Billboard reports that Morrissey has inked a U.S. deal with Lost Highway for the release of his new album, Years of Refusal, produced by Jerry Finn and due February 17.
Lost Highway, of course, is the Americana label that boasts folksy artists such as Ryan Adams, Lyle Lovett, Willie Nelson, and Lucinda Williams. In the "foreigner" column, they've also got Elvis Costello and Van Morrison. Looks like Lost Highway is encroaching on Anti's territory of picking up veteran artists who are no longer profitable enough for a major label. But unlike Anti, which is a legitimately independent label, Lost Highway is a division of UMG.
Even odder than the label (or the cover art) is the fact that Jeff Beck guests on the track "Black Cloud." So this means Morrissey is following in the footsteps of Rod Stewart and Donovan. Strange company.
Tracklist and tour dates after the jump...
Track list for Years of Refusal:
"Something Is Squeezing My Skull"
"Mama Lay Softly On The Riverbed"
"Black Cloud"
"I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris"
"All You Need Is Me"
"When Last I Spoke to Carol"
"That's How People Grow Up"
"One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell"
"It's Not Your Birthday Anymore"
"You Were Good In Your Time"
"Sorry Doesn't Help"
"I'm OK By Myself"
2009 tour dates:
Feb. 28: Boca Raton, Fla. (Mizner Park)
March 1: Orlando, Fla. (Hard Rock Live)
March 3: Jacksonville, Fla. (Florida Theater)
March 4: St. Petersburg, Fla. (Jannus Landing)
March 6: Myrtle Beach, S.C. (House of Blues)
March 7: Atlanta (Variety Playhouse)
March 9: Asheville, N.C. (Orange Peel)
March 11: Durham, N.C. (Durham PAC)
March 13: Richmond, Va. (the National)
March 14: Washington, D.C. (Warner Theater)
March 16: Montclair, N.J. (Wellmont Theater)
March 17: Pittsburgh (Carnegie Music Hall)
March 19: Buffalo, N.Y. (Center for the Arts)
March 21: New York (Bowery Ballroom)
March 22: Philadelphia (Academy)
March 25: New York (Webster Hall)
March 26: New York (Carnegie Hall)
March 28: Mashantucket, Conn. (Foxwoods)
March 29: Boston (House of Blues)
March 31: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Theater)
April 1: Columbus, Ohio (Palace Theater)
April 3: Milwaukee (Eagles Ballroom)
April 4: Chicago (Aragon Ballroom)
April 6: Minneapolis (State Theater)
April 7: Kansas City, Mo. (Midland Theater)
April 8: St. Louis (Pageant)
April 10: Dallas (Palladium Ballroom)
April 11: Houston (Jones Hall)
April 12: Austin, Texas (Bass Concert Hall)
April 14: El Paso, Texas (Chavez Theater)
April 15: Albuquerque, N.M. (Sunshine Theater)
Comments
Moz looks great. Dig that Fred Perry shirt!
Morrissey is my greatest influence in my music. I've written a new song called "Kilamanjaro" about my homosexual affair with a young African Mountain man from the villages at the base of Kilamanjaro. Look for it on my new Morrisey influenced album coming out soon.
I love it.
I'm glad Lost Highway is giving a "home" to Morrissey and Van. But I hope it doesn't promote the idea that Nashville is the place where artists go to die. Country used to be the last stop on the street-car, now it's "Americana."
Jerry Finn, RIP.
Tix for those Midwest tour dates will be difficult to come by. Very few dates and some small venues.
The tracklist is brilliant! "I'm OK By Myself" is such a quintisential Morrissey title that if it didn't exist you could probably convince a fan that it already did. "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris" looks like another middle finger to London. Has Mozer fallen out of love with L.A.? "You Were Good In Your Time" has got to be a slam on some other musician that pissed him off.
I'm more interested this time around to hear how the songs are arranged. I've always felt that his weaker albums suffered mainly from the quality of the music behind his rants than anything else.
Already got tickets for the Richmond show.
Happy to see Jerry Finn is back on production detail. "You Are the Quarry" was much stronger than "Ringleader" so this is a good sign for the new one.
Of course, Moz could just release a whole album of his whistling into a microphone for 45 minutes and I'd probably still buy it.