TWILIGHT YEARS: The moody hard rock of the Afghan Whigs could be as misogynistic as it was masochistic, with leader Greg Dulli hating himself a little more with each passing seduction. When the Whigs disbanded and Dulli emerged with the recently told Billboard.com. “That is who Greg Dulli is. Otherwise, I’m part of a group. If there are other people helping me to play instruments and helping me with anything, then I have to call it something else. To me, the Twilight Singers are an extension of me still wanting to be part of a band. I will do a Greg Dulli record someday, but I haven’t done it yet… And when I eventually do a solo record, it will probably be a pretty stark affair.”
Sony Records released the first Twilight Singers record, “Twilight as Played by the Twilight Singers.” It arrived to little fanfare and failed to dent any of Billboard’s charts. “Blackberry Belle,” however, bowed last week at No. 39 on the Top Independent Albums tally. It marks the first time Dulli has reached one of the magazine’s charts since the Afghan Whigs’ swan song, “1965,” entered The Billboard 200 at No. 176.
The Twilight Singers are in the midst of a North American tour. 
THANKS, BILLY: Kill Hannah has been one of the more dependable acts on the Chicago rock scene the past few years. Despite a shifting line-up, the Mat Devine-led group has been able to keep rocking like it’s 1994, and has found a high-profile cheerleader in former Smashing Pumpkins/Zwan leader Billy Corgan.
The superstar hasn’t been shy about his love for the band and regularly shows his support by introducing the band at hometown concerts. The connection isn’t all that surprising. As evidenced by the band’s major label debut, “For Never & Ever” (Atlantic Records), Kill Hannah embraces the more pop-friendly aspects of the Smashing Pumpkins in crafting glitzy, glam-influenced tunes with giant choruses. Add in Devine’s androgynous vocals and Kill Hannah fits comfortably between Garbage and the Sneaker Pimps in any rock collection.
New songs such as “Boys and Girls” and “Unwanted” are filled with clever, light-industrial electronic effects, making the songs fit for the dance club. Meanwhile, slower numbers such as “New Heart for Christmas” sufficiently update Corgan’s woe-is-me take on teenage rebellion. Single “Kennedy” is a disco-ready mockery of America’s royal family that has been snaring airplay in the Midwest and on the West Coast.
Over the past year, Kill Hannah has played to a diverse crowd, supporting such acts as the Buzzcocks, Evanesence and Chevelle. Additionally, the group has made it a point to heavily tour college towns throughout the Midwest and has built a sizable young following.
Preceded with an appearance on NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly,” “For Never & Ever” arrived last week at No. 27 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. It’s the group’s third album, and first since 1999’s hard-to-find “American Jet Set” (Baby Doll). It’s also the first time Kill Hannah has cracked any of Billboard’s charts. Sales were also helped by the album’s low introductory price of $10.
Kill Hannah is on a club tour until early November and will be playing radio station festivals in December.
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