Driving > Disco

 Oh to be Jack White. 

Dude is only a couple of years older than me, but has been a professional musician since 1990. That would be since he was 14, if you are keeping score at home. Whatever, I had a badass Sega Genesis when I was 14, but I'm not the one on trial here, so let's just move on.

The White Stripes came about in 1997. Clearly, you are familiar with the White Stripes. So you already know the level of musicianship we are dealing with here. The White Stripes could go about a hundred different directions with a song, which was impressive, considering it was just drums and guitar (bass or otherwise), with a piano thrown in every now and then for good measure. What I'm saying is, for two people, they could go a lot of ways, musically speaking.

In 2005, White assembled the Raconteurs. I gave "Broken Boy Soldiers" (their first release) more than a few listens and really got into "Consolers of the Lonely" (their second album). Either of these two bands would've been enough for 99% of the musical "talent" that we are presented with today. But, they were not enough for Jack White.

Fast forward to 2009 and witness the birth of the Dead Weather. White plays drums and sings, Alison Mossheart from the Kills, Jack Lawrence from the Raconteurs and Dean Fertita from Queens of the Stone Age are also along for the ride. After listening to both of the discs, I'm still not 100% sure what genre to stick the Dead Weather into, and I guess that is what is the greatest thing about them. They are something between garage rock and blues. I don't know what "type" of music they play, but I know I like it.

So, on the eve of the release of "Sea of Cowards" (which you should've already been previewing for free, completely legal, from npr.org), I thought it would be fitting to take a listen to the Dead Weather.

"Die by the Drop" from Sea of Cowards

"I Cut like a Buffalo" from Horehound