Todd Rundgren's 'State' due out in April


Pop craftsman and producer extraordinaire plots U.S. tour

Todd Rundgren - State 2013
He’s a wizard. He’s a true star, and he’s hitting retirement age, but that doesn’t mean Todd Rundgren has tired of creating pop-rock magic. His new studio album, State, will hit the streets on April 9.

State is Rundgren’s 24th solo album, and this danceable blend of rock, soul, R&B and electronica will be released on the Esoteric Antenna label via Cherry Red. In support of State, Rundgren, who celebrates his 65th birthday in 2013, will embark on an 11-city U.S. tour in May.

In the late ‘60s, Rundgren fronted the psychedelic-pop outfit The Nazz, before leaving in 1969 to go solo and record his debut LP Runt. However, it was 1972’s Something/Anything? that established Rundgren as a sublime talent both as a songwriter and a studio artist, having played every instrument and singing every vocal part on the record, as well as serving as producer. He would go to make other landmark albums such as Todd, The Hermit of Mink Hollow and A Wizard A True Star.

Returning to the group format, Rundgren formed the progressive-rock visionaries Utopia in 1974, recording nine albums with the band. Expanding his horizons, Rundgren also made a name for himself as a producer, twiddling the knobs for classic records by the likes of Patti Smith, The New York Dolls, Cheap Trick, XTC, the Psychedelic Furs and Hall and Oates, although it was Meat Loaf’s mega-hit Bat Out of Hell that cemented his reputation as a studio wunderkind.

In addition, Rundgren composed all the music and lyrics for Joe Papp’s 1989 Off-Broadway production of Joe Orton’s “Up Against It” – the screenplay of which was commissioned by The Beatles for what was to be their third movie. He’s also scored such movies and TV shows as “Dumb and Dumber” and “Pee Wee’s Playhouse,” respectively.

It figures to be a busy year for Rundgren, who will hold his annual musical summer camp, known as Toddstock v6.5, June 17-22 near New Orleans.

Check out the track listing for State below:
1. Imagination
2. Serious
3. In My Mouth
4. Ping Me
5. Angry Bird
6. Smoke
7. Collide-A-Scope
8. Something From Nothing
9. Party Liquor
10. Sir Reality

In support of State, Rundgren’s U.S. tour will hit these hot spots:
May 5 – Woodstock, N.Y., Bearsville Theater
May 8 – Norfolk, Conn., Infinity Hall
May 10 – New York, N.Y., The Gramercy Theatre
May 11 – Philadelphia, Pa., Trocadero Theatre
May 12 – Huntington, N.Y., The Paramount
May 14 – Kent, Ohio, The Kent Stage
May 15 – Pittsburg, Pa., Rex Theater
May 16 – Columbus, Ohio, Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
May 18 – Cincinnati, Ohio, Bogart’s
May 19 – Chicago, Ill., Park West
May 20 – Minneapolis, Minn., Varsity Theater

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