UPDATED: Raconteurs in surprise album release

The Raconteurs are pulling a fast one – literally! – and making their second album, Consolers Of The Lonely, available on vinyl, CD and digital formats with less than two weeks notice.
“The album was mastered and completed in the first week of March,” reads an official band communiqué. “It was then taken immediately to a vinyl pressing plant. Then to a CD pressing plant. Then preparations to sell it digitally began. March 28 became the soonest date to have it available. The band have done no interviews or advertisements for this record before this announcement. The purpose – to get it to fans, the press, radio etc. at the exact same time so that no one has an upper hand on anyone else regarding its availability, reception or perception.”
The American indie supergroup concede that, like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails before them, they’re taking something of a commercial risk.
“With this release, The Raconteurs are forgoing the usual months of lead time for press and radio set up, as well as the all important ‘first week sales’. We wanted to explore the idea of releasing an album everywhere at once and then marketing and promoting it.”
While not areas they have control over, Jack White & Co. say their preference is for Consolers Of The Lonely to be listened to in its entirety and on vinyl.
“There will also be a video up on the internet for the first single, ‘Salute Your Solution’, on the 28th as well, provided it gets edited in time,” the band conclude. “We just filmed it the other day!”
All of which means that The Raconteurs will have a gaggle of new tunes to play when they visit Punchestown in July for Oxegen.
Update: After a bit of sleuthing, Hot Press has discovered that The Raconteurs’ Consolers Of The Lonely album will feature ‘Salute Your Solution’, ‘You Don’t Understand Me’, ‘Old Enough’, ‘The Switch And The Spur’, ‘Hold Up’, ‘Top Yourself’, ‘Many Shades Of Black’, ‘Five On The Five’, ‘Attention’, ‘Pull This Blanket Off’, ‘Rich Kid Blues’, ‘These Stones Will Shout’, ‘Caroline Drama’ and the title-track.