In support of the new, and ninth, album by Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavillion — set for release January 20 via Domino Records (January 12 in the UK) — a little tour has been announced. The boys have made it known via the I.N.T.E.R.N.E.T. that they will play a handful of European concerts as well as a trio of U.S. shows, all tacked onto their current little jaunt through South America.

If I didn’t know better, and maybe I don’t, I’d think that Animal Collective are busy trying to form their own version of a functioning, danceable United Nations. Regardless of intent though, I imagine a buttload of cool kids the globe over are excited to have another reason to throw away their cares and dance, dance, dance the night away. Especially if you live in Chicago or New York, where you will desperately be looking for a warm, sweaty room to duck into and keep yourself safe from the frosty, winter air.

Well, I’ll stop jabbering and just get to the meat. Here are the dates:

11.06.08 - Santiago, Chile - Industria Cultural 11.08.08 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Planeta Terra Festival 11.09.08 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - La Trastienda 11.13.08 - Lima, Peru - Video and Sound Festival 01.12.09 - London, UK - Koko 01.13.09 - Glasgow, UK - Glasgow School of Art 01.14.09 - Manchester, UK - Manchester Academy 01.15.09 - Brighton, UK - Concorde 2 01.16.09 - Paris, FR - Bataclan 01.17.09 - Leuven, BE - Stuk 01.18.09 - Berlin, DE - Postbahnhof 01.20.09 - New York, NY - Grand Ballroom 01.22.09 - Chicago, IL - Metro 01.23.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Fonda Theater