Sunday, August 25, 2002
Street Date August 27: Dixie Chicks, Eve, Coldplay
Also: Queens of the Stone Age, Aimee Mann, KISS, Silverchair and more.
Also: Queens of the Stone Age, Aimee Mann, KISS, Silverchair and more.
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Dixie Chicks - “Home” (Open Wide/Monument)
Dixie Chicks’ third release is the trio’s first album on its newly formed Open Wide Records, which the group founded with Sony Music after settling a contract dispute with the record label earlier this year. “We are very proud of the music on ‘Home,’ the group said in a press release. “We recorded it as a labor of love during our time off, and are thrilled it has come together as an album that we think is our best yet.” “Home” is the follow up to the group’s multi-platinum release “Fly.” In December, NBC will air a Dixie Chicks concert special that was recorded this month, according to the group’s official website.
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Eve - “Eve-Olution” (Interscope)
Paving the way for this female rapper’s third solo effort is the hit single “Gangsta Lovin’,” which features chart-topping R&B singer Alicia Keys. Interscope is streaming the song’s companion music video at the label’s official website. “Eve-Olution” is the follow-up to last year’s “Scorpion” and 1999’s “Let There Be Eve.”
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Coldplay - “A Rush of Blood to the Head” (Capitol)
Coldplay recorded its latest at George Martin’s AIR studios in London and Parr Street Studios in Liverpool. The band co-produced the album with Ken Nelson, who also lent a hand during the recording of the Coldplay’s Grammy-winning 2000 debut, “Parachutes.” The new album is streaming at the group’s official website.
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Queens of the Stone Age - “Songs for the Deaf” (Interscope)
On their third album, QOTSA get some big-name help from Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), who played drums on the record and also manned the drum kit during the group’s pre-release tour earlier this year. QOTSA has a flurry of promotional activity planned around the album, including a handful of release-week in-store appearances and an upcoming spot on “The Late Show with David Letterman.” Details are available at the band’s http://queensofthestoneage.com/index_main.html >website.
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Aimee Mann - “Lost in Space” (Superego)
Mann follows her critically acclaimed 2001 album, “Bachelor No. 2,” with her second consecutive self-released LP. Among the artists who contribute to the disc are Michael Penn (her husband), producer-musician John Brion and signer-songwriter Jason Falkner. Mann is expected to launch a tour in support of the album this fall.
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KISS - “The Very Best Of Kiss” (Mercury/UTV)
Fans not willing to shell out the cash for last year’s “KISS” five-disc box set can settle instead for this 21-track collection comprised almost entirely of material from the group’s ‘70s-era heyday. Songs featured include “Strutter,” “Detroit Rock City,” “I Was Made for Loving You” and, of course, “Rock and Roll All Nite.” A full track listing is posted at the band’s official website.
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Silverchair - “Diorama” (Atlantic)
Daniel Johns, Silverchair’s lead singer and principal songwriter, co-produced this album with David Bottrill (Tool, Peter Gabriel). Among the guest musicians who joined the group in the studio were Midnight Oil guitarist Jim Moginie and Australian electronica producer Paul Mac. Van Dyke Parks contributed arrangements on three tracks for orchestra, brass and woodwinds. The entire album is streaming at the group’s official website.
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Other new releases:
30 Seconds to Mars - “30 Seconds to Mars” (Immortal/Virgin)
4th Avenue Jones’ - “No Plan B” (Interscope)
A.I. - “Artificial Intelligence” (DreamWorks)
Alcazar - “Casino” (E-Magine)
Monty Alexander - “My America” (Telarc Jazz)
Axiom of Choice - “Unfolding” (Narada World)
Patricia Barber - “Verse” (Blue Note)
Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash - “Distance Between” (Ultimatum)
BBMak - “Into Your Head” (Hollywood)
Daniel Bedingfield - “Gotta Get Thru This” (Island)
Bigger Lovers - “Honey in the Hive” (Yep Roc)
BlackHawk - “Spirit Dancer” (Columbia)
Bleach - “Again, for the First Time” (Tooth & Nail)
Blind Boys of Alabama - “Higher Ground” (Real World)
Boston - “Corporate America” (Artemis)
Anouar Brahem - “Le Pas Du Chat Noir” (ECM)
Breaking Benjamin - “Saturate” (Hollywood)
Peter Bruntnell - “Ends of the Earth” (Back Porch)
Aoife Clancy - “Silvery Moon” (Appleseed)
Coralie Clement - “Salle des Pas Perdus” (Nettwerk)
Elizabeth Cook - “Hey Y’All” (Warner Bros. Nashville)
Norrie Cox and His New Orleans Stompers - “Live at the Illiana” (Delmark)
Defiance - “Out of the Ashes” (Punk Core)
Al Di Meola - “Flesh on Flesh” (Telarc Jazz)
The Dillinger Escape Plan - “Irony Is a Dead Scene [EP]” (Epitaph)
Division of Laura Lee - “Black City” (Epitaph)
Dragpipe - “Music for the Last Day of Your Life” (Interscope)
Dave Dresden - “Provocative Progressive” (Capitol)
Kahil El’Zabar - “Love Outside of Dreams” (Delmark)
Jimmy Fallon - “The Bathroom Wall” (DreamWorks)
Gordon Gano - “Hitting the Ground” (Instinct)
Bob Geldof - “Sex, Age & Death” (Koch)
Al Green and the Othello Anderson Quintet - “Mister Lucky” (Delmark)
Grits - “The Art of Translation” (Gotee)
gusgus - “Attention” (Moonshine)
Haven - “Between the Senses” (Virgin)
Hound Foundation - “Hound Foundation” (Spy)
Kingpin Skinny Pimp - “Pimpin’ & Hustlin’” (Rap Hustlaz)
Jesse LeGé and Edward Pollard - “Live at the Isleton Crawdad Festival” (Arhoolie)
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers - “Stories” (Red Ink)
Rob Mazurek - “Silver Spines” (Delmark)
The Miles Hunt Club - “The Miles Hunt Club” (Red Ink)
Montgomery Gentry - “My Town” (Columbia)
Maren Ord - “Waiting” (Nettwerk)
Riot - “Through the Storm” (Metal Blade)
Lee Ritenour - “Rit’s House” (GRP)
Rotten Apples - “Real Tuff: Durable Plastic” (Empty)
Duncan Sheik - “Daylight” (Atlantic)
John Sinclair & His Blues Scholars - “Fattening Frogs for Snakes” (Okra Tone)
Sixwire - “Sixwire” (Warner Bros. Nashville)
Andy Snitzer - “Sugar” (A440)
Spock’s Beard - “Snow” (Metal Blade)
Sunset Black - “Common Ground” (MCA)
Nestor Torres - “Mi Alma Latina” (Shanachie)
Trina - “Diamond Princess” (Atlantic)
Chucho Valdes - “Fantasia Cubana” (Blue Note)
Viva Death - “Viva Death” (Vagrant)
The Washdown - “The Washdown [EP]” (Lookout!)
Various artists - “Santa’s Got Mojo” (Electro-Fi)
Soundtracks and scores:
“Barbershop" (Epic)
“One Hour Photo” (Trauma)
“Swimfan" (TVT)
“One Big Trip” (Red Urban)
Shaggy warms up for album release with concert dates
Reggae-pop singer Shaggy has embarked on promotional world tour to advance the Oct. 29 release of his as-yet-untitled new album.
Reggae-pop singer Shaggy has embarked on promotional world tour to advance the Oct. 29 release of his as-yet-untitled new album.
His shows include headlining gigs, festival appearances and two Florida performances--on Oct. 22 and 23--opening for the Rolling Stones.
“Hey Sexy Lady,” the first single from the new album, is will hit radio stations nationwide on Sept. 3. New York radio station Hot 97 offered a sneak preview of the song two weeks ago, and Shaggy will perform the tune on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” on Sept. 6.
Shaggy’s forthcoming album is the follow-up to 2000’s “Hot Shot
and subsequent remix album titled “Hot Shot Ultramix.” The original, multi-million-selling album spawned the hits “It Wasn’t Me,” “Angel” and “Freaky Girl.”
From late November through early December, Shaggy will tour with the Australia’s Rumba festival, which will visit six cities.
Thursday, August 22, 2002
Box Car Racer sets up fall road trip
Box Car Racer--which features two of punk-pop trio Blink-182’s members--embarks on a headlining club-and-theater tour in late October.
Box Car Racer--which features two of punk-pop trio Blink-182’s members--embarks on a headlining club-and-theater tour in late October.
The run, which makes stops throughout the U.S. and Canada, kicks off in the group’s home state of California, and closes in the same state on Nov. 27.
Box Car Racer is headed up by Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge (guitar, vocals) and Travis Barker (drums). According to the band’s official website, the pair wrote all of the songs on the group’s self-titled debut, which hit stores in May.
Rock acts The Used and H20 will open for Box Car Racer on the fall outing. The Used released its self-titled debut in June, while H20’s “Go” surfaced in May of last year.
Wednesday, August 21, 2002
Q&A: Uncle Kracker
Matt Shafer, known to the masses as Uncle Kracker--and Kid Rock’s DJ--is the ultimate rock ‘n’ roll dad. He glowingly sings about his wife and two daughters on his latest album, “No Stranger to Shame,” due in stores Sept. 24.
Matt Shafer, known to the masses as Uncle Kracker--and Kid Rock’s DJ--is the ultimate rock ‘n’ roll dad. He glowingly sings about his wife and two daughters on his latest album, “No Stranger to Shame,” due in stores Sept. 24.
The album’s first single--the passionate, rollicking ballad “In a Little While"--was among last week’s most-added songs on video and radio, and Shafer is planning a major tour behind the album when Kid Rock’s tour wraps up in November.
Shafer talked with SoundSpike about “No Stranger to Shame,” how it differs from his debut “Double Wide” (which spawned the adult-contemporary hit “Follow Me"), his new wonder-boy guitarist and the absence of Kid Rock on the new album.
SoundSpike: “No Stranger to Shame” carries a strong Motown and Memphis influence. Living in the Detroit area, it’s only natural to be a Motown fan.
Uncle Kracker: Totally. That’s all I listened to growing up. That’s all I know [about] writing songs and hooks like that. It’s not necessarily Motown. But it has that influence. I didn’t really have a game plan going into the new record, but [I guess] the game plan was to go song-for-song and go for it, as opposed to having a game plan [for the album as a whole].
But there’s the horns and the strings, but not too much. Everything’s good in moderation. It’s not a big old-school-sounding record. It’s not dated, either. It’s just straight songs. Some are a little lovey-dovey, some are not.
Speaking of lovey-dovey, there is a range of emotions on “No Stranger to Shame.” It runs the gamut of unhappy to gleeful relationships.
There’s a song, “To Think I Used to Love You,” that I actually wrote about the music business. I like to write songs that mean one thing, but could also mean another thing to someone else. Like with “Follow Me” [from “Double Wide"], it’s a cheating song but it wasn’t me cheating. It was the other one cheating. I like to write more universal songs than anything else.
There are signs on the album of a relationship in turmoil. Would you say that’s accurate?
Not at all. I did “Memphis Soul Song” for my wife, and “Letter to My Daughters” for my daughters. I have two beautiful daughters, 3 and 2. They keep me on the top of the world. Then there’s “To Think I Used to Love You” about the music business. I go through a little bit more emotion than the last record. It’s about what happened after almost four years on the road. I ended up in the studio and maybe I was a little more sensitive than I should have been, but I’m not scared. (laughs)
“Memphis Soul Song” was originally about Memphis. But [Martin “Tino” Gross from the Detroit band Howling Diablos and I] turned it into something more beautiful than it was originally supposed to be. The demo of it was a completely different song. But when I got in there, I thought my wife deserved one of them songs. It was an easy way of doing a love song without coming off too corny.
I noticed in the credits that you have a different band now.
I did a little juggling around this time. [My former bandmates, most of whom were from the ex-Mercury Records band Charm Farm] went on and started a new band themselves. I brought down my new guitarist from Mancelona, Mich. His name is Brian Schram, he’s 22 years old and completely rips it up. He’s a cross between Yngwie [Malmsteen] and Stevie Ray Vaughan. I met him when [Kid Rock’s lead guitarist] Kenny Olson got married up in Traverse City. While we were up in Traverse City, the kid was playing in a bar. I said, ‘Jesus Chris. You want a job?’ It couldn’t have worked out better. My [former] bass player [Scott Krause] is actually a drummer, so he moved over to drums. I put Mike Bradford on bass. He produced this record.
It worked out for the better. Them two guys [guitarist Steve Zuccaro and drummer Eric Hoegemeyer] wanted to start their own thing. I wish them all the best. Steve was a good player, too. But I ended up with another good player and another good drummer. I’m sappy because I’d grown used to those guys. You get used to that that, but you know what? It’s going to be fun again.
You worked with a few special guests on “No Stranger to Shame” including country-soul singer Dobie Gray and Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray.
On [the song] ‘No Stranger to Shame,’ Mark and I, when we toured last July through August, we wanted to get together and write and record one song for a Christmas album. Every time we linked up, we talked each other out of it or someone talked us out of it. We ended up not doing it. But I wanted to do a track with him anyway. It seemed appropriate. But trying to get him into the studio was nuts. I don’t know if he’s really that busy or if he’s just pretending to be. I think Mark does some Brian Wilson shit. He just sits around in bed all day. He’s a really good friend of mine. But he came down to the wire. We were mixing the record before he came down.
Was Dobie Gray as difficult with the cover of “Drift Away?”
I felt like a complete ass because he’s such a good singer and I’m so not. I’m more of a crooner than a singer. He sings and I croon along and fool around. I told him, “I should not be singing next to you, Dobie.” He seemed to like it, though. He congratulated me on the version. He said I nailed everything that should have been nailed. He wished me luck and said he loved how different I did it from the original.
Though he appeared on “Double Wide,” Kid Rock doesn’t make a single appearance on “No Stranger to Shame.”
He was busy doing his press junket for the “Cocky” record and had a lot of stuff to do. If I didn’t make this record during a 3 1/2-week window of time, I wasn’t going to be able to do it until now. It worked out good. He gave me the ball and I ran with it.
Ticket Window: Aerosmith, Cher
This week’s major new on-sales also include tickets for Bruce Springsteen, Creed, Elvis Costello, George Strait, No Doubt & Garbage, and The Strokes.
This week’s major new on-sales also include tickets for Bruce Springsteen, Creed, Elvis Costello, George Strait, No Doubt & Garbage, and The Strokes.
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Aerosmith
Read about the tour.
- Antioch, Tenn. (10/4, Amsouth Amphitheater), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
- Charlotte, N.C. (10/8, Verizon Amphitheatre), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
- Raleigh, N.C. (10/12, Alltel Pavilion), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
- Tampa, Fla. (10/17, Ice Palace), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
- West Palm Beach, Fla.(10/19, Mars Music Amphitheatre), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
- Bossier City, La. (10/22, CenturyTel Center), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
- Selma, Texas (10/28, Verizon Amphitheater), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
- Phoenix (11/1, Cricket Pavilion), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
- Las Vegas (11/9, MGM Grand), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
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Bruce Springsteen
Read about the tour.
- Toronto (12/5, Air Canada Center), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
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Cher
Read about the tour.
- Chicago (10/8, United Center), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
- E. Lansing, Mich. (10/12, Breslin Arena), on sale 8/23 at 10 a.m.
- Auburn Hills, Mich. (10/13, Palace), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
- Orlando, Fla. (11/11, Waterhouse Centre), on sale 8/24 at
- Los Angeles (12/2, Staples Center), on sale 8/26 at 10 a.m.
- Anaheim, Calif. (12/5, Arrowhead Pond), on sale 8/26 at 10 a.m.
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Creed
Read about the tour.
- N. Little Rock, Ark. (9/22, Alltel Arena), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
- Los Angeles (10/8, Staples Center), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
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Elvis Costello
Read about the tour.
- Los Angeles (9/24, Mayan) on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
- Austin, Texas (10/6, Backyard), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
- Kansas City, Mo. (10/9, Midland Theatre), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
- Cincinnati, Ohio (10/11, Taft Theatre), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
- Indianapolis (10/13, Murat Theatre), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
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George Strait
Read about the tour.
- Indianapolis (Conseco Fieldhouse), on sale 8/24 at 9 a.m.
- Las Cruces, N.M. (10/19, Pan American Center), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
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No Doubt and Garbage
Read about the tour.
- Baltimore (10/24, Arena), on sale 8/23 at 10 a.m.
- Jacksonville, Fla. (10/27, UNF Arena)l, on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
- Orlando, Fla. (10/30, Waterhouse Centre), on sale 8/24 at 11 a.m.
- Dallas (11/4, Smirnoff Centre), on sale 8/23 at 4 p.m.
- Sacramento, Calif. (11/13, Arco Arena), on sale 8/24 at 10 a.m.
- San Jose, Calif. (11/14, Compaq Center), on sale 8/25 at 10 a.m.
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The Strokes
Read about the tour.
- Philadelphia (10/6, Electric Factory), on sale 8/23 at 10 a.m.
- Chicago (10/11, Aragon), on sale 8/24 at 11 a.m.
- Minneapolis (10/13, Orpheum Theatre), on sale 8/24 at noon
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All ticket on-sale times and concert dates are subject to change without notice. Confirm with your local venue and/or ticket seller.
SoundSpike’s Ticket Window feature is updated each Thursday evening.
Tuesday, August 20, 2002
Indigo Girls’ add to their busy tour schedule
Indigo Girls played only a handful of dates in 2001, but the duo of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers are making up for lost time in 2002.
Indigo Girls played only a handful of dates in 2001, but the duo of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers are making up for lost time in 2002.
The pair began the year with a brief European tour, and followed it by hosting “preview parties” for their new album, “Become You,” which hit stores in March. During the parties, which took place at more than a dozen North American clubs, the album was played in its entirety, after which Ray and Saliers played an acoustic set.
More North American shows featuring the act’s complete touring lineup followed through the spring and summer, and the group’s latest batch of dates stretch into October.
Belgian quintet K’s Choice, which has been opening for Indigo Girls throughout much of the year, will support on all September and October dates. The latest album from K’s Choice, ”Almost Happy,” surfaced in May.
Ray and Saliers recorded “Become You” with their touring group: Carol Isaacs (Hammond B-3, Wurlitzer, piano, accordion, penny whistle, recorder, percussion), Clare Kenny (acoustic and electric bass) and Brady Blade (drums and percussion).
“When we were learning the new songs for ‘Become You,’” Saliers said in a press release, “at first we weren’t even thinking about drums or accompaniment--we just worked real hard on our guitar parts and harmonies so that the songs stood on their own. But when we invited the band to come in, we got so inspired that we ended up using their parts.”
Saliers and Ray each wrote six of the 12 songs on the new album.
Ray spent much of 2001 touring behind her debut solo album, “Stag,” while Saliers took most of the year off.
Album Chart: Nelly, Eminem regain control
Bruce Springsteen’s “The Rising” will instead be sinking on the forthcoming Billboard 200 album chart thanks to the continued success of the latest releases from Nelly and Eminem.
Bruce Springsteen’s “The Rising” will instead be sinking on the forthcoming Billboard 200 album chart thanks to the continued success of the latest releases from Nelly and Eminem.
“Nellyville," St. Louis-rapper Nelly’s sophomore effort, moves back into the No. 1 slot after selling about 183,000 copies during its most-recent week in stores, according to industry sources. The album continues to be fueled by the hits “Dilemma” and “Hot in Herre,” which occupy the No. 1 and No. 2 slots, respectively, on Billboard’s latest Hot Rap Tracks, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks charts.
Also leap-frogging over “The Rising” is “The Eminem Show,” which climbs to No. 2 after moving another 178,000 copies, bringing its total sales to more than 5 million copies.
“The Rising,” meanwhile--which debuted at No. 1 two weeks back after selling more than a half-million copies during its first week out--slips to No. 3 after selling another 166,000 copies.
James Taylor’s “October Road,” which is the veteran singer-songwriter’s first collection of new material in five years, debuts at No. 4 with first-week sales of about 153,000 copies. The album is the only newcomer in this week’s Top 10.
Avril Lavigne’s “Let Go,” which had slipped to No. 9 last week, shoots back to No. 5, and is followed by “Now That’s What I Call Music! 10,” which is down a notch to No. 6.
Trading places with each other are Toby Keith’s “Unleashed” and Linkin Park’s remix collection, “Reanimation,” which land at No. 7 and No. 8, respectively.
After narrowly missing a Top 10 debut by checking in at No. 11 last week, the “XXX” soundtrack--a two-disc set featuring one rock disc and one hip-hop disc--claws its way to No. 9, while Scarface’s “The Fix” sinks from No. 4 to No. 10.
Debuting just outside the Top 10 are Keith Sweat’s “Rebirth” at No. 14, Nickel Creek’s “This Side” at No. 18, the verbosely named “Snoop Dogg Presents ... the Doggy Style All Stars: Welcome to tha House, Vol. 1” at No. 19, and Slum Village’s “Trinity” at No. 20.
Further down the chart, Do or Die’s “Back 2 the Game” debuts at No. 64, Sparta’s “Wiretap Scars” at No. 71, Mary J. Blige’s “Dance for Me” at No. 76, and Jump5’s “All the Time in the World” at No. 86.”
Other noteworthy movement on the chart comes from Drowning Pool’s debut, “Sinner,” sales of which roughly doubled in the wake of frontman Dave Williams’ Aug. 14 death; the album will re-enter the Billboard 200 chart at No. 141.
Monday, August 19, 2002
Tommy Lee takes Drowning Pool’s slot on Ozzfest
Ozzfest, left with a main-stage vacancy following the recent death of Drowning Pool frontman Dave Williams, has tagged Tommy Lee to occupy the slot during the tour’s remaining dates.
Ozzfest, left with a main-stage vacancy following the recent death of Drowning Pool frontman Dave Williams, has tagged Tommy Lee to occupy the slot during the tour’s remaining dates.
Lee is due to join the outing on Thursday (8/22) in Denver, and will be on board through the tour’s Sept. 8 conclusion, according to Ozzfest.com. The former Motley Crue drummer is touring behind his May solo release, ”Never a Dull Moment.”
Drowning Pool’s Williams was found dead on the band’s tour bus last Wednesday (8/14). No cause of death has been announced. A public funeral service took place on Sunday (8/18) in Texas.
Surviving band members C.J. Pierce, Stevie Benton and Mike Luce released a joint statement shortly after Williams’ death.
“We lost a band-mate and a best friend today. Dave Williams was one of a kind, and a friend to everyone he met. He was a good man, and a giving person. Not a day went by when he wasn’t giving somebody a little present, and touching everyone around him with his passion. He was full of energy until the day he passed, and undeniably full of life. To the end, we were having a great time. We will miss him.”
The Strokes’ fall tour plans include dates with the Stones
Critically acclaimed garage-rockers The Strokes have set plans for a fall tour that includes a pair of dates opening for The Rolling Stones.
Critically acclaimed garage-rockers The Strokes have set plans for a fall tour that includes a pair of dates opening for The Rolling Stones.
The Strokes are scheduled to open their tour on Oct. 1 at an as-yet-unannounced venue in Portland, Maine. The New York band will open for the Rolling Stones in Landover, Md., and Hartford, Conn.
After the tour, The Strokes will start recording the follow-up to their 2001 debut, “Is This It,” according to their label. On Oct. 1, RCA Records will issue a limited-edition version of “Is This It” that features videos to the singles “Last Nite,” “Hard To Explain” and “Someday,” as well as live versions of “NYC Cops” and “The Modern Age.”
The video to “Last Nite,” which was directed by Roman Coppola, is nominated for the MTV2 Award at the MTV Video Music Awards, which will take place on Aug. 29.
Sunday, August 18, 2002
Chris Robinson road-tests solo material
The Black Crowes’ frontman Chris Robinson has embarked on a solo acoustic club tour to showcase material from his forthcoming album.
The Black Crowes’ frontman Chris Robinson has embarked on a solo acoustic club tour to showcase material from his forthcoming album.
Robinson’s solo album, “New Earth Mud,” is expected to hit stores later this year on Redline Entertainment, but the label hasn’t set a release date. Robinson also contributed a song titled “The Red Road” to the “The Banger Sisters” soundtrack, starring Goldie Hawn and Susan Sarandon. Robinson is married to Hawn’s daughter, Kate Hudson.
According to reports, Robinson decided to take a break from The Black Crowes when drummer Steve Gorman left the band. Robinson has said that the split is temporary.
Meanwhile, V2, the Black Crowes’ label, releases “Black Crowes Live,” a two-disc, 19-song set recorded in the fall of 2001, on Tuesday (8/20). Guitarist Rich Robinson, Chris’ brother, chose the songs for the album.
“The shows were going so well, I just thought it would be great to record a live album,” Rich Robinson said on V2’s website. “We were playing well together with great set lists spanning all of our albums. We had hours of music to sift through.”