Supposedly Travis have just recorded their “loudest, edgiest and most arresting record since their debut”, and to celebrate they’ve just announced a sizeable UK tour for September and October around the UK.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Friday 1st August) at 9am.

Monday 22nd September – Inverness Ironworks
Tuesday 23rd September – Aberdeen Music Hall
Thursday 25th September – Edinburgh Picture House
Sunday 28th September – Manchester The Ritz
Monday 29th September – Liverpool Academy
Tuesday 30th September – Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall
Thursday 2nd October – Newcastle University
Friday 3rd October – Norwich UEA
Saturday 4th October – Portsmouth Pyramids Centre
Monday 6th October – Bath Pavillion
Tuesday 7th October – Sheffield Leadmill
Wednesday 8th October – London Astoria

Scots Travis have announced two Scottish year closing shows.

They’ll play a hometown show at Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom on December 30th, before moving on to play to thousands of New Years revellers at Aberdeen’s Castlegate celebrations on December 31st.

Tickets for Glasgow go on sale tomorrow (9th November), whilst the Aberdeen celebration is a first come-first-served event, with no tickets being issued.

Those lovely people at iTunes have set up their own “festival” in the centre of London to take place at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) throughout July, with a raft of the best in current bands playing each night.

iTunes will be recording each of the shows and are planning to make songs from the shows available via their music shop. The ICA holds about 350 people, making the shows exceptionally intimate.

The bands include, in date order:

Mika supported by Leon Jean-Marie (1)
Crowded House supported by Justin Nozuka (2)
Travis supported by The Hoosiers (3)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club supported by Nine Black Alps (4)
Groove Armada supported by Mutya Buena and Beardyman (7)
Ash supported by Ben’s Brother (8)
The View (9)
Imogen Heap supported by James Wolff (10)
Editors supported by GoodBooks (11)
Scott Matthews (12)
Athlete supported by Tiny Dancers (13)
Paolo Nutini (14)
Gianna Nannini (15)
Ludovico Einaudi supported by Dhafer Youssef (16)
The Bad Plus supported by Rebekka Bakken (17)
The Pigeon Detectives supported by The Rakes (18)
Beverley Knight supported by Raul Midón (19)
Stereophonics supported by Little Man Tate (20)
Jamie Scott & The Town (21)
Wir Sind Helden (23)
Amy Winehouse supported by The Rumble Strips and Remi Nicole (25)
Just Jack supported by Mr Hudson & The Library (26)
Jack Penate (27)
The Maccabees supported by Goldspot (28)
Duke Special supported by Tom McRae (29)
The Coral supported by Candie Payne (30)

Tickets will be given away free via radio, TV stations and band and fan websites. The specific details of which will be announced soon. Some tickets are already available from the itunes festival website.

Photo taken from Mteson’s flickr stream.