Deerhoof takes 'Opportunity' for major trek

Indie-rockers Deerhoof have put the finishing touches on their latest album, "Friend Opportunity," and will launch a major US tour immediately after the set's Jan. 23 release.

The San Francisco band will kick off a 29-city trek Jan. 24 in Los Angeles as it looks to ride momentum built from last year's critically acclaimed indie release, "The Runners Four," and a summer spent opening shows on Radiohead's US tour.

The group--now a trio after the departure earlier this year of bassist Chris Cohen--will match a variety of opening acts to its upcoming outing. Experimental rockers (and fellow Californians) Hella will tackle opening duties at the Jan. 24 tour launch, but support will primarily come from Busdriver, Harlem Shakes and Macomantics as the trek gets into full swing.

"Friend Opportunity," Deerhoof's first full-length release since Cohen's amicable departure, will feature 12 different covers. The disc will ship to stores with a default cover displayed, but all versions of the cover art--created by Scottish artist David Shrigley--will be included inside the album's packaging for fans to choose their favorite.

The new album was recorded largely in the band's home studio shortly after Cohen's departure, and after the group decided to not immediately seek a replacement.

"The way we started recording was, we had two weeks where those guys came over every day and we would record in my bedroom," guitarist John Dieterich recently told pitchforkmedia.com. "We just spent all day every day working on recording and working on arrangements. At the end of those two weeks we had the basics for just about everything on the album. And then after that we did a lot of mixing on the road."