Sonicnet Music News

Fastball will launch a U.S. tour October 26 in support of its third album, the recently released "The Harsh Light Of Day."

The trek will kick off in Dallas and hit cities in the East and Midwest before coming to a close November 24 in Minneapolis. A second leg hitting primarily cities in the West is expected to be announced soon.

The Harsh Light Of Day," featuring the single "You're An Ocean," [RealVideo] debuted last week at number 97 on the "Billboard" 200 albums chart.

Singer and bassist Tony Scalzo said recently he was "just screwing around on the piano" when "You're An Ocean" began to emerge. "It turned into a song pretty quick, and I started writing words -- sort of cracking myself up a little bit, seeing how ridiculous I can get. You know, 'You may be from Venus, but I'm definitely not from Mars.'" The band

recruited

Billy Preston to play piano on the recorded version.

The Austin, Texas, band's "All The Pain Money Can Buy" (1998) produced the hits "The Way" and "Out Of My Head," with the former remaining at number one on the modern-rock charts for seven weeks. "You're An Ocean" has seen relatively little support in that format but is faring well on adult-pop stations. It stays put this week at number 17 on "Billboard" magazine's Adult Top 40 singles chart.

Feeling that "You're An Ocean"'s fractured airplay hasn't properly exposed the album, the band's label plans to service three tracks to different radio formats before the end of the year. The likely choices will be "Morning Star," to rock radio; "This Is Not My Life," to alternative rock; and "Love Is Expensive And Free," to adult pop, according to Justin Fontaine, senior vice president of promotions at Hollywood Records.

We realized this is a very deep album with a lot of great songs, and we want to expose it as much

as we can," Fontaine said.

Fastball tour dates:

• 10/26 - Dallas, TX @ Trees
• 10/27 - Houston, TX @ Engine Room
• 10/28 - Austin, TX @ Stubbs
• 10/30 - New Orleans, LA @ House Of Blues
• 11/1 - Tallahassee, FL @ Floyd's Music Hall
• 11/2 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
• 11/3 - Hilton Head Island, SC @ Blue Nite Cafe
• 11/4 - Atlanta, GA @ Roxy
• 11/5 - Winston-Salem, NC @ Ziggy's
• 11/7 - Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall
• 11/8 - Norfolk, VA @ The Boathouse
• 11/9 - Long Island, NY @ Vanderbilt
• 11/10 - Hartford, CN @ Webster Theatre
• 11/12 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
• 11/14 - Boston, MA @ Middle East Club
• 11/15 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
• 11/18 - Chicago, IL @ The Metro
• 11/19 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
• 11/24 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue