You may have noticed that I have strong worshipful feelings towards Jack White. In a nutshell, I believe Jack is the most earthshatteringly important person in the world of music, the first real god to come along in decades, a brilliant and prolific musician, and basically all kinds of wonderful. There is no one else of his generation who I’d put on a par with people like Bowie, Jagger, et al. So you see, I have a major obsession going on. Perhaps it’ s because most of my favorite stars were already past their prime by the time I was even born, but I feel insanely lucky to have at least one person whose career I can follow in real time. The reason I have to say all this is because Jack White officially owns my soul. He signed for it and everything. I’ve been sitting on this story this whole time, waiting for the appropriate moment and now it’s time the tale were told.

It was the week of 9/11, 2006, coincedentally the second time I’d booked a New York City vacation for that particular time of the year. It was, as should be, a splendiferous vacation, with the money saved by staying in a $20-a-night hostel going towards thrice-daily adventures in world cuisine. A large sum of New York’s appeal is the constant thrilling possibility of catching the scent of fame and encountering historic events. I had once come close to witnessing a historic event, but missed it by days, and my people watching had yielded the weird and beautiful but  never the well known. The day was begun with a fortifyingly educational jaunt to the Natural History Museum, where I was sorely let down by lack of giant squid exhibits. The plan was to then head south through the park while thinking of  what the next item to eat would be. Under an archway, I joined a crowd watching what turned out to be the bizarre performance artist Thoth, who was once the subject of an Oscar-nominated documentary, and if not exactly a qualified star at least someone known to me. I didn’t watch the whole show. Too weird, I thought, but felt satisfied to have had some small brush with fame. Moving along, thinking about what to eat and where to eat it, I heard music. I thought it sounded like a band practise, and I thought it sounded like a lousy band, because the beat was off. The drumming was irregular and slow, but I gravitated towards it. I found a small film crew set up underneath a  patch of trees. The odd nature of the music made sense; the drummer was playing in an approximation of slow motion, accompanied by a strummed guitar. The closer I got, the more intensely familiar the guitar player appeared. He looked, I decided, a lot like Jack White. There was a moment of doubt and second guessing my own senses, and I realized that I was actually standing a few feet away from the living, breathing, actual Jack White.  I hadn’t felt a purer jolt of delight since I was a child. I had forgotten that it was even possible to feel so strongly. It was surreal in the utmost, to say it mildly. So they played and they filmed, and I gawked and I marveled. Then they called break and the crew dispersed somewhat, and I found Jack sitting under the tree with a cup of coffee, and I knew that if I didn’t jump in and approach him I would regret it every minute of every day of the rest of my life.  Jump-off-the-bridge moments like that don’t come along very often, and when they do, it’s best to jump. So I jumped. I have little recollection of anything I said, except I’m pretty sure I told him the gist of what I’ve written above, that is, I told him how great he was, and he seemed to appreciate it, that is, he was extremely, extremely nice. I had him sign my Natural History Museum flyer (yellow), which he thought was a parking ticket, which was funny, and which has not left my wallet from that day forth. I’ll show it to you sometime. I do think I kept it together and didn’t sound like too much of an idiot, and I did back off and leave him to his coffee in a polite manner. It did take several hours afterwards for me to stop shaking and stuttering. For the record, in person, Jack White is tall and has huge muscles, and his hair is shiny and he’s really really nice and gorgeous and muscular and cute and very friendly and nice. And so forth. Since then I’ve seen him in concert a couple of times and he never fails to blow me away, and it really makes it special to know that he’s really real. That was undoubtedly the apex of my life so far. That I once had a whole five minutes of Jack White’s undivided attention can only be the final proof of God’s love. And that is why Jack White owns my soul, and I will continue to write up slavishly flattering blog posts about him for as long as we both continue to exist.

P.S. It later turned out that the video they were filming was Broken Boy Soldier, and that the director was none other than my beloved Floria Sigismondi, who I’m sure was also present that day in the park, but since I had no idea what she looks like, and still don’t, I have no way of knowing.

The Where the Wild Things Are Soundtrack dropped from DCG/Interscope on September 9th.

When Spike Jonze set out to recreate Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book Where the Wild Things Are, he enlisted the help of ex-girlfriend Karen O, vocalist for the Brooklyn-based garage punk group the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. To put the record together, she recruited the likes of bandmates Nick Zinner and Brian Chase, Tristan Bechet from Services, Dean Fertita from Queens of the Stone Age, Bradford Cox from Deerhunter, Jack Lawrence from The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs, and Imaad Wasif from New Folk Implosion. The supergroup was then born under the namesake Karen O and the Kids.

Along with her troupe of contributors, Karen O managed to translate Jonze’s vision of escape from adulthood exquisitely well into the film’s soundtrack. The product is an auditory masterpiece that features a depth that perfectly supports and complements Jonze’s creative vision.

When setting out to compose the soundtrack, Karen went for a decidedly childish approach, which can often spell disaster for most projects. Each track on the record takes on an often haunting feel, but is eventually triumphed over by an overwhelming feel of playfulness. To create that sense in the music, Karen drew on the more juvenile aspect of her writing style, explaining it to Rolling Stone by saying, “I guess there is a childlike innocence about my music or my persona that [Jonze] always just kind of dialed into.”  Many of the tracks feature an intentional dissonance that both overwhelms and envelopes the listener, making the listening experience just as entertaining as the film itself, just without the monsters.

When listening to the record in order, it is overly apparent how Karen positioned the songs in such a way as to have the mood of each track assume the polar opposite of the one before it. This varying mood brilliantly mirrors the constantly changing state of emotions of a child, bringing the record to an entirely more visceral level. It’s as though she herself was experiencing the same emotional turmoil as the protagonist Max throughout the production of the record.

In the end, the product from Karen O and the Kids is just as admirable a feat as the film itself. To call Karen O the “Spike Jonze of Soundtracks” may seem a bit exaggerated, but at the same time, it’s impossible to ignore the truly exquisite writing that defines the soundtrack. By paralleling the emotional movement of the film itself, Karen O and the Kidshave managed to create a soundtrack that stands perfectly beside an already stunning film.

– John Luposello

I’m done ripping myself off.

And I want you to know this.

G.

I’m asking forgiveness.

I need help.

The boy never gets older.

The boy.

The boy.

I’m done ripping myself off.

G.

I’m asking forgiveness.

I don’t want you, you to know this.

I need help.

I’m done ripping myself off.

The boy.

Never.

Will.

Get older.

A broken toy soldier.

A banda Alberta Cross acaba de lançar seu 2o album, Broken Side of Time. Sabe com quem eles sao comparados? Neil Young, Kings of Leon, The Raconteurs, The Band. A nova musica (ATX) até me lembrou um pouco do Oasis. Gostei pra cacete!

Eles sao ingleses mas moram em NY. Aqui vao duas musicas, a 1a é a ATX, single do novo album e a 2a e a 3a é Low Man e Lucy Rider, do 1o album. E logo em seguida, como é dia de musica, uma banda que a Lu me enviou, Kings of Convenience.

ATX

 Low Man

 Lucy Rider

Kings of Convenience

Mi papá está estrenando camioneta, camioneta nueva, estereo nuevo. Y estos nuevos discos me suenan todavia más fantásticos en él. Yeah.

01. “Estático” – Zurdok.
02. “Espiral” – Porter.
03. “Trouble” – Coldplay. (los BUENOS tiempos de Coldplay)
04. “Citizen Erased” – Muse. (los BUENOS tiempos de Muse)
05. “Store Bought Bones” – The Raconteurs.
06. “In the Castle” – Wolfmother. (han regresado, mas poderosos e inspirados que nunca)
07. “Eyes x 10″ – Fu Manchu. (lo mismo que Wolfmother)
08. “Black Egg” – Orange Goblin.
09. “Fossil Genera – A Feed From Cloud Mountain” – Between the Buried and Me. (impresionaaaaaaantes)
10. “Sunshine the Werewolf” – The Dillinger Escape Plan.
11. “Wrath Upon Ourselves” – As I Lay Dying.
12. “No Stars Over Bethlehem” – Protest the Hero.
13. “The Failure of All Things” – Horse The Band. (otro discazo de este año)
14. “Red Flags and Long Nights” – She Wants Revenge.
15. “All My Friends” – LCD Soundsystem.

I am beyond exhausted and I can already feel the pillow on my head. However, I don’t trust any of you poor saps to find your own music so I’m still stopping in to guide you before I drift off into Neverland.

The Raconteurs: Consoler of the Lonely – Jack White is one of my favorite musicians. He does it all and he does it well. This rock anthem has some of the best lyrics I’ve ever heard in a rock song and its it right on the head. You can have it all and still feel “bored to tears” if you have it alone.

Al Green: Take Me To The River – Bring us back my man. The classic soul jam that you don’t have. I feel bad for you and if you download it tonight it will come with a special limited edition great dream. You’ll feel satisfied and rejuvenated when you goto sleep and you will never understand how you lived your life without it.

Brick: Dazz – The father of all jams. You can dance all night without hesitation if this song is on repeat in the background. I don’t care what anyone says – no one hates the funk.

Bryan Ferry: Let’s Stick Together – I always thought Franz Ferdinand was the most original band ever until I found this and realized they’re a great band but they’re sound was this twenty years ago. He was so far ahead of his time but the good thing is we can enjoy it now.

Desert Sessions: I Wanna Make it Wit Chu – The original version of the Queens of the Stone Age cover. This recording has so much more grit and soul that the second version. So smooth and groovy – you know you can’t resist.

Recently I decided to turn on the radio in my car (my iPod was acting up.) The sound of Jack White’s voice immediately filled my speakers and flooded my car with noise. This was not the White Stripes. It was a side-act. I do not like side-projects. They are almost never as good as the genuine product, which is understandable, because their purpose is (mostly) experimental. Jack White is the perfect example for my thesis: Side projects are not good (or rather, not as good as the original act that they are replacing.)

Case-in-point: The White Stripes (a band consisting of Jack and Meg White.) They have released six (6) albums, which I will rank in order of best to worst (according to my opinion- not aggregate sales):

1. (Best): Elephant (Best Track: I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself)

2. Get Behind Me, Satan (Best Track: My Doorbell)

3. De Stijl (Best Track: Truth Doesn’t Make a Noise)

4. White Blood Cells (Best Track: Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground)

5. Icky Thump (Best Track: I’m Slowly Turning Into You)

6. (Worst): The White Stripes (Best Track: Do)

At some point, Jack White decided he wanted to make music with a full band, and not just his percussionist (Meg White.) Enter: The Raconteurs. The Raconteurs are the most commercially successful Jack White side-project, as well as the most critically acclaimed. I understand why Jack decided to make music with them (the universal desire to explore his range as a songwriter with the addition of a bassist, keyboardist, back-up vocalist and guitarist, and a banjo.) The Raconteurs are (arguably) better than the White Stripes in some schools of thought, as their hit singles have become just as popular (if not more) as most of the the White Stripes’ material.

For instance, the following songs kick (fucking) ass: Old Enough, Level, Steady as She Goes, Broken Boy Soldier, and Hands, among others.

My gripe is not with the Raconteurs.

In exploring his desire to create music with other artists, Jack White became addicted to side-projects (to the point where the White Stripes have almost become neglected and forgotten.) I should note that their seventh (7th) studio album is in production, however. So, at the expense of the White Stripes, Jack White decided to create music with the following acts:

The Dead Weather, The Upholsterers, The Go, Loretta Lynn, Beck, Holly Golightly, Soledad Brothers, Alicia Keys

The success of these side-projects is mixed, at best. As a fan, it’s hard to quantify the way I feel about this. Yes, I love Jack White as a musician, and was (at first) interested and pleased at this newfound musical endeavors, but as the side-projects and collaborations pile up, and the 7th White Stripes album gets delayed, I find myself growing increasingly frustrated and turned-off to all these distracting duets and bands Jack has been flirting with.

Swan Lake: Better Than Sunset Rubdown

I have had these same feelings with Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade, and his subsequent side-acts:

Sunset Rubdown
Atlas Strategic
Handsome Furs
Swan Lake
Frog Eyes
Johnny and the Moon
Hot Hot Heat
Fifths of Seven

I would much rather hear a new Wolf Parade album, then another bizarre Sunset Rubdown single.

Side projects are not always bad. Sometimes they are AMAZING, and better than the original act. The best example I can come up with off the top of my head is The Postal Service. Ben Gibbard’s by-mail collaboration with Jimmy Tamborello has held up over time, and is (arguably) better than any album ever released by Death Cab for Cutie.

The case can be made for and against side projects all day long, but at the end of the day, I think artists should go the route of Ben Gibbard. Make one, solitary album that completely knocks critics out of their chair(s), while also knowing when to call it quits. Because, ultimately, if an artists strays too far from his flock, he will alienate his fan base (and probably his band mates as well.) This is why the Postal Service remains so awesome. They released one (1) album (which was incredible, and loved by fans and critics alike), and then went right back to creating music with Death Cab. Despite the (overwhelming) demand for a follow-up album, Ben Gibbard hasn’t budged. This is what makes a great artist. He knows how to toy with his audience (without upsetting them.) Ultimately, will there be a follow-up to 2003’s Give Up? Probably, yes. But in making us (the fans) wait so long, and by focusing on his primary band, Ben Gibbard has succeeded where Jack White has not: He created something amazing, took a step back, and went back to doing what his fans wanted – creating more albums with Death Cab for Cutie. I should probably also mention that Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley joined Ben Gibbard on vocals for this album – another successful side-act.)

Bravo.

Now let’s just hope that Mr. White “gets it” and the White Stripes‘ 7th album is better than their last effort (the progressive, experimental, and mediocre Icky Thump.) Also, let’s hope that the side projects end. Because, let’s be honest, The Dead Weather sucks, and will probably motivate tired acts like the Kings of Leon (who are already far too commercial) to set out on the side-act expedition (something that no one [see: the real fans] want.)

Final Note: Some of the best side-acts come from Canada. Leslie Feist (of Feist and Kings of Convenience, and formerly of Broken Social Scene and Wilco) is incredible.

The Raconteurs, White Stripes, The Dead Weather… Jack White is crazy good and always surrounds himself with amazing musicians. I think I have liked everything he has recorded or produced. This whole album is great… cool video, too. I’m sure I’ll post some of his country stuff at some point… that’s great, too. Jack shows up in most of my play lists in some form or another and never gets skipped.

Please listen to this.

Being that The Dead Weather is something of an indie supergroup — Jack White (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs), Alison Mossheart (The Kills), Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age), and Jack Lawrence (The Greenhornes, The Raconteurs) — it was naturally a beacon for the press and a hotly anticipated debut. In one regard, the attention will have been worth it; The Dead Weather sound very much like they’d be a tremendous live act. Granted, an album’s song content doesn’t usually change much when it hits the stage (excepting perhaps The Fiery Furnaces), but where it misfires, it can be compensated for with gusto.

Horehound, however, for all its swampy atmosphere and thunderous blues riffage, is actually a bit boring. Where it’s good, it tends to be downright noteworthy, and where it meanders, it gets old fast. There seems to be a chronic lack of spark, as if the group sat back and expected the magic to work itself. Jack White is one of the hardest-working men in the indie rock world, but lifeless tracks like “Rocking Horse” and “3 Birds” make him sound as if he’s relying on nothing more than a vocal track doused with reverb and a net of all-star talent to carry him past unmemorable riffs and melodies. The Raconteurs have very much been a successful outing, as well as The Kills, with their gritty minimalism, and obviously The White Stripes, too, with their reinvented brand of rock and roll; the makings are all there, but the execution falters in some pretty noticeable ways.

“Hang You Up From The Heavens” and “Will There Be Enough Water?” are obvious highlights, but three tracks in, Horehound gives way to “I Cut Like a Buffalo,” its bizarre lyrics a foggy, thoughtless blight: “you know I look like a woman but / I cut like a buffalo.” Vocalist Alison Mossheart has dirty swagger aplenty on most tracks here, so it isn’t for lack of effort on her part, it just seems like the songwriting hadn’t solidified before they committed the songs to tape. “Who’s got it figured out? / left-right left-right got it figured out,” Jack White intones on “Treat Me Like Your Mother,” one of several underdeveloped tracks that didn’t quite make it out of jam territory. Overall, the arrangements aren’t fleshed out enough to warrant anything more than an EP; the band, songs, and album all formulated in under three weeks, and in far more places that one would have hoped, it shows. Not so much a swing and a miss, just a disappointing, watery misuse of copious amounts of evident talent.

The Dead Weather’s “Hang You Up From The Heavens,” from Horehound.

- JB

Guitarist Jack White (in a photo with the Dead Weather line-up, right) is very worried that music as an art form is ‘dying.’

“It’s a dying era right now for music and art, things are crumbling. … Every meeting we have with a label is depressing, and you wouldn’t believe how hard it is, and how much trickery goes into a band just breaking even. It’s going to be so hard for bands in 10 years.”

Not sure what Jack means by ‘trickery.’ I do know that the music industry — for years before the digital revolution — used forms of ‘trickery’ to sell albums.

I do agree with White on one level, when he goes on to say:

“The new generation needs to be taught about the beauty and romance of a record store.”

I completely agree. Songs on digital files, like the common mp3s or 4s, can be so distant from the actual creator of the music. There has always been the notion that the music is the most important factor. But if it has no further connection to the band, or songwriter, it can eventually sap the energy and interest of the listener. The listener, and furthermore ‘the fan,’  will need more.

Some of us are more optimistic than Jack White. Things always have a way of sorting themselves out. Illegal downloading began as a backlash from years of music industry price gouging. Music fans will come around to see the digital file as impersonal and that it often has inferior sound. Fans will soon miss the music release as a piece of art, too.  And, it’s true, we miss something tangible. A lot of us are missing the interactive touch of LP/CD art. For instance, if you choose to download Led Zeppelin’s “Physical Graffiti” over owning the album, that’s just depressing. You’re really missing out on a lot of the experience.

Bands/artists will have to learn to give more extras with their product, no matter how small (DVDs have survived wonderfully this way). They are already doing that (even Jack White). That’s not ‘trickery.’ The music listener loves it not as just a consumer but as a fan. And bands/artists have to be smart enough to commit to sample streams of their music on MySpace or their own site. The Napster phenomenon became a problem, true, but it did to some extent level the playing field and drive prices down. The buyer can now experience the sounds of at least two artists instead of one. And for us music lovers, that’s a sort of liberation, without feeling the guilt of ‘file sharing.’

I say, don’t worry Jack White. It’ll be okay.

from http://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/5/191594911

[mp3] Arctic Monkeys – Old Yellow Bricks
[mp3] Tahiti 80 – Yellow Butterfly
[mp3] The Raconteurs – Yellow Sun

…everything to be just like
The stories that you read but never write

The Raconteurs

Allison Mosshart and Jack White from The Dead Weather. Picture taken by Menomena.

According to a report done by nme.com, The Dead Weather are already working on their next album while on their tour and plan to return to the studio sometime “between now and Christmas” vocalist Allison Mosshart told Radio 1’s Newsbeat. This release would follow their debut album, Horehound, which was released just this past July to some relative fanfare from critics. For those hoping that Jack White will finally return to The White Stripes or even The Raconteurs (Alongside bassist Jack Lawrence), it seems you’ll have to wait a bit longer.

“They [the songs] sound great. I really like them,” Allison added in the interview. “We’ve been playing three or four of them onstage, so they keep changing all the time.”

After finishing up their North American tour at the Teatro Estudio Cavaret in Guadalajara, Mexico, the band has already started their UK tour in Edinburgh and their tour ends with a small European stint with a final gig in Stockholm, Sweden.

You can check out a rough live recording of their new song “I Can’t Hear You” below. There’s also “Jawbreaker” and “You Just Can’t Win (Them)” from the same concert in the related videos. They seem to be still in the same post-rock blues vein as their original album. Be sure to give Horehound a listen when you get a chance as it’s currently $8.99 from amazon.com.

What happens when you mix Alison Mosshart (The Kills), Jack White (White Stripes / Raconteurs) Dean Fertita (QOTSA) and Jack Lawrence (also of The Raconteurs)?

The Dead Weather, that’s what.

There’s always something quite artistic about anything Jack White (and the crew) get involved with – I haven’t heard much of TDW but I love The Kills, I like Ractonteurs and I certainly like the White Stripes so this must be a winner.

Someone tell me when Jack White is gonna colab with Dizzee Rascal… it’s in the air…

Broken Boy Soldiers

The Raconteurs

2006

Third Man Records

 Ah, Jack White, how restless you are.  Here, we have a guy who’s extremely successful with his original band The White Stripes, and between albums he starts a completely new band, The Raconteurs.  Personally, I prefer the indie-pop of Brendan Benson’s solo output to that of The White Stripes (or The Greenhornes for that matter).  nonetheless, this album feels completely like a band.  They know that they’re side-band comprised of already acknowledged musician’s, but it sounds like they don’t give a damn. 

They know what they are, they know who they’re influenced by, and they know what they can do.  This self-aware nature of The Raconteurs lends itself to developing an album of awesome songs, if not wholly original.

In keeping with The White Stripe’s tradition of putting the single as the leading song the disc, “Steady, as She Goes” kicks off Broken Boy Soldiers.  A snare drums cracks already gaining the audience’s attention.  This is followed by one of the coolest bass lines ever, keeping a solid groove for the band to play into.  Guitar chords break in, and White’s vocals come in with a quick verse.  The chorus speeds in (if you haven’t heard the song, I don’t know where you must’ve been),  and we’re treated to one of the best hooks on the album (So good in fact, that the aforementioned person who never heard the song could easily be singing along by the halfway point).  My favorite touch in the song is the harmonies, always (I repeat, always) making me sing along (“You found yourself a friend that knows you well”).  But this isn’t that straightforward of a rock song.  The last verse breaks into chaos as two vocal lines play catch-up, and a guitar line tries to drown both out.

Benson’s “Hands” comes directly in.  While it’s not as good as “Steady”, Benson knows how to write a good rock song.  The lyrics are certainly better, and even enhanced with White’s harmony (a major talent this group has).  About two minutes in, the song breaks down, completely revamping what you think a rock song should sound like until the chorus kicks in again. 

As I said, The Raconteurs know directly where they have been influenced, and the title track sounds like they’re channeling Led Zeppelin.  The guitar almost sounds Indian in nature, and the band enters with Zep-inspired hard rock.  Patrick Keeler on drums, in fact, has a very Bonham-inspired beat.  But the song is brilliant, the fact that they don’t try to hide from their inspirations makes it that much better.

“Intimate Secretary” follows this pattern (after a lengthy lead-in).  One of the best songs on the album, it would have fit in with the Kinks’ mid-60’s albums.  In fact, the song sounds more like the Apples in Stereo than the White Stripes.  The acid rock lyrics (“I’ve got a rabbit, it likes to hop, I’ve got a girl and she likes to shop”) sound vaguely familiar, although resoundingly original at the same time.  The screeching vocals for the bridge (or is it the chorus?)  stop the song for a metaphorical breath, before diving back in to the madness.

What follows is a Benson-penned song slowing the mood down.  “Together” suffers from being the most cliched song on the album (“You got to learn to live, and live and learn”? Really?)  However, it’s not a terrible song.  It accomplishes its task of breaking up the mood on the album, and even offers hints at just how talented Benson is at arranging.  During the instrumental breaks, the band fractures the song with a syncopated triplet rhythm, before following along the designated ballad-formula.  Other than that, the song is just a minute or so too long.

“Level” meanwhile brings The Raconteurs back into their weirdness and rock roots.  After a pretty cool intro, they bring back their blues-rock song-crafting, sounding more like The Greenhornes then ever before.  (This should be no surprise as two of the four members are in that band).  However, the song sounds like it was created to focus on the double-harmony guitar solo.  The solo itself is weak, not going anywhere.  But it’s a short song, which can be forgotten or forgiven.

Meanwhile, “Store Bought Bones” brings in a heavy, syncopated rff with the band sounding kick-ass.  The harmony-laden verse tries to sugarcoat the complex arrangement.  The bridge itself turns the song around, being catchy and complicated with its key-changing.  And then just what we were waiting for: an awesome slinky guitar solo.  Beneath the guitar is the head-banging-inducing sounds of the band just bashing out whatever they can, thoroughly enthused.  The song even ends with a trading off of instrument licks!  It may not be breaking any musical ground, but The Raconteurs know what works, and they know how to make it sound insanely cool as they make it their own.

“Yellow Sun” (after a false-start) shows Benson and White bringing the mood down again, with a largely acoustic number.  However, whatever “Together” failed in, “Yellow Sun” completely makes up for.  It is in essence just a fun indie-pop song that they are so good at writing.

“Call it a Day” again brings forward an acid-rock contemplation, complete with the harmonic background vocals.  But the song only feels like a short pit-stop before the finale.

“Blue Veins” is complete Zeppelin blues-based swamp rock.  The intro even features backward drums and guitar.  Again the vocals sound like Robert Plant on early Zeppelin blues songs.  The song makes no queries about what it’s supposed to be.  But the Raconteurs aren’t just going to do half-ass it.  After an interrupting piano sound, they turn sounds (including vocals) backwards, breaking the song down.  And in their certain fashion, bring it back in perfectly.  It’s a strange choice to end the album with, but works nonetheless.

And after the album is done, you can easily see why Jack White chose to go off on this project.  The musicians are some of the most talented players out there, and having four people in the band (instead of just him and the, I’m sorry, less capable Meg White – I do like her! I really do!) brings in freedom that is missing from Jack White’s other band.  The Raconteurs are just what they need to be, an extremely artistic, extremely adept group that writes songs like their influences.  It’s the band everyone wishes they could be in – one that does cover material but makes it their own.  However, in this case, it’s their own material.  The entire album may not be all mind-blowing, but it is very impressive.

Official Page

Buy This Album

It may be a little uncooth of us–when are we not uncooth, really–but we’re willing to bet you’ve never met Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page before. Or U2’s The Edge. Or Jack White of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs. (It’s okay. Neither have we.) Consider Friday night’s premiere of It Might Get Loud at The Moxie an opportunity to get up close and personal with all three at the same time–something that had never happened before the documentary’s filming–all without leaving the comfort of your theater seat or having to do pesky things such as be introduced to the men first. The cost to get in if you’re an adult is $8… unless you win two tickets through our next giveaway, which is tonight at 5 p.m. on our Twitter feed. Be the first to answer the question correctly and you’re in the door for zero dollars. By the end of the night, you’ll know more about three of the most recognized guitarists in music than anyone not in the theater with you. It’s not “Hello, my name is The Edge, and you are…” but it’s pretty sweet nonetheless. Just try to remember not to act overly casual when you do meet them. Yo, Jack! What up, Jack! Long time, no talk, broseph!

by: christow

A whole week without updates. Sorry for the disappearance but I’m back to supply some much needed updates.

To keep you motivated for now…

The Raconteurs – Level

Curumin – Compacto

Bag Raiders – Shooting Starts

I have some 90210 goodies to give away!

And as I hinted a while back, this is the contest pegged to the release of Soundtrack 90210, which hits stores today.

Here’s how to win:

Take a look at the tracklist below and use the comments section to tell me which band is your favorite AND why.

1. Many Shades Of Black by Adele and The Raconteurs
2. Soldier by  N*E*R*D featuring Santigold
3. One Hipster One Bullit by JET
4. Valium by MuteMath
5. I Want You So Bad I Can’t Breathe by OK Go
6. Sierra’s Song by The All American Rejects
7. A Perfect Tourniquet by Anberlin
8. Sunburn by Owl City
9. You’re So Cold by Will Dailey
10. Love Seat by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
11. One Small Step by Parachute
12. Hearts Collide by Sarah Solovay
13. Understand by Darrelle London
14. City Girl by Stars Crashing Cars
15. 90210 Main Title – 2009 Remix by John E. Davis

You have until 12am Saturday central time to comment!

Good luck!

I’ve always wanted to make a list of all the bands I can think of that would be amazing to see in concert. I’ve finally got around to doing this. This of course will be a wonderful growing list as I go on in life but here is what I have so far. I open to suggestions so feel free to leave any.

There is one or two I have seen already but would be happy to re-live the experience.

Manchester Orchestra
Iron and wine
Sufjan Stevens
Mewithoutyou
David Crowder
Becoming The Archetype
Coldplay
Copeland
Daft Punk
Death Cab For Cutie
Family Force Five
Fly Leaf
Foo Fighters
The Gabe Dixon Band
House of Heroes
The Glorious Unseen
Imogen Heap
Jack Johnson
Jason Upton
Linkin Park
John Reuben
The Mars Volta
Mute Math
Motion City Soundtrack
Page France
Phil Wickham
The Raconteurs
Underoath
Regina Spektor