Hot Music Beat

Billy Corgan has hired a new drummer for The Smashing Pumpkins and the new kid’s only 19 years old. Mike Byrne sent the singer a demo tape of his drumming skills when the band made it known online that they were looking for a new drummer last Spring. Billy was reportedly blown away by the kid’s talents and put the Portland, Oregon native on a plane to LA for a live audition. Billy says that Mike “seemed to have that X-factor that all the great drummers have” and the singer is anxious to begin work on the band’s new album because he believes “in [his] heart he will push [him] to be a better musician.”

Jimmy Chamberlin who till last week was the drummer of rock band Smashing Pumpkins
Has opened up on the reason why he abruptly quit the band and how the whole thing has affected his terms with frontman Billy Corgan.

In a blog post which Jimmy has address to his fans he has written: “I can no longer commit all of my energy into something that I don’t fully possess. I won’t pretend I’m into something I’m not. I won’t do it to myself, you the fan, or my former partner. I can’t just, ‘Cash the check’ so to speak.”

Go on Jimmy there is nothing that can stop a creative person from creating his own destiny since when has brotherhood been the bottom line for working together. We all believe that till its worth doing something we do it and there after just dump it cos’ we’ve outgrown ourselves so immensely that others become unsightable.

Two members of The Smashing Pumpkins are involved in a lawsuit against Virgin Records America. James Yoshinobu Iha and D’Arcy Wretzky-Brown are claiming that the label has screwed them out of ringtone fees and other stuff. They say that back in 2005, five years after the band broke up, Virgin negotiated a deal solely with front man Billy Corgan for the electronic transmissions (ringtones, downloads, computer files and whatever else), without ever getting their consent. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages in the suit filed in LA County Superior Court. Why does it take some people a lot of time before filing suit? You would think that a year without getting royalties would have made them do something already.