Arcade Fire Prep New Album for 2010?

If there’s anything to learn from the über-hyped unveiling (early iTunes leak, dropping the first single via 1-800 number, etc.) of Arcade Fire’s last album Neon Bible, it’s that a new record from the Montreal-based conglomerate is surely an indie rock event. We haven’t heard from them in a while, save for an upcoming score to The Box by Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, and Owen Pallet, but a few clues have surfaced of late that suggest a new “event” is on the way for next year.

Evidence #1: The Box’s Richard Kelly tweets of an “album release schedule” conflict.

Sure, you can listen to samples from the AF-penned score on the The Box’s official site, but what about an official soundtrack release? The Playlist asked that very question recently, speculating on possible issues with the film (pushed back release date, etc.), but the real clue lies in director Richard Kelly’s response to the non-troversy on Twitter:

The band is hard at work recording the new Arcade Fire album.

They will release the score at some point, when it does not conflict with their album release schedule for their record label.

How could there be an album release scheduling conflict for the score of a movie coming out this year unless they have something planned shortly? I’m just sayin’.

Evidence #2: Official tour availability switched to “2010: TBA.”

Now we’re only speculating here, of course, and just because the band is open to touring next year doesn’t mean they have an album planned, but it all seems to be lining up, doesn’t it? Not to mention, here’s Win Butler to NME this past summer: “None of us want to take three years making a record. It could be that we’ll play live [soon] and maybe we’ll end up bashing it out fast. We’re in the middle of writing, things are coming together, it’s a great feeling.”