Year of the Reunion brings new tours, albums

I spent New Year’s Eve in a small garage in Oceanside. Two of my good friends had set up a makeshift recording studio and, instead of partying until we could no longer remember each other’s names, we spent upward of an hour improvising and recording whatever we came up with. It was my dream New Year’s. I can honestly say there was only one place I would rather have been at the stroke of midnight: Club Spaceland in Silver Lake.

On that specific night, the underrated ’90s indie rock band Chavez was playing one of their first shows in 10 years and nothing would have made me happier than being there to see it. It would have been a perfect way to start off 2007, not only because I love Chavez, but because 2007 is shaping up to be the Year of the Reunion.

The number of groups that have announced tours or new albums ““ or both ““ is staggering, despite the fact that many of them have been broken up for five, 10, even 25 years.

As is the case with Chavez (who have also confirmed that a new album is in the works), I’m really excited to hear what some of these groups come up with.

Several months ago, indie rock outfit Sebadoh announced its plan to tour with its classic lineup for the first time in 14 years. If original members Lou Barlow, Jason Loewenstein and Eric Gaffney have retained even one-tenth of the ferocity and inventiveness they once had, their performances will be a sight to behold.

Lou Barlow has also reunited with J Mascis and Patrick Murphy, and together they are working on the first Dinosaur Jr. album with this original lineup since 1988’s “Bug.” With the legendary tension between Barlow and Mascis seemingly overcome, it’s hard to say what the new album will sound like ““ the tension was always a key part of their creative process.

Another release I’m looking forward belongs to the Pixies, their first in 16 years.

Though the seminal indie rockers have been touring since late 2004, Frank Black said in an interview that only after a deliberation of several years did the band decide to start writing again, and, with this kind of discretion, I have my fingers crossed that they won’t crash and burn.

In other cases, I remain skeptical, because it’s common knowledge that reunions have the potential to go terribly wrong terribly fast ““ look no further than Jane’s Addiction’s “Strays” for proof.

Billy Corgan has announced that the Smashing Pumpkins are working on their first album since 2000 with a lineup that, since I last heard, includes only original drummer Jimmy Chamberlin.

After giving Corgan’s solo album, “The Future Embrace,” a few spins and growing increasingly bored, I can’t see anything much coming of it. At least the drumming will be good.

There’s also Guns N’ Roses, which is basically what Axl Rose calls himself and any musician obedient enough to never (ever) question his authority.

“Chinese Democracy” has been on and off the radar for over a decade now and each time its release date is delayed, it affirms that Rose’s ego and penchant for awful electronica is truly a recipe for disaster.

The most surprising reunion, however, belongs to Roxy Music. After winning over Brian Eno, who once claimed that the thought of a reunion “leaves a bad taste” in his mouth, the band is working on a new album, its first with the original lineup since 1973. In my mind, this one’s a toss-up.

With all that, and new albums from the Wu-Tang Clan and the Stooges as well as a Rage Against the Machine reunion show to take place at Coachella, this year guarantees an abundance of feel-good success stories as well as moments of downright embarrassment.

Don’t dream it’s over: Crowded House is reuniting, too.

E-mail Duhamel your favorite Neil Finn song at dduhamel@media.ucla.edu.

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