Thursday, February 02, 2006
The White Stripes
Yesterday I got a message on My Space from a friend who said he never really got into The White Stripes. Regardless of how hard he tried, the flip never switched for him. Curious, indeed.
The White Stripes are one of my favorite bands. They're quirky and hard all at the same time. It doesn't hurt that Jack White (albeit married) is a fox.
So, if only amuse myself, I put together the following White Stripes primer for anyone who also doesn't feel like like they understand the band. I admit there are songs and albums that are more easily digestable than others, but then again you're not supposed to understand the good stuff on the first go. (Anyone's who's spent time with a Herbie Hancock album or Miles' Davis Bitches Brew may back me on that one. Or not.)
And away we go...
Elephant
This album is best know for "Seven Nation Army," which was my own personal anthem during the summer of 2003. Other good tracks include "Ball & Biscuit" for it's hard, bluesy guitar and the maniacal "There's No Room for You Here."
De Stijl
In Dutch, "De Stijl" means "style." This record's a lot more piano based than some of the others, which may help fans who can't handle heavy guitars. (Who are you people?) My favorite song on it is "Truth Doens't Make a Noise" which has a great example of the aforementioned piano accents. "Apple Blossom" has a strange, old Western feel to it, great if you ever find yourself in an Olde Tyme saloon in Nevada, swilling beers with some cowboys.
Get Behind me Satan
When this album came out about a year or so ago, it was all hype, hype, hype. It's been criticized as being slightly unfocused, but when others say "unfocused" I see "misunderstood." The songs are very percussion-heavy and White introduces listeners to new instruments, such as the spooky but exotic marimba. "Little Ghost" and "The Denial Twist" are great tracks, as is "Blue Orchid."
I have a lot more to say about The White Stripes but for the purposes of everyone's attention span, I'll stop here and go back to my regurally scheduled journalism.
