Pitchfork: The Frames Prep New LP

For fans of stirring Irish arena rock who dislike megalomania (or iTunes), the Frames are an invaluable lifeline, mixing quiet melancholy (see 2001's fabulous studio offering For the Birds) with fist-pumping grandiosity (see this year's bombastic live disc, Set List). The latter emerged on the Epitaph imprint Anti, as will Burn the Maps, the brand-new Frames record, due Febuary 8th Stateside. Fans will note that the album is already available as an import, and has in fact been declared, by no less an authority than The Onion, one of the best records of 2005. Tracklist:

01 Happy
02 Finally
03 Dream Awake
04 A Caution To The Birds
05 Trying
06 Fake
07 Sideways Down
08 Underglass
09 Ship Caught In The Bay
10 Keepsake
11 Suffer In Silence
12 Locusts

Naturally, the Frames will support Maps with a ludicrous tour regimen that, in fact, has already begun, albeit abroad. They've also announced plans for a month's worth of U.S. dates, but little details like where and when are still being worked out. Dates so far:

12-20 Dublin, Ireland - Olympia Theatre
12-21 Dublin, Ireland - Olympia Theatre
12-22 Dublin, Ireland - Olympia Theatre
12-23 Dublin, Ireland - Olympia Theatre
01-18 London, England - Islington Academy
01-19 Manchester, England - The Lowry
01-20 Glasgow, Scotland - The Arches