Whew! Weezer Dispute Is Sorted Out

The ongoing feud between rock nerds Weezer and big label nerds Geffen/Interscope had to come to an end.

Weezer's fourth release has been the subject of much contention — ambiguous release dates were set and preview MP3s were bouncing here and there, so frontman Rivers Cuomo went ahead and distributed an eight-track promo CD to radio stations without the label man's solemn nod of approval.

Apparently, those administering the solemn nods and firm handshakes at Interscope didn't much like being shown up by a rock geek — they were planning promotion and peddling all on their own, dammit. The band's audio-video section of their website was subsequently shut down without explanation and, as previously reported on their website, over-eager frontman Rivers Cuomo was allegedly ordered to write all radio stations with promo copies, insisting they hold off as he really should have.

Today the sun is shining and the clouds of controversy are being swept away by a gentle breeze, er, for now. Weezer have just confirmed May 14 as the big release date for Maladroit — almost a year, fans will note, to the date of Green's similarly contested release. The band have also secured the right to continue posting MP3s of new demos (pay attention for the new "Living Without You"), so obviously the official website's A.V. component is back up and running.

You can also expect a fifth Weezer release in February 2003, and look forward to an upcoming video for the much-charted "Dope Nose," which begins shooting next week.

The group will soon be mounting those good old tour horses for their Dusty West '02 North American jaunt, with only a couple Canadian dates confirmed (although the band's website is reporting a Vancouver date as well). You guessed it Central and Eastern Canada, they're only out West:

April 23 Edmonton, AB @ Northlands AgriCom Arena

April 24 Calgary, AB @ Calgary Stampede Corral