Roots-rock purveyors Old 97's [ tickets ]--who haven't issued a new album since 2001's "Satellite Rides"--hope to release a new set in 2004, and have also lined up a series of January tour dates.

The Dallas-based band has played only occasional live dates in recent years while frontman Rhett Miller [ tickets ] supported his solo debut, 2002's "The Instigator." The group's upcoming mini-tour opens in Chicago on Jan. 17, and will visit six cities in a week.

Miller, meanwhile, is also scheduled to perform a Dec. 22 solo concert at Fez Under Time Cafe in New York City.

The solo effort from Miller and uncertainty about the band's status with its label, Elektra Records, managed to keep Old 97's on the shelf in recent months. But, according to the group's official website, the band recently signed a new manager, and rumors are that it plans to head into the studio in February.

A new album could be in stores by late summer, but the group's label status remains unclear.