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The White Stripes


SomTervo
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the-white-stripes.jpgSo, any big fans here? Any haters? What's the opinion, bro's 'n' ho's.

 

I love em. I remember being 10 (or whatever age I was when Elephant came out) and listening to it non stop as me and my parents went on a cross-France road trip. The sun, the brilliant rock. One of the best times of my life. Still know every lyric to the album off by heart.

 

Just downloaded it, and all their other stuff, again. So brilliant. They're one of the few modern bands I've heard who have that innate addictive energy. Kings of Leon's second album Aha Shake is one of the only other things I've heard recently with the same feeling. Not the speed of the music, but the kind of in-the-moment joy of the songs and melodies. Basically like all the Beatles stuff, too.

 

Oh, and they're broken up now. What's with that? the_white_stripes.jpg

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Tbh, except for Elephant, I'd probably also say that their singles are their best stuff. Every track on Elephant, save maybe the one Meg sings on, is incredible. However on most of their other albums, the non-single material is a bit weird.

 

I know a lot of people who detest them, too, what's your beef Hakidia? Everyone I've spoken to who doesn't like them though hasn't listened to Elephant (save the radio edit of Seven Nation Army, which everyone hates (even I'm irritated with it) even though it's perfect on the album) or their earlier stuff.

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They were my favourite band all throughout my teen years. I was so upset that they broke up. Was expecting a farewell tour or something.

 

Had the opportunity to see them live at the Ottawa Bluesfest, and unlike most bands that play Bluesfest they actually did all their Blues songs. It was great because the local paper was criticizing the event for not really embracing its blues theme (last year, for instance, they had Snoop Dogg performing) and Jack says up on stage "(whatever reporter) wrote an article today asking if the White Stripes are bluesy enough for Bluesfest. Well I dunno about you but I think that man might be colour blind."

 

It ended up being one of the best shows I've ever seen. It was such a treat to get to hear them perform songs that they wouldn't normally do live because they catered the setlist to the theme of the show.

 

Anyway; here's my favourite Stripes song...

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Not really a fan. Can't say I've listened to much, but I never really felt I wanted to hear a lot from them.

 

I saw a live performance of Icky Thump and that was really good. It's a sort of raw, dirty-sounding track. Other stuff I've heard just sounds a bit too much like a four chord 'my first alt-rock band'. Probably doesn't help that the drums suck.

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Had the opportunity to see them live at the Ottawa Bluesfest, and unlike most bands that play Bluesfest they actually did all their Blues songs. It was great because the local paper was criticizing the event for not really embracing its blues theme (last year, for instance, they had Snoop Dogg performing) and Jack says up on stage "(whatever reporter) wrote an article today asking if the White Stripes are bluesy enough for Bluesfest. Well I dunno about you but I think that man might be colour blind."

 

Brilliant. JW's probably one of the coolest guys in the world. Great fav song too, on the theme of the blues, which is my favourite genre to play, here's my favourite Stripes song:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPeuFt749l8

 

Tbh you have to listen to it with a proper sound system/ headphones, so YouTube isn't the best. But that's literally the song that turned me on to the blues and blues guitar playing- I haven't stopped since. Respect, NeoStarr.

 

 

I saw a live performance of Icky Thump and that was really good. It's a sort of raw, dirty-sounding track. Other stuff I've heard just sounds a bit too much like a four chord 'my first alt-rock band'. Probably doesn't help that the drums suck.

 

That's the thing, it's their raw nature that makes it for me. I mean, yeah, controversially Meg has never had a drum lesson, but she's got the fucking soul of the music down to a tee. She just slams the drums in time to Jack rocking the goddamn hell out.

 

Jack's got this whole '3 elements' concept for the band; he believes the most important parts of music are melody, lyric, and rhythm. So sure, they don't always progress far past four (usually three) chord progressions (though they do on non-single shit), but they always back up the simplicity with fresh melodies, lyrics, and rhythms.

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Yeah, I can't say I fault them for what they do; just I know other bands in that vein that I'd rather listen to. Vocals can really turn me off a band's music no matter how good it is as well (I can't help it), and I'm not always a fan of Mr. White's.

 

Plus, as a bass player, I have to regard them as some sort of aberration (even if they do include some bass, it's not the same).

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Yeah, I can't say I fault them for what they do; just I know other bands in that vein that I'd rather listen to. Vocals can really turn me off a band's music no matter how good it is as well (I can't help it), and I'm not always a fan of Mr. White's.

 

Plus, as a bass player, I have to regard them as some sort of aberration (even if they do include some bass, it's not the same).

 

That makes no sense. I know plenty of guitar players who love Lightning Bolt.

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I'll never forget that quote from... Mean Girls, was it?

 

"The White Stripes?! I mean, come one, get a bassist!"

 

May have been Freaky Friday. I'm out the loop on my Lindsay Lohan trivia.

 

 

White has indeed got quite a whiny voice, I love it for his immediacy and great sense of melody though. Surprisingly flexible as well.

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That's strange that a few people have called them a "singles band". I always thought they were the one true American album band of the 00s, at least for mainstream music. I like all their records but nothing hits me like the raw blues of De Stijl.

 

 

I give it 5 years till a reunion. Anyone else want to take bets? :D

Edited by TheCowboyPoet
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