The Tragically Hip are putting the finishing touches to the studio album they’ve been working on with producer Bob Rock (Metallica, Our Lady Peace).

That’s about it as far as details about new material is concerned, but the band have introduced their “Live From The Vault” series of concert recordings on their newly revamped website.

The Hip have recorded their shows since 1995, and the tapes, DATs and CDs have apparently been stored in the vault of a converted bank in downtown Kingston, Ont. The archiving and preservation process has been ongoing over the past several years, leading to the launch of the new series of sound board recordings.

“There are no overdubs or tinkering,” says a message on the site. “No Frampton Comes Alive sheen. Just good old two track recordings capturing the band in a moment.”

Three concerts can be purchased and downloaded from the Hip’s online Gift Shop: Feb. 2, 1995 at Halifax’s Metro Centre; Oct. 26, 2002 at Stubb’s BBQ in Austin, Texas; and Feb. 6, 2007 at Hamilton’s Copps Coliseum. All come with downloadable Wil Ruocco-designed artwork. Recordings will continue to be added, and The Gift Shop has also introduced a wider range of Hip merchandise.

The site has added new music and video players. A new Flickr application enables fans to upload photos of the band to the site, which also features extensive archives of concert information and song lyrics. The “Hip Story Project” allows fans to tell their own stories about the group and what they mean to them.

Imagine the fun in that feature. “It was Nu Yeer’s Eve and we were already hamered…”