BURBANK, CA. (Top40 Charts/ Reprise Records) -
Fresh off of his successful month-long residency in Silverlake at Club Spaceland, Johnathan Rice is ready to criss-cross the country on a co-headlining tour with
Maria Taylor in support of his second album "Further North." Up first is an appearance at the environmentally friendly music and arts festival, Topanga Days, on May 25th before the coast-to-coast trek begins on June 5th in Pomona, CA, at the Glass House.
The ever-busy Rice has many projects brewing including contributing to the new critically lauded Elvis Costello album, "Momofuku" (named after Momofuku Ando, the inventor of the Cup Noodle, because in the words of Costello, "all we had to do to make this record was add water"). Rice also recently performed some of the "Momofuku" songs with Costello and the Imposters at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
The Los Angeles-based Rice has been touring in support of "Further North," which blends refined acoustic and electric guitar melodies with pulsing rhythms and piercing prose. The album has received rave reviews since its release by Reprise Records on September 11th, 2007. Giving it four stars, Blender said: "Sarcastic, not that hopeful, full of coyotes, wildfires, and wistful looks back at what might have been, this is an impressive set for anyone, let alone a 24-year-old with just one previous release." Paste praised "Further North's" mix of "country-folk and heartland rock," calling it a "largely live-in-the-studio affair with Rice presiding over an energetic mix that's equal parts Tom Petty tunefulness and Uncle Tupelo guitar crunch." USA Today called the album "eminently worth checking out," while Performing Songwriter noted that "this young songwriter is only getting better at his game."
Produced by Jason Lader, Farmer Dave Scher, and Rice himself, "Further North" is a musical step forward from its predecessor, Rice's full-length debut "Trouble is Real." That 2005 release earned him comparisons to such folk troubadours as Gram Parsons and Nick Drake, and landed him tours opening for R.E.M. and Wilco. Having grown up shuttling between Glasgow, Scotland, and Virginia, Rice invites the listener to see the cracked American Southwest through his eyes on "Further North," resulting in lyrical observations that are shrewd yet sincere.
For more on Rice, and to watch streaming video of his current single "We're All Stuck Out in the Desert," directed by noted photographer Autumn De Wilde, please visit: www.johnathanrice.com. Don't miss Johnathan Rice on tour all summer!
Sun 05/25/08 - Topanga, CA - Topanga Days Country Fair
Thu 06/05/08 - Pomona, CA - Glass House
Fri 06/06/08 - Phoenix, AZ - The Clubhouse
Sat 06/07/08 - Tucson, AZ - Club Congress
Mon 06/09/08 - Dallas, TX Granada Theater
Tue 06/10/08 - Austin, TX - Emo's
Wed 06/11/08 - Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon
Thu 06/12/08 - Birmingham, AL - WorkPlay Theatre
Fri 06/13/08 - Atlanta, GA - Smith's Olde Bar
Sat 06/14/08 - Athens, GA - Caledonia Lounge
Sun 06/15/08 - Mount Pleasant, SC - Village Tavern
Mon 06/16/08 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
Wed 06/18/08 - New York, NY - Knitting Factory
Thu 06/19/08 - Washington, DC - Rock And Roll Hotel
Fri 06/20/08 - Philadelphia, PA - The Barbary
Sat 06/21/08 - Kingston, NY - BSP
Mon 06/23/08 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
Tue 06/24/08 - Hamden, CT - The Space
Thu 06/26/08 - Toronto, ON - El Mocambo
Fri 06/27/08 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
Sat 06/28/08 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen
Mon 06/30/08 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
Tue 07/01/08 - Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room
Wed 07/02/08 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
Thu 07/03/08 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
Fri 07/04/08 - Boise, ID - Neurolux
Sat 07/05/08 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
Sun 07/06/08 - Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern
Tue 07/08/08 - Visalia, CA - Cellar Door
Wed 07/09/08 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom Of The Hill
Thu 07/10/08 - Visalia, CA - Cellar Door
Fri 07/11/08 - Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex
Sat 07/12/08 - Sonoma, CA - Gundlach Bundschu Winery
