Billy Corgan

i can't remember the last serious 'sophomore slump' in rock/alternative circles where the act really seemed to lose half their audience or whatever.

that's because bands and albums are not the currency of relevancy anymore; it's songs. And as long as those songs are in circulation (ipods, video games, commercials, etc.) they have currency. there are more venues for songs to be in circulation now than ever before, and the more share they have of these venues, the more currency they have. bands per se are almost irrelevant.

That's an interesting point.

One band that kind of sprung to mind while I was listening to Corgan talk about social media and the net not panning out so well for artists was Ok Go -- a band that I don't particularly like, but that seems to be able to keep making money from a brand built not, I don't think, on albums at all, but on a stream of clever individual videos and clever live shows that dovetail with the videos. And people will keep going to see that band, at least for a while, because it's kind of more like going to see Blue Man Group or Stomp! or something, although I don't doubt that their fans actually like their music too.

And that band is a great example. I don't think anyone who watches those videos, whether it be fans or casual viewers, give a flying fuck who is in that band. Probably the entire band could be replaced and no one would care. They know the band as OK GO and that's about it. They're there for the spectacle and the entertainment, and if anyone's watching it, it's because at that particular moment, the spectacle is better than some other spectacle available at that moment.

cannot think the words "the world is a vampire" unless recited in corgan's snarl. absolutely cannot.

Do you find yourself thinking those words in other contexts?

Everytime I see Billy Corgan, I'm reminded of the video he did for his band Hexen, probably years before the Pumpkins. It's hard to hate him after that, even as pompous as he often comes across.

James Iha is still what made that band tick.

James Iha is still what made that band tick tolerable.

I said that as a guy who is most distinctly not a fan of the band.

that's because bands and albums are not the currency of relevancy anymore; it's songs. And as long as those songs are in circulation (ipods, video games, commercials, etc.) they have currency.

So it's like the 60's all over again, where a band could have one or two hit singles and tour the oldies circuit more or less indefinitely. If that's the case then I really don't have a problem with it, FWIW.

recorded music is still absolutely monetizable but the money is, always has been, always will be in the carrier.

or controlling the carrier, more accurately.

Yeah, he would.

http://www.spin.com/articles/billy-corgan-ambient-siddhartha-herman-hesse-synth-jam-chicago/

i wholly & unironically support this

very excited for a recording

Love the photo with this article:

http://cdn3.pitchfork.com/news/54028/363e3876.jpg

In that Corgan has the dazed look of a man who doesn't realize that everyone else behind is not the original line-up, precisely because he doesn't remember driving them all away.

haha, also i like how a pumpkins fan who checked out 20 years ago could see that photo and think "okay, yea, i don't remember the rest of the band looking like that but i guess they're the same members"

I won't be impressed until he submits a life-size sculpture of himself made out of butter for judging in the Iowa State Fair

Live Stream Billy Corgan's Eight-Hour Ambient Jam Inspired by Siddhartha:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3tV8n-CVnA#t=7694

Anyone else watching this and following Dan Lopatin's live tweets? I guess this is suddenly my Friday night...

Although I have to say that I'm not sure I'm going to last more than 10 minutes of this.

i'm about an hour in. it's not terrible

The Siddhartha audio samples are pretty... literal, as interpretations go.

yeah, the sections where he turns off the text are much much better

I know it's kind of a cheap shot, but Billy's gained some weight, right?

oneohtrix livetweeting https://twitter.com/0PN

Daniel Lopatin ‏@0PN 1m
"quietly dangling hand" its as if Hesse knew Corgan would one day patch that OSC!

Ergh, why did he go for the Australian audio book?

Beats.

https://twitter.com/0PN/status/439506560620834816

lopatin is killin' it

He decided to do something else for about an hour or so, but I'm back now.

Errr... meant "I" was doing something else - although not sure I've missed anything either.

Daniel Lopatin ‏@0PN 39s
corgan needs to do a hard restart

lol, was just about to repost that.

http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/241681/billy-corgan-bars-chicago-tribune-reporter-from-show-after-critical-column/

Is that it? Already? We were promised 8-9 hours.

just a break

billik organ

the vehicle is returned

that was so bad i hate you billy

was? is. and always shall be

Just awful, I want my bandwidth back.

I can't understand how ANYONE would even be diverted for a minute for anything to do with this bell-end anyway!

lopatin is killin' it

― illegalblues, Friday, February 28, 2014 9:59 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah that was great. he seems pretty ilxy

was lopatin telling the truth when he said the whole thing went under an hour

please say yes

naw

damn it

it was shit. i hate myself for watching all nine hours but i was sick in bed and its awfulness was distracting

I like the guy's tea shop, though.

he sucked as soon as he cut his hair

DrZoidberg1 38 points 9 hours ago
Billy, what's your go to acoustic? Still Taylors? Martin?
permalink
iamBillyCorgan 66 points 8 hours ago
I'm currently working with Yamaha. And I hope that we might be able to build kind of a signature BC acoustic.

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2os94f/i_am_billy_corgan_of_the_smashing_pumpkins_and/

"you remind me of my signature BC Yamaha. my BC Yamaha. my BC Yahama."