Indie Music Chatter

Ok, The Smashing Pumpkins may not be considered as indie artists. Billy Corgan, for all of his “indie” posturing, is as indie as Aerosmith. But, nevertheless, I respect the band and their music. Siamese Dream is a classic and so is Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness.

It was with great anticipation that I was waiting for Zeitgeist, the Pumpkins’ comeback album. Tarantula was not that bad and I was hoping that the whole album will have stronger cuts. But that anticipation has turned to revulsion for me — and I think it’s safe to say that recent news about the album’s release has also turned off many fans of the band.

According to a recent report, Zeitgeist will have four, yes, four different versions. Three of the versions will have bonus tracks and the fourth one won’t have anything. Here’s the deal, the first two versions (with two different bonus tracks) will be available at Target and Best Buy. The third version will be available on iTunes, while all of the other retailers will have to settle for the fourth vanilla version of Zeitgeist.

This is a great disservice to the fans of the Pumpkins. This is one of the most corporate moves I have seen a band make. To support the big retail chains that have killed off independent music retailers is a slap to the face of many music fans who never, ever buy their music from these stores. This is what has led me to write this particular entry. I hate it when artists like The Smashing Pumpkins take advantage of their fans.

I guess Billy Corgan has dried up his bank accounts and wants to suck the money off his fans. The world is a vampire indeed.

Smashing Pumpkins, Zeitgeist, Siamese Dream, Best Buy, Target, iTunes