Music News & Notes

Chamberlin Quits Pumpkins

Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin has left the Smashing Pumpkins, according to a statement on the band's Website released late Friday. When Billy Corgan resurrected the Pumpkins name in 2007, Chamberlin was the only other original member to return to the lineup. In a simple statement, it was announced that Chamberlin had left the group and that Corgan "will continue to write and record as the Smashing Pumpkins with plans to head into the studio this spring." Corgan has come under fire for a variety of reasons over the past year, from goading angry fans at last fall's unusual Pumpkins gigs to testifying in Washington in favor of the Ticketmaster/Live Nation merger.

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Phish Side Project

Phish’s Trey Anastasio has teamed up with composer Don Hart to create Time Turns Elastic, a classical/blues-rock crossover project, released by Rubber Jungle Records.

"Neither of us had ever heard anything that uses a guitar as a serious instrument intermingled with an orchestra in the same way one would write a concerto for a violin and orchestra," says Anastasio, who first collaborated with Hart at the 2004 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. The piece will make its debut on May 21 at a sold-out show in Baltimore with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, while the record is due out May 12.

MySpace Music is exclusively streaming the new album, Living Thing, from indie band Peter Bjorn and John, days before its U.S. release. Fans can currently listen to the record in its entirety via myspace.com/peterbjornandjohn. Tour dates, videos and other band information are also available through the MySpace page.

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Guns N' Roses Adds Guitarist

Guns N' Roses announced the addition of guitarist DJ Ashba, a founding member of Nikki Sixx’s Sixx:A.M., for their upcoming touring lineup. "DJ's a gifted, energetic guitarist that Guns N’ Roses is proud to have on board," Axl Rose said in a statement. "We're very excited to have the opportunity to work together. Guns' radar has silently been aware of DJ’s presence for quite some time! He brings a fresh approach to our particular brand of mayhem expanding the tapestry of Guns N' Roses live. Once DJ’s name was in the hat, the hat disappeared!" Ashba is replacing Robin Finck, who rejoined Nine Inch Nails after recording Chinese Democracy with GN’R. Details of when this "upcoming tour" will happen still remain to be seen.

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Anniversary edition of Pearl Jam's '10' is being released Today

Diehard Pearl Jam fans out there, and they are legion, might be able to explain the significance of Tuesday's date in the band's chronology. Whatever the date might have signified in the past, from now on it will mark the re-release of "Ten," the band's first album that came out a little more than 17½ years ago, on Aug. 27, 1991.

The "Ten" deluxe edition has four different versions, ranging in price from $19.99 to $199.99 for the super-duper deluxe package that includes two CDs, a DVD, four vinyl LPs, a cassette and various replica mementos of the band's early days. If you are the ultimate Pearl Jam fan -- and you have lots of disposable income -- this is the package for you!