Indie-rockers Cold War Kids [ tickets ] are gearing up for a world tour and the late-summer release of their highly anticipated sophomore effort.

The Southern California foursome will preview material from the as-yet-untitled album with a free today (6/27) at Brooklyn, NY's Prospect Park. Cold War Kids are set to launch their summer/fall outing in early August with shows in Australia and Europe, and then kick off the North American leg Aug. 22 in San Francisco.

The band is currently scheduled to play a mix of US clubs, theaters and festivals through late October, with a Sept. 28 stop in Vancouver. The North American itinerary is listed below and overseas dates can be found at the Kids' website.

Cold War Kids have spent nearly two years on the road supporting their 2006 debut, "Robbers and Cowards," which broke into The Billboard 200 and reached No. 15 on the Top Independent Albums chart. The set spawned the modern rock hit "Hang Me Up to Dry."

Prior to "Robbers and Cowards," the critically acclaimed group self-released three EPs--"Mulberry Street," "Up in Rags" and "With Our Wallets Full"--and developed a significant fanbase through relentless touring, according to Downtown Records.

The buzz grew even louder thanks to music bloggers, and Cold War Kids landed a spot on the 2006 Lollapalooza festival. They were invited back to the cutting-edge music event last summer.

The band's new album is scheduled to hit the streets Sept. 23. A teaser video with new music and footage of the recording process is streaming at Cold War Kids' website.