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Arcade Fire’s Third Album Has Title, Release Date

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The Arcade Fire’s third album now has a name — The Suburbs — and an August 3 release date in the U.S., according to a post on the band’s official site.

“We’re pretty much done with our new album,” says a handwritten note on arcadefire.com, signed by “Arkady Fireovitch.” “The homestretch! We’re very excited.”

Recorded in New York and Montreal, and produced by the band and Markus Dravs, the album will be preceded, as previously reported, by a 12-inch single for the album’s title track — its near-future, semi-apocalyptic lyrics are posted here — and “Month of May,” both of which were played in their entirety for the first time yesterday on select radio stations around the world. Both songs are now streaming, in full, via the band’s snazzy record player-like widget. Listen below.

Win and Will Butler stopped by NPR today to talk a bit more about the album. “These two songs are two of the four poles of the album,” said Win. “A lighter folkier thing, rock’n’roll things, some electronic things… It’s functioning as a bit of an album preview, but the album lies between these extremes.”

About “Month of May,” specifically, Butler added: “Living in Montreal, the winters are so insane that in May, when the winter starts to break, there’s a crazy feel in the air.”

The vinyl single, out today, is mostly available in independent record stores, the band said in their post, but the two songs are also available for purchase as digital downloads right now via arcadefire.com.

The full-length album is also available for pre-order in a varied array of packages, from digital downloads to CDs to a $44.99 package that includes double 12″ vinyl, a digital version, and a signed, limited edition poster.

The Suburbs arrives the Tuesday before the band’s first American gig of the year: August 8 at Chicago’s Lollapalooza.

What do you think of these two new songs? Sound off below.
A. The Suburbs


AA. Month of May