Pitchfork

Not two weeks into 2007, the Cold War Kids have already made ambitious plans for the year. It all kicks off this Wednesday, January 10 with a short string of mid-week gigs that find them trekking back and forth between New York and Los Angeles repeatedly. Then it's off to Europe for a previously reported tour in support of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, followed by a return to their North American homeworld in late February, where they'll cross the continent alongside Ontario-based up-and-comers Tokyo Police Club.

Fans desperate for a more immediate Kids fix can cruise over to the band's website, home to six recently posted live covers. The Benefit at the District EP is culled from a September benefit concert at Orange, California's District Lounge, staged in collaboration with the Costa Mesa Breast Cancer Walk. Among the songs covered, you'll find Tom Waits' "I Don't Wanna Grow Up", Elvis Costello's "Indoor Fireworks", Fiona Apple's "Fast as You Can", and more.

In addition, the Cold War Kids are finalizing a new video for Robbers and Cowards' "Hang Me Up to Dry", directed by the Malloy Brothers.

Tokyo Police Club, on the other hand, are taking the more-oft traversed sell-our-tunes-for-$$ route. Their A Lesson in Crime EP is now available on vinyl via Paper Bag Records, and will arrive in the UK and Europe on February 12 with bonus track "Cut Cut Paste" in tow, courtesy of Memphis Industries.

On February 5, a week ahead of Crime's release, the latter label will drop the "Cheer It On" single, which features the b-side "Citizens of Tomorrow (Space Ballad version)" (which rules). Bijan Shams recently shot a video for "Cheer It On".

A Lesson in Crime will also make its mark in Australia and New Zealand, where it's dew (wait for it) March 10 on Dew Process.

Tokyo Police Club is currently readying new material in guitarist Josh Hook's basement, "a process which," according to their MySpace blog, "involves general noisiness punctuated by frequent breaks for sparring, wildlife trivia, pizza, and YouTube."

They'll break early next month for their first-ever European tour.

Benefit at the District tracklist:

01 Indoor Fireworks (Elvis Costello cover)
02 Fast as You Can (Fiona Apple cover)
02 Die, Die, Die (Dr. Dog cover)
04 I Don't Wanna Grow Up (Tom Waits cover)
05 Tonite, You Belong to Me (Lawrence Welk cover)
06 The Littlest Birds (Be Good Tanyas cover)

Cold War Kids dates:

01-10 New York, NY - Pianos
01-12 Los Angeles, CA - Fold at Silverlake Lounge
01-17 New York, NY - Union Hall
01-19 Los Angeles, CA - Fold at Silverlake Lounge
01-24 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
01-26 Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
02-01 Dublin, Ireland - Tripod *
02-02 Manchester, England - Academy *
02-03 Glasgow, Scotland - Barrowlands *
02-04 Birmingham, England - Academy *
02-06 Cologne, Germany - Gebaeude 9 *
02-07 Brussels, Belgium - AB Club *
02-08 Amsterdam, the Netherlands - Paradiso *
02-09 Berlin, Germany - Postbanhof *
02-11 Hamburg, Germany - Knust *
02-12 Paris, France - La Cigalle *
02-13 London, England - Shepherds Bush Empire *
02-20 San Diego, CA - Casbah
02-22 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
02-23 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
02-24 Santa Cruz, CA - Attic
03-02 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
03-03 Omaha, NE - Sokol Underground
03-04 Lawrence, KS - Bottleneck
03-06 Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater #
03-07 Milwaukee, WI - Rave at Eagles Club #
03-08 Madison, WI - Annex #
03-09 Chicago, IL - Subterranean #
03-10 Columbia, MO - Mojo's #
03-12 Little Rock, AR - Juanita's #
03-14 Dallas, TX - Gypsy Tea Room #
03-15-18 Austin, TX - South by Southwest
03-19 New Orleans, LA - Republic #
03-20 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder #
03-21 Orlando, FL - Social #
03-22 St. Augustine, FL - Cafe 11 #
03-23 Atlanta, GA - Vinyl #
03-24 Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge #
03-26 Mt. Pleasant, SC - Village Tavern #
03-27 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 #
03-28 Washington, DC - Nightclub 9:30 #
03-29 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church #
03-30 Cambridge, MA - Middle East #
03-31 Northampton, MA - Pearl Street Nightclub #
04-02 Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rossa #
04-03 Ottawa, Ontario - Zaphod Beeblebrox #
04-04 Toronto, Ontario - Mod Club #
04-06 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom #
04-07 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom #

* with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Elvis Perkins
# with Tokyo Police Club

Tokyo Police Club dates:

02-04 Hamilton, Ontario - Casbah
02-10 New York, NY - Irving Plaza
02-13 Sheffield, England - Plug (Club NME)
02-14 Glasgow, Scotland - NicenSleazy
02-15 London, England - Barfly (XFM X-posure)
02-16 Paris, France - La Boule Noir *
02-18 Amsterdam, the Netherlands - Paradiso #
02-19 Hamburg, Germany - Molotov #
02-20 Berlin, Germany - Mudd Club
02-22 Copenhagen, Denmark - Loppen
02-23 Stockholm, Sweden Debaser
02-25 Cologne, Germany - Underground
02-26 Brussels, Belgium - AB
02-27 London, England - KOKO (NME Brat Awards) *
02-28 Manchester, England - Night & Day Cafe
03-02 Barcelona, Spain - Pop Bar (Razzmatazz)

* with the Maccabees
# with Field Music