Indie rockers The Hold Steady [ tickets ] have greatly expanded their late-year tour schedule, adding a large number of new dates backing "Boy and Girls in America," which hit stores Oct. 3.

The Brooklyn-based quintet, which kicked off its current outing in late September, just before the new album's release, has extend its schedule well into December, with new dates added to cover just about every geographical region of the US.

The group will hit the stage next Friday (10/13) in San Diego. A limited number of pre-sale tickets are available for the remainder of the tour's dates. Fans who pre-order through the band's website will receive an exclusive MP3 of "Chips Ahoy!" from the group's new album.

"Boys and Girls in America" was recorded in May and produced by John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr.). The album's title was taken from a line in Jack Kerouac's beat classic "On the Road," according to lead singer Craig Finn.

"The line goes, 'Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together,'" Finn recently told Billboard.com.

"Basically the songs are about guys and girls, and love. It's not a concept-type record like the last one. It's more of a theme record."