Billy Corgan creates unnamed record label
Hey, at least the most recent news surrounding the Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has been encouragingly music-related. After ending 2009 by releasing “A Song For A Son,” one of the first tracks from the upcoming 44-track behemoth Teargarden By Kaleidyscope, Corgan starts 2010 in an equally productive manner, as he and new Pumpkins producer Kerry Brown are starting a record label that resurrects old names from the early days of punk and psychedelia.
According to Brown, who posted the news of the as-yet-unnamed label on his blog, signees include punk pioneers the Germs, who are laying down two “new” tracks written, but unrecorded, by Pat Smear and Darby Crash before Crash's suicide in 1980. Also on the label: '60s psych-poppers The Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Electric Prunes (about whom Brown writes, “get the Visine ready for your third eye!”), Germs side project Fancy Space People, and something called YaHoWa13. Needless to say, it's an eclectic roster.
In other Pumpkins-related news, Corgan and former Pumpkins drummer Matt Walker are playing a benefit concert on Feb. 18 at LaSalle Power Company for the 10th anniversary of NorthShore University HealthSystem's Integrative Medicine Program, followed by cover band Zoom. It's like '93 all over again!
