Last night, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo tweeted the news:
Hey, Weezer is happy to announce our signing to @epitaphrecs and release of new album “Hurley” on September 14.
Having fulfilled its contract with DGC/Geffen/Interscope/UMG after seven albums, Weezer was free to go. It’s certainly a different atmosphere in the music industry these days from what it was in 1993 when they signed with DGC, the subsidiary label that David Geffen spun off in 1990 as a major label home for weirdos like Sonic Youth and Nirvana. Between the releases of the Blue album and Pinkerton, Geffen stepped down as head of his own label. Then during the band’s hiatus before the Green album, the label was acquired by Universal Music Group and merged into Interscope. It’s a whole new world today with essentially no incentive for an established group to sign a new contract with a major label.
It must feel good for Rivers to see his band on the punkier Epitaph label as opposed to its more dignified Anti- subsidiary, which has gained a reputation for signing old people mature acts.
Do you think sportswear company Hurley had to pay for naming rights to Weezer’s new album? Rolling Stone describes Hurley‘s sound as “Sixties Pop.” We’ll see…
Even half-way decent songs would be viewed as progress at this point with Mr. Cuomo – which is beyond sad. Remember Carrie Brownstein’s comments about the most recent round of crap songs performed live? I forget the titles due to their cringe inducing lyrics and melodies. She was so right. I think she was asking “does Rivers Cuomo hate music?”.
Gotta get me a deal w/Anti, then…
warp tour here they come…
You can listen to the first song, Memories: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGg_mVBqXVo