August 3, 2004

X-Ecutioners: Revolutions Prevail

Hip hop fundamentalists could consider it an artistic compromise, but the X-Ecutioners embrace the opportunity to reach out to a broader group than the standard rap audience, doing so with integrity and the best interest of hip hop culture in mind.

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Badly Drawn Boy Launches North American Tour Oct. 5

Badly Drawn Boy will launch a North American tour Oct. 5 in Vancouver. Heading out in support of his just released fourth album, “One Plus One Is One” (Astralwerks), the U.K.-based singer/songwriter has dates scheduled through an Oct. 26 show in Houston.

“One Plus One Is One” is the follow-up to 2002’s “Have You Fed the Fish?” That set bowed at No. 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart and No. 135 on The Billboard 200.

Here are Badly Drawn Boy’s tour dates:

Oct. 5: Vancouver (Commodore)
Oct. 6: Walla Walla, Wash. (Whitman College)
Oct. 7: Portland, Ore. (Aladdin Theatre)
Oct. 8: Seattle (Showbox)
Oct. 10: San Francisco (Fillmore)
Oct. 12: Los Angeles (Avalon)
Oct. 13: San Diego (Cane’s)
Oct. 14: Phoenix (Marquee Theatre)
Oct. 16: Salt Lake City (In the Venue)
Oct. 17: Boulder (Fox Theatre)
Oct. 18: Lawrence, Kan. (Liberty Hall)
Oct. 20: Minneapolis (Pantages Theatre)
Oct. 21: Chicago (Vic Theatre)
Oct. 22: St. Louis (Pageant)
Oct. 24: Dallas (Gypsy Tea Room)
Oct. 25: Austin, Texas (La Zona Rosa)
Oct. 26: Houston (Meridien)

Source billboard.com.

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New Chris Rock Album Due Aug. 31

Comedian Chris Rock will release a new album, “Never Scared,” Aug. 31 via Geffen. The set culls material from his HBO special of the same name in addition to a handful of music parodies and new comedy sketches. The first single, “Crackers,” is a parody of OutKast’s No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Hey Ya.” The album will also include a bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes footage from the HBO special.

“Never Scared” is Rock’s first CD release since 1999’s “Bigger and Blacker,” which peaked at No. 44 on The Billboard 200 and has sold more than 404,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

After a two-year hiatus from films, Rock will be heard in the 2005 animated feature “Madagascar” and seen in the remake of the football-themed “The Longest Yard,” also starring Adam Sandler and rapper Nelly.

Source billboard.com.

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Illness Stops Traffic’s Fall Reunion Tour

The reunion tour of seminal U.K. rock act Traffic has been cancelled due to illness suffered by founding member Jim Capaldi. The drummer was diagnosed last week with a severe gastric ulcer that will require treatment. The group’s first trek since 1994 was due to begin Oct. 1 in San Francisco and visit North American theaters.

Capaldi and frontman Steve Winwood were due to be backed on the road by such sidemen as Rosko Gee, Randall Bramblett and Walfredo Reyes. Tour rehearsals were slated to begin next month in London.

Traffic initially reunited this spring to perform at its induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — minus original member Dave Mason, who played only at the show-closing jam. Winwood and Capaldi embarked on a 1994 reunion trek that found them performing at the Woodstock 25th anniversary concert and opening a host of shows for the Grateful Dead; Mason was working with Fleetwood Mac at the time.

Winwood just completed a run of European dates in support of his latest solo studio album, “About Time” (Wincraft Music/Sci Fidelity). His fall plans were unknown at deadline.

Source billboard.com.

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Neko Case To Release 2 New Albums

Neko Case will release two new albums via Epitaph’s Anti- imprint in the coming months as part of a licensing deal with Mint Records for the world excluding Canada. The first set, “The Tigers Have Spoken,” is due Nov. 9. An as-yet-untitled new studio album is expected in spring 2005. Case was previously signed to Bloodshot as a solo artist.

“The Tigers Have Spoken” was recorded earlier this year across seven shows at venues in Chicago and Toronto. Case was backed by the Sadies, steel guitarist Jon Rauhouse and a host of guests, including Kelly Hogan, Jim & Jennie and the Pinetops and Carolyn Mark.
The track list includes two new cuts (the title track and opener “If You Knew”), covers of Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Soulful Shade of Blue,” the Shangri-Las-popularized “Train From Kansas City” and her interpretations of the standards “Wayfaring Stranger” and “This Little Light.”

Also featured is the title track from Case’s latest solo album, 2002’s “Blacklisted,” which peaked at No. 31 on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart.

Case has two dates on her tour itinerary: Sept. 16 at the Parish in Austin, Texas, and the following day in the same city as part of the Austin City Limits Festival.

Source billboard.com.

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Top Artists To Rock Swing States

An announcement is expected tomorrow (Aug. 4) with details of the upcoming Vote for Change tour, presented by MoveOn.Org’s political action committee MoveOn PAC and America Coming Together (ACT), an organization advocating change in government. The series is set to begin Oct. 1 in Pennsylvania and will include in the neighborhood of 40 shows in such presidential election “battleground” states as Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri and Florida.

Sources say the format will be several concerts in different cities in one state on a given night; shows include R.E.M. with Bruce Springsteen, Dixie Chicks with James Taylor and Jackson Browne with Bonnie Raitt, along with performances by such acts as Jimmy Buffett, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews Band. A host of additional acts are expected to participate.

Tentative plans call for a major concert featuring several acts on Oct. 10 in Miami. Among those spearheading the effort are Springsteen’s manager Jon Landau and R.E.M. manager Bertis Downs.

A number of artists will be hitting the airwaves tomorrow to discuss the tour; Matthews will appear in the morning on NBC’s “The Today Show,” while R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills will be interviewed by Al Franken at 1:30 p.m ET on the Air America Radio Network.

Source billboard.com.

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