Here’s some news to send you skipping into the long weekend: both The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys have confirmed they are working on new records. Not together, of course.

After releasing First Impressions of Earth in 2006, The Strokes embarked on a back-breaking tour circuit which included a string of Australian dates. Now the much-loved New Yorkers have resurfaced with news of a fourth album.

“It’s been a long break but much needed for us to remain together as a productive band,” bass guitarist Nikolai Fraiture concedes in a post on the band’s website. “I’d like to say that I’m still looking very forward to a fourth album release. We just need to work out a few technical kinks.”

Meanwhile, in England, fellow hype-band-come-good Arctic Monkeys is ready to follow up last year’s My Favourite Worst Nightmare. In an interview with BBC 6Music to promote his – œother’ band The Last Shadow Puppets, Alex Turner hinted at a 2009 release for the next Monkeys outing.

“We did a bit [of studio work] in January. We had tunes that we’d already been playing on tour so we recorded them. That’s six [songs],” he proffered. “We’re going to take it easy and start practicing over the summer and doing new stuff. We did a little thing in January and it was almost tempting to go again – œcos it was dead exciting but we thought, ‘No, take it easier, chill out a bit and consider’.”

Two big acts, two big albums – why not start a Big Day Out rumour?