Seven years after their last album, the Pumpkins (well, two of them, singer Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin) reunite and rehash. The avalanches of screeching guitars and hyper-earnest lyrics on United States and Tarantula take you back to the Pumpkins' mid-'90s heyday, but nothing here moves the band forward or sticks in your head. The alienation may abide, but the melodies just ain't what they used to be.
The Short List of Things to Do
A guide to what you should see and what you should skip and what you won't be able to avoid