The White Stripes Break Up

The White Stripes have won Grammys, made six studio albums, and sold millions of those records. And today, on February 2, 2011, they announced their breakup.

I found out when a Myspace(yeah, I still have a page, mostly to follow a handful of bands) email notification told me the White Stripes had a new blog posting. In it, there was a short, but well-thought out message to the world’s fans that the band had indeed “officially ended and will make no further new recordings or perform live.” With an elephant-heavy heart, I checked and rechecked the internet for confirmation, and wondered if this wasn’t some hoax.

I know in my heart I saw it coming earlier, but pushed it further and further away from my analytic brain, for fear of the truth. The band’s been on hiatus for a few years now, with their last album Icky Thump coming out in 2007. The album itself was a bit of a stretch for the band and Jack White’s maturation as an artist clashed with earlier aesthetics of the band. Put all six album covers in a row, and pick out the one that doesn’t quite belong – it’s the pearly king and queen of Icky Thump that have a slight air of weariness to them.

Album art aside, the band seemed to understand their position, and in a way to ease the transition they released the 2009 concert tour/documentary Under Great White Northern Lights. It is a beautiful tribute to the band as a whole, and a touching parting gift for fans. If only we realized it at the time.

The band’s farewell message seems all at once too vague and profound, as they wish to “preserve what is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way.” What exactly was so beautiful and special about that band in the first place? Everything. The childlike duo’s air of curiosity and innocence fueled their creative process and visual dynamics. What was great was that the band was growing up in the prime of its pre-conceived childhood. What they didn’t count on was the maturation beyond those years.

Jack White’s collaborations within the Raconteurs, and Dead Weather have given him the musical equivalent of studying abroad as a teenager – he’s grown up amongst different cultures and changed. It may not be better or worse; but it is different. He’s no longer the wide-eyed kid with a plastic guitar in a garage.

When I said the White’s had an air of weariness to them, it wasn’t as if they were weary of playing music, of being together. They were weary of pretending and keeping up the act and suppressing the creative maturation they know they have gained over the years.

The farewell letter states that Jack and Meg hope the fans see it as “a positive move done out of respect for the art and music that the band has created.” You have to appreciate the dedication of the band, to forcibly get back into their old mindset, and when they can no longer do it, they call it a day. A lesser band would continue using their name as only a vehicle for music no longer relevant to their original intent.

It should be said that I am relieved the band hadn’t waited til they put out a bad record to announce the breakup. They had six amazing records. I still wouldn’t rule out musical collaborations between the two (I suspect that they would simply say that it was done by Jack and Meg White, as opposed to the band name). Jack is of course always working on the next great project – he’s collaborating with Norah Jones and Danger Mouse for a March 2011 album.

Even though I fully understand it, and even applaud the decision, I’m still slightly heartbroken. I remember watching the electrifying Grammy performance of “Seven Nation Army” in 2004, before I even knew about the band. I remember listening to Elephant on a burned CD-R over and over on a portable CD player during a family trip. I heard the “Icky Thump” single on the day of my senior prom. I have grown up with this band and eagerly awaited each release.

The closing of the letter sums it up nicely. “The White Stripes do not belong to Meg and Jack anymore. The White Stripes belong to you know and you can do with it whatever you want. The beauty of art and music is that it can last forever if people want it to.”

I agree.

(Read the breakup letter here)

Published in the BU Scout

The Social Network: Movie Review

As Published in The Bradley Scout

When you start a movie off with a White Stripes song, it tends to get my attention and high expectations follow. (I won’t go into detail how Napoleon Dynamite fooled me with similar pretenses...)

Last Saturday, my date and I barely made it in our seats when “Ball and a Biscuit” began rumbling and the Columbia lady popped on the screen. The first scene immediately set the film’s tone and cleared up any confusion that may have occurred from watching the trailers.

Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook Founder/CEO) is a big fat jerk.

The opening scene has Zuckerberg narcissistically ranting about joining exclusive clubs at rapid fire pace at his then girlfriend, while demeaning her intelligence. He is mechanical, unrelenting, and completely self-absorbed and it leads to his girlfriend dumping him and calling him a…well…a big fat jerk (paraphrased).

Thus begins Zuckerberg’s maniacal quest to get recognition. He does it all with relative ease, and his genius never comes into question. After hacking into Harvard’s computer network to create a Hot-or-Not type website, he is approached by some fellow students to program a website that would connect every Harvard student with pictures and personal information. Zuckerberg agrees, and then doesn’t talk to those guys for a while.

In the meantime, he goes to his best (only) friend with an idea for a college social site. His best friend becomes part of the new company, and invests all the initial startup money. Later on down the line, Zuckerberg produces “The Facebook”, ignores that first project for Harvard students, and then leaves his partner and friend in the dust.

The movie weaves in and out of the chronological narrative of the startup of Facebook, and two separate trials of Zuckerberg’s former friends and business partners suing him.

The film artfully unfolds by telling the story from the perspectives of Zukerberg, his then-best friend, Eduardo, and the Harvard guys who asked for the original website. Jesse Eisenberg plays the prodigy-hacker Zuckerberg with the perfect mix of a little bit of vulnerability and a lot of social personality disorders. Sometimes I caught myself liking his “stick it to the man” attitude, but then I was quickly reminded that he’s not being rebellious for any good reason other than furthering his little computer empire. Eduardo, played by Andrew Garfield, offers the most dynamic performance as the once-loyal and only real friend of Zuckerberg. Justin Timberlake also excels as the charismatic and wild card personality of Sean Parker, founder of Napster. The film functions excellently as a character study of the strange habits, motivations and intricacies of friendships and business partners of our time.

The actual soundtrack differs from the widely distributed trailer featuring a choir covering Radiohead’s “Creep”, which has an awe-inspiring yet melancholy feel. It differs for good reason – Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails scored the movie with a characteristic industrial-noise background that adds a dark and foreboding undertone throughout the movie.

The fitting soundtrack aside, the whole movie feels wonderfully tense as it goes back and forth with accusations, lies, excuses, and leaves the audience grasping for truth. The message of the film is vague enough for you to do a double-take before you actually declare him a jealous and misunderstood tragic hero who just needed to belong.

I was only really disappointed with social commentary that was only hinted at with Timberlake’s character. Instead of examining how Facebook changed business, social networking, and the Internet itself – the zeitgeistal shift is overshadowed by a story of ambition and greed. While still valid topics, I still cannot get over how this particular big fat jerk conquered our culture to become the CEO of a $25 billion company. See the movie to understand the history of that little part of your life that you utilize every single day.

Grade: A-

Summer Albums That Didn't Suck: The Black Keys, Danger Mouse, and Devo

I spent my whole summer avoiding the radio with whatever kids are listening to thee days - the Beibers, Gagas, and Ke$has. Yeah, I may be a bit of a musical curmudgeon…but I know I’m not the only one uninterested in how many floosies come out of the state of california. (I’m talking to you Katy Perry! And the other five people it took to write that awful song!)

That being said, there was actually some great music released this summer. Here are my three favorite albums of the summer.

The Black Keys: Brothers

Release date: May 18th

Certainly the most accessible album on the list, a few tunes from the Black Keys sixth studio album have already gotten some serious attention. The first single, “Tighten Up” had an award-wining video that has gotten airplay on MTV, and can also be heard in the commercial for the new season of House.

The attention is well-earned, and this may be one of the best albums to date. Each song contributes well to the overall theme of the album, without being an actual “concept” album. It has all the great hooks you can expect on songs like “Tighten Up” and “Next Girl”. All the familiar Black Keys song elements and structures are there, and the album is truly cohesive in mood.

Everything is kinda dark, a little melancholy, and it all sounds comfortably fuzzy. It is a straight-forward and soulful tribute to the blues of old, but maintains its catchy rock riffs to make one real cool album.

Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse: Dark Night of the Soul

Release date: July 12th

I could have potentially written about this album last year…but under very different circumstances. Auteur producer/Gnarles Barkley member Danger Mouse had an idea for a concept album some time ago. He got together some top-notch collaborators, like Julian Casablancas, Wayne Coyne, and Iggy Pop. Together, they created an album dedicated to celebrating the gritty human condition, with songs like “Daddy’s Gone”, “Revenge” and “Pain”. Most of the tracks deal with some pretty dark subject matter, but all are simply beautiful – due to Danger Mouse’s characteristic dreamy ambience.

Along with a book of photography by David Lynch (who also appears on two tracks) the super album was semi-released last summer. What does that mean? The CD contained was blank. Written on the disk was this: “For legal reasons, enclosed CD-R contains no music. Use it as you will”. It was an interesting stunt, but still left many potential listeners out in the dark.

It was nice to see the album get fully released this summer, and any indie fan can appreciate its catchy hooks, R&B beats, and the absolute best ensemble of artists you could hope for.

Devo: Something For Everybody

Release date: June 15

I’m just as surprised as anybody to find that the first Devo album in 20 years is fantastic. I wasn’t exactly a Devo fan prior to the album, but like any fan of music, I thought 1980’s “Whip It” was awesome. My mom, knowing this, TiVo’d the band playing on Regis and Kelly over the summer. They played “Whip It” and their first new single, “Fresh”. I was blown away and got the album shortly after.

First of all, you gotta remember that Devo has been playing music since 1973…so these guys are old. But knowing that, you cannot help noticing how cool they are. These guys are playing synth-based satirical songs that rock harder than a lot of stuff out there now. When a song like “Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man)” has a repeated chorus of “Don’t taze me bro” it is hard not appreciating the charm of these hip 60-somethings.

The album is a blast to listen to, and I dare you not to fall in love with at least one track.

The Flaming Lips Reveal Their "Dark Side"

[Published in the BU Scout on February 19, 2010]

When The Flaming Lips decide to cover other artists, you know you are in for some kind of bizarre treat.

The Flaming Lips fans can recall YouTube videos of lead singer Wayne Coyne shouting the lyrics to Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” into a megaphone and crooning a haunting ballad version of Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.” But what exactly could any fan expect when The Flaming Lips announced an entire cover album?

In December, The Flaming Lips released a track-for-track remake for Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of The Moon.” They named it, “The Flaming Lips and Stardeath and White Dwarfs with Henry Rollins and Peaches Doing The Dark Side of the Moon”

I know what you want to do. Your initial instinct is probably to go crying blasphemy over even the idea of touching one of rock’s greatest albums. “Dark Side of the Moon” is the album that defined the studio concept album. It is the album that made Pink Floyd a staple in rock music and turned boring planetariums into psychedelic laser-light shows. Let’s not forget that even the cover art turned the color spectrum itself into a world-wide icon.

Who are The Flaming Lips to even attempt this feat?

Indie/Space-Rockers The Flaming Lips are not alone in their quest for the cover album, as their overlong title suggests.

They enlisted the likes of Henry Rollins, Peaches and Coyne’s nephew’s band, Stardeath and White Dwarfs. Rollins handles spoken-word parts of the album in a suiting monotone voice, while Peaches wails in the background on a few tracks. The album overall places a heavier emphasis on the ambient background, while Coyne’s characteristic airy vocals sputter in and out of tracks like “Breathe.”

Regardless how you feel about remaking an album that sold more than 45 million copies to date, the Flaming Lips did so fearlessly with their own style.

The Lips are experts at creating those operatic and atmospheric layers that are required for “Dark Side of the Moon,” and the whole album is overall entrenched with more funk and attitude than the original. Overdriven guitars and distortion reign supreme on most of the tracks, and whammy effects are used on many for that extra funk sensibility.

Many tracks, however, fall into the category of “Big Disappointment” or “Huh?” For example, “Money” is probably the most recognizable single off of the original, featuring looping cash registers, arguably the most intense sax and guitar solo of the album, and soaring vocals from David Gilmour.

The Flaming Lips version has no sound effects loop (Come on guys! That part was easy!). It has no solos at all, and instead of singing the unbelievably catchy tune, Coyne robotically recites the song’s lyrics with a disturbingly metallic effect. This song in particular is a huge disappointment and reminder how the album as a whole still pales in comparison to the original.

You can appreciate a band that isn’t too afraid to tackle an almost canonical album while maintaining their characteristic sound. The album’s conception still comes off almost as a dare – as if enigmatic Coyne himself was just trying to do the next “weird” thing. No word yet if the album synchs up with the “Wizard of Oz” or any other movie.

Lips fans will probably love it, but Pink Floyd purists will probably still go burning the album in heretical glee.

R.L. Stine Gives Readers A Halloween Scare

[Published in the BU Scout on November 2, 2009]

Goosebumps. Choose Your Own Scare. The Haunted Mask. Horrorland. Done nostalgically wallowing in the creepiest, spookiest corners of your childhood? R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series permeated every literate grade-schooler’s life at a certain point. It was hard to avoid the frenzy: there seemed to be a new book out every week, a television series, movies, toys, fruit snacks, games and underwear…

Yeah, I’m pretty sure I had the Goosebumps underwear.

But anyway, it was pretty hard not to be drawn to these easy-to-read books with the cool covers where kids (just like me!) got into some pretty weird situations (Go Eat Worms!). I stumbled upon an old favorite…Attack of the Jack-O’-Lanterns.

Now I have to say, it isn’t the creepiest of Stine’s books like Night of the Living Dummy, the title is not as clever as Say Cheese and Die! And the cover isn’t nearly as impressive as a staircase dripping with Monster Blood, but hey; it is still a genuine Goosebumps book.

After establishing the main character as a mischievous and tough twelve-year-old girl - Drew, we find out that Halloween is her favorite holiday. But it was ruined two years ago by a couple of big fat jerks, Tabby and Lee. (These two pranksters faked a break-in and a strange hostage situation where Drew was forced to do pushups!) So this year, Drew has a plan to get even – thus begins the good ol’ fashioned revenge tale: Goosebumps-style!

The blood-dripping chapter numbers of the book flew by as I read the book at a record pace. Almost every chapter ends in a mini-cliffhanger where someone gets scared because a big gruesome monster is biting its razor sharp fangs into Drew’s flesh…only then does she realize that it is a Halloween mask. If you get frightened at all at the end of these chapters; it’s okay. Just turn the page and the benign phenomenon will be explained instantly.

Back to the story: Drew somehow convinces Tabby and Lee to go trick-or-treating - which is strange since they seem to be mortal enemies. You see, Tabby is a little stuck-up *#&@ and dresses like a princess every year, and Drew is a bit of a tomboy. Oh, and Drew also has a tendency to growl at people… I counted seven “Grrrrr’s” throughout this 113-page turner. She’s got a bit of a complex and is described as small and elf-like, which lends itself to her deep resentment of almost everyone. This is Drew’s last chance for revenge, and last time to trick-or-treat because apparently you have to stop the moment you hit the teenage years.

While tick-or-treating, the gang meets up with what they assume are their twin friends, Shane and Shana. They got these real great pumpkin head masks, with real flames in the jack-o’-lanterns! Tabby and Lee are real scared once it becomes clear that these pumpkinheads want them to keep trick-or-treating…forever!

I don’t want to SPOIL the ending for you, but the pumpkin heads really were their friends the whole time: they just happen to be shape shifting aliens who have been abducting, killing and eating fat adults in their town for the past few years. Oh, and if you are wondering if that little jack-o’-lanterned dog (the one on the cover) appears in the book, don’t bother looking. He is nowhere to be found…the only disappointing moment of reading the book.

The Silversun Pickups Band to Bring Unique Sound to Expo Gardens

[Published in the BU Scout on October 23, 2009]

Few indie bands have made quite the same kind of impact in only a few short years as the Silversun Pickups.

Even if they are hearkening back to some grungy elements of the ’90s, the Pickups bring enough fresh talent and themes to the table to make them a musically legitimate powerhouse.

The closest genre you could classify The Pickups would be shoegaze.

Named to describe bands like My Bloody Valentine and several others in the late ’80s, the term comes from describing how the bands typically performed in a detached, almost bored manner. For such loud distorted guitar rock, it was odd to watch a band basically stand on stage “gazing at their shoes.”

The Pickups, however, put on a fantastic, energy-filled show that differentiates them from their earlier influences.

The music of the Pickups sounds almost dense, with multiple guitar tracks, but it still remains almost minimalist. Distortion and overdriven guitars contrast heavily with the almost ghostly vocals.

They sound a lot like the Smashing Pumpkins at moments, but have a more uplifting and optimistic sound.

After initially getting your ears blasted with multiple layers of overdriven guitars on their first album “Carnivas,” you will immediately notice the otherworldly voice of Brian Aubert. The signature vocal effects of his voice construct a strange childlike sound worthy of being a unique instrument on its own. One moment the song may lead you through a sweet, almost feminine voice, then a gut-wrenching scream during a chorus cuts through to deliver the real emotion.

“Lazy Eye” was the mega-hit off their first album, with a dr e amy and addictive hook that spirals into a frenzied state as the song’s storyline takes a life of its own.

The band’s sophomore album, “Swoon” came out this summer and is better in every way. The title of the album is perfect – it exemplifies that immersive feeling put forth by almost every song on the album. The loud parts are louder, the soft parts, more sweet this time around, with an added bonus of a strings section on a few tunes.

“Panic Switch” and the recently released “Substitution” are the first two singles off the album a n d encapsulate very specific, yet relatable moods.

The band is coming to Peoria’s Expo Gardens on Wednesday. I’ve seen them live at Lollapalooza and they are definitely worth seeing. The group appreciates its fans and loves a good crowd.

The Silversun Pickups truly need to be experienced, because you might miss something if you simply give them a casual listen. Songwriter Aubert is that artsy kid in the corner of the crowded room, one day hoping to shyly reveal his poetry to the girl of his dreams. Paired with harmonizing female bassist Nikki Monninger, the pair produces an eerie but beautiful beast that equally snarls and croons its love songs.

Their music is intricately layered, and you can pick out the multiple guitar tracks and appreciate each one in its own way where they build up to be “just on the right side of the white noise.”

Monkeys Mature and Release Humbug

[Published in the BU Scout on September 9, 2009]

For a band hailed as the next big thing out of the U.K. since Oasis, it is still surprising that more people haven’t heard of the Arctic Monkeys.

With its third album, “Humbug,” released on Aug. 25, the lads from across the pond are steadily entering into American consciousness, though longtime fans may be disappointed.

Those of you still wondering “Who The @*%! Are The Arctic Monkeys?” look up its first two albums.

The debut album “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not,” and breakthrough single “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor” came out in 2006. Through constant touring and Internet fan pages, it became the fastest-selling debut album in British music history.

Sounding like the recording came straight out of the garage, the raw energy and unpolished nature of the band appeals to any fan of the do-it-yourself attitude. Each song in “Whatever People Say,” composed of what seems to be several tunes hacked together, evolves beautifully with its own beginning, middle and end. Singer Alex Turner is an observant and sometimes bitter wallflower – commenting on situations with a strong Yorkshire accent that adds a charming flair to his otherwise brooding nature.

The Monkeys’ sophomore album, the significantly heavier “Favourite Worst Nightmare,” perfected its unique formula to make a CD that sounds fantastic from start to finish. The album is much more polished than its predecessor, but still maintains that sound of controlled chaos with songs like “Brianstorm” and “Teddy Picker.”

As a third album, “Humbug” in its entirety may seem to be a bit of a disappointment, though it only appears so when compared to the Monkeys’ previous works.

Produced by Queens Of The Stone Age frontman, Josh Homme, the Monkeys introduce a new dreamy background ambience of sound that was only hinted at with Turner’s side project, The Last Shadow Puppets.

Also, fans of producer Dangermouse will appreciate the introduction, but it might alienate those waiting for another dance number.

The first single, “Crying Lightning” weaves dreamy guitars and clever wordplay into a grand showcase of what the band does best. Pulling together Turner’s storytelling genius and the band’s penchant for a living, breathing musical backdrop, “Lightning” is the best song on the album.

Halfway through the album, long-time Monkeys fans expecting something more dynamic and danceable will find it in “Potion Approaching” and then “Pretty Visitors” with more familiar, funky rhythms.

Most of the songs are missing that defining vitality that allowed each song to unfold into several different rhythms and melodies.

Perhaps it is a sign of the band’s maturity, to make a song as consistent as some of these are, but I miss the almost haphazard combinations of song elements. Of the ten songs on the CD, only a handful follow the usual configuration.

It is unfair to say this is a step back for The Arctic Monkeys. Instead think of “Humbug” as a slight sidestep exploring only a certain vision of the band.

Fans can appreciate that the Dylan-esque social commentary-through-storytelling is still there, further defined in soulful ballads like “Cornerstone.”

While “Humbug” would indeed complete the collection, fans of the first two albums are better off looking up the multitude of unheard B-sides, which are all masterpieces in their own rights.

The Dead Weather Displays New Shade of White

[Published in the BU Scout on April 3, 2009]

Of all the words you can use to describe Jack White, predictable is not one of them. He’s an actor and one-time upholsterer, but he’s mostly revered for his involvement in several genre-crossing musical endeavors since the early 1990s.

There was the Grammy-winning rock duo, The White Stripes, with the single “Seven Nation Army.” There was the Academy Award-nominated soundtrack for Cold Mountain, to which White contributed several songs. There was the massive hit “Steady As She Goes” by the industry-proclaimed supergroup The Raconteurs.

It seems that his latest supergroup will be no different in terms of success, talent and all-out awesomeness.

They call themselves The Dead Weather. Indie-rocker Alison Mosshart of The Kills fronts the band as the lead vocalist. Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age contributes on keys and Jack Lawrence from the Raconteurs rejoins Jack White on bass. White himself takes a step back to return to his first passion: drumming.

While they may not seem like the typical supergroup to many, the mere presence of Jack White amongst fellow musicians seems qualification enough.

It’s been over a decade since the rock duo emerged from the heart (or bowels) of Detroit. Comprised of only singer/guitarist Jack White and his companion drummer Meg, The White Stripes attacked eardrums and industry standards with such tenacity that they changed the face of popular music.

Loud, distorted blues riffs accompanied by simple-but-steady drumming were suddenly okay for the mainstream. Jack and Meg charmed fans with a portrait of innocent child-like companions on a journey through a three-colored world of red, black and white. Throughout their rise, they maintained their humble attitude and lost few fans to claims of “selling-out.” It was quite clear the Whites were just interested in making good music.

During their six-studio album career, The White Stripes came in a surprising amount of shades.

Early work focused mainly on garage-rock oriented riffs and southern blues-style slide guitar. Their third and fourth albums, most notably “Elephant,” launched the duo out of the garage and into the mainstream with more complicated song writing and advanced soloing from Jack. His voice morphed song to song from soothing boyish naivety to howling emotional shrieks. The latest two albums, “Get Behind Me Satan” and “Icky Thump” began branching out from their tried-and-true method of simple music composition. There are marimbas, bagpipes and even a full horns section in “Thump.”

Though their overall concept and simple, yet oh-so-sophisticated approach to music cemented the White Stripes as the king and queen of modern rock, Jack didn’t stop there; for there was music to be made.

The Raconteurs arose when he formed a full band with Patrick Keeler, Jack Lawrence, and fellow Detroit native Brendan Benson. Since all members had been in previous bands, the music industry instantly declared them a supergroup, though it was far more obvious who the famous front man was.

White shared his love for hard-hitting blues with new band mates, while delving deeper into the world of country and bluegrass in their two albums “Broken Boy Soldiers” and “Consolers of The Lonely.”

Jack’s touring with The Raconteurs left The White Stripes on somewhat of a hiatus, broken only with a single performance on the final episode of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” earlier this year. With a lack of information lately, it came as somewhat of a shock to see Jack White producing yet another band, The Dead Weather, with a confirmed album release this June. While fans barely have time to recover from hearing of the band’s existence, the first single “Hang You from the Heavens” was released on March 11, along with a cover of Gary Numan’s “Are Friends Electric?”

“Heavens” features many characteristics of White’s most recent works with the Raconteurs, with thick, lurching guitars reminiscent of “Consoler of the Lonely.”

Alison Mosshart’s haunting vocals actually sound a lot like White’s as she stammers verses and sputters choruses. The b-side cover features the whimsically clunky organ-work you’ve come to expect on a Stripes track like “I’m Slowly Turning Into You.” The two songs are available for listening on thedeadweather.com, and their magnificence should make Horehound one of the most anticipated debut albums of the year.

Jack White’s illustrious music career has already declared him one of music’s greatest contributors, yet with each new album, you can’t help thinking that he’s just getting started.