The Smashing Pumpkins are looking for a new bassist and keyboard player, it was announced on Tuesday (March 9th) by the band's publicist. Bassist Ginger Pooley, who toured with the group in 2007 and 2008, has left the band to take care of her new baby, while it is not clear what happened with keyboard player Lisa Harriton. Band leader Billy Corgan plans to hold an open audition process to find the group's new members, similar to the manner in which he landed drummer Mike Byrne last year.

Pooley said in a statement, "Although I've been blessed beyond belief over the past few years through playing with the Pumpkins, my priority now is to keep our little family unit together, which includes my husband and my baby.'

Corgan also said, "Although I am heartbroken that Ginger is leaving the group, I really respect her decision to put her family first. I appreciate everything that she has contributed to The Smashing Pumpkins, and I'm proud of her for being such a great musician and friend."

Corgan also commented on the audition process, saying, "We were lucky enough to find drummer Mike Byrne through an open audition process, so why not open the doors again to anyone who might be interested for the bass or keyboard position . . . Everyone is truly welcome to audition."

Electric Prunes bassist Mark Tulin will work with the group until a new bass player is found. Details of a world tour are expected to be unveiled shortly.

The Smashing Pumpkins are currently recording a 44-song album called Kaleidyscope By Teargarden, with each song being released online as it is completed and a deluxe collection of the entire set due out when it's done.

In other news, Corgan's recent musical collaboration with rumored romantic partner Jessica Simpson, titled "Who We Are," has surfaced online.

MGMT has posted two songs from its upcoming sophomore album online, including the first single, "Flash Delirium," and the title track, "Congratulations." "Flash Delirium" can be downloaded for free at MGMT's official website, while "Congratulations" has surfaced on YouTube. Congratulations will be out next month and follows up MGMT's 2008 debut, Oracular Spectacular, which featured the hits "Kids" and "Time To Pretend." (Idolator)

Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos has denied reports that he plans to write a musical, posting on Twitter that he is "not writing a bloody musical" and adding, "I was talking about an idea I had for one. Doesn't mean I'm going to write it . . . I had an idea for a sitcom in a Russian abattoir. I'm not writing that either." Speculation began after Kapranos mentioned on Australian radio station Triple J recently that he had "an amazing idea" for a stage musical. (NME.com)

The Metal Den has recently unearthed the only known "isolated master guitar track" in existence of Randy Rhoads playing the riff to the classic Ozzy Osbourne song "Crazy Train." Rhoads laid down two guitar parts for the song, which was Ozzy's first single as a solo artist back in 1980, and this recording captures one of them without the rest of the instruments or vocals. March 19th will mark the 28th anniversary of Rhoads' 1982 death in a plane crash. To hear the track, go to http://themetalden.com (The Metal Den)

Blue October has announced the dates and venues for a rescheduled version of the tour that was postponed last fall. The original trek was scrapped when frontman Justin Furstenfeld was hospitalized after suffering an "extreme mental-anxiety attack." Proceeds from the new dates will benefit suicide prevention services and help raise awareness of mental health issues. The dates are:
April 7 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage
April 8 - Richmond, VA - Hat Factory
April 9 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts
April 10 - New York. NY - Webster Hall
April 11 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
April 14 - Boston, MA - Reason to Live
April 15 - Millvale, PA - Mr. Small's Theatre
April 16 - Rochester, NY - Water Street Music Hall
April 17 - Columbus, OH - Lifestyles Communities Pavilion
April 18 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
April 20 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
April 21 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
April 23 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Auditorium
April 24 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
April 25 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre
April 27 - Lubbock, TX - Lonestar EC Pavilion
April 28 - Odessa, TX - Dos Amigos
April 29 - Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
April 30 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
May 1 - Mission, TX - Las Palmas Race Track
May 8 - Austin, TX - Stubb's BBQ
May 15 - Houston, TX - Sam Houston Race Park

Barenaked Ladies are out with the video for their new song, "You Run Away." It's the first single off the group's upcoming album, All In Good Time, which is due out on March 30th.

The 14-track set is the first without founding member Steven Page. The rest of the group is still in tact, including guitarist/singer Ed Robertson, bassist Jim Creeggan, keyboardist Kevin Hearn and drummer Tyler Stewart. Robertson tells us what it's been like without with the new line-up: "It was such a daunting prospect, and the second we started working, it was just like we totally hit the ground running. You know, we're so familiar with each other. The writing process. The recording. The shows as a four-piece. It's been so natural. We realized why were we so freaked out? We've been doing this for 20 years together. Of course it's a natural thing."

Barenaked Ladies will visit The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on March 19th, The Today show on March 29th and Live With Regis And Kelly on March 31st.

Page, who's now pursuing a solo career, was busted for drug possession in 2008. Not too long after the incident, he parted ways with BNL.

Are Guns N' Roses playing three private shows in South America? According to reports published on Billboard.com and other outlets, they are. But according to Blabbermouth, spokesperson Fernando Lebeis, son of Axl Rose's personal assistant Beta Lebeis, has denied the reports, saying they're not.

Promoter Jamison Ernest announced on Monday (March 8th) that the band would play secret gigs in Brazil and Argentina this Thursday (March 11th) and on March 20th, with a third Brazilian show also in the works. Each venue was slated to hold about 150 people, according to Reuters, with the locations being kept under wraps to avoid large crowds showing up. But in a post at a fan message board, Lebeis wrote, "Sorry, guys, there will not be three secret shows in South America."

He added, "Sorry for the confusion, some people just need to be quiet and enjoy the sun."

Guns N' Roses began its 11-date South American tour this past Sunday (March 7th) in Brazil, with dates scheduled through April 1st in countries like Ecuador, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Colombia.

Guns N' Roses has recently played secret gigs in New York and London. The band's last South American appearance was in 2001.

Skillet has announced the second leg of its North American headlining Awake & Alive tour, which begins on April 15th in Scranton, Pennsylvania and ends on May 21st in East Lansing, Michigan, just before the group appears at Rock On The Range in Columbus, Ohio on the 22nd. Joining Skillet on most of the dates will be Red. A show with Daughtry on April 20th in Broomfield, Colorado is also on the schedule.

Skillet came out of the Christian rock circuit but has recently toured with groups like Shinedown and Puddle Of Mudd. Frontman John Cooper told us he's definitely seen a wider range of fans at those shows: "Our shows consist of lots of different kinds of people (laughs). In an autograph line, you could have somebody come up and say, 'You guys are f-ing amazing, man, you blew my face off,' and cursing and 'sign my boobs!' And then the next person comes up and is like, 'Man, what you guys do for Jesus is so cool, keep it up.' All kinds of people at our shows. Never thought I would hear the words 'Jesus' and 'f-ing' in the same, you know, back to back."

Skillet is on the road now with TobyMac and plays Thursday night (March 11th) in Champaign, Illinois.

Skillet is touring behind its eighth studio album, Awake, which debuted at Number Two on the Billboard album chart last summer.

The CD features the Top 10 rock radio hit "Monster" and its follow-up single, "Hero."

Newly announced Skillet tour dates (subject to change):
April 15 - Scranton, PA - Scranton Cultural Center
April 18 - Charlotte, NC - Bojangles Coliseum
April 22 - Raleigh, NC - TBA
April 23 - Savannah, GA - TBA
April 24 - Aiken, SC - USC Aiken Convocation Center
April 25 - Pensacola, FL - Saenger Theater
April 29 - Lafayette, LA - Cajundome Convention Center
May 2 - Jonesboro, AR - ASU Convocation Center
May 4 - Fort Smith, AR - Fort Smith Convention Center
May 6 - Park City, KS - Hartman Arena
May 7 - Dodge City, KS - Dodge City Civic Center
May 9 - Topeka, KS - Kansas Expocentre
May 11 - Bismarck, ND - Bismarck Civic Center
May 13 - Rapid City, SD - Rushmore Plaza Civic Center
May 15 - Fargo, ND - Urban Plains Center
May 20 - Saginaw, MI - Dow Event Center (Theater)
May 21 - East Lansing, MI - Michigan State Univ. Concert Auditorium

Switchfoot has a busy few months ahead. The group will swing by The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on March 17th to perform the song, "Mess of Me. " Also coming up are a batch of North American dates between now and April 21st, followed by an overseas tour.

After the guys return to the U.S., they'll have a couple of appearances before playing the sixth annual Switchfoot Bro-Am, set for June 26th at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, California. The event will feature surfing contests, a live art mural created by local artists and a concert. It will benefit San Diego area chapters of StandUp for Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping at-risk and homeless youth.

Last year's Bro-Am was the most successful to date, drawing over 7,000 attendees and raising close to $100,000 for StandUp for Kids.

"Mess Of Me" appears on the band's seventh album, Hello Hurricane, which arrived last November.

The track was recently nominated for a GMA Dove Award in the Rock Recorded Song of the Year category, while "Always" received a nod for Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year.