Alt-rock stalwarts R.E.M. [ tickets ] will take to the North American amphitheater circuit this spring to support their forthcoming album, "Accelerate."

As it currently stands, the band's outing is set to begin May 23 in Vancouver, and will visit another dozen cities over the following month. Modest Mouse [ tickets ] and The National [ tickets ] have been tapped to open, according to R.E.M.'s official website. Ticket on-sale information hasn't been announced.

The group is also scheduled to play a March 12 showcase at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, TX.

Billboard.com recently reported that "Accelerate," due in stores April 1, is an 11-track set that clocks in at under 35 minutes. In contrast to the band's two previous albums, the mid-tempo "Around the Sun" (2004) and "Reveal" (2001), the new set is described as "stripped-down, fast-paced rock."

The first single from "Accelerate" reportedly is titled "Supernatural Superserious."

Last year, in addition to working on "Accelerate," the group stayed busy with its March induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the October release of "R.E.M. Live," the first concert CD/DVD of the group's 27-year career.