Indie-rock icon Ani DiFranco [ tickets ], who has already unveiled plans for a January tour of the U.S., has now penciled in her first batch spring tour dates.

So far, DiFranco has mapped a handful of dates in the western U.S. and Canada, including two Alaskan performances. The jaunt follows a two-week stretch of January shows that focuses on the Midwest.

Sandwiched between the winter and spring U.S. shows is a late-February/early-March swing through Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

The roadwork supports DiFranco's forthcoming album, "Educated Guess," which, "if you want to get technical, in some ways [is] the first 100%-Ani CD ever," according to DiFranco's Righteous Babe Records website. DiFranco recorded the album at home, by herself, using an old analog 8-track reel-to-reel recorder, according to the label.

"Educated Guess" guess is due in stores on Jan. 20. Audio samples of five of the album's 14 tracks are streaming at Righteous Babe's website.