Billboard Bits: Eyes Adrift, Fabolous, Paul Weller

8/2/2002

News on Eyes Adrift, Fabolous, Paul Weller

Meat Puppets frontman Curt Kirkwood, former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, and former Sublime drummer Bud Waugh will release their self-titled debut as Eyes Adrift on Sept. 24 via spinART. The 12-track set will be supported by an extensive North American tour, due to kick off in mid-October and last into the spring of 2003. Beforehand, Kirkwood and Novoselic will play a special acoustic show Aug. 19 at New York's Joe's Pub.

The album leans heavier on Kirkwood's musical lineage than that of his bandmates, with a host of tracks ("Alaska," "Solid") that recall the sound of recent Meat Puppets albums. Novoselic handles lead vocals on "Inquiring Minds," which features the repeated line "they put flowers on your grave, Jon Benet." The set closes with a nearly 15-minute number titled "Pasted," which has become a favorite at the group's recent live shows.

"There was no 'idea' behind the band, like we're all gonna wear these fedoras and gray satin shirts with vests or whatever," Novoselic says in a statement. "And then we're gonna sound like the Velvet Underground meets whoever. It was not like that at all. It was very pure. We just got together and started playing."

-- Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

Beginning Wednesday (Aug. 7), rapper Fabolous will be seen starring in a 30-second television ad for Reebok's Classic Leather Blaze clothing line. "Reebok Classic is the hottest thing loose," the Brooklyn, N.Y.-born artist said in a statement.

"Fabolous is an up and coming icon in the hip-hop community," director of Reebok advertising Brian Povinelli added. "His involvement represents Reebok's evolution of the Classic collection by taking retro silhouettes and giving them a modern flavor."

Fabolous is currently working on his sophomore Elektra album. Dubbed "Street Dreams," the set is due Oct. 29, and will be the follow-up to last year's "Ghetto Fabolous." That album, which debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 4 on The Billboard 200, has sold 988,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

-- Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y.

Longstanding British modern rock hero Paul Weller's sixth solo studio album, "Illumination," is set for a Sept. 16 U.K. release via Independiente. The set includes guest appearances by Noel Gallagher and Jem Archer of Oasis, Kelly Jones of Stereophonics, Steve Cradock and Damon Minchella of Ocean Colour
Scene, former Stone Roses guitarist Aziz Ibrahim, and vocalists Carleen Anderson and Jocelyn Brown.

The largely self-produced set, with two songs co-produced with Simon Dine of Noonday Underground, was recorded at Weller's Black Barn Studios in Surrey and at Wheeler End in Buckinghamshire. "Illumination" is the follow-up to last year's live acoustic set "Days of Speed," which featured solo material and favorites from his days with the Jam and Style Council. First single "It's Written in the Stars" is due Sept. 2 in the U.K.

Weller has set a full U.K. arena tour for October, starting Oct. 12 at Brighton Centre and concluding Oct. 30 at London's Wembley Arena.

-- Paul Sexton, London