Photo by Alicia J. RoseIt's never a bad idea to go see the Thermals. Five years ago, I saw the Portland ragers play a converted auto body shop in Baltimore with the Hold Steady opening, and they wrecked. They're playing slightly larger venues these days, but it's safe to say that they will bring same bouncing-off-walls basement-punk energy and accidentally-spitting-on-mics urgency to every show they'll on their huge North American tour this spring. Bands generally don't book gigantic cross-continental odysseys for no reason, so you probably won't be surprised to learn that the Thermals have an album coming out. On April 7, their new label Kill Rock Stars will release Now We Can See, their fourth full-length. And on April 18, Record Store Day, the Thermals and KRS labelmates Thao With the Get Down Stay Down will release a limited-run split 7" that you can only get at independent record stores. Dates: 03-18 Austin, TX - Red 7 (SXSW Terrorbird Day show) 03-18 Austin, TX - Club Deville (SXSW Kill Rock Stars showcase) 03-19 Austin, TX - Red Eyed Fly (SXSW Portland showcase) 04-19 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom *^ 04-10 Salem, OR - The Grand Theater 04-11 Seattle, WA - Neumos *# 04-22 Boise, ID - Neurolux %$ 04-23 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge %$ 04-24 Denver, CO - The Marquis Theater %$ 04-25 Omaha, NE - Slowdown %$ 04-26 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club %$ 04-28 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon %$ 04-29 Chicago, IL - The Bottom Lounge %$ 04-30 Ann Arbor, MI - Blind Pig %$ 05-01 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom %$ 05-02 Buffalo, NY - Big Orbit's Soundlab %$ 05-03 Toronto, Ontario - Horseshoe Tavern % 05-05 Northampton, MA - Pearl Street %$ 05-06 Portland, ME - SPACE Gallery %$ 05-07 Cambridge, MA - Middle East Downstairs %$ 05-08 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom %$ 05-09 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom %$ 05-12 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's %$ 05-13 Washington, DC - Black Cat %$ 05-14 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 %$ 05-15 Charleston, SC - The Pourhouse %$ 05-16 Atlanta, GA - Masquerade %$ 05-18 Birmingham, AL - Bottle Tree % 05-19 Memphis, TN - Hi Tone Cafe % 05-20 Little Rock, AR - Revolution Music Club % 05-21 Dallas, TX - The Loft % 05-22 Austin, TX - Mohawk % 05-23 San Antonio, TX - The Warhol % 05-26 Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room % 05-27 Los Angeles, CA - Troubador % 05-30 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill %~ 05-31 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill %