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).

Jacuzzi Boys Sweeten Up Some Glazin'

Starting a band in Miami isn't the easiest thing to do. At least that's what the Jacuzzi Boys learned when they started a few years ago. Miami can sometimes feel like an island unto itself.

The geography gets in the way, for bands both coming in and going out. Bordered by the ocean and the Everglades, there is only one direction to go by road. Even then, it takes several hundred miles before hitting any playable cities beyond the tip.

But the location didn't deter them. Originally founded guitarist Gabriel Alcala (guitar, vocals) and Diego Monasterios (drums), Jacuzzi Boys became a band after a friend introduced them to bassist Danny Gonzalez. Gonzalez lent more than a bass. The band took to practicing in his family's remote island trailer in a crammed space filled with gear and an exhaustive record collection.

“Miami is not known for producing many good bands,” Gonzalez concedes. “So, quite frequently we get asked, ‘would you ever consider moving?’ Our answer is always, ‘No!’ This is where our friends and family are from. Miami is such a part of the Jacuzzi Boys, as important as any musical influence.”

Glazin' serves up straightforward and fuzzy rock and roll.

Although Glazin' leans more toward power pop than previous DIY singles and their locally released primal debut album in 2009, the Jacuzzi Boys have an uncanny ability to be identified with everything from garage rock to surf punk. The difference might be semi-influenced by their recent signing with Hardly Art.

Instead of recording wherever they could, the band took a trip to Key Club Studios in Benton Harbor. What a difference twelve days in a studio can make. It's obvious they dug deeper into the production of each song, making some classic great music with sometimes campy lyrics, catchy without being commercial.

In part, the new album might be summed up as perfecting their sound from their first indie outing that originally produced the memorable singles Island Ave. and Smells Dead. Before covering the new album, here's a peek at where they came from.


Glazin' clearly has a similar sound, but with more emphasis on well-timed tambourine shakes, zip gun guitars, and laser keys. The name of the album is a giveaway. Jacuzzi Boys play the glaze on the donut. They're fun, sweet, and come in a variety of flavors.

Koo Koo With You is fun and campy, a story of sun-swelled heads and crushes. Zeppelin hits one shade more serious with its playfully sensual lyrics underscored by a few crunchier moments. And Glazin' is also one of the best tunes on the 11-track packed sophomore album, drawing some parallels between the donut glaze "feelings" and finding the right girl.


Sure, there are times when the sound gets to be too much. Automatic Jail and Born Dancer never really take off. But the band redeems itself with Silver Sphere and Los Angeles. The occasional and unexpected crunches inside Cool Vapors and Crush are a nice touch.

Spot on with their music, the Jacuzzi Boys are surprisingly honest and down to earth. They're young, slightly dazed by living their dream, and all about making music instead of imitating whatever happens to be playing to the masses last week. Sure, Glazin' is safer than songs about dead animals (the inspiration for the earlier single Smells Dead), but you have to respect the fact that they are always positive, upbeat, and will be the first to admit their memorable name is silly.

Jacuzzi Boys Sweeten Up With Glazin' At 7.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Let's face it. Their style is simple and the band plays tight, which will certainly inspire some less-than-hip knockoffs if they get more play time. What other bands need to give up on is trying to sound like anyone. The Jacuzzi Boys never do it, which is why their music sounds authentic. They don't consider themselves accomplished players, preferring to do what they can do. And that's cool, because we like it.

Glazin' by the Jacuzzi Boys is up on iTunes. Glazin' is also on Amazon, where you can find their No Seasons debut too. Barnes & Noble also carries Glazin', and a harder-to-find live vinyl album that Third Man Records put out in 2010.

JEFF The Brotherhood Kicks It On Six

Jake and Jamin Orrall might be the sons of successful producer/singer/songwriter folk pop artist Robert Ellis Orrall, but they have unquestionably cut an independent and different path as JEFF The Brotherhood.

With the exception of a live album produced by Third Man Records, they've remained successfully independent with their free-spirited, partly-owned label, Infinity Cat Recordings. And recently, they signed on for a distribution boost from Warner Brothers. But even this new deal keeps everything, unmistakably, in their control.

"Everything goes through us, and we have final say,” Jake said in a recent interview. “It’s a very hands-on deal.”

The announcement of the new partnership with Warner Brothers came shortly after a groundbreaking 3 a.m. Moscow performance. And the move coincides with their new album, We Are The Champions. The label pairing isn't the only change to expect.

The LP is considerably more laid back than many of their earlier albums. It's also the most consistent across all 11 tracks, amounting to a serious shift in how the duo serves up music. Few of their previous albums carried as much cohesion.

We Are The Champions is packed with indie-infused laid-back garage rock.

Sure, Cool Out has a faster pace with its metal guitar and some punkish remnants in its pitch. Someone even complained the lyrics were too much of a rehash to be interesting, but that depends on when you've been introduced to the band. It's hardly tired as one of only two songs (the other is Shredder) that cross slightly into punk.

The balance of the album is laid back garage rock, more indicative of what excited Rolling Stone enough to classify Hey Friend as best new music (the first track on their sixth album). There's no rehash here; the lyrics touch on a playfully creepy family-envy story, set against some deep psychedelic stylings and riffs.



Bummer carries some of the same undertones forward too, meandering through heavy psychedelic guitar and tightly packed drum sets. Ripper too, which is largely an indie rocker with punkish vocals. What makes it most memorable is the heavy guitar and tempo changes, creating a decently complex arrangement.

Along with those mentioned, Mellow Out, Diamond Way, and Wastoid Girl (despite its early slowed down, extra heavy Weezer influence) are all worth keeping. And, when you add in their unmistakable chemistry and reputation for a recklessly exciting live performance, We Are The Champions plays like the opening of the next chapter.

If We Are The Champions is an introduction to JEFF The Brotherhood, there is plenty to discover, including early Be Your Own Pet (Jake helped found the band, before leaving after the first practice), fronted by Jemina Pearl. They've also worked with Ty Segall, who released his solo album Goodbye Bread yesterday.

We Are The Champions By JEFF The Brotherhood Shreds At 7.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

If you like any of the songs, purchasing the album makes sense because you'll find yourself going back to download one more single until you own the whole LP anyway. It could also be one of the last albums featuring the duo on their own. In a recent interview, Jamin Orrall mentioned adding three band members to the lineup within the next year.

Even so, the brothers intend to call all the shots. Having fun and retaining control is more important than any other factor, even as longtime fans have followed their slow climb up from newbies to princes within the Nashville rock scene. We Are The Champions is available on iTunes. We Are the Champions is also on Amazon or the LP can be picked up at Barnes & Noble.

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.

The Greenhornes Put Four Stars In An Album

When most people were introduced to the Greenhornes in 2005, it came by way of the ultra eerie There Is An End. It was a collaboration with singer Holly Golightly, and used as the theme song for the movie Broken Flowers.

It was one of those rare times during a movie that people stopped viewing for a second to ask ... who's that band? Little did most of them know that Greenhornes weren't new. And they aren't a one-trick pony either.

The Greenhornes have been recording and touring (mostly touring) non-stop since 1996, when the band was formed in Ohio. Throughout their career, they've released more than their share of strong albums, including 2002’s Dual Mono.

They received mostly positively acclaim for their 60s-meets garage-meets-jams sound. It rightfully owes more than a nod to the best of the 60s bands, especially the Kinks, Yardbirds, and Rolling Stones. However, the real magic here is that this music creates a feeling that stands apart from an era when anything new and shiny grabs attention. It's timeless.

It’s still British Invasion meets America, but there’s more diversity and cohesion.

On **** (yes, symbolizing four stars), the Greenhornes have come together for their first album in eight years. Everything that made the band great is still in evidence, but there is a maturity of sorts that gives them a more cohesive sound. People familiar with the Yardbirds' vibe will notice a change in focus. The Greenhornes are much more devoted to melodies.

The band is also stripped down from a five piece to three. This trio includes singer/guitarist Craig Fox, bassist Jack Lawrence, and drummer Patrick Keeler. Two-thirds of the trio—Lawrence and Keller—also served as the rhythm section to Jack White’s Raconteurs.

They (Keeler and Lawrence) also took time out to play on Loretta Lynn’s brilliant Van Lear Rose CD, produced by White. Any time White takes an interest in a band and its musicians is a good thing. You'll agree. Just listen to ****, which was released by White’s Third Man Records, and this special segment produced by Rolling Stone.



The Greenhornes have always been strong, but this CD is full of melody and song crafting that is far superior to previous efforts. The band might say it feels the same, but the impact off the stage is far more enduring.

Standouts on **** include the bold, rich flavor of Saying Goodbye and some killer harmonies within Need Your Love. Cave Drawings is also especially good as 60s psychedelia played the way everyone wished it was then. Let's just hope they don't wait another eight years to get back in the spotlight because **** has it all — jams, ballads, melodies, and garage rock.

The Greenhornes’ **** Turns In A 7.0 Straight Up On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Always on the go, the Greenhornes are on tour now. They have dates around the corner at the infamous Troubadour (Los Angeles), followed by stops in San Francisco, Oregon and then Illinois. You can keep up with them on Twitter and Facebook.

You can find **** by The Greenhornes on ITunes. It is listed as 4 Stars on Amazon. And yes, the image above is Patrick Keeler pressing a record. It doesn't get better than that.