As part of the pre-release campaign for the upcoming seventh release by alt-rock duo The Black Keys, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have commissioned a spoof video starring ‘How I Met Your Mother’ star Bob Odenkirk (watch below).

‘El Camino’ is released in the US on December 6th and one day earlier in the UK.

Early in 2012, the duo will take to the road, embarking on a European tour which takes in four UK dates. The following dates have been confirmed:

Jan 23 – Antwerp, Belgium – Lotto
Jan 24 – Lille, France – Zenith
Jan 25 – Paris, France – Zenith
Jan 27 – Hamburg, Germany – Sporthalle
Jan 28 – Berlin, Germany – Arena
Jan 30 – Milan, Italy – Alcatraz
Jan 31 – Zurich, Switzerland – Maag Hall
Feb 1 – Eindhoven, Holland – Klokgebouw
Feb 3 – Nottingham, UK – Capital FM Arena
Feb 4 – Edinburgh, UK – Corn Exchange
Feb 6 – Manchester, UK – Apollo
Feb 10 – London, UK – Alexandra Palace

Atlanta metallers Mastodon – who released their fifth studio album ‘The Hunter’ in September – are to visit the UK next year for a run of live shows.

The band will play six gigs in all next February, appearing at the following venues:

O2 Academy Bristol (February 5)
Manchester Academy (6)
Glasgow Barrowlands (7)
Norwich UEA (9)
HMV Institute Birmingham (10)
O2 Academy Brixton (11)

‘The Hunter’ reached #10 on the Billboard chart in the US and peaked at #19 in the UK.

In support of their third album, ‘Last Night On Earth’, Noah and The Whale have announced a run of live dates for March/April 2012, including two rescheduled dates from 2011.

You can catch the band at the following venues:

Dublin Olympia (March 16)*
HMV Edinburgh Picture House (20)
O2 Academy Newcastle (21)*
O2 Academy Sheffield (22)
York Barbican (24)
Portsmouth Guildhall (25)
Southend Cliffs Pavilion (26)
Plymouth Pavilion (28)
Wolverhampton Civic Hall (29)
O2 Apollo Manchester (30)
London Royal Albert Hall (April 16)

*Indicates a rescheduled date from the band’s October 2011 tour

‘Last Night On Earth’ peaked on the UK albums chart at #8. It also made waves in the US, reaching #35 on the Billboard Rock chart and #20 on the Billboard Alternative chart.

Reports suggest that the legendary Paul Simon will take to the road in 2012 with Ladysmith Black Mambazo and play songs from his semial ‘Graceland’ LP. The worldwide smash was released in August 1986 and next year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of Simon taking the songs to the road for the first time.

It is also said that a lavish ‘Graceland’ box set is in the works. Tentatively to be released in the first half of the year, no details about the contents of the set are known at present. Expect more details as they surface…

Details have surfaced regarding the special editions of the forthcoming Nightwish release.

‘Imaginaerium’, the Finnish band’s seventh studi album will be released in the following formats:

2CD digipak featuring instrumental version of the album as bonus CD.

Marbled 180g double gatefold LP, including a DIN A2 poster (limited to 250 copies worldwide).

The final tracklist of the album is as follows:

01. Taikatalvi
02. Storytime
03. Ghost River
04. Slow, Love, Slow
05. I Want My Tears Back
06. Scaretale
07. Arabesque
08. Turn Loose the Mermaids
09. Rest Calm
10. The Crow, the Owl and the Dove
11. Last Ride of the Day
12. Song Of Myself: From a Dusty Bookshelf/All That Great Heart Lying Still/Piano Black/Love
13. Imaginaerum