Old 97's add new leg to 'Gravity' outing

Indie country-rockers the Old 97's [ tickets ] have added new dates to their upcoming headlining tour behind the band's current release, its first studio album in four years.The veteran Dallas group kicks off the trek Friday (5/30) in Houston, with 33 shows lined up across parts of four months.The tour's new leg picks up in late June following a West Coast swing, starting with a handful of Midwest dates and moving south and east toward the trek's early August conclusion. Details are below."Blame It On Gravity," the band's seventh studio album, is the 97's follow-up to 2004's "Drag It Up." The band has released a live album and a best-of collection in the intervening years, along with a live DVD, as well as appearing prominently in the movie "The Breakup." Released May 15, "Blame It On Gravity" debuted at No. 85 on The Billboard 200, the group's highest chart debut ever. The disc also landed at No. 9 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart.Vocalist/guitarist Rhett Miller [ tickets ], lead guitarist Ken Bethea, bassist/vocalist Murry Hammond and drummer Philip Peeples formed the Old 97's in 1993. In addition to his work with the band, Miller has released two solo albums, 2002's "The Instigator" and 2006's "The Believer," in the process becoming a popular solo draw in his own right.