They’ll launch the tour in San Diego July 12 and work their way east, finishing up in New Jersey August 3. They’ll make a July 30 stop at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, N.C., for the Merge 15 year anniversary celebration, which spans four days and includes labelmates Superchunk, M. Ward, Lambchop, Spoon, Matt Suggs and many others.

Camera Obscura was formed in 1996 by Traceyanne Campbell and John Henderson. They gradually added members and released their debut album, Biggest Blue Hi-Fi, in 2002 on Scottish label Andmoresound. The album was produced by Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian and yielded a minor European hit with the single “Eighties Fan.”

The band is not to be confused with the California post-hardcore group of the same name, which broke up some time after its 2000 debut, To Change The Shape Of An Envelope.