100b is back, baby! But don’t call it a comeback, we been here for years, rockin our peers and puttin’ suckas in fear… Ahem sorry, I got a little carried away, but you gotta love LL Cool J. Anyway, we’re glad to be back after our much needed two week break, but 2007 has been the year for long gone bands to come back and dust off their banjos after years and years away from the limelight. Here’s a little look at the bands – some more Poptastic than others – that have rediscovered their love of performing together and – in most cases – money up to now. There are many more bands who reunited this year according to the wikipedia, but I’ve only listed the names that ring a bell to me.

First up the Grrrl Bands:

In February, to much surprise All Saints got back together. So much surprise that everyone was wondering why? After years of not so saintly cat fights, tell-all books putting each other down and Elton John-type hissyfits, they all of sudden announced they kissed and made up and hello world they’re back! Sadly nobody believed or bought any of it and the comeback was a big, sad flopsy flop just like 5ive and East 17’s comebacks last year. Yeah, that happened. I actually used to like All Saints’ songs, but I too was utterly indifferent to the whole reformation.

The Spice Girls’ reunion in June stirred way more people, even though most find it hard to not cringe whenever they say the Girls part. There’s massive interest in their big tour, which is gonna start in December and they have a Greatest Hits album out soon featuring three new songs.

   Spice Girls – Wannabe

Big in the Nineties:

Rage Against The Machine came together this year for some concerts and are said to have a couple more gigs in store for us. It’s pretty exciting, because nobody explodes on stage like they do and there’s never a dull moment with such an outspoken collective. They’ve only been back together a minute and Ann Coulter already had some venomy things to say about the band, their music, and their fans. Man, she must be a hoot at parties.

   Rage Against The Machine – Take The Power Back

The Smashing Pumpkins are also back together. I sort of feel like this is just a consolation prize for Billy Corgan, because all his other musical ventures couldn’t touch the success the Pumpkins had, but at least their back in full nineties glory.

   Smashing Pumpkins – Blissed And Gone

In June, The Verve said they’re getting back for the joy of the music. A more cynical person would scoff at this, but in this case I want to believe it enough to love the sentiment and I’m genuinely glad they are giving it another go. They’re touring in November, they’ve already recorded some new songs and you can download a 14 minute free jam session of the band over on NME.com. It’s only available for a week so hurry!

   The Verve – History

I always get this old man rock vibe from the newly reunited Crowded House. I’m no fan but I’m sure a lot of people (read: old man rockers) are itching to see their favorite Aussie band rip up the stage with hits like “Don’t Dream It’s Over” once again.

After a four year hiatus The Mighty Mighty Bosstones announced that they were back together earlier this month. They came into the spotlight in 1995 thanks to the popular movie Clueless starring Alicia Silverstone, but they had been together for a decade by then. They’re said to have contributed to the creation of something called ska-core, which is a mix of hardcore punk and ska. I’m sorry I don’t know much else about them, nor have I paid enough attention to the band before to really care about this reunion.

For the Indie kids:

At the beginning of the year James let the world know they are also back together for a comeback tour. I never really liked their biggest hit “Sit Down”, but it’s nice to see those guys are still rockin’.

I’m curious to see what happens for Manchester band Shed Seven now that they got back together. They were never a very popular band outside the UK to begin with so maybe their work will get a bit more airplay, because they’re such sweet, surprisingly poppy, songs.

   Shed Seven – She Left Me On Friday

Holy Moses, The Jesus And Mary Chain are back together. I’m never sure what to expect from a comeback, but all I know is that I haven’t been this excited about a reunion since them Pixies took the stage again a few years ago. Themselves influenced by 60’s bands like The Stooges and Velvet Underground and great big walls of sound, this feedback-driven band has spawned a plethora of new bands.

   The Jesus And Mary Chain – Surfin’ USA

Ye olde big bands of yore:

The Police have reunited, though this is actually their third reunion since their split in 1986. Their last one was not so long ago, only four years ago to be exact, so what keeps people fascinated by this band? They have produced some wonderful pop songs, but I think the thing that really has people coming back is the mandatory eighties dancing that comes with their songs.

Ah, Genesis. Yep, they have reformed as well. I enjoy the occasional Genesis song on the radio, but I have no strong feelings about this reunion either way. I do wonder what Peter Gabriel looks like now, because he will always look the way he did in the “Sledge Hammer” video to me.

You gotta appreciate the Sex Pistols if not for their legendary status in music history, then for the blatant honesty of the reason they got back together. John Lydon just came out and said that the common cause that got them back together in 1996 was money. Alright I’m biased, but that makes me love him even more. I don’t give a flying monkey butt why these bands get together anyway so you might as well admit that there are huge sums of money involved with these reunions, so fake BFF stories like All Saint’s miraculously rekindled love saga are wasted on me. Anyway, The Sex Pistols are once again ready to spread some of their patented filth and fury and all that comes with it.

   Sex Pistols – Submission

The lone (former) kid’s rap group:

Oh my god, Kriss Kross are reuniting too, everybody! Apparently Mac Daddy and Daddy Mac, the once popular underaged rap duo are going to release a comeback album this month. I haven’t really heard anything about this mystery album yet, but it’s still early so let’s give it some time. Even with the wiggity wiggity whack Spice Girls in the same line up this is still the most poptastic band mentioned here. This one makes me smile, after I get over the rush of backward clothing nostalgia, I can’t help but wonder who was petitioning for these guys to get back together? I’m not saying there’s no place for them in this ever growing list of reforming bands in 2007, but it’s totally out of the blue. I only know this one hit from 1992, but I think it still sounds as excellent as when I first heard it at eleven.

   Kriss Kross – Jump

Well, that’s it for now, but the year is not over, so I’m sure this list is not done growing. I don’t know what it is about 2007 that caused this wave of reunions, but it’s been overwhelming. There have also been some rumours about a My Bloody Valentines and Smiths comeback. I don’t know what’s gonna happen with My Bloody Valentine, so keep your fingers crossed, but I think it’s safe to say that the latter band at least will sadly not be seen together anytime soon, since Morrissey famously said that he would rather eat his “own testicles than reform The Smiths and that’s saying something for a vegetarian”.