Pitchfork

Photo by Kathryn Yu

Scottish fuck puppies Franz Ferdinand now have three albums of gloriously spiky new wave to their credit, and even those of you who don't like their really-pretty-great new joint Tonight have to recognize that something like "Ulysses" is going to get it done onstage. (The album just debuted at #9 in the U.S., so at least 31,000 Americans are still jamming them, naysayers be damned.) And the band has always been efficiently awesome onstage; when that "Take Me Out" riff kicks in, heads explode.

Come April, when they get done with their current European tour, Franz Ferdinand are going on a proper full-scale North American trek. Those of you who started hoarding Sparks before the overly concerned authorities of the world convinced MillerCoors LLC to stop making it might want to break into your supply right now, since nothing goes better with Franz Ferdinand than citrusy caffeinated malt liquor. Get excited:

02-10 Tokyo, Japan - Zepp
02-26 London, England - O2 Arena (NME Awards Big Gig)
02-28 Limerick, Ireland - Dolans
03-01 Dublin, Ireland - Olympia
03-02 Belfast, Northern Ireland - Mandela Hall
03-04 Glasgow, Scotland - Barrowlands
03-05 Glasgow, Scotland - Barrowlands
03-06 Manchester, England - Academy
03-08 Birmingham, England - Academy
03-09 London, England - Hammersmith Apollo
03-10 Southampton, England - Guildhall
03-12 Brussels, Belgium - AB Club
03-13 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
03-14 Cologne, Germany - Palladium
03-16 Lille, France - Aeronef
03-17 Paris, France - Olympia
03-18 Paris, France - Olympia
03-20 Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega
03-21 Stockholm, Sweden - Circus
03-22 Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene
03-24 Hamburg, Germany - Docks
03-25 Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle
03-26 Munich, Germany - Tonhalle
03-28 Zurich, Switzerland - Schiffbauhalle
03-29 Bologna, Italy - Estragon
03-30 Milan, Italy - Palasharp
04-01 Toulouse, France - Le Phare
04-02 Bilbao, Spain - Pabellón de la Casilla
04-03 Madrid, Spain - Palacio de Deportes
04-04 Granada, Spain - Coliseo de Atarfe
04-13 Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
04-15 Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
04-17 Indio, CA - Coachella Festival
04-18 Phoenix, AZ - Marquis Theatre
04-19 Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
04-21 Magna, UT - Saltair
04-22 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
04-24 Dallax, TX - House of Blues
04-25 Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa
04-27 Kansas City, MO - Beaumont Club
04-28 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
04-29 Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Ballroom
04-30 Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
05-02 Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
05-03 Pontiac, MI - Clutch Cargo's
05-04 Toronto, Ontario - Kool Haus
05-06 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
05-07 New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom
05-08 Providence, RI - Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
05-30 Jelling, Denmark - Jelling Festival
06-01 Landgraaf, Holland - Pinkpop Festival
06-05 Krakow, Poland - Blonia Park
06-19 Scheesel, Germany - Hurricane Festival
06-20 Neuhausen ob Eck, Germany - Southside Festival
06-24 Zagreb, Croatia - INmusic Festival
06-27 Pilton, England - Glastonbury Festival
06-28 Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Rock a Field Festival
07-03 Bucharest, Romania - B'Estfest
07-18 Benicassim, Spain - Benicassim Festival