Super Furry Animals Announce 2008 U.S. Tour

Oh happy day. Ever since Rings Around the World, Super Furry Animals have opted for bigger venues like Irving Plaza, Hammerstein Ballroom and Webster Hall. But for their forthcoming Hey Venus tour, the NYC area is getting Maxwells, Music Hall of Williamsburg and Bowery Ballroom! I still remember the Guerrilla tour at BB when they brought out a horn section for "Northern Lights" and they were dressed as nuns.

After three albums that found the band getting progressively bigger, more complex and with a greater reliance on technology, Hey Venus is a stripped-down affair and I’m hoping that the tour, which begins January 23 at Maxwells and finishes a month later at Bowery, will be free of laptop backing tracks, illuminated costumes, synched projections, 5.1 surround sound, and other such lily guilding. As much fun as that stuff was, Super Furry Animals don’t need it. They’re good enough on their own.

MP3: Super Furry Animals – Into the Night
(buy it on digital or vinyl)

01/23/07  Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s*
01/25/07  Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg*
01/26/07  Philadelphia, PA @ Starlight Ballroom*
01/27/07  Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club*%
01/29/07  Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle*%
01/30/07  Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse*%
01/31/07  New Orleans, LA @ The Republic*%
02/01/07  Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre*%
02/02/07  Austin, TX @ Emo’s*
02/05/07  Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress*
02/06/07  Solona Beach, CA @ Belly Up*
02/08/07  Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex*
02/09/07  San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall*
02/11/07  Portland, OR @ Doug Fir*
02/12/07  Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s*
02/15/07  Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theatre
02/16/07  Chicago, IL @ Metro
02/17/07  Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
02/18/07  Buffalo, NY @ Tralf Music Hall
02/20/07  Toronto, ONT @ Mod Club
02/21/07  Montreal, QUE @ Cabaret Music Hall
02/22/07  Ithaca, NY @ Cornell University
02/23/07  Boston, NY @ The Paradise
02/25/07  New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

The day before the tour starts will see CD release of Hey Venus. So far it’s been digital or vinyl for America. The CD will have previously unreleased bonus stuff. Also, the ‘Furries are getting into the holiday spirit and will be giving away a download of their new single, "The Gift that Keeps Giving," on Christmas Day from their website.

2008 will also see the release of the debut from Neon Neon, a collaboration between SFA frontman Gruff Rhys and Boom Bip, that features guest appearances from Spankrock, Yo Magesty, Har Mar Superstar and more. New single "Raquel" can be heard right here:

MP3: Neon Neon – Raquel

Photo of SFA in Barcelona swiped from Alterna2’s Flickr photostream.