The SFAs are taking just a brief rest for the Christmas/New Year holidays before launching their tour January 21 in Madrid. It wraps April 8 in London. There’s no word yet on support acts.

They’ve got a new-ish LP/CD/DVD out since the summer. The Phantom Power disc is yet another notch on the group’s ever-expanding discography list and showcases the group’s taste for eclectic sounds.

The band has been experimenting with different DVD formats to accompany their new albums. Starting with 2001’s Rings Round The World and continuing with Phantom Power, Super Furry Animals have helped design visual “wallpaper” for their music.

Lead singer Gruff Rhys told Billboard earlier this summer, “Basically, with the (Rings) DVD, a lot was made of the films that were played with the song. To a certain extent, that was not our goal in making the DVD. We wanted to make a surround-sound album. So with this (Phantom) DVD, we’re taking the emphasis off the visuals while the sounds are playing.”

The result is some animation and video clips that blend with the songs.