James Iha and Taylor Hanson: Bandmates!

This is pretty much the coolest thing I've heard in a while. A new rock supergroup called Tinted Windows has formed, comprised of former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, Fountains of Wayne bassist Adam Schlesinger, Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos, and Hanson vocalist Taylor Hanson.

No, really. I swear, it's true!

I'm excited for Taylor - too many people only think of "MMMBop" when they hear his name, and this will give him a chance to earn cred with a completely new group of guys. I'm also excited for Iha, who belongs in a popular band and deserves better than the headcase that is Billy Corgan.

Who knows what they'll sound like, but they already deserve huge points for thinking outside the box.

Tinted Windows already has a MySpace page... with no content. Their first gig will be next month at South By Southwest. I'm betting this is going to be one hotly-anticipated show!

I long for D'Arcy and Slash

http://www.livedaily.com/news/12397.html

The Smashing Pumpkins are touring this fall, and there's even (shockingly) a Pittsburgh date. I'm not going, though, because it ain't the real Smashing Pumpkins without D'arcy and James Iha. I hate when bands try to pull off reunion tours when it's not even the real band.

The most egregious instance of this, of course, was when Axl Rose and a bunch of nobodies went on tour a few years ago and called themselves Guns N Roses. I despise Axl Rose. I'm sick of reading about how everyone is waiting for his record to come out. I've been reading this since the late '90s. Enough already. When it comes to Chinese Democracy, put me in the 'I couldn't care less' camp.