Mitt Romney

Poliopolice = Maureen Dowd

I like both Boston & Sonic Youth, Rush suck hard though

elephant in the room re: Boston & Sonic Youth

(and Kim and Billco too)

I didn't mean to disparage Rush (though fuck Boston). I meant that Corgan used to embrace these supposedly uncool bands, because to hell with what's fashionable, man! But at the same he so clearly, vocally wanted to be fashionable. Like, he could hang with Rick Nielsen at will, but his eye was on Sonic Youth, or Pavement, or all these people at the cool party he wasn't invited to. Very insecure.

Boston is so much better than Rush. Sheesh!

^ Said nobody, ever.

And by "Boston" I assume you mean their first album.

The gauntlet has been thrown!

Boston vs. Rush

he's just a teenager in love

if you are puzzled why kims thayil or gordon might have had problems with billy corgan then you really should meet the man. it's not because he loves uncool records. it's about personality and behaviour.

also, smashing pumpkins' best song, drown, always sounded to me like a Boston song segueing into a Sonic Youth song. i remember him almost playing drown at brixton academy in 1993, but he stopped after strumming the opening riff because the uk music press had been horrible to him that week and he said london didn't deserve it. then he came on dressed as a clown for the encore because everett true had called him a clown in a review.

again, it's about personality and behaviour.

Whereas, he seemd to take a holiday from himself when he was in New Order.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CFnWKP7W0AAFcJ4.jpg

wait, is billy the surprise for three lucky winners? they'll need a big fuckin box to fit him in

hahahaha came here to post that pic

The "surprise" is a tantrum from Billy, btw.

A wrestling match in a steel cage (despite all his rage).

Oh, I thought this was gonna be about Fruity

http://loudwire.com/marilyn-manson-billy-corgan-band-flavor-flav-jenna-jameson/

small-batch foods

Ric Ocasek's Troublizing is an underrated means of getting a mid-'90s Corgan fix

http://static.stereogum.com/uploads/2015/07/24213002/1437755229_billy-corgan-zoom-640x462.jpg

I'd be fine with never knowing the context for that picture, but the ambiguity of Billy's expression does intrigue me. Is he happy? Sad? Scared? Desperate for a piss?

The core. The heart music. Thomas & The Tank Engines.

lol

I like to imagine he was having a great time until he spotted the photographer

He looks like he's just licked some piss off of a nettle.

worst make-a-wish foundation trip ever

http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/07/billy-corgan-asked-whether-courtney-love-killed-kurt-cobain-and-things-got-uncomfortable-fast/

"Corgan got defensive — and fast"

Methinks the lady doth protest too much...

seems like a reasonable response to me

weird headline: "Billy Corgan asked whether Courtney Love killed Kurt Cobain, and things got uncomfortable fast"

too bad they couldn't fit "was" between "Corgan" and "asked"

seems like a reasonable response to me

(I know, just kidding. Although it IS always funny to see BC get pissy, however justified it may be.)

"We Asked Billy Corgan Whether Courtney Love killed Kurt Cobain, You'll Never Guess What Happened Next!"