'Garbage' Men: An Interview With 3/4 of Alt-Rock Royalty

Tron: Legacy. Chinese Democracy. A credible Cagney & Lacey reunion TV movie. Some things in life take way too long to come into fruition that when they finally do they fail to measure up to even reasonable expectations. Thankfully that's not the case with the new Garbage album Not Your Kind of People, which finds the alt-rock band picking up right where they left off seven years ago.

It's hard to believe the last time Shirley Manson, Butch Vig, Steve Marker and Duke Erikson made music together Dubya was in office and Justin Bieber was just learning geometry. OK, that last statement may not be entirely correct but the day I "Google" the Biebs is the day I decide to retire from life.

In any event, on May 22, just a few hours before they took the stage for a sold-out show at Webster Hall in New York City I spoke with the men of Garbage from a dimly-lit back bar. Marker, Erikson, and mega-music producer Vig discussed the "don't call it a comeback" comeback, touring, and the new album. We also touched on Wisconsin -- where they all have roots -- and the recent deaths of music immortality Robin Gibb, Adam "MCA" Yauch and Donna Summer.

Before you watch the video, here's a little crash course on the band in case your brain cells have rotten since 2005. The band released their self-titled double-platinum album in 1995 and scored with hits "Stupid Girl and "Only Happy When It Rains" as well as standout tracks "Vow" and "Queer." The band's follow-up, "Version 2.0," continued their dominance on alt-radio charts and earned them two Grammy nominations which, personally, I believe they deserved to frickin' win. In 2001, the band released "Beautiful Garbage," and opened for U2 on their All That You Can't Leave Behind tour. In 2005, their fourth album Bleed Like Me came out and that was pretty much until (cue the dramatic music) NOW! Not Your Kind of People marks the band's first release on their own label. Let's hope it won't be another seven years before they release its follow-up.

Boom.