When Kiss begins a five-date Japanese tour May 27 in Tokyo, Peter Criss may not be sitting atop his familiar stool behind the drums. In a posting on his official Web site, Criss says his contract with Kiss has expired and that he has not yet been informed what, if any, his future status with the group is.

"No one, again no one has called me, or my attorney about an extension for future touring," he says. "As a founding member I find this to be disrespectful to me, and to the fans that have made us one of the biggest bands in the world. You will always get the truth from me, I have no reason to lie to the people that gave me such a wonderful life. And that's the God's honest truth."

On its lengthy recent tour with Aerosmith, Kiss performed without original guitarist Ace Frehley, who was replaced by former tour manager Tommy Thayer. A band spokesperson could not be reached for comment at deadline.

Here are Kiss' tour dates:

May 27-29: Tokyo (Budokan)
May 31: Osaka, Japan (Castle Hall)
June 2: Nagoya, Japan (Rainbow Hall)

-- Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

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Randy Travis escaped a bus accident yesterday (March 7) in Lakeville, Pa., without serious injury, according to a spokesperson for the artist. The country act, his wife/manager Elizabeth Travis and tour manager Jeff Davis were traveling along Rt. 590 in the Pocono Mountains region when the highway gave out beneath the 25-ton tour bus, sending them into a ditch at the side of the road.

Local residents dug mud away from the door to let the shaken and bruised, but not seriously injured, party escape. About four hours later, the bus was freed from the ditch by a pair of tow trucks, and the artist was able to perform as scheduled last night at Caesar's Pocono Resort.

"We want to thank all the folks who helped us out," Travis says in a statement. "When we planned to release our new single, 'Raise Him Up,' this week, this was not what we had in mind." The song is drawn from his 2002 Word/Warner Bros. album "Rise & Shine."

Travis is next scheduled to perform Thursday (March 11) in Abilene, Texas. Also on his itinerary is a RodeoHouston concert March 13 at Houston's Reliant Stadium.

-- Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y.

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Hotly tipped Austin, Texas-based rock outfit Young Heart Attack will release its debut album, "Mouthful of Love," April 12 internationally and May 4 in North America via XL Recordings/Beggars Banquet. The set has been preceded by the singles "Over and Over" and "Misty Rowe"; new single "Tommy Shots," due March 29 in the U.K., features a cover of AC/DC's "Get It Hot."

The group will play four shows in its hometown next week as part of South by Southwest, including a March 20 bill that features Kaito and Robyn Hitchcock. A three-week U.K. tour will follow, beginning April 1 in Sheffield.

Here are Young Heart Attack's tour dates:

March 16: Austin, Texas (Emo's)
March 17: Austin, Texas (Flamingo's Cantina)
March 20: Austin, Texas (Hole In The Wall/Cream Vintage)
March 20: Austin, Texas (Rockstar's)
April 1: Sheffield, England (University)
April 3: Nottingham, England (Rescue Rooms)
April 4: Leeds, England (Josephs Wells)
April 5: Glasgow (King Tut's)
April 7: Liverpool, England (University)
April 8: Wolverhampton, England (Little Civic)
April 9: Cardiff, Wales (Barfly)
April 10: Oxford, England (Zodiac)
April 11: Birmingham, England (Academy)
April 12: Manchester, England (Roadhouse)
April 13: Leicester, England (Princess Charlotte)
April 14: London (Garage)
April 15: Bristol, England (Louisiana)

-- Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.