Pitchfork

Before folks across the Pacific get their angst on to the scowl of Nine Inch Nails' forever-unhappy frontman Trent Reznor, they'll drift in the reverbed haze of pretty shoegaze machines Serena-Maneesh.

The Norwegian pedal-pushers have signed on to take the reigns from Ladytron, opening a string of dates in Australia and Japan for NIN's previously reported world tour (in support of Year Zero, out April 17). These gigs will draw Serena-Maneesh out of their magical den of musical creation, in which they're presently working on the follow-up to 2005's gatecrashing debut, Serena-Maneesh.

These gigs will also bring main Maneesher Emil Nikolaisen back in the vicinity of his beloved India, from which the guitarist/vocalist just returned. Seems he readily soaked up the culture while there. The band's manager speaks of "Tibetan chants and classical Indian string instruments," so we might just be in for a "difficult" sophomore album.

Dates:

05-07 Brisbane, Australia - Riverstage *
05-09 Sydney, Australia - Big Top Luna Park *
05-10 Sydney, Australia - Big Top Luna Park *
05-13 Melbourne, Australia - Metro Nightclub *
05-14 Melbourne, Australia - Metro Nightclub *
05-18 Tokyo, Japan - Studio Coast *
05-20 Tokyo, Japan - Studio Coast *
05-22 Nagoya, Japan - Zepp *
05-23 Osaka, Japan - Zepp *
05-24 Osaka, Japan - Zepp *
07-07 Kongsberg, Norway - Kongsberg Jazz Festival

* with Nine Inch Nails