Pitchfork

Little Joy photo by Autumn de Wilde; Nickel Eye photo by William Kirk

Absence, they say, makes the heart grow fonder-- but a four year absence? That kinda stuff makes the band grow a little restless. To that end, a couple members of the long-dormant Strokes are making do with their extended vacation from the group that made 'em famous by ratcheting up the activity of their other bands.

Fabrizio Moretti's Little Joy will hit the road next month for a decent bit of touring in support of their self-titled LP, due November 4 from Rough Trade. There's talk of yet another West Coast run for the band in December, but for now, you'll have to get what Little Joy you can at the spots below.

And then there's Nickel Eye, the oh-so-cleverly named new thing from bassist Nikolai Fraiture. Nickel Eye's previously mentioned debut LP, The Time of the Assassins, is due January 27 from Rykodisc. The 11-track set is boosted by guest appearances from the likes of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's Nick Zinner (guitar on "This Is the End") and Regina Spektor (piano on "Where the Cold Wind Blows"), as you know, plus a Leonard Cohen cover ("Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye"); check the full tracklist below. Also, does Nickel Eye: The Time of the Assassins sound like a Tom Clancy book to anybody else?

In a recent interview with the BBC, Fraiture noted that the Strokes are hoping to regroup for some studio time in February. We'll believe it when it happens.

Dapper Albert Hammond, Jr., meanwhile, just stepped off the road with Coldplay, while Julian Casablancas is, according to NME.com, busy with the BBQ. No word on Nick Valensi's more recent goings-on, but I'm sure wherever he is, he's lookin' cool.

The Time of the Assassins:

01 Intro
02 You and Everyone Else
03 Back From Exile
04 Fountain Avenue
05 This Is the End
06 Dying Star
07 Brandy of the Damned
08 Providence, RI
09 Where the Cold Wind Blows
10 Another Sunny Afternoon
11 Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye

Little Joy:

11-07 Saint Paul, MN - Station Four
11-08 Chicago, IL - Subterranean
11-09 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
11-11 Pittsburgh, PA - Hard Rock
11-12 Philadelphia, PA - Khyber Pass
11-13 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
11-14 Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell's
11-16 Cambridge, MA - T.T. the Bear's Place
11-18 Washington, DC - Black Cat (Backstage)
11-20 Atlanta, GA - Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar
11-21 Nashville, TN - Exit/In
11-22 St. Louis, MO - Duck Room at Blueberry Hill
11-24 Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Music Hall
11-26 Dallas, TX - The Lounge on Elm Street
11-28 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
11-29 Austin, TX - The Parish