Los Angeles-based rock band The Weather Underground has changed its name to Red Cortez. The group, which is profiled in the On the Verge section of the September/October issue of Relix , had a banner summer with appearances at Bonnaroo and High Sierra, as well as with Matt Costa, Delta Spirit and Constantines.

Earlier this fall, guitarist Shoichi Bagley amicably left the band for pursuits outside music. Calvin J. Love, a native of Edmonton, Canada, was tapped as his replacement on lead guitar.

“We decided we need to keep the focus on the music and didn't want to share our identity with anyone or anything else,” frontman Harley Prechtel-Cortez said in a statement.

The group is currently previewing a few new compositions with Love on guitar at both  www.redcortez.com and the band’s MySpace page. Red Cortez will make its public live debut on November 11 at Los Angeles’ the Echoplex.

As previously reported, the Smashing Pumpkins will alternate between two completely different sets of songs throughout their fall tour. The band will switch between a set of songs dubbed "Black Sunshine" and another selections of songs called "White Crosses" in cities where the group plans to host multi-night engagements. A special two-night ticket bundle will be available for all multi-night engagements. 

In addition to the group’s vast catalogue, Smashing Pumpkins have been covering “Set the Controls For the Heart of the Sun” from Pink Floyd’s second album, A Saucerful of Secrets. The group is said to stretch the psychedelic epic to the 20-minute mark.

“Last evening we were able to play for the first time as a 9-piece version of the band, which is very exciting,” Billy Corgan wrote in his blog today. “The more we let go of how the band is supposed to appear numbers-wise and more of what it is supposed to sound like heart-wise, the closer we get to a present kind of truth. It is very exciting to be making music again for the times we are living in. Playing live is such a big part of that. I had forgotten that in the fallow years of non SP, that connecting with the diverse backgrounds of our audience that has everything to do with finding that voice. I cannot thank those who attend our shows enough.”

The group has also been covering what Corgan calls “a 2012 version” of Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sounds of Silence.”

“We've rehearsed now for 3 weeks for the 20th Anniversary tour, so I trust we have a few more surprises,” Corgan continues. “That is, if you dare come to watch us piss on our own grave….We absolutely, without reservation, honor [former members] James and D'arcy. There is no qualification to that statement. We honor them IN FULL. They were there, then. And together we did some incredible things. But let me go one step further. When Jimmy and I decided to move forward and begin again with SP we very openly addressed the question of James and D'arcy returning. We spoke honestly with each other about our feelings and personal reservations, and decided together that the door was open to them to return. Because it was the right thing to do. Honestly though it wasn't surprising to us that they didn't want to return, because that was consistent with their general position to date (and continues to be I might add), which is they see the band as something that they got away from for their own reasons. There were no conditions ever put on a return. They simply didn't even want the conversation with us…And to the credit of Bruce Hornsby on the whim of a memory, some things will never change. We are who we are. I know what I see. I see what I know. And nothing I know compares to you.”

As of press time, Pete and J is scheduled to headline shows in Providence, RI (11/14), New Haven, CT (11/15), North Hampton, MA (11/20), New York (11/21), Philadelphia (11/22) and Vienna, VA (11/23). Look for a profile on Pete and J in a future issue of Relix. 

After months of speculation, John Paul Jones has publicly commented on the possibility of a Led Zeppelin reunion. When asked about another Led Zeppelin show during a Q & A session at the Mansons Guitar Show, the bassist said the following:

As you probably know, Jimmy [Page], Jason [Bonham] and I are actually rehearsing and we've had the odd singer come in and have a bash. And as soon as we know---which we don't---we will let you know. But, we really hope that something is going to happen soon because we really want to do it and we're having a lot of fun, actually, just rehearsing. Jason is actually tremendous...he's really taking chances. He is a very brave man…every other drummer in the world was watching him thinking [at the reunion show] that could have been me. He’s creative and really fun.

We really want to do something and Robert [Plant] doesn't want to do this sort of thing, at least for the moment. I don't really know what his plans are. He is touring with Allison [Krauss] as you know. He really doesn't want to make loud music anymore, as we do. I mean, I love acoustic music, but it doesn't stop me from turning something up. And what we've done so far sounds absolutely fantastic. When it does come, it will come, and you'll know about it.

Plant has spent the past year touring with Krauss in support of their roots-inspired hit, Raising Sand. After wrapping up his tour with the bluegrass singer, he plans to take a few years off from touring. “It's both frustrating and ridiculous for this story to continue to rear its head when all the musicians that surround the story are keen to get on with their individual projects and move forward,” he recently said in a statement. “I wish Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham nothing but success with any future projects.”