Posts on the Raconteurs‘ Web site Raconteursfans.com suggest that the Jack White-led band may be releasing their new album as soon as next Tuesday, March 25th. The chatter began when a commenter named “Heile” posted on Radiohead’s Atease message board, “So I just went to the record shop where I work at, and my boss said that Jack White went into the Warner Bros. office last Tuesday, handed them the master tape for the new Raconteurs and told them that he wanted the album out this Tuesday. So, lo and behold, we’re having copies overnighted to us this Monday.” The record shop ended up posting street dates for the album, as well as possible album art.

Two more fans who work at record stores added their reports to the rumor mill. One poster (who included UPC and order numbers for the alleged LP) wrote, “Every night our computer system is updated with new additions and whatnot. Anyway, this morning I ran the report of what was added, and there is a self-titled Raconteurs disc listed for March 25,” while another contributed “Zavvi (formerly known as Virgin Megastores) reckon that ‘Consolers of the Lonely’ is due for release next Monday (24th). I saw the entry on their ghetto screen myself.”

We Googled Consolers of the Lonely and found one result: An Amazon.com listing for an album by some band called the Plug Ins on April 22nd, which is roughly the vicinity the Raconteurs told Rolling Stone they’d be releasing their new album. The Amazon listing says the label involved is Warner Bros., even though there are no Plug Ins on the label’s roster. Since WB is home to White’s other band the White Stripes, the Plug Ins may be subterfuge for hiding the new release by the Raconteurs, much like when movie studios disguise the names of blockbusters when they send the reels to movie theatres.

We emailed the Raconteurs’ publicist but did not receive a response at press time. So the question remains: Did the early leak of the White Stripes’ Icky Thump make White decide to rush-release his new Raconteurs album, a la Radiohead’s In Rainbows and Nine Inch Nails‘ Ghosts I-IV? Or is this all an Internet hoax? Stay tuned as Rock Daily digs deeper.