[photogallerylink id=103920 align=right] [mp3com-artist]Bruce Springsteen[/mp3com-artist] is gearing up for the release of a new studio album and two north American tours!

According to Rolling Stone, The E Street Band will spend most of 2012 on the road, including spring and fall U.S. tours sandwiching a summer tour of Europe.

Dates are yet to be announced, but sources tell Rolling Stone the band has arenas booked starting in March!

As for the new album, rumor has it Springsteen got a little experimental in the process. Jon Landau, Springsteen’s manager, told Rolling Stone the record is a “big-picture piece of work. It’s a rock record that combines elements of both Bruce’s classic sound and his Seeger Sessions experience, with new textures and styles.”

A source told The Hollywood Reporter, there are “unexpected textures – loops, electronic percussion… influences and rhythms from hip-hop to Irish folk rhythms.”

It appears the same source indicates the album has political tones:

“He gets into economic justice quite a bit. It’s very rock ‘n’ roll. He feels it’s the angriest album he’s ever made. Bear in mind, though, that [Springsteen] wrote and recorded the majority of the album before the Occupy movements started, so he’s not just setting headlines to music.”

It appears Springsteen’s camp likes to get the ball rolling fast! A new single, “We Take Care of Our Own,” will be available for download at Amazon.com tomorrow, January 19, 2012!

2012 is looking to be a bright year for the Boss, his band and his fans!

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