Music

Finally final

Who had May in the pool? The Toadies' new album is finished.

A A A Comments By Zac Crain Thursday, May 25 2000

The Toadies' new album (titled Feeler last time we checked, though that's probably changed) is--drum roll, please--finished. As in, it's been recorded, mixed, and mastered. Done. All of it. Finally. Well, just about. There are still a few pesky details to take care of, such as artwork, liner notes, and other mundane minutiae that have to be done before it makes it into stores, including, you know, selecting a release date. As you might imagine, that's a significant hurdle between having a finished product and people hearing it. But still, a follow-up to 1994's Rubberneck--and doesn't that still feel like a misprint?--is closer than it's ever been.

Ah, so that's why it took so long: The Toadies' new album should be out before the end of the year. Seriously. No joke.

Details

Ridglea Theater
in Fort Worth

The Paper Chase opens

May 27

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The band recorded the album at the beginning of the year in Los Angeles with producers Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf, which led to an appearance on the disc by another of the duo's clients, Elliott Smith. (Smith added piano to a track.) Singer-guitarist Todd Lewis spent a few weeks in April mixing the album with Andy Wallace in New York. The disc may not be in stores yet, but the Toadies will celebrate anyway with a gig at the Ridglea Theater on May 27. (Opening bands haven't been announced, but we've heard that The Paper Chase will also perform.) If you're not at that gig, don't expect to hear songs off the new album anytime soon; word is, the members of the band aren't allowed to let their individual copies leave their houses. Strict security, sure, but no one wants to lose a marathon in the last 50 yards. Besides, from what we can tell, it's worth the wait.

"I just received a CD of all the mixes, and it sounds incredible," guitarist Clark Vogeler writes on The Toadies' Web site, located at www.thetoadies.com. "A few songs changed quite a bit during the mixing process via more dynamics, punchier drums, louder guitars, etc." Vogeler says the band is hoping to release the disc in August or September, but adds, "Of course, we all know this can change for any number of reasons, but know that we are doing all we can to get this out as soon as we can. Thank you all for your continued patience and support. You must know that we have wanted nothing more than to get this thing out for a long, long time. Just a little longer to go."

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