Capitol Music Group has announced the release of Traffic and Weather, the long-awaited new album from Grammy-nominated pop maestros Fountains of Wayne, on May 7, 2007. The first single from the record, “Someone to Love,” will hit radio on June 18th.In late 2003, Fountains Of Wayne received a "Best New Artist" nomination (one of two Grammy categories in which they were named that year). But Welcome Interstate Managers, the album that spawned the smash hit "Stacy's Mom" and topped critics' polls everywhere, was in fact the New York-based group's third collection of melodic pop/rock gems. And the quartet was already long considered by many to be -- in the words of Robert Christgau -- "peerless" and "true art heroes", or as Entertainment Weekly called them, "America's greatest extant rock and roll band." Still, the success of the record led to chart-topping runs on MTV and VH1, sold-out concerts, and the band's inclusion on the multi-platinum "Now That What I Call Music" CD alongside the likes of Jay-Z, Nickelback, and Black Eyed Peas.
Now, after a long silence broken only by the 2005 release of the b-side compilation Out-Of-State Plates (which CNN called "better than 95% of most bands' official releases"), the group returns with the richly-textured Traffic And Weather, which further demonstrates the musical range, wit, and eye for narrative detail that have become their trademarks.
The New York based quartet - songwriters Adam Schlesinger (bass) and Chris Collingwood (guitar and lead vocals), along with lead guitarist Jody Porter and drummer Brian Young -- continues to reimagine early 60's jangle, late 60's psychedelia, 70's classic rock, 80's New Wave, 90's alt-rock, and contemporary pop in its own inimitable style.
Traffic And Weather was produced by Schlesinger and mixed by Michael Brauer (Coldplay, Paul McCartney) and longtime FOW collaborator John Holbrook (Elton John, Todd Rundgren, Brian Setzer).
Appearances by the group at the Coachella and Bonnaroo festivals have been confirmed, with tour dates and more festival appearances to be announced shortly. Videos for several songs from the new album, none of which will feature Rachel Hunter writhing around in lingerie (as of presstime), are in the planning stages.
The single Someone To Love is out 18 June.