Having kicked off 2005 with the infectious, New Order-esque single "An Honest Mistake" and a public rivalry with Vegas act the Killers, New York's the Bravery will embark on their first American headlining tour in September. British rockers Maximo Park will serve as openers on the trek.

After a co-headlining club stint in March with Irish outfit Ash, a U.S. radio festival tour this summer and seemingly endless European dates, frontman Sam Endicott says his band is finally ready to tackle its homeland. "This is like the real-deal Holyfield. This is the full-on onslaught," he quips. "It's awesome to see the world, but I miss the States. We haven't spent as much time at home as we would want, but things are going to change."

The impending dates will be the Bravery's first since their war of words with the Killers, whose frontman Brandon Flowers famously claimed in the press that the Bravery owed his four-piece lip service for opening the door for keyboard rockers. "The press still brings it up sometimes," says Endicott, "but my understanding is there's nothing to that anymore."

It will also be the first jaunt since last spring's hometown hate campaign against the fast-rising group, whose self-titled first CD debuted in the Top Twenty in March. "We knew that there was going to be a predictable backlash to what we did because it happens every time a band comes out of New York," Endicott explains. "Those people [who criticized us] are not representative of the New York community as a whole. They're just a bitter, lame-ass segment that is very vocal but for the most part doesn't really fuck with us anymore. Now when I go to New York, those are the same people buying me drinks all night and the same people playing our music in the clubs all the time."

Controversy aside, the Bravery are now focusing on preparing a headlining-length set. In addition to polishing up some new cover songs -- past shows have seen them performing INXS's "Don't Change" and U2's "An Cat Dubh" -- the Bravery plan to use an August tour break in Ibiza to flesh out some new material. "I'm always working on new stuff," Endicott says, "but it's about getting it tight as a band."

But can the band, not known to leave a party early, actually work on an island known for its hedonistic summer dance culture? "If anyone can do it, we can," Endicott says with a laugh. "Work hard, play hard."

The Bravery tour dates:

9/11: Vancouver, BC, Richard's on Richards
9/12: Seattle, Showbox
9/13: Portland, OR, Roseland Theater
9/15: San Francisco, Fillmore
9/16: Santa Ana, CA, Galaxy
9/18: San Diego, CA, SDSU Open Air Theatre
9/21: Tulsa, OK, Cain's Ballroom
9/22: Fayetteville, AR, University of Arkansas
9/23: Dallas, Trees