The Strokes are hard at work (or hardly working!) on their third full-length hipster-handbook-on-tape in some poorly-lit lower eastern Manhattan recording studio surrounded by Heinekens, Marlboros, and Drew Barrymore. So what’s different this time around, you ask? Well, for starters, the man most responsible for “The Strokes sound,” besides The Strokes themsleves, Gordon Raphael, is no longer behind the boards. Mildly-super producer David Kahne is currently twiddling the knobs, which at least means the training wheels are off. Wiz Kid manager Ryan Gentles writes from just north of Black & White to let the fans know: the boys are already 5 songs into the new album, which will be done sometime later this year, Julian is still a liability, the fan club is closing, (due to a minor gay porno DVD gaff) and there will be extensive, globe-trotting, Interpol-like touring in store once the album is released. Yay!

UPDATES(according to commenters): The studio is in Hell’s Kitchen, Raphael is still producing, Kahne is co-producing, and the band actually drinks Stella Artois.