Trip-hop duo Thievery Corporation [ tickets ] will get a jump on 2009 with a slate of early year dates in support of the pair's latest studio set, "Radio Retaliation."

The DJs--Rob Garza and Eric Hilton--will offer up a New Year's Eve performance in San Francisco before the tour officially gets underway with a three-night (1/27-29) engagement in their hometown of Washington, DC.

The trek continues in February, kicking off Feb. 20 in Chicago and hitting seven cities through the end of the month. Details are included below; on-sale dates for the upcoming shows vary, and information on specific dates can be found at the group's website.

"Radio Retaliation," the duo's fifth studio album, hit stores in September. The set was recorded in the group's hometown of Washington, DC, and takes a more political direction than past releases, according to the pair's website.

"'Radio Retaliation' is definitely a more overt political statement," said Garza in a message posted at the group's website. "There's no excuse for not speaking out at this point, with the suspension of habeas corpus, outsourced torture, illegal wars of aggression, fuel, food, and economic crises. It's hard to close your eyes and sleep while the world is burning around you. If you are an artist, this is the most essential time to speak up."

"Apart from a few independent bastions, there is no musical or informational freedom on the US airwaves anymore," added Hilton. "They've been bought up, consolidated and homogenized. 'Radio Retaliation' is about an exodus of conscious people who are willing to acknowledge something is wrong with the 'official version' in news and culture."

The outfit's previous full-length, 2005's "The Cosmic Game," features guest contributions from David Byrne, Perry Farrell, Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne and others. The disc debuted at No. 74 on the UK albums chart.

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