Billy Corgan recently previewed "The Rite of Spring" off of the new
Smashing Pumpkins album
Oceania. The show was part boat cruise, part alum release party. Corgan played an acoustic set of new and old songs and thanks to YouTube we have that footage.
The image of Corgan playing alone against the Chicago shoreline is pretty fitting seeing as he is the last remaining original member of the Pumpkins. So the question remains, is this going to be a true Smashing Pumpkins album or a Billy Corgan plus some other dudes album? We shall see. You can stream
Oceania on
iTunes today.
But it hasn't all been smooth sailing for Corgan and company. In a recent interview, Corgan railed against rock demi-gods Radiohead. He called the band out for their "pomposity". Corgan is known for his lip, but this latest comment is a bit bold. This is Radiohead we're talking about. Pump your breaks. Do you really want to start that fight?