Pitchfork

So many bands have appeared on the scene since Arcade Fire released Funeral at the end of 2004 that the album almost seems like ancient history. Remember the days before Beirut, before Tapes ‘n Tapes, before even Clap Your Hands Say Yeah? What a looong time ago.

Fortunately, it's summer, which means it's time to toss the history books out the window and take a dive into the sea of hype. And add a few more drops to that sea, because Win Butler has given us precious little information on the follow-up to Funeral.

In a journal entry on the band's beautiful but thoroughly confusing website (hint: go to "Win's Scrapbook"), Butler gave a progress report saying things are going well in the studio and that the band members are expanding their musical palettes:

"Feeling excited and inspired, learning to play all these new instruments... well, mostly Regine is, to be honest! It's gonna be really interesting how we're going to fit all of these new sounds in a tour bus. This week we are recording a huge fucking pipe organ on 2 songs. What an incredible sound!"

Butler said the band have laid about 15 tracks to tape "with little bits left to record," but there are still a couple more left, with "a couple of songs in me and Regine's living room, because the drums sound so great in there."

Owen Pallett, a.k.a. Final Fantasy, will take a small break from his touring schedule in July to play violin on the currently-untitled record, and there are also plans to record with "a full orchestra in Budapest just before Tim [Kingsbury] and Natalie's wedding in late July!" Wedding?! Sounds like the next album title right there.