Here is the official word on the outing followed by the dates: This marks the iconic band's first tour since December 2008 and will feature, says leader and founder Billy Corgan, "a balance of classics, a few obscure ones, and new 'Teargarden' material."

Corgan and his band mates--guitarist Jeff Schroeder, drummer Mike Byrne and new bassist Nicole Fiorentino—are planning to invite select fans to attend their sound checks (details TBA). "We are going to do something unique, which is play an invite-only set during sound check of almost all new, unreleased songs," says Billy. "We're still figuring out a way to make it possible for some of the fans who'll be in the line outside waiting to get in for that."

Rehearsals for the tour "have been fantastic," adds Billy. "I haven't been this comfortable in a band situation since about 1995. Musically, we seem to have wound our way back to a more kinetic, electric, and psychedelic sound that reminds me of SP in Gish-Siamese era."

The decision to play intimate venues keeps in line with the Pumpkins' "long-standing tradition of trying to start up new tours at smaller venues because it allows the band the opportunity to take some chances musically," explains Billy. The band has been recording and rehearsing in Los Angeles, and recently broadcast a full session live online here

After the U.S. dates, the Pumpkins will head to Japan for four shows, including headline performances at two Summer Sonic festivals in Japan--August 7 in Tokyo (Marine Stadium) and August 8 in Osaka (Maishima)--to be followed by two headline dates in Tokyo (August 10 and 11 at Studio Coast).

Last week, the Pumpkins released the four-song Teargarden By Kaleidyscope Vol.1: Songs For A Sailor EP (Martha's Music/Rocket Science Ventures). This is the first of an eventual 11 specially packaged EPs--taken from the in-progress 44-song work Teargarden By Kaleidyscope--to be sold in record stores. Notably, all the music is being released online, for free, with no strings attached.

The very limited edition collector's EP Teargarden By Kaleidyscope Vol.1: Songs For A Sailor ("A Stitch In Time," "Widow Wake My Mind," "A Song For A Son" and "Astral Planes") is packaged in a beautiful silk-screened wooden box. Each box contains a 4-song CD, a vinyl 7" and a hand-carved obelisk from the shadows of the Incan ruins in Machu Picchu.