Regina Spektor heads near and 'Far'

Regina Spektor has added a handful of late-summer dates to her US itinerary behind her forthcoming Sire Records release, "Far."

The Moscow-born singer/songwriter/pianist performs tonight (6/17) at New York City's Beacon Theatre before taking off on a month-long European-festival run. She'll then return to North America for a seven-city trek that begins Sept. 11 in Saint Paul, MN, and wraps Sept. 24 in Philadelphia. Details are included below.

"Far," the follow-up to 2006's "Begin to Hope," will hit shelves June 23. The new studio effort features the expertise of a handful of producers, including Jeff Lynne (Electric Light Orchestra), Mike Elizondo (Eminem), David Kahne (Paul McCartney) and Garret "Jackknife" Lee (Weezer).

Earlier this month, Spektor released an EP entitled "Laughing With," available exclusively at independent music stores nationwide. The set features two songs--"Laughing With" and "Folding Chair"--from the forthcoming "Far," as well as "The Call" from the "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" soundtrack.

The New York-based musician got her start as a classically trained pianist before building a grassroots following in New York City, selling self-produced CDs, including her eventual first major-label release, "Soviet Kitsch."