Gnarls Barkley Album Debuts Early Online; Raconteurs to Follow

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 19, 2008 - 12:13pm.

Los Angeles - The sophomore record from Gnarls Barkley has been posted for sale on iTunes in advance of its April 8 release date, and fellow Warner Music (NYSE: WMG) act the Raconteurs have announced plans to release their new album next Tuesday without offering any advance review copies, according to reports.

While the Gnarls Barkley record ("The Odd Couple") had already leaked online, that was not the stated reason for an early digital release, or why the label pushed up the CD version's release by two weeks, Billboard reports.

"They felt the timing was right to just go for it," reads a post on Gnarls Barkley's website.

"With the shifting seasons, furtive romantic entanglements and fierce college basketball rivalries, the latter half of March can be confusing. People need to be soothed and inspired now."

Meanwhile, the Raconteurs, a side project of the White Stripes' Jack White, have announced plans to release their next record simultaneously on CD, vinyl and online next week -- foregoing the usual advance copies for reviewers, video release and other marketing efforts, CNET News.com reports.

"The purpose: to get the album to the fans as soon as possible and as we promised," reads a note on the Raconteurs website.

"We wanted to get this record to fans, the press, radio, etc., all at the EXACT SAME TIME so that no one has an upper hand on anyone else regarding it's [sic] availability, reception or perception."