Everyone loves The White Stripes.
They had several singles, critics loved them, blah blah. They just never really did it for me. Not entirely sure why, maybe her drumming annoyed me, maybe it was too garage-band sounding for me, maybe I just thought it was lacking the robust sound that Jack White’s guitar could support, I don’t know. Fortunately for me, a few years ago, Jack formed a new band, The Raconteurs.
The Raconteurs
Approachability: High/Medium
I like to think of The Raconteurs as the band that The White Stripes should have been. They released their debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers, in 2006, and then released their sophomore album last year, Consolers of the Lonely.
Now I know this isn’t exactly breaking news, but bear with me – I’ll tie it together later. I definitely consider The Raconteurs old news, but I just can’t remove them from my iPod. Every time I do, I find myself wanting to listen to them again. So on the drive back home from Atlantic City this past Sunday, I wanted to listen to something rocking and rolling. I threw on The Raconteurs and low and behold, after a few songs, Spence (riding with me, and subsequently rocking out too) asked who this was. I decided then that they needed to be further exposed.
The whole thing is just more complete than The White Stripes (obviously – it’s a full band). The songs are more polished, but they still maintain Jack’s bluesy, gritty guitar riffs and vocals. They even have some more intimate, storyteller-esque songs with a keyboard, horns, etc. The whole album is great. Enjoy the samples below:
The Raconteurs – Consoler of the Lonely:
The Raconteurs – The Switch and the Spur:
The Raconteurs – Many Shades of Black:
Visit their official site at:
http://www.theraconteurs.com/
or their MySpace site (more songs available for streaming!) at:
http://www.myspace.com/theraconteurs
Now to tie it all together. Today, Jack White put out a new song called the Farm Fly Blues. It’s great.
Jack White – Farm Fly Blues
Approachability: Medium (Very High though if you dig the blues)
Jack apparently wrote this song on the spot while filming an upcoming guitar documentary It Might Get Loud. The description posted from his label, Third Man Records:
“First up is a single from Jack White entitled ‘Fly Farm Blues.’ Jack sings and accompanies himself on guitar on a track that was written on the spot during the filming of It Might Get Loud.”
This song really shows the raw talent and emotion he displays on the guitar, and I love how it’s so imperfect. I personally love the blues, and the sounds out of his guitar are just amazing on this. I just wish it went on longer. Enjoy:
Jack White – Farm Fly Blues:
And hey, while you’ve got me talking and thinking about the blues, I’ll include a couple of my all time favorites. These are truly monumental songs.
Stevie Ray Vaughan – Little Wing:
Jimi Hendrix – Red House:
-WJ
December 23, 2009 at 10:04 AM |
Great article! The Raconteurs are on my current playlist rotation. Their combination of good story telling, great sound and subtle experimentation is impressive. Looking forward to their third release and really want to check out It Might Get Loud. Have a listen to The Dead Weather It’s another solid Jack White project. Nice site Jim!