When Denmark’s Raveonettes paid us a visit this past October, they were a band with a new album but without a North American label to put it out, not that any of that stopped them from packing Lee’s Palace. Some speculated that this dictated the more stripped down than usual configuration – just Sune Rose Wagner, Sharin Foo and a drummer with a two-piece kit.

So now that they’re signed to Vice Records and will release Lust Lust Lust on February 19, maybe they’ll bring along a few more players when they play the Opera House on March 21 and fill things out a bit – tickets for that show are $16.50 and go on sale January 3. As I mentioned when I reviewed the show, my first exposure to the Raveonettes, I wasn’t especially overwhelmed but I’m finding I’m enjoying listening to the record more than I did watching them play. Perhaps not standing directly in front of Wagner’s Twin Reverb is allowing me to better appreciate the nuances of their songwriting. It sounds more pop and less “kkkkksccccccchhhhhhh”.

AFP and Billboard talked to the band about their new record and they performed “Dead Sound”, one of the standout tracks from the new record, for a Black Cab session. You can sample a bit more of the record and see the first video from it below.

MP3: The Raveonettes – “Dead Sound”
MP3: The Raveonettes – “Aly, Walk With Me”
Video: The Raveonettes – “Dead Sound”
MySpace: The Raveonettes

Nina Nastasia, who put out a much-lauded record this year with The Dirty Three’s Jim White in You Follow Me, will be stopping in at the El Mocambo on February 14. Tickets for that are $8.50, on sale next Thursday.

MP3: Nina Nastasia with Jim White – “Jim’s Room”

If you don’t have plans for New Year’s Eve, consider staying in and watching Radiohead perform In Rainbows in its entirety via webcast at current.com, starting at midnight EST on Monday and repeating three more times through the day. Yes, it’s pre-taped – the band surely has better things to do New Year’s Eve than hang out in a studio entertaining your ethernet-tethered ass. In Rainbows is officially on sale January 1, though most of the record stores around town already seem to be selling it in physical form if you just gotta have it. More details on the webcast at Billboard.

Okkervil River stop in for a session and interview at NPR before heading off to Europe for some shows in February followed by a jaunt down under.

And speaking of jaunts to Europe, I’m contemplating vacation plans for next year and am thinking about the following – eight or nine days, third week of May, half in London and half in Dublin. I’ve never been to either (barring a couple hour layover in Heathrow a few years ago) and, well, that’s about as far as my planning has gotten. Thoughts? Suggestions? If I had more time off, I’d do Glasgow as well but I don’t think that’s in the cards this time around.