Since when did "break" become a dirty word in music?

Rolling Stone reported over the weekend that according to keyboardist Ben Lovett, Mumford & Sons would be taking some time off "for the foreseeable future" following their tour, which ended this past Friday. Naturally, the Internet exploded into a frenzy. A break? He didn't say for how long? Did he mean to say, "breaking up"? What do I do with this banjo I just bought?

After a wildly successful year that included multiple GRAMMY wins, a sold-out arena tour and headlining much of the festival circuit (worldwide), one would expect this band to take some time off. That's what bands do. How else do you expect them to return with another record? Does no one else remember the days when bands actually disappeared for a while between albums?

That said, nothing Lovett said indicated it was "R.I.P." for Mumford & Co. They just want some rest. Just a little. OK?