Monday, January 30, 2012

Jack White, on his own, without interruption

Today, Jack White has officially released his first solo single. Titled Love Interruption, its musical landscape borrows more from the Country and Americana tradition than to his usual energy-filled blues-rock. It's even, dare I say it, kinda middle age sounding.
The man is growing up I suppose, which is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as it's gracefully, right?
Make up your own mind:



You can download the track via iTunes, as of now.
The full album, Blunderbuss will hit the stores (digital or not) on April 24th, there is no word yet on a solo tour to support the release.

Time to have a look at some great tracks written by this retro loving king of rock:

The White Stripes:

Ok, I'd better go full exposure here: I LOVED the White Stripes and I don't think any other White-led project has ever captured my musical emotions quite like them.
I have found memories of travelling between London and Brussels with De Stijl or White blood Cells on my discman (yeah I didn't have a iPod in 2000/2001) in the Eurostar terminals and feeling like I was somewhere else with a tiny fire in my belly.



It is in the Brussels train terminal that I completely fell in love with The Union Forever, for some reason it hit the spot and reminded me of the power of the grunge of my teenage years.
"What Would I Like To Have Been? Everything You Hate" rhaaaa talk about teenage angst



Then in 2003, they released Elephant and it was the great Live period. Saw them many times and was always awed by the sheer energy two people can create on a stage. The boy's got charisma



I always think it's a shame 7 Nation Army got so popular in football stadia because it's a fantastic song but it's lost its appeal a bit. Over exposure does that to a song


Raconteurs


The mix of voices between Brendan Benson and White was just great, and the whole cuckoo image of the band worked well. We still had the rootsy rock'n roll feel even if it was probably poppier than anything White had released before.




The Dead Weather

I never really go back to that album, but I love the video and rock clichés of the first single Treat Me Like Your Mother :)




Obviously, his production work has been a lot more mellow and this is why we should not be surprised to se White release a country tinted album in 2012.
His collaboration with Rome, the Danger Mouse & Daniele Lippi project:




Ok I have to stop here or we'll be listening to White music until next week. The guy's only 36 and he's been involved in so many projects, it a wonder he finds time to sleep.
I will leave you with the last conundrum: is White singing backing vocals on Electric 6's hit High Voltage or not?... answers in the comments ^^



Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Whet my appetite, 2012

Ok, we're 4 days into 2012 and it already looks like it will a phenomenal musical year... I for one am quite excited.

None more so than a few days ago when I hear the new teaser track from Anja Plaschg, aka Soap & Skin. The moody Austrian songstress is ready to swallow us again into her dark waves of dramatic melancholic tunes, mixing piano and electronic noises. A recipe she will keep on using in Narrow, a new 30-minute mini album that will arrive in our lives on February 14th
Here's the teaser:




Then there is the old bat, Cat Power who's recording a 9th album that should be released later this year. For Xmas she gave us an extended version of The King Rides By, a track that was on her 1996 album What Would The Community Think (My favourite album of hers for its raw emotions)



Talking of bands that have a strong history of releasing excellent albums, step forward Tindersticks, the trio from Nottingham; led by the inimitable voice of Stuart Staples.
The Something Rain will be their 9th output since 1993 and it contains 9 beautifully crafted songs that will please the fans. Medecine is the lead single




A more recent, yet skilled and delicate singer-songwriter to release an album early 2012 is Perfume Genius. Behind this moniker is Seattle based Mike Hadreas. His first album Learnings got the attention of the press and many a music lover. He's ready to seduce us again on February 20th with a new album called Put Your Back N2 It
Check out this somptuous All Waters





Obviously, as I have mentioned it before I can't wait for Feb 6th as it means the great man himself Mark Lanegan will be back with a solo album that simply cannot be bad - what with a title such as Blues Funeral :-D
A track that's been doing the rounds lately is The Gravedigger's Song


Add the new Dirty Three and a new Last Shadow Puppets on top of that list and you understand why I CAAAAAANT WAIIIIIIIIT

What about you? any other album is tickling your fancy?

Sx