Welsh alt-rockers Super Furry Animals will take a break from recording the follow-up to last year's Rings Around The World to tour America for three weeks this fall. The tour launches September 18th in Detroit and runs through October 12th in Seattle.

The techno-group-turned-art-rock-quintet -- singer Gruff Rhys, guitarist Huw Bunford, keyboardist Cian Ciaran, bassist Guto Pryce and drummer Dafydd Ieuan -- has released five acclaimed records, with the sixth due early next year. This summer, Super Furry Animals also released a DVD version of Rings Around the World which features twelve videos accompanying each track as well as the customary bonus tracks and remixes.

"We're still looking for the definitive 'Furries sound,' whatever that is," drummer Dafydd Ieuan told Rolling Stone. "It's something you want to look for, but hope that you never find. Once you do a record you're completely happy with, then you'll either be repeating yourself or putting out something that's not as good [in the future]."

Super Furry Animals tour dates:

9/18: Detroit, St. Andrews Hall
9/19: Toronto, Phoenix Concert Theater
9/20: Cleveland, Beachland Ballroom & Tavern
9/21: Buffalo, Continental
9/22: Northampton, MA Pearl Street
9/23: Boston, Paradise Rock Club
9/24: New York, Irving Plaza
9/26: Washington, DC 9:30 Club
9/27: Carrboro, NC, Cat's Cradle
9/28: Pittsburgh, Club Laga
9/29: Dayton, OH, Southgate House
9/30: Indianapolis, Birdy's
10/2: Chicago, Metro/Smart Bar
10/3: Minneapolis, Quest Club
10/4: Lawrence, KS, The Bottleneck
10/5: Denver, Bluebird Theater
10/7: Hollywood, The Palace
10/9: San Francisco, The Fillmore
10/11: Portland, OR, Berbati's Pan
10/12: Seattle, TBA

BENJAMIN FRIEDLAND
(July 30, 2002)