Beastie Boys Back in Studio; More on Adam Yauch's Film Biz

Adam Yauch, Mike D. and Adam Horovitz are working on a new album, recording at the Beastie Boys' Oscilloscope Studios in lower Manhattan. "It's in the early stages of development, but it sounds cool to me," says Yauch. He wouldn't offer much else in terms of details: "We make music and eat lunch," he says. "Sometimes we fantasize about how cool it would be if we had a chef that cooked lunch every day."

Yauch was more forthcoming about his new side project, Oscilloscope Pictures, a small film distribution company that he launched earlier this month. He's already looking at "a handful" of films, saying, "There are cool, interesting films that fall between genres that the larger companies might not be not looking to distribute." Yauch says he sees the new company as a "small indie label," adding that he's learned some lessons from his experience with the Beasties' defunct Grand Royal imprint. "There's a danger of getting too much overhead going," he said. This time around, "a big part of the idea is to do everything in-house -- the artwork, the DVD covers, posters, that kind of stuff."

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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