Pitchfork

There are busy days ahead for Super Furry Animals, the Welsh wildmen responsible for some of the goopiest guitar rock of the past decade. The quintet, who've kept a relatively low profile in the wake of 2005's Love Kraft, now have about as much as any band-- super or otherwise-- can handle, from a new album to a couple tours to a recently-released reggae comp.

SFA frontman Gruff Rhys-- a star in his own right, of course-- recently spilled his guts to NME.com about Hey Venus!, the band's latest animalian opus. The eleven-track disc, out August 27 in the UK, August 28 in the U.S. digitally and on vinyl, and January 22, 2008 on CD in the U.S. on Rough Trade, will be trotted out with a single for the track "Show Your Hand" arriving August 13. Rhys explained the album's narrative, which details a character named Venus and the trials and tribulations following her move from the country to the city. He also told NME.com that the band is already working on its next album, which may feature a few cuts left off of Hey Venus!

The SFA beast isn't the only tiger with which Rhys is currently wrestling; Neon Neon, a collaboration between Rhys and Boom Bip, have an album apparently due for 2008 release on Lex Records. The disc will feature guest spots largely from the Boom Bip side of the equation, including Spank Rock, Yo Majesty, Fatlip, and Har Mar Superstar, while the Magic Numbers are slated to provide a few backing vocals. No title or exact release date has been set for the album, though the band's MySpace promises a limited-edition picture disc for summer release.

Both Rhys and the rest of the Furries have dates lined up in the coming months.

Finally, Animal Guto Pryce compiled some of his favorite reggae cuts for Trojan Records, and the result, Furry Selection: Luxury Cuts of Trojan Chosen by a Super Furry Animal, was released May 28.

Hey Venus!:

01 The Gateway Song
02 Runaway
03 Show Your Hand
04 The Gift
05 Neo Consumer
06 Into the Night
07 Baby Ate My Eight Ball
08 Carbon Dating
09 Suckers
10 Battersea Odyssey
11 Wolves

Furries live:

06-14 Cardiff, Wales - Clwb Ifor Bach
06-15 Cardiff, Wales - Clwb Ifor Bach
06-16 Cardiff, Wales - Clwb Ifor Bach
06-17 Cardiff, Wales - Clwb Ifor Bach
06-19 London, England - ICA
06-22 Glastonbury, England - Glastonbury Festival
07-13 Kent, England - Lounge on the Farm
07-14 Coventry, England - Godiva Festival
07-21 London, England - Lovebox Festival
07-21 Dublin, Ireland - Lovebox Festival
08-25 Cardiff, Wales - Coopers Field (Get Loaded in the Park)
08-31 Glasgow, Scotland - Connect Festival
09-02 Jersey, Channel Islands - Jerseylive
09-15 Dorset, England - End of the Road Festival
11-11 Burham-on-Sea, England - Tunnel Vision Festival

Gruff live:

06-09 Devon, England - Lynton and Lynmouth Festival
06-30 Stockholm, Sweden - Accelerator Festival
07-27 Liverpool, England - Picket
07-28 Glasgow, Scotland - Fruit Market
07-29 London, England - KOKO
08-11 London, England - Field Day Festival
08-12 Leicester, England - Summer Sundae Festival
08-19 Brecon, Wales - Green Man Festival