Free music is sweet. Forty-four free brand new Smashing Pumpkins songs is even better. Frontman Billy Corgan revealed news on his website last week that the band will be releasing their new, enormous album via free downloads in a series of releases starting this October.

Though the songs are part of an album called Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, they will not be released in a bundle. Instead, the song will begin popping up on the website around Halloween and 11 four-song “mini-boxset” EPs will be released to the public. Once all 44 songs are up, a full box-set will be assembled. These boxsets will be available for sale, in some cases with exclusive demos attached.

Corgan has always been something of a maverick in the way of online music, beating Radiohead to the punch when he released Machina II/The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music for free back in 2000, Pitchfork reports.

The issue of freedom is just one of Corgan’s many new-age beliefs, along with a spiritual website he released a few weeks ago called Everything from Here to There.

“Free will mean free, which means you won’t have to sign up for anything, give an email address, or jump through a hoop. You will be able to go and take the song or songs as you wish, as many times as you wish.”

As for the music, Corgan says the plan is to return to “the original psychedelic roots of The Smashing Pumpkins: atmospheric, melodic, heavy, and pretty.”

Recording started earlier this month, with their new 19-year-old drummer Mike Byrne joining them in the studio for the first time.

After the Pumpkins’ last effort, the much-anticipated flop Zeitgeist, this album could be the make or break for the band, who have strung on their fans in a series of bizarre career moves.

If Kaleidyscope doesn’t pan out, Smashing Pumpkins diehards can always turn to the latest side project from ex-Pumpkin James Iha. It’s called Tinted Windows and it features Iha, Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos, Hanson brother Taylor, and Fountains of Wayne bassist Adam Schlesinger. They even have a self-titled album in stores and did a brief summer tour.

Now I’ll leave you to mull over all this unbelievable information and fact check for yourself, because I swear I’m not lying about any of it.

Related posts:

1. Smashing Pumpkins Loses Founding Member
2. Smashing Pumpkins Confirm Comeback Album
3. Corgan Confirms the Return of the Smashing Pumpkins

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