Tour news: Ryan Adams, Shihad, Blur

Ryan Adams playing at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival last week (Photo by Zach Cordner/Invision/AP)

American singer-songwriter Ryan Adams is returning for two New Zealand shows.

Adams, who last played a solo acoustic show in Auckland three years ago, is this time touring with his latest backing band, The Shining.

The shows follow the release of last year's self-titled album , his 14th studio LP which delivered him a rare hit single with Gimme Something Good which was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Song.

Adams and the The Shining will play at the Auckland Town Hall on Tuesday July 14 and the Wellington's Opera House on Thursday July 16.

General sale tickets for both shows go on sale on Monday May 4 at midday.

You Again, again

Shihad is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the release - and remastered re-release- of their acclaimed sophomore album Killjoy with a performance of its tracks at the Powerstation in Auckland on Friday May 22.

The band has played the album in full before, when they performed it and The General Electric at the same venue in 2012.

For ticketing info go here.

Blur's Oz tour

Reformed Britpop band Blur has announced arena shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth either side of the band's appearance at the sold-out Splendour in the Grass festival in Byron Bay on July 26.

The band end their Australian jaunt in Perth on July 30.

But confirmed New Zealand dates remain elusive despite the band's Alex James recently telling TimeOut that NZ dates were definitely on the list.