Jack White changes stripes in the Raconteurs

[Narrock]

Jack White changes stripes in the Raconteurs By Craig Rosen
Fri Jun 9, 3:22 AM ET

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - After garnering critical acclaim and mainstream success with former wife Meg in the White Stripes, Jack White formed the Raconteurs in an attempt to be just one of the boys in the band.

But during the quartet's Los Angeles debut Wednesday at the Fonda, White was still front and center, singing and playing guitar and retaining his standing as one of the most charismatic figures in rock.

That was most evident late in the band's hourlong set on "Blue Veins," the Led Zeppelin-like blues-rock scorcher that had White effectively channeling singer Robert Plant and guitar god Jimmy Page. Sure, singer-guitarist and solo artist Brendan Benson and the Greenhornes' rhythm section of bassist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler provided ample support, but it was clear that White was the star of the show.

Nonetheless, the Raconteurs proved to be more than just an interesting experiment for White. Breaking free from the self-imposed minimalism and iconic red-and-white imagery of the Stripes, the Raconteurs -- augmented by keyboardist-guitarist Dean Fertita -- gave White the opportunity to explore sonic possibilities simply unavailable in the confines of his other act. That was apparent when the band opened with "Intimate Secretary." After a flurry of guitar noise, the song began with Benson and Lawrence singing in harmony, with White joining in later, adding key lines solo.

"Level" highlighted the band's strengths even more. Beginning with a chiming keyboard riff, replicated by White and Benson first on guitars, then on vocals, it built to a crescendo with Keeler's Bonham-like beats and White and Benson's tight but potent guitar dueling and infectious call-and-response vocal play.

The rail-thin Benson, a fine songsmith in his own right, sang lead several times during the evening, notably on the country-tinged acoustic ballad "Together." Yet neither he nor bespectacled bassist Lawrence possesses the rock-star essence that White exudes with his every move. Sporting a tight black T-shirt and plaid pants, White was the focal point even when he wasn't in the spotlight. By either force of habit or simply because it's his modus operandi, White interacted the most with drummer Keeler, whose expertise on the kit was in stark contrast to Meg White's rudimentary primitivism.

Aside from blowing through their V2 debut, "Broken Boy Soldiers," in its entirety, the band pulled out a few choice covers, including David Bowie's "Ziggy"-era, Don Davies-penned "It Ain't Easy" and the Flamin' Groovies' "Headin' for the Texas Border." Yet it was its most manic on the psycho-delic workout "Broken Boy Soldier," which had White screaming dementedly into a tube mike near his amplifier with his back to the crowd.

It remains to be seen if the Raconteurs -- who return with a string of U.S. dates next month -- will be an ongoing concern or just a temporary detour. For now, however, it's a great ride that proves White is a true star no matter which vehicle he's piloting.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Interesting.

[Drem]

there's already a thread about this band in ET

PS: don't expect the white stripes in any way shape or form from this band. it's like a mild indie rock band sound with predictable everything

[Ginzburgh]

Jack White is probably one of my favorite figures in music today.

[Tossica]

Jack White is the most overrated figure in music today.

[Captain Insano]

Nope that spot is currently held by one Kanye West. Except Jack White has talent.

[Drem]

so does kanye west. he's a goddamn studio wizard. i just think his MCeeing is not very good. imho it's really bad when MCs have people murder them on their own shit. he had like Nas, Common, and Jay-Z on one of his albums and his flow really can't touch any of that. but he can cut tape loops better than anybody out there atm

[Captain Insano]

Ok what is so musically magical about Kanye West? What has he solely produced? I have heard all his hit songs...They're decent, but nothing groundbreaking. If you ask me 50 cent is a lot better of a rapper, so was Tupac, Dr Dre and Eminem, The Wu Tang Clan etc etc. This guy isn't doing anything special and his hit songs only made it to the top because Jay Z and MTV were backing the guy hoping to turn him into the next Black overproduced Ashley Simpson of Rap.

[Ginzburgh]

Don't forget Gangstarr

[Mop]

maybe cuz he produced alot of the beats for jay z and other artists prior to you knowing who he was ? Hova is the first one that comes to mind.

[Drem]

he takes old soul records and speeds or slows them up and cuts them around and makes really badass tracks. i already said his flow isn't very good, there's no need to compare him to Rakim or Nas or Mos Def or anything.

plus his singles, like with most good bands, are usually the worst tracks on the album... i hate singles in general and i really hate it when they're the only good songs on the album.

i dunno what's really to not like about him unless you just hate hip hop period

[Arlos]

unless you just hate hip hop period

dingdingdingdingding. We have a WINNAR.

I've never even heard anything by him, but I can't stand 99.9% of hip-hop, so odds are I couldn't stand anything he does.

-Arlos

[Captain Insano]

he takes old soul records and speeds or slows them up and cuts them around and makes really badass tracks. i already said his flow isn't very good, there's no need to compare him to Rakim or Nas or Mos Def or anything.

plus his singles, like with most good bands, are usually the worst tracks on the album... i hate singles in general and i really hate it when they're the only good songs on the album.

i dunno what's really to not like about him unless you just hate hip hop period

I think you reaffirmed what I was getting at. Kanye West is just another successful rapper. He IS NOT hip hop's savior or anything that fucking special.

When I think of superior talent in the history of hip hop, Tupac and Jay Z come to mind. Those guys could both lay down entire song in minutes or within a few tries. Jay Z's dvd shows him creating the "Dirt of Your Shoulder" song in a matter of mere minutes.

Kanye West mixes beats. I've DJ'd, and taking other peoples shit and remixing it, isn't that difficult....Especially the way he does it... He samples ultra successful older songs, switches some shit around, adds a baseline and boom you have a hit song... Tons of people can do this and do.

I would say that Timberland is 10x the artist that Kanye is when it comes to actually creating new beats for songs.

[Narrock]

unless you just hate hip hop period

dingdingdingdingding. We have a WINNAR.

I've never even heard anything by him, but I can't stand 99.9% of hip-hop, so odds are I couldn't stand anything he does.

-Arlos

What about... "I like big butts, and I don't know why... all you other brothers can't deny... that when a girl walks in with a itty-bitty waist, and a round thing in your face, you get sprung..."

[Arlos]

Don't particularly care for it. I mean, it's not fingers-on-blackboard annoyance level, like so many others are, but it's not something I'd ever listen to deliberately.

-Arlos

[The Kizzy]

I thought Meg was his sister.

[Ginzburgh]

Ex Wife