Soul Asylum V. 2.0 with Tommy Stinson, Michael Bland, Dave Pirner and Dan Murphy. / Star Tribune file

Read into the title of this one however you want: Soul Asylum's long-awaited new record will be called "Delayed Reaction," and it finally has a firm release date, July 17. As reported last month, the band recently signed a new deal with 429 Records, a Los Angeles-based, Japanese-owned company offering a modern spin for veteran acts including Macy Gray, Roberta Flack, Robbie Robertson and other '90s rock-radio favorites such as Cracker and Everclear. The official confirmation with all the album details arrived today from the label.

Most of the 10 tracks -- including such stage-tested songs as "Gravity" and "Let's All Kill Each Other" -- were co-produced with ex-Minneapolitan John Fields, who also worked on 2006's "The Silver Lining," the last new Soul Asylum record. That was also the band's last one with bassist Karl Mueller, who played on most of the tracks shortly before he lost his fight with cancer. Thus, this is the first album to entirely feature the "new" rhythm section with Tommy Stinson on bass and Michael Bland on drums.

So far, the only 2012 show that Soul Asylum has on the books is an April 27 gig at the best music fest in the country, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Frontman Dave Pirner has lived part-time in New Orleans for almost two decades now, and part of the new record was made there as well as Los Angeles and, yes, Minneapolis (mostly at Flowers Studio, I've heard). Undoubtedly, the guys will include a Twin Cities gig in their summer tour plans -- hopefully not one involving ribs, beer tickets or casino buffets.