Today the White Stripes announced that they will no longer continue to record or perform music as a band.  This isn’t entirely shocking… in the past few years the band has been pretty quiet and at one point Meg White even had to take a break due to anxiety, but it’s still quite sad.   They were a truly unique voice in the mainstream musical landscape and one of the more consistantly creative bands around.  Some will argue that Jack White was the driving force behind the band, and he definitely was, but there was something special about the music that Jack and Meg made together and I’ll miss it.  I’m also extremely bummed I never got to see them perform live.  I always assumed I’d catch them the next time they came through… never do that.  Below is the statement from the band and below that is my favorite White Stripes song.   Thanks for the tunes Jack and Meg! continue reading...

In 2007 Jack and Meg hit the road for an extensive cross Canada tour that included every province and territory in the country.  Thankfully they documented the entire thing with a film crew and will be releasing it as the documentary entitled The White Stripes Under The Great White Northern Lights.  Along the way the band played a number of unannounced, intimate gigs at surprise locations which are sure to be highlights of what looks like an already great movie.  Check out the trailer: continue reading...

This was New Years Eve 2004… They start off with a nice tune called “We’re going to be Friends” and then they do the countdown to New Years and launch into “Seven Nation Army”… the place goes mental. This is what I want to do for the next New Years Eve: continue reading...

Here’s reason #14,356 why YouTube is awesome: continue reading...

Here’s a good little list from the people at Paste magazine that runs down the 10 best guitar riffs since the year 2000. I like the parameters and conditions they set. My only complaint is that Papa Roach made the list… they suck.  Check it:

A great rock riff does more than rattle your spine—it creeps deep into your head. To make its way into the canon of great riffs alongside, say, “Purple Haze” or “Smoke on the Water,” a riff has to be more than just acrobatic, fierce or played at high volume. It has to become ubiquitous, a touchstone, a shared reference point for guitar freaks and casual fans alike. So below are 10 riffs that, in this young century, have been benchmarks in utter rockness and have corkscrewed their way into the collective consciousness with a persistent thud, crunch or squeal. continue reading...

Fresh off of his latest White Stripes album, Jack White is already knee deep in a new Raconteurs record. Here are some thoughts on the recordings from White and bandmate Brendan Benson: continue reading...