White Stripes Tour Far Reaches of North America
Introduce this new rock'n'roll fad to citizens of Iqaluit, Nunavut

Fresh off news of their new single in two installments-- and "Icky Thump"'s debut on iTunes today-- the White Stripes' relentless press onslaught continues with an announcement of the first leg of an insanely ambitious North American tour.

As promised previously, this gargantuan jaunt-- in support of Icky Thump, out June 19 here via Warner Bros. and June 18 there via XL-- will whisk the Stripes away to the only 16 States in the Union they've yet to rock during the course of their 10 year career-- and all the blooming Canadian provinces and territories too!

No joke: Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut-- all covered. Nevermind that Nunavut, according to Wikipedia, has less than 30,000 inhabitants spread out over nearly two million square kilometers of land! Might just be the most intimate Stripes show to date.

So does this mean Alaska and Hawaii too? Not yet, but hang tight: Jack and Meg aim to reveal more dates soon.

For now, they'll teach a lesson in Canadian geography beginning June 24 in Burnaby, British Columbia. After nearly a month up north, the Stripes, pending border control approval, finally re-enter the U.S. July 22 for some merry-making out East.

In related news, according to Billboard.com, Jack White's Raconteurs have been recording the follow-up to last year's Broken Boy Soldiers in Nashville, with eyes on a 2008 release.

Stars and Stripes and maple leaves:

06-01 Nuerburgring, Germany - Rock Am Ring Festival
06-02 Nurnberg, Germany - Rock Im Park Festival
06-04 Vienna, Austria - Gasometer
06-06 Rome, Italy - Tenda Strisce
06-07 Milan, Italy - Idroscalo
06-09 Lisbon, Portugal - Alive Festival
06-11 Paris, France - Zenith
06-14 London, England - Hyde Park (O2 Wireless Festival)
06-15 Leeds, England - Harewood House (O2 Wireless Festival)
06-17 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo Festival
06-24 Burnaby, British Columbia - Deer Lake Park
06-25 Whitehorse, Yukon - Yukon Arts Centre
06-26 Yellowknife, Northwest Territories - Shorty Brown Multiplex Arena
06-27 Iqaluit, Nunavut - Arctic Winter Games Arena
06-29 Calgary, Alberta - Pengrowth Saddledome
06-30 Edmonton, Alberta - Shaw Convention Center
07-01 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - TCU Place
07-02 Winnipeg, Manitoba - MTS Centre
07-03 Thunder Bay, Ontario - Community Auditorium
07-05 Toronto, Ontario - Molson Amphitheatre
07-06 Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre
07-07 London, Ontario - John Labatt Centre
07-08 Ottawa, Ontario - LeBreton Flats Park (Ottawa Bluesfest)
07-10 Moncton, New Brunswick - Moncton Coliseum Arena
07-11 Charlottetown, Price Edward Island - Charlottetown Civic Centre
07-13 Halifax, Nova Scotia - Cunard Centre
07-14 Glace Bay, Nova Scotia - Savoy Theatre
07-16 St. John's, Newfoundland - Mile One Center
07-22 Portland, ME - Cumberland Civic Center
07-23 Boston, MA - Agganis Arena
07-24 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
07-25 Wallingford, CT - Chevrolet Theater
07-27 Wilmington, DE - Grand Opera House
07-28 Fairfax, VA - Patriot Center
07-29 North Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
07-30 Birmingham, AL - Sloss Furnaces
07-31 Southaven, MS - Snowden Grove Park Amphitheater