Though chiefly a man of the six-string, Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has offered his support to the Bob Moog Foundation, a group named after the landmark inventor of the electronic synthesizer bearing his surname, to aid efforts toward the construction of a Moog Museum. "I believe Bob Moog to be one of the great visionaries of our time, Corgan said in a statement. "His ideas far transcend use in just music, and to this day continue to have impact in everything from rock to rap to quantum physics. I strongly believe many people all over the world would benefit from being able to interact with the thoughts, ideas, inventions, and life of Dr. Moog…"

Moog, who died in 2005, left his archives -- papers, technical schematics, equipment, and prototypes -- in an un-air conditioned warehouse, thus damaging many of the objects. The Moog Foundation, with the help of Corgan and other musicians, hopes to restore many of the artifacts and preserve them in a museum.

Ben Lee Maps North American Tour

Against Me! lovin' Aussie songsmith Ben Lee has unveiled an extensive North American tour in support of Ripe, his sixth solo album to date. Kicking off in Santa Barbara Nov. 1, Lee's 32-date jaunt will hit West Coast cities like Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver before heading east and stopping into Denver, Chicago, and Cleveland. From there, the ragamuffin rocker will thoroughly cover the Eastern Seaboard, head down the coast and log shows in Charlottesville and Atlanta, among others. Coming full circle, Lee will then trek through the southwest in a bid for SoCal, where he will wrap with a Dec. 13 performance in San Diego. Fans looking to get their paws on tickets a little early can head to MySpace, add Ben Lee as a friend, and await a bulletin Oct. 6 explaining Lee's exclusive pre-sale. General tickets go on sale Oct. 10.

Ben Lee tour dates:

11/1, Santa Barbara, CA (Soho Restaurant & Music Club) *
11/2, San Francisco, CA (Cafe Du Nord)
11/5, Seattle, WA (Neumo's)
11/6, Vancouver, BC (Richard's on Richards)
11/7, Portland, OR (Berbati's Pan)
11/9, Salt Lake City, UT (Club Sound)
11/10, Denver, CO (Marquis Theatre)
11/12, Minneapolis, MN (Varsity Theater)
11/13, Chicago, IL (Double Door)
11/14, Cincinnati, OH (Southgate House)
11/15. Cleveland, OH (Agora Ballroom)
11/16, Indianapolis, IN (Music Mill)
11/18, Columbus, OH (The Basement)
11/20, New York, NY (The Gramercy Theatre)
11/21, Boston, MA (Middle East Downstairs)
11/23, Montreal, QC (Cabaret du Musee Juste Pour Rire)
11/24, Toronto, ON (Mod Club)
11/26, Alexandria, VA (Birchmere)
11/27, Charlottesville, VA (Satellite Ballroom)
11/28, Asheville, NC (The Orange Peel)
11/29, Atlanta, GA (The Loft at Center Stage Atlanta)
12/1, Birmingham, AL (Workplay Theater)
12/2, Nashville, TN (Exit In)
12/4, New Orleans, LA (The Parish)
12/5, Dallas, TX (Cambridge Room at House of Blues)
12/6, Houston, TX (Red Room at Meridian)
12/7, Austin, TX (The Parish)
12/8, Norman, OK (Opolis Production)
12/9, Tulsa, OK (Bob's at Cain's)
12/11, Tempe, AZ (The Clubhouse)
12/12, Los Angeles, CA (El Rey Theatre)
12/13, San Diego, CA (House of Blues)

Taking Back Sunday's Fred Mascherino Departs Band, Goes Solo

Parting is such sweet sorrow; Taking Back Sunday's Fred Mascherino, who replaced John Nolan on guitar and backing vocal duties in 2003, has announced his departure from the Long Island, NY-born outfit to pursue a full-time solo career. "We are sad to see Fred go," vocalist Adam Lazzara said in a statement, "and we wish him well with his new project. As for Taking Back Sunday, we're alive and well." That they are; the band has already written five songs for the follow up to 2006's Louder Now and will hit the studio in the coming months to record the forthcoming opus. "We are and we're excited to challenge ourselves and see what the future holds," bassist Matt Rubano added.

Babyshambles' 'Nation' Sessions Nearly Scrapped by Producer

Surprise, surprise; apparently the combination of loose-cannon tabloid cover boy and physical toxic wasteland Pete Doherty, three pub-crawlin bandmates, and stiff nosed producer Stephen Street produces quite the volatile environment. As was the case during the sessions for Babyshambles' forthcoming sophomore LP Shotter's Nation, reports NME.com. "There were a couple of times when I found myself running down a stairwell after Stephen," said clumsy bassist Drew McConnell. "I had to drag him back to the canteen to talk." But apparently it was Doherty's talkin' that saved the sessions. "There were a lot of heart-to-hearts between Stephen and Pete," drummer Adam Ficek added. "Each time Stephen was about to quit, they'd sit down and have a chat… Stephen wouldn't compromise at all… Did I think it might not ever get done? Yeah." Though the album's first single "Delivery" is a promising Kinks-tinged gem, stateside fans will have to wait until Oct. 23 to determine if Shotter's Nation was worth the trouble.