Teargarden by Kaleidyscope

"Teargarden" redirects here. For the band, see The Tear Garden.

Teargarden by Kaleidyscope
Artwork accompanying the free download of the first four songs.
Studio album by The Smashing Pumpkins
Released	December 7, 2009 – present
Recorded	September 15, 2009 (2009-09-15) – present
Genre	Alternative rock
Label	Martha's Music / Rocket Science
Producer	Billy Corgan, Kerry Brown, Bjorn Thorsrud
The Smashing Pumpkins chronology
Zeitgeist (2007) Teargarden by Kaleidyscope (2009–present) Oceania (2012)
Singles from Teargarden by Kaleidyscope
"Freak" Released: July 20, 2010 (2010-07-20)

Teargarden by Kaleidyscope is the eighth album by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. A series of 44 individual songs, it is being released one track at a time through free MP3 downloads over the course of several years. As of May 2011, ten songs have been made available for free download and two physical, limited-edition EPs, each containing four of the songs, have been released.^[1][2]

Announced by the band's frontman Billy Corgan on September 16, 2009, Teargarden by Kaleidyscope is a concept album inspired by the Tarot, and in Corgan's words, "a new kind of album [...] you can hear as it's being made."^[3] It is currently being released over the Internet, from the band's official website for free, one song at a time. Each time a set of four tracks is made available for download, it is later made available for purchase as an EP box set.^[2] Once each of the planned eleven four-song sets have been released, the entire album will reportedly be released as a box set with entirely new packaging and exclusive content.^[4][5]

Background

The Smashing Pumpkins reformed in 2006, after a six-year hiatus, releasing the studio album Zeitgeist in 2007. Although Zeitgeist went gold, which Billy Corgan considered an achievement given the state of the music industry, Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin decided in 2008 that they would not make another traditional studio album, citing changing listener habits.^[6]

In March 2009, Chamberlin left the band. Corgan held tryouts to find a replacement, eventually deciding on 19-year-old Mike Byrne.^[7] In April, Corgan laid out his vision for the new album:

“

[I] don't think I'm going to make albums in the old-fashioned way, meaning 12-15 songs, etc. in one small package. My desire at this point would be to release one song at a time, over a period of 2-3 years, with it all adding up to a box set/album of sorts that would also include an art movie of the album... My thinking is that if I focus on one song at a time I would approach them as beautiful, distinct paintings that would each require the attention they deserve. This would also mean I would choose what I am recording quite carefully as there would be tremendous internal pressure to get it just right, and that is the kind of pressure I like, which is to make the most beautiful thing possible.[8]

”

Corgan spent much of summer 2009 in ex-Catherine member and "Superchrist" producer Kerry Brown's home studio, where Zeitgeist was recorded, recording demos for about fifty songs.^[9] In July, Corgan formed the band Spirits in the Sky to play a tribute concert to the late Sky Saxon of The Seeds. He then toured with the band, comprising Brown, Electric Prunes bassist Mark Tulin, Strawberry Alarm Clock keyboardist Mark Weitz, frequent Corgan collaborator Linda Strawberry, flautist Kevin Dippold, "Superchrist" violinist Ysanne Spevack, new Pumpkins drummer Mike Byrne, and Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro, playing covers and some of the new Pumpkins songs at several clubs in California.^{[citation needed]}

Concept and sound

Billy Corgan has said that he was inspired to write a story based on the four phases of 'The Fool's Journey' version of the Tarot - the Child, the Fool, the Skeptic, and the Mystic.^[10] Corgan has explained his interpretation of this view: "There's childlike innocence when you just don't really know anything in the world and it all seems sort of big and magical...the teen, aware but not really liking what's going on...the third person that's cynical, where you get kind of bitter because you feel so small and there's all these things that are sort of happening and there's not much you can do about it...the fourth stage out of that would be finding a sort of spiritual place within yourself where you can live in reality, you can see it for what it is, but maybe you can find a deeper source of inspiration and peace."^[11] In other words, the album finds Corgan "looking past, present and future all at the same time and trying to have that perspective".^[12]

Corgan says he considers the sound a return to the Pumpkins' "psychedelic roots", and describes it as "atmospheric, melodic, heavy, and pretty".^[10] His stated goal for the entire album is to create "a whole new exciting Smashing Pumpkins sound that is compatible with the old sound but is wholly different".^[13] Corgan feels an "affinity" between the new material and the first few Smashing Pumpkins albums, not because of a conscious effort, but because he is again enjoying that style.^[11] He is envisioning an "acoustic" period and an "experimental" period later in the album's creation.^[13] He acknowledged a Donovan influence on the sitar-tinged "A Stitch in Time".^[12]

Recording

The band is recording using a combination of analog tape and Pro Tools in Corgan's home studio in Chicago, with production duties handled primarily by Corgan with Kerry Brown and Bjorn Thorsrud, both veterans of earlier Pumpkins recordings.^[14]

Co-producer Kerry Brown explained the mindset going into the recording:

“

[T]he goal is to treat each song sonically different to best present its palette... Billy writes a song, we record a demo, listen back and find the feeling that the song evokes and then visualize the picture that it paints.

”

On the first two EPs, Billy Corgan handled the bulk of the guitar and keyboards, with Mike Byrne on drums and Mark Tulin handling much of the bass playing.^[13][15] Kerry Brown played congas on "Astral Planes", and Ysanne Spevack, Linda Strawberry, and Lisa Harriton have all mentioned contributing.^[16] In these sessions, Corgan consciously focused on finding the rhythmic "groove" in the music, as opposed to focusing more heavily on elaborate production or songwriting.^[17]

Starting with the third EP, the entire current lineup of the band is featured, including Jeff Schroeder on guitar and Nicole Fiorentino on bass.^[18] Recording for the third EP commenced in October 2010 and is ongoing.^[18][19]

Release

This is the second Smashing Pumpkins album released for free over the Internet, the first being 2000's Machina II: The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music. Teargarden is seeing such a release due to Corgan's reported hope that people hear the album before dismissing it, on top of his interest in "subverting a system that works against holistic thinking when it comes to how art is made and delivered to those who might want to hear it."^[20]

All of the songs are planned to be released for free as 192-kbps, DRM-free MP3 files, available from direct links on the band's website.^[21] Meanwhile, the songs will be released as eleven four-song limited edition CD EP box sets.

The first physical EP, Teargarden by Kaleidyscope Vol. 1: Songs for a Sailor, consisting of a wooden box with the 4-song CD, a 7" vinyl record with one additional song, and a hand-carved stone obelisk, was released May 25 by Rocket Science Music.^[4][5] The second, Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, Vol. 2: The Solstice Bare, was released on November 23, 2010 in the form of a cardboard box with the 4-song CD in a letterpressed sleeve and a 12" vinyl picture disc with all four EP tracks and a b-side.^[22]

Finally, the complete forty-four song album will be released as a complete box set, accompanied by an art film and a making-of documentary entitled The Making of Teargarden.^[23] Corgan says he is also considering a single-CD compilation of the best of the forty-four tracks.^[13]

On April 26, 2011, Corgan announced a change in the release method. Still under the Teargarden by Kaleidyscope name, the band now plans on releasing a full-length album titled Oceania in "late 2011."^[24] A physical release will be made available in early 2012.^[25] The new album was described by Billy Corgan as "an album within an album."^[26][27] Corgan says that Volume 3 of the EP releases will be put on hold until after the release of Oceania.^{[citation needed]}

Promotion

To promote Record Store Day in 2010, the band performed live at Amoeba Records, offered free blacklight posters to those who pre-ordered the first EP from their local record stores,^[28] and released two limited edition 7" singles containing the album's first four songs.^{[citation needed]} "Widow Wake My Mind" was promoted as a radio single, with Corgan appearing on WKQX in Chicago and several major-market stations adding it to rotation. On April 20, 2010, the band performed the song live with an Up with People choir on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.^[29][30]

While "Widow Wake My Mind" failed to chart, the follow-up single, "Freak" was released on July 20, 2010, and reached #27 on the Billboard Alternative chart and #34 on the Rock Songs chart.^[31] Also in July, the band launched an American tour, and went on to tour several continents throughout 2010, playing songs from the new album and promoting the free downloads.

On October 12, 2010, "The Fellowship" was released on the television soundtrack for The Vampire Diaries.^[32][33] The free download was made available via the band's website on January 12, 2011. On March 17, 2011, "Lightning Strikes" was made available for free streaming on Rolling Stone's website. The song was made available for download the following day on March 18, 2011, on the band's website.

On May 3, 2011 the band released "Owata" for streaming on LA Weekly.com.^[34] A music video for the single was directed by Robby Starbuck, and will be first released as a 12-minute film on Yahoo! Music, June 29, 2011 at 9:00 PM Pacific.^[35][36] It is the first video to use a Red Epic-M camera.^[37]

Reception

The songs of Teargarden by Kaleidyscope have received mostly positive reviews thus far. Rolling Stone wrote: "Nothing in Corgan’s prolific recording history could have prepared us for the over five minutes of classic rock that is “A Song for a Son,” which starts off with a “Stairway to Heaven”-esque riff before exploding into the rest of ZoSo’s touchstones."^[38] Spin's review of "Widow Wake My Mind" was positive, naming the song "a very pleasant surprise." Rolling Stone included it in their "hot list", calling it "[Corgan's] sweetest pop melody since Kennedy left MTV."^[39]

Nokia's Inside Music review lauded the free download scheme that Billy Corgan has implemented: "I'm completely stunned that tunes of this quality are up for grabs free for the anticipated 5 year duration of this project." The review continued, praising the maturing drumming of Mike Byrne: "It's worth pointing out that 19–20 year old drummer Mike Byrne is beginning to show signs that he may well be capable of filling the horrific void of Jimmy Chamberlin’s departure".^[40]

Jon Stone of the American Songwriter reacted positively to the second EP, "The Solstice Bare", stating that "The songs are not mind blowing, but for once, Billy doesn't seem like he is trying to prove his relevance to both old and new fans on every track. Respect is given to the song, rather than just the hook—quite an accomplishment from one of the most prolific and talented of hook writers."^[41]

Track listing

See also: Oceania (album)

No.	Title	MP3 release date	MP3 length	EP length	Box set cover	Download cover
Vol. 1: Songs for a Sailor May 25, 2010[4][42]
1.	"A Song for a Son"	December 8, 2009[43]	6:03	6:03
2.	"Astral Planes"	April 16, 2010[29]	4:06	4:06
3.	"Widow Wake My Mind"	January 18, 2010[44]	4:27	4:59
4.	"A Stitch in Time"	March 2, 2010[45]	3:33	3:28
—	"Teargarden Theme"†	—	—	2:55
Vol. 2: The Solstice Bare November 23, 2010[46][47]
1.	"The Fellowship"	January 12, 2011[48]	3:51	3:53
2.	"Freak" (also known as "Freak U.S.A.")	July 6, 2010[47]	3:52	3:54
3.	"Tom Tom"	November 24, 2010[49]	4:04	4:04
4.	"Spangled"	September 14, 2010[50]	2:30	2:32
—	"Cottonwood Symphony"†	—	—	3:05
Vol. 3
—	"Lightning Strikes"	March 18, 2011[51]	3:56	—
—	"Owata"	May 4, 2011	3:39	—
A "—" denotes a non-applicable or unknown field. A "†" denotes a vinyl bonus track that was included in the box set and not released as an MP3.

Personnel

The Smashing Pumpkins

• Mike Byrne – drums (all tracks), backing vocals (Vol. 3)
• Billy Corgan – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, electric sitar, production
• Nicole Fiorentino – bass, backing vocals (Vol. 3)
• Jeff Schroeder – guitar (Vol. 3)

Additional musicians

• Kerry Brown – congas and production
• Ysanne Spevack – violin, viola
• Linda Strawberry – backing vocals
• Mark Tulin – bass (Vol. 1 & 2)

Technical personnel

• Kevin Dippold – studio assistant
• Chris Lord-Alge – mixing (Vol. 3)^[52][53]
• Stephen Marcussen – mastering
• Bjorn Thorsrud – production, engineering

Chart performance

EPs

Year	EP	Chart	Peak
2010	Vol. 1: Songs for a Sailor	Billboard Independent Albums[54]	43
2010	Vol. 1: Songs for a Sailor	Billboard Tastemaker Albums[54]	16

Singles

Year	Single	EP	Chart	Peak
2010	"Freak"	Vol. 2: The Solstice Bare	Billboard Alternative Songs[55]	27
2010	"Freak"	Vol. 2: The Solstice Bare	Billboard Rock Songs[55]	34

References

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2. ^ ^{a b} Eisen, Benjy (December 10, 2009). "Billy Corgan Calls Smashing Pumpkins Split a 'Mistake'". Spinner.com. http://www.spinner.com/2009/12/10/billy-corgan-calls-smashing-pumpkins-split-a-mistake/. Retrieved December 12, 2009. 
3. ^ Epstein, Dan (September 17, 2009). "Smashing Pumpkins Recording "A New Kind Of Album"". Shockhound.com. http://www.shockhound.com/features/763-smashing-pumpkins-recording--a-new-kind-of-album--the-smashing-pumpkins. Retrieved December 12, 2009. 
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7. ^ "Smashing Pumpkins Replace Drummer". Billboard.com. 2009-08-19.
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15. ^ Interview with Billy Corgan. Local 101 with Chris Payne. WKQX. 2010-02-14.
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21. ^ The Smashing Pumpkins (2009-12-08). "The Smashing Pumpkins on Facebook". Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=7301722641&share_id=193025744927&comments=1#s193025744927. Retrieved 2009-12-09. 
22. ^ "The Solstice Bare Limited Edition Box (12 Inch CDEP ++) - Smashing Pumpkins". Whatrecords.co.uk. http://www.whatrecords.co.uk/items/56651.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-27. 
23. ^ Brown, Kerry. Twitter Update. 2009-10-08.
24. ^ http://citadelcc.vo.llnwd.net/o29/stations/CHICAGO/WLS_AM/Roe_Roeper/BillyCorgan081211.mp3
25. ^ Lanham, Tom (August 12, 2011). "Smashing Pumpkins set to rerelease classic catalog". The San Francisco Examiner. http://www.sfexaminer.com/blogs/backstage-pass/2011/08/smashing-pumpkins-set-rerelease-classic-catalog. Retrieved August 13, 2011. 
26. ^ Perpetua, Matthew (April 26, 2011). "Smashing Pumpkins Announce Reissues, New Album". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/smashing-pumpkins-announce-reissues-new-album-20110426. Retrieved April 26, 2011. 
27. ^ Kot, Greg (April 26, 2011). "Smashing Pumpkins announce new album, extensive reissues". Chicago Tribune. http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2011/04/smashing-pumpkins-announce-new-album-extensive-reissues.html. Retrieved April 26, 2011. 
28. ^ "The Smashing Pumpkins kick off Record Store Day". Smashingpumpkins.com. 2010-04-17. http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/recordstoreday.php. Retrieved 2010-09-27. 
29. ^ ^{a b} "Smashing Pumpkins To Perform On 'Tonight Show With Jay Leno'". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner. April 15, 2010. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=138544. Retrieved April 16, 2010. 
30. ^ Marty Lennartz (2010-04-21). "The Smashing Pumpkins On Jay Leno". Wxrt.radio.com. http://wxrt.radio.com/2010/04/21/the-smashing-pumpkins-on-jay-leno/. Retrieved 2011-03-14. 
31. ^ "Artist Chart History — The Smashing Pumpkins". Billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/charts/rock-songs#/artist/smashing-pumpkins/5700. Retrieved 2010-08-27. 
32. ^ "The Smashing Pumpkins – "The Fellowship" & "Jesus Needs A Hit"". Stereogum. 2010-10-06. http://stereogum.com/535491/the-smashing-pumpkins-the-fellowship/mp3s. Retrieved 2010-12-01. 
33. ^ "Vampire Diaries: Original Television Soundtrack (updated tracklisting) | Vampire-Diaries.net | A Fansite for the Vampire Diaries". Vampire-Diaries.net. 2010-09-02. http://www.vampire-diaries.net/tv-series/vampire-diaries-original-television-soundtrack-updated-tracklisting. Retrieved 2010-12-01. 
34. ^ "Interview: Billy Corgan talks Smashing Pumpkins reissues, new studio album | Page 3". MusicRadar.com. 2011-04-28. http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/interview-billy-corgan-talks-smashing-pumpkins-reissues-new-studio-album-433362/3. Retrieved 2011-06-28. 
35. ^ "Music Video News: BOOKED: Smashing Pumpkins - Robby Starbuck, dir". Video Static. 2011-05-09. http://www.videostatic.com/vs/2011/05/booked-smashing-pumpkins-robby-starbuck-dir.html. Retrieved 2011-06-28. 
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39. ^ Rolling Stone Magazine. Issue #1099. March 4, 2010.
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44. ^ Breihan, Tom (January 18, 2010). "New Smashing Pumpkins Track: 'Widow Wake My Mind'". Pitchfork Media. http://pitchfork.com/news/37615-new-smashing-pumpkins-track-widow-wake-my-mind/. Retrieved March 23, 2010. 
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53. ^ http://twitter.com/#!/Billy/status/40634765078036480
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External links

• Official website
• "Ain't No Sleep When You're Living the Dream" – The producer Kerry Brown's recording blog
• Official blog of frontman Billy Corgan