The Dead Weather Open Up Enough

The thunderous union of Alison Mosshart (The Kills), Jack White (The Raconteurs), Dean Fertita (Queens Of The Stone Age), and Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs/The Greenhornes) is forecasting a third album for The Dead Weather early next year. The band, which was founded as an accidental side project in 2009, put out two back-to-back albums before shuffling off to do other work.

Initial whispers of The Dead Weather return started up again when White said he was writing new material last July. The first pair of singles were released this week with Mosshart dominating the vocals in one and sharing vocal duties alongside White in the other.

Open Up (That's Enough) fires up some storm clouds. 

The single Open Up (That's Enough) is clearly the more temperate of the two tracks. Mosshart roars on about a near apocalyptic image of the world, tittering on the brink of having hope and losing it.

The haunting and broken track opens with bleakness, Mosshart asking "Have you noted the rivers and the clocks? They're not moving. What about the birds you stuck on your ceiling? Chirping."


The composition lands somewhere between being atmospheric and an all-out rocker, setting a dark and disquieting tone for the track. The verse is a testament to the state of things and the chorus is carried off as a call to action.

The second song, Rough Detective, isn't nearly so heady. It's a much more playful track, with a dueling duo between Mosshart and White. All in all, it's a crazy, catchy cat-and-mouse song about a detective and his mark. The track builds steadily before becoming a full-on freakout, which will easily play to the onstage chemistry between Mosshart and White.

These two tracks will be the first in a steady series of two-set singles until the band releases a full album's worth of material, including several album-only songs. The other element of their release plans is to sell exclusive 7-inchers of each two-set single pressed onto a striking yellow jacket vinyl.

From the onset, White has said that the band wanted to do something different than anything they had done in the past. While both tracks do take on a certain roughness, some Dead Weather and White signature sounds are unquestionably obvious.

Overall, the band is still attempting to plunge deeper into ragged and sometimes sleazy rock and roll experiments. In this case, it seems that there might be a little less blues influence and a little more theatrics (at least on the second track). The sound is fuller, with tighter overlaps and an exceptional sampling of what can be done with stereo sound. Bluetooth speaker enthusiasts will clearly miss out.

In case you ever wondered, The Dead Weather was initially conceived during a Kills-Raconteurs tour. White was losing his voice and asked Mosshart to come out and finish some of his songs. At the end of the last song, White and Lawrence asked her to make a 7-inch with them. Fertita just happened to be sleeping at the studio where the three of them showed up to record. True story. Maybe.

Open Up (That's Enough) Burns Down 8.1 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Anybody who likes The Dead Weather ought to be bullish on the new release and promise of more material to come. It will be interesting to see how all the songwriting shakes out this time around. Each of them wrote songs for previous albums. They all collaborated on most tracks, both on the road and in the studio.

Open Up (That's Enough) and Rough Detective are available on Amazon. You can also find the two-set single on iTunes. White, who continues to fight for the production of tangible music, would prefer you pick up physical copies from The Vault at Third Man Records. Check Facebook for updates.

Jack White Has A Love Interruption

When the White Stripes issued a statement on Feb. 2, 2011, that the band had officially ended, it was a surprise. And yet, it wasn't a surprise. The band hadn't released an album (save for a live album) in four years and Jack White was busy working with bands like the Raconteurs and Dead Weather.

In the last two years, he has become even busier. White and Third Man Records are behind a lot of great music. But reading the words that marked the end the White Stripes was still disruptive, even if the intent was pure. Musicians need to evolve and sometimes that means protecting what they made.

"It is for a myriad of reasons, but mostly to preserve what is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way." — The White Stripes

Nonetheless, while the banner of the American rock band from Detroit (1997) has retired, it's great to see White remerging as a solo artist. It will likely bring a new infusion of life into alternative folk rock, given his DIY style of music. Bands won't sound like White. He will.

Love Interruption brings White into focus, rawly inventive and always unexpected.

Kicking off the anticipated album Blunderbuss due out toward the end of April is the release of the first single. Love Interruption is a short minimalistic duet, with all the smoke that has become associated with almost anything he touches.

Joining White on the duet is Nashville singer Ruby Amanfu. Amanfu, who has had a long run as a singer/songwriter since the third grade, is best known for her duets with Sam Brooker. Coincidentally (or not) Twenty Ten Music put out a 4-track solo session EP by Amanfu the day before the White single.

She is solid as a soloist and renowned for her duets, but it's her songwriting skills that are easily among the best in the business (the fourth track, especially). With White, she is the perfect match for Love Interruption, bringing a soulfulness that blends and contrasts beautifully with him. He powers up crisp lyrics; she lends a wavering emotive tone that soothes the delivery.

They know how to work together. Amanfu has been working with White here and there for more than a year. It was even around this time last year that Amanfu sang backup for rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson on Conan to support the release The Party Ain't Over, which White produced. White also played guitar with the Third Records Band on the show.




The appearance is worth mentioning because it hints at the White magic. He remains elusively independent in his vision, which carries along or allows him to be carried along with others. It has always been about the music, not just what can be cut in the studio, but what can happen naturally and spontaneously.

Love Interruption lights up his solo career as experimental as anything (or at least as experimental as Fly Farm Blues), and yet has the familiar signature style that impacts everyone around him. You can even hear it in Amanfu.

Listen to her alone and then as an integral part of the duet, and you'll find she sounds markedly different. With White, there doesn't seem to be a moment when she tries, making everything sound impossibly effortless. And isn't that White really aims for on every album?




Whether on his own or in mixed company, he is one of a handful of players who deconstructs in preparation of whatever might be played. He markets much the same way. While Love Interruption carries a B-side, you won't find it on the digital release. It's being saved for the 7" vinyl that will be available Feb. 7. The non-LP B-side is called Machine Gun Silhouette.

Love Interruption By Jack White Strips Away At 8.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

In case you were wondering, Amanfu won't be the only guest gracing Blunderbuss. Seasick Steve and Chris Thile (mandolinist/singer for Nickel Creek, among others) are reportedly making contributions too. They have their feet in blues and bluegrass respectively. According to White, these have been the first songs he has written from scratch that have nothing to do with anything except his own expression.

You can download Love Interruption from iTunes. The single is also available at Amazon. Unrated, The Simple Sessions by Ruby Amanfu is also on iTunes. While very different from the stylings of White, Making A Living is especially collectible.

The Black Belles Hex Their Self-Titled

The Black Belles has been in need of a self-titled release for the better part of a year. The wait was worth it. Produced by Jack White, the release has his fingerprints all over it but not his pawing palms.

Sure, sometimes they come across as a Third Man Records processed act. But the girls overcome the design with their own tenacity and talent.

Their ability to bridge garage rock and soul from the Sixties and bring it into the modern era can't be understated. They have more power behind fewer notes than countless acts have with an entire album, after they soften up rock into pop with guitar.

These girls are different. They twist, bang, shred, and howl out melodies that mash together, pretty and wicked. So much so that pretty wicked is what you're left with in describing portions of the full-length debut.

The Black Belles are minimalistic in measure, frightening in their mix.

If The Dead Weather had died and then were resurrected as four wannabe goth belles with a taste for sparsity and an addiction to vintage equipment, they would sound almost exactly like this. And while some might think that somewhat shameful because they could be even more, we can all hope that the self-titled release is just a stage floor for these girls build upon. I think it will be. Mark my words.

While plenty of people are dinging the Black Belles for all the hype and showmanship, Olivia Jean (vocals, guitar, organ), Ruby Rogers (bass), Christina Norwood a.k.a. Tina NoGood (synth), and Shelby Lynne (drums) deserve more credit as an act. Not many bands can pitch their careers as "not suitable for mass consumption" with the intent of being consumed by the masses. It's all very obvious, but no one needs to apologize.

Even the B-side video, Lies, supposedly lost, rediscovered, and released a week in advance of the self-titled album, was anything but accidental. It sets a record pace by reminding us how erratically compelling they can be. Not bad, because Lies (or any other previous single) won't show up on the album.



Instead, the Black Belles bust out with a collection of 11 standouts and sit downs. The standouts include Leave You With A Letter, Wishing Well, Pushing Up Daises, Not Tonight, and In A Cage. The latter is getting the most attention because it carries the biggest sound with crunchy guitars, meaty bass lines, and staccato vocals. They also owe more to their producer on this track than any other song.

It's the In A Cage chorus that hints at a musical depth six feet deeper than what they deliver here. Leave You With A Letter underscores their potential for harmonies, which is odd because the album version doesn't sound like their live performances. Jean snarls out the lyrics on stage.

Wishing Well, on the other hand, is my personal favorite in its arrangement, splitting and flipping the guitar riffs, bass lines, and relaxed vocals nicely. It will have the longest shelf life.

Some of the other songs won't. The Wrong Door is catchy, but needs the warmth of vinyl to make it work. Breathing Down My Neck is half solid, with the distortions so much more compelling than the whole of the song. And The Tease is okay, except it really doesn't.

The Black Belles are strangely fiction or maybe just stranger than. 

I could take or leave HonkyTonk Horror, which pre-teased the album as a single. Pushing Up Daises would have made a stronger showing. The band powers through it with much more conviction. HonkyTonk Horror was probably picked because it includes more packaging.

The girls themselves are interesting "creatures," as their bios often call them. With the exception of their home cities (and sometimes just home states) Third Man hasn't given up much. Most of their bios are creative, catering to stories of witchcraft, nastiness, and an evil alliance made in reform school.

But some of it is grounded in truth. There is no reason to doubt that Jean is from Detroit, Rogers from Mississippi, NoGood from Nashville, and Lynne from California. I also expect one of their early interview stories is true too: they shared childhood pictures and the photos all look similar. Spooky, but not really.

The Black Belles Self-Titled Release Hexes 4.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

The album is better than worth sharing, especially some songs more than others. And the case can easily be made that the Black Belles are more than the sum of one album. I thought it was great that the singles released weren't repeated on album. On the flip side of it, some of the singles are stronger than the tunes that sat down more than they stood up.

You can pick up the Black Belles self-titled album at iTunes, but also pick up Charlene II (I'm Over You) and What Can I Do? Both singles, along with their B-sides, belong on any playlist with portions of the album. Barnes & Noble has the vinyl release. Amazon has vinyl editions of both What Can I Do? / Lies and Stephen Colbert and the Black Belles - Charlene II (I'm Over You) bw Charlene (I'm Right Behind You).

iTunes Festival: A Must Have App

Few venues have as much history as The Roundhouse in North London. Originally built as a short-lived steam engine repair shed in 1846, it has been retired and revived a number of times, most notably in 1964 when playwright Arnold Wesker established Centre 42. Everybody played there — Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Peter Brook, The Doors, and Led Zeppelin to name a few.

Nowadays, The Roundhouse bears little resemblance to the original venue after its closure in 1983, reopening in 1996, redevelopment in 2004, and reopening in 2006. No matter.

It's the perfect place to host a global concert with the help of a five-year-old innovative idea from Apple at a venue that just celebrated it's fifth anniversary since the reopening. With the iTunes Festival London 2011, the entire festival fits in your living room or even the palm of your hand.

How iTunes Festival foreshadows things to come.

For 31 nights in July, 62 artists (more or less) have signed on to perform live at a sold out venue in London and the entire planet. The iTunes Festival London 2011 provides live streaming concerts from London every afternoon (in the United States) in July, viewable on a computer, on a portable device — iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch — or on your television with AirPlay.

The app is incredibly straightforward, with some minor formatting variations for each device. Apple opted for a calendar format, showing all the opening and main event gigs across 31 days. With rare exceptions (e.g., Paul Simon) missing a live performance doesn't even matter. You can watch any of the past performances at your convenience.

For the most part, the iPhone and iPad interface is largely the same, except the iPad menu also includes an artist section that lists every performer in alphabetical order. In addition to a brief bio, the app includes a button to any live or past gig as well as a link to the artist's work in the iTunes store.

The app also support upcoming news: sometimes serving as an introduction and other times listing any changes to the festival schedule. For example, when Simon Le Bon (Duran, Duran) was forced to cancel over local problems, the news section carried an explanation. Jessie J was another cancellation; the artist broke a foot.

Along with the concerts, there is some additional information about what Apple calls studio sessions (not streamed). In between live events, iTunes has invited some artists, actors, and authors — Any Lame, Gwyneth Paltrow, Berlin-based Beatsteaks, David Nicholls, and others — to speak to a smaller audience. It's a nice touch if you are in London. Otherwise, it serves as a foreshadow of things to come at a location that is becoming the epicenter of a future cultural revolution.

The future format isn't the only foreshadow. If Apple can simultaneously stream live events and store these events for playback at any time, it opens up new possibilities in global subscription-based or advertising-supported programming. Very literally, the app and concert series is a working model for a true any device, anywhere, anytime experience.

All that's missing for now is the self-imposed Apple limitation of one app on one device at a time. But our editors see this limitation disappearing in the years ahead. The next generation evolution will likely be more social, allowing you to see which friends are tuned in and then chatting with them at your leisure. The world has never seemed smaller.

A sampler size section about recent past and future acts.

The legendary musician Paul Simon might have opened the show on July 1, but it's the lesser known opening act in which I'm most interested. Three days into the festival, for example, Brighton-based Ramona dominated three live performances on July 3.

Having heard the band's U.K. released EP, How Long, I anticipated a straightforward pop rock arrangement. What I heard instead was a sharply exciting alt rock performance with a hint of punk. While it made me less excited about seeing the EP released in the United States, it made me very excited to see a future LP with Karen Anne's grittier vocals and her company's dirty arrangements. Keep an eye out.



Of course, some headline performances will be unforgettable too. Recently reviewed Seasick Steve was joined by album mates John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) and Jack White (The White Stripes). Some other big names performing this week include Linkin Park, Arctic Monkeys, Adele, and My Chemical Romance (to name a few). As for the openers, some might receive space here for a future review.

The iTunes Festival App Rocks At 7.9 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

While there is no doubt the app is a must have for 99 cents, there are dozens of small improvements that could be made for next year. Among them: adding self-selected preset concert alerts, additional pre-concert footage instead of a slideshow between acts, and solving the occasional sync issues between the audio and video stream. (The solution is to jump out and jump back into the app.)

On the flip side, there is much more to love. Where else can you see 62 live performances for 99 cents? Nowhere. The production team does an excellent job toggling back and forth between full hall views, multiple angles, and closeup shots. It's the next best thing to being there. A hat tip to the producers, who set up shots that rival televised concerts. Perhaps one day, the app will allow each user to pick their own camera angles too.

*Updated Dec. 2011. You could have downloaded the iTunes Festival London 2011 for the iPhone or iPod or iPad from iTunes. But as the concerts were transferred to independent artist EPs, Apple removed the time limited App. Keep that in mind for next year. The concert value alone justified purchasing a new iPad 2 (starting at around $500) or even iPod Touch (starting at around $225).

Seasick Steve Is Up For Old Tricks

When people mention the blues, any number of names might come to mind: John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Jimmy Lee Williams, Buddy Guy, and Fred McDowell. All of them are greats, those who rock and roll owe (and everything after) a fistful of gratitude.

Go ahead and add another name to the list. Steven Gene Wold, a.k.a Seasick Steve, is one of the greats. Never mind that no one heard of him until 2001 or that he got his first big break after he moved to Norway and was noticed in the United Kingdom.

Seasick Steve is as American as you can get, learning to play guitar from K.C. Douglas, one of the most influential blues stylists outside Oakland and San Francisco. Seasick Steve was only 8 when he first learned how to play; five years before he ran away from an abusive household.

Music took a back seat for Seasick Steve who picked up as a carnie, cowboy and farmhand. And when he didn't work? He was happy enough as a hobo (and, at one time, touring musician and clean-shaven studio sound engineer). But maybe that's why his newest album feels so full of life. He put 70 years of living into it.

You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks asks why would you want to?

Seasick Steve stirs up something that only the best blues players ever muster. His raspy whispers, laments, and screams carry an eclectic mix that cross over in rock, country, and blues. The range he delivers with his ensemble of equally eclectic guitars match.

Who else can play something that resembles a Fender Coronado with only three strings? Or a one-string broom with a screwdriver slide? As mentioned, if those are the old tricks, it doesn't make much sense to teach Seasick Steve any new ones.


Although that clip comes from an earlier album, it helps drive home the idea that the hobo who might have inspired you to clutch your purse tighter happened to be one of the greatest musicians on the planet. He proves it too, all over his 14-track album You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks.

Every bit of it shares his passion and love for the blues, with a bluesy rocker like Back In The Doghouse, played on the three-string. Don't Know Why She Love Me But She Do carries a steady rocker beat in the back and folksy overtones. Write Me A Few Lines is one of two Fred McDowell covers. The other cover is Levee Camp Blues, with a fuller but not necessarily better sound.

John Paul Jones and Jack White make for great session mates.

What stands out about both McDowell covers is Seasick Steve is joined by Jack White (The White Stripes) on drums, giving Dan Magnusson some time off from the sticks. The bass, of course, has been set down this time by John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin and Them Crooked Vultures), making the Old Dog LP one of several marks Jones has made on music lately.

Other songs worth a listen include Days Gone, Party, and the super smooth Burnin' Up. The title song is another easy favorite for many people, but I mostly like it because it's true (and not the best the song on album by a long shot).


Vance Powell at Air Studios in London also deserves some props. So does Henry James Wold, who produced the album alongside Seasick Steve.

Seasick Steve And His Old Dog Has Bite At 7.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

There are moments that the album easily breaks into the 9s on select songs so the rating is only indicative of a balancing act. At the same time, it really makes you wonder. If Seasick Steve can create something timeless at 70, then what is everyone doing?

The album was released by Third Man Records in the U.S. Play It Again Sam is releasing the album in Europe. You can download You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks from iTunes. The album is also available on Amazon. Pick up the CD at Barnes & Noble.