As Brit sensations Razorlight gear up for a November tour of the U.S., frontman Johnny Borrell‘shopes remain high for the brief outing, the band’s first in support of2006’s self-titled sophomore LP, and apparently an internal struggle toschedule. “Compared to the rest of the world it’s been very frustratingfor us with the second record,” Borrell told SPIN.com of the band’slimited success in the U.S. “I was sitting there actually begging myrecord company to let me go to America, but they weren’t interested insupporting us in America at all.”
But now, after 18 months anda little fuss, the quartet, who topped U.K. charts with their lastrecord, are due to hit major U.S. cities starting next week. “When wewrote this album, I was really looking forward to touring it inAmerica,” said Borrell. “But I think for some reason British bands andAmerican bands are not really crossing over.” Borrell continues on,citing England’s “democratic” process of radio play as compared toAmerica’s “more political” format as possible scapegoats, among manyothers.
“It would’ve been very easy to sit around in Englandand get your ass kissed but I saw the whole America thing as a sort ofchallenge and it made us be better songwriters,” states Borrell. Andfans coming out for Razorlight’s performances, may be in for a treat:Borrell and Co. are currently constructing their third outing, whichwill tentatively drop early in 2008, and are hoping to preview a fewcuts on this tour, and sales and label support depending, launch anextensive stateside tour next spring. “We’re starting to write thethird record now and do some demos with a producer and hopefully whenwe have an amazing record in six months time we’ll have people who wantto run with it in the States,” said Borrell.
Notorious B.I.G.’s Estate Responds to Inmate’s Claims
The murder mystery brewing behind the death of rapper Notorious B.I.G.takes yet another twist as the MC’s estate files a federal court motionclaiming Waymond Anderson, the prison inmate who recanted his testimonyimplicating former Los Angeles Police Department officer Rafael Perezin the 1997 killing of B.I.G. (a.k.a. Christopher Wallace), lied in hisAug. 20 disposition.As part of the motion, Wallace’s estate requested Anderson’s phone andvisitation records, evidence suggested will reveal a third party behindAnderson’s “wholesale assault on the truth.”
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In his depositionfiled Aug. 20, Anderson states he lied on the stand in a scamorchestrated by Wallace’s family members and attorneys to win asettlement from the city of Los Angeles.
In a related bit of news, Kevin Hackie, a former bodyguard for deceased SoCal rapper Tupac Shakur, claims in a recent interview AllHipHop.comthat an arrest will soon be made in the shooting death of Wallace.”LAPD detective Greg Kading concurred with me that there will be anarrest in the Wallace case shortly,” he said. “Greg Kading, who’sstatus with the LAPD, and you can quote this, is confidential, saidthere will be an arrest made shortly.”
Helio Sequence Ask Fans to ‘Keep Your Eyes Open’
Portland, OR’s electro-shoegaze duo the Helio Sequence, comprised of frontman Brandon Summers and drummer Benjamin Weikel, have announced the release of Keep Your Eyes Open,their fourth LP to date, set to arrive to store shelves Jan. 29courtesy of neighbors to the north, Sub Pop. The 10-track set, recordedfrom bedroom closets to local studios, will deliver tunes with titleslike “Lately,” “You Can Come to Me,” and “Broken Afternoon.” Andalthough known for their lengthy tunes, Helio Sequence’s fresh LP mayusher a sonic sea change as a statement confirms most songs clock “inat four and a half minutes.”
Keep Your Eyes Ahead tracklisting:
1. “Lately”
2. “Can’t Say No”
3. “The Captive Mind”
4. “You Can Come to Me”
5. “Shed Your Love”
6. “Keep Your Eyes Ahead”
7. “Back to This”
8. “Hallelujah”
9. “Broken Afternoon”
10. “No Regrets”
