Pitchfork

Supergrass: all the proof evolution ever needed and the idiosyncratic stepchild of the Britpop movement, have been scorching the UK charts with their fourth album, Life on Other Planets, for months now. In a few short weeks, it will finally be our turn to dig on some supposedly righteous and whimsical tunes, without the import prices that have plagued our market before. On February 11th, while the greater populace is enshrouded in last minute hints and innuendos from their valentines, you could be pumping some Supergrass on your stereo.

This latest effort begins a new chapter in the band's ten-year history. They are now officially a four-piece as singer, principal songwriter, and Mr. Peepers blueprint Gaz Coombes' brother Rob is now permanently at the helm of the band's keyboards. Bassist Mick Quinn told Rolling Stone that this isn't a tectonic shift for the guys: "We felt that he was doing as much as we were, so we just thought, 'Well, you might as well start doing the press on this record.' It seems like he appeared from nowhere, but he's been around all the time for us."

The new album came into being at Gaz Coombes' home in France with a barebones, pressure-free atmosphere. Quinn summed up the brainstorming sessions, saying, "We basically sat around a fire drinking really nice wine... from Normandy and just sitting around playing guitar all night." After getting down some rough cuts, the boys headed back to their isle to meet up with producer Tony Hoffer. The album was recorded and mixed at studios in England and Wales for its September, 2002 UK release. Tracklist:

01 Za
02 Rush Hour Soul
03 Seen the Light
04 Brecon Beacons
05 Can't Get Up
06 Evening of the Day
07 Never Done Nothing Like That Before
08 Funniest Thing
09 Grace
10 La Song
11 Prophet 15
12 Run

Currently, Supergrass is winding down a tour in the UK that includes a stadium gig before hitting the club circuit in the US. At press time, only six domestic shows have been scheduled with the assurance that a more elaborate tour is set to rev up in March. Tourdates:

01-22 Edinburgh,UK - Corn Exchange*
01-23 York, UK - Barbican*
01-24 Manchester, UK - Apollo Theatre*
01-25 London, UK - Wembley Arena#

02-08 Brooklyn, NY - Southpaw
02-10 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
02-11 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
02-13 Los Angeles, CA - Roxy Theater
02-14 Los Angeles, CA - Troubador
02-15 Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
03-04 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club 03-05 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts 03-06 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club 03-08 Montreal, QC - Cafe Campus 03-09 Toronto, ONT - The Guvernment 03-10 Chicago, IL - Metro 03-12 Atlanta, GA - Eleven 50 03-17 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre 03-19 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom 03-20 Seattle, WA - The Showbox 03-21 Portland, OR - Roseland Theatre 03-23 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's 365 Club
* w/ Ed Harcourt, The Raveonettes # w/ The Datsuns, The Polyphonic Spree, The Raveonettes