36 R &R February 12. 1999 SOUND DECISIONS

Music News & ViEws

Hutchence Solo Album Ready

V2 Records has inked a deal to release the late Living End's `Prison' Breaks Out At Alternative Michael Hutchence's solo album. Hutchence. the char- ismatic frontman for the rock band INXS, recorded the Punk is back on the airwaves was getting a great reaction from forthcoming national tour. album over a three -year period from the beginning of thanks to the Australian trio the Liv- nearly everybody; we had a lot of 1995 to the end of 1997. Most of the tracks were corn - Ready For Takeoff: Noel ing End, whose debut U.S. single great stations come in during the pleted before his death on November 22, 1997. The as- on Reprise, "," holidays. Hartough, the Johnson yet- untitled album will hit retail this summer. Concur- has been embraced at Alternative "Programmers are always look- Brothers, Krazy rently, V2 will re- release Max Q, an album featuring col- and a growing number of Active ing for something fresh at the be- Expect some serious bids for the laborations between Hutchence and 011ie Olsen. services of Tallahassee, FL -based singer/ Noel Hartough. Studio Update The artist has built an enviable track record at Alternative WXSRiTalla- In the studio: Ben Folds Five is currently recording hassee, which has already played its fourth album. which is tentatively slated to be in three Hartough songs over the past stores later this year ... Maverick recording artist year. Rather than rush Hartough into Me'shell Ndegeocello is close to wrapping up her next a deal, manager Hanson and Jeff studio album. Produced by Craig Street. the disc is ex- the artist have spent the last year re- pected to hit retail this fining his singing and writing thanks to advance money from a publish- summer ... TVT alt -rock ing deal with EMI. Some of the top band the Connells are labels will be attending Hartough's writing material for their showcase at the Nashville NEA Ex- new album. The group, travaganza in mid-February. which is still lining up a The Fabulous Johnson Broth- producer, plans to enter ers are causing a stir at Alternative the studio in March ... WWCD /Columbus, OH. The nine- Ben Folds Five 311, which is currently piece funk/hip -hop band's song "Chocolate" is pulling down top working on material for its next album, has tapped Hugh three phones, says MD Jack De- Padgham (Police. Sting) to produce its next disc ...The Rock and Rock stations. ginning of the year, and we wanted Voss. Another positive sign that the alt -rock band Tonic plans to return to the studio this The old- school beats of "Prison- `Prisoner' to be that record. But it's song is appealing to newcomers: spring to begin work on the follow -up to its last effort. er" are being played by such influ- also a great time for a record like DeVoss got a "thumbs up" call from ential the platinum Lemon Parade ... Randy Newman has fin- Alternative stations as this. There have been some really a fan in Milwaukee who heard ished his debut DreamWorks album. The disc. titled WXRK /New York, KROQ/Los great punk bands with great songs "Chocolate" while listening to the Angeles, WKQX/Chicago, WBCN the last few years, but there aren't station on the Internet. Bad Love. goes to retail in May and was produced by WFNX in and Boston, KITS /San that many getting airplay right now." Record of the week "Roll Mitch Froom ... Social Distortion frontman Mike Ness Francisco, KNDD/Seattle, KDGE/ - WEDG/Buffalo PD/MD Rich ' Em," by Krazy. The Tampa-based has finished his first solo effort. Featured on the album, Dallas and WXDG/Detroit, as well Wall concurs. "There's definitely a rapper's ode to marijuana, with its which will be released in mid- March. are Bruce Spring - as Active Rockers KRXQ /Sacra- demand for old- school punk, espe- sample of the classic country ever- steen and Brian Setzer mento, WJRR/Orlando, WCCC/ cially among the kids. There was a green "Rawhide," picked up near- Hartford and KICT/Wichita. real buzz coming from the indie ly 90 spins its first official week at Tour news. Neil Young will embark on his first solo Formed in 1994, the Living End stores that we picked up on, and we hometown CHR/Rhythmic WLLD. concert tour in over 25 built enough of a following that by decided to give it a try. Right now MD Orlando says the song is gen- years on March 2 in 1996, the trio was supporting it's a great night record that's get- erating top phones and selling out Vancouver. BC Young. on the latter's Austra- ting a lot of phones" at key indie retailers. Orlando also whose new album is lian tour. At the same time, the The Living End's self -titled al -, says he's fielded several calls from slated to be released band released its debut EP, the bum hit retail in the U.S. on Febru- other Rhythmics interested in play- later this year will per- eight -song Hellbound, to critical ary 9. Meantime, the band has land- ing the cut. acclaim. Yet it wasn't until 1998 ed the opening slot on Offspring's - Steve Wonsiewicz form both old and new that things started taking off for material And though the group, when it released the t s unconfirmed. word double single "Prisoner of Soci- Neil Young is that Young may re- ety"/ "Second Solution," which went on to become the top -selling unite for a series of performances with David Cros- single of the year in Australia. by. Stephen Stills and Graham Nash ... R.E.M. be- The Living End first came to the gins a world tour on June 17 in Lisbon. Portugal. The attention of Reprise VP/A &R Matt North American leg of the tour bows on August 9 in Los Aberle in early 1998, right about the Angeles ...The Goo Goo Dolls hit the road for national time "Prisoner" was released in tour on March 30 in Syracuse. Supporting on the first Australia. RecallsAberle, who final- leg of the tour is MCA act the New Radicals ... The ized a deal with the band last April, Aussie alt -rock trio starts its North Ameri- "A friend of mine told me about the group and sent me a copy of the sin- can tour on February 16 in New York gle, which I fell in love with. I flew This n that: Epic will release tribute al- down to see them and knew we had bum Burning London: The Clash Tribute on March 16. to sign them." It features such artists as No Doubt, Rancid. Third Even though the double -sided Eye Blind, the Indigo Girls. the Afghan Whigs. Sil- single was selling briskly and rack- ing up considerable airplay in Aus- DDT DOES 'EM IN AT MERCURY LOUNGE - Label execs and friends verchair, and Ice Cube /Mack 10 ... Heavy -metal band tralia by summer, Reprise opted to of TMC/Elektra act DDT celebrate the band's recent performance at the Iron Maiden has sold 530 million in bonds backed by Mercury Lounge in New York. DDT's debut album, on Metallica drummer its song catalog ... Del Amitri s Justin Currie joins wait until January 1999 to pull the Lars Ulrich's label, The Music Company, Will be released in April. Pictured trigger and go for adds. Comments (top row, I-r) are EEG Exec. VP/GM Alan Voss, DDT's Mike Mackay and the ranks of radio station owners. Currie is part of a Sr. VP/Promotion Steve Tipp, "We Dr. Dave, EEG Chairman/CEO Sylvia Rhone, DDT's Brian Howes, Ulrich, consortium that won a franchise to launch an alternative - to have time to set DDT's Bobby James and Cory Perry White, DDT manager Tom Barfield, wanted adequate leaning station. called Beat FM, in central Scotland it up, so we didn't service the record EEG Product Manager Dana Brandwein and Sr VP/Marketing Steve Klein - The Warner Music Groups website, Earl . is offering until the holiday. [VP /Alternative berg; (bottom row, l -r) EEG VP/Promotion Bill Pfordresher, TMC's Tim Duffy, EEG VP/Rock Promotion George Cappellini, Sr. VP/Promotion Greg Divney had been electronic greeting cards (TuneMail) that feature sam- Promotion] Bob Thompson and Sr. Director/Alternative Promotion Greg Dorfman. playing it for people on the road and ples from its catalog.