RZA and The Black Keys – “The Baddest Man Alive”
While we’re on the topic of RZA and his upcoming film that’s pretty much guaranteed to be amazing (if Quentin Tarantino is even backing it, you know it’s going to be good), check out his latest collab with blues brothers The Black Keys. You know those moments when you feel like life is beating you down and all you need is a song to blast in your room to pick you back up? Yeah, this is it. Listen to the heavy beat, bluesy guitars, RZA’s rap segments, and badass lyrics and you’ll feel like king of the world again.
Bat For Lashes – “We Found Love (cover)”
Bat For Lashes (a.k.a Natasha Khan) is known for her haunting, beautiful voice and powerful melodies. Her new cover of Rihanna and Calvin Harris’ club banger “We Found Love” turns the house infused track into a pretty dark song. She strips down all the extra Harris beats and synths, slows it down, and sings over low-key guitars and a hypnotizing beat. I personally still like the Rihanna/Harris version better, but it’s cool to hear house the mood of a song can flip with just a few changes. Bat for Lashes’ new album The Haunted Man is released Oct. 23.
Jack White – “I’m Shakin’” Read more…
I think I’m liking this bromance.
With Academy-award nominated actor Gary Oldman directing Jack White’s American Express UNSTAGED performance, that itself sounds epic and legendary enough.
But after watching the two get into a little play fight in this video, I think I’m sold on their bromance. White even accidentally makes Gary bleed :O!!! Luckily enough, he’s is forgiving.
I wish they would collaborate some more already! Perhaps they can do a song together?
We all know Jack can sing, but so can Gary!
Watch them play fight:
Dragonette – Let It Go
After lead singer Martina Sorbara’s stints with Martin Solveig offering her distinct vocals on “Hello” and “Big in Japan,” Canadian electronic band Dragonette is back with a new single “Let It Go” and an upcoming album with the same name. We know we’ve got a hit on our hands since Laidback Luke has already remixed the track. If you’re a Dragonette fan, you won’t be disappointed.
Mayer Hawthorne ft. Rizzle Kicks – The Walk
Off Mayer Hawthorne’s second studio album How Do You Do, “The Walk” is a mashup of funk /soul and indie pop, and is pretty much about telling a heartbreaker to f**k off. The harsh lyrics combined with smooth vintage trumpets and old school beat makes this song absolutely charming. British hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks appear on the record lending their sweet English accents as well. One listen and I guarantee you’ll fall in love. Read more…
Lindsay Lohan will be hosting SNL this weekend. Oh wait, EVERYONE already knows this. Well, they finally released the promo for Saturday night’s show, featuring the “Three Musketeers,” aka Lilo, Andy Samberg and musical guest Jack White.
Jack White gets in on some of the jokes but looks totally out of place in the promo. Watch him slowly shift side to side and then walk out of the room when he watches Lindsay and Andy’s lame high five handshake.
Watch it here:
This weekend Lindsay’s expected to play Callista Gingrich, a Republican presidential candidate, prompting some to speculate she’ll be the new Tina Fey as Sarah Palin. Lindsay was involved in some of the most popular SNL sketches, including Debbie Downer. Watch some of her best moments below.
Lindsay as Hermione:
Coin Slot Cream:
Debbie Downer
Last night’s episode of SNL was hosted by Maya Rudolph with performances by Sleigh Bells. The best act of the night was a Beyonce/Jay-Z sketch in which celebrities paid their respects to baby Blue Ivy Carter. Angelina tried to kidnap the Blue Ivy to add to her baby collection and an overly-excited Taylor Swift came through saying nothing at all. My fave visitors were Fred Armisen from Portlandia creeping over Ivy’s crib and giving her a creepy one-sided grin and Justin Timberlake putting himself to sleep strumming his canoe-guitar as Bon Iver.
Another great part of the night was a performance by musical duo Sleigh Bells. They also revealed that Jack White will be a musical guest on March 3 with Lindsay Lohan as host. It’ll be an interesting dynamic and I wonder if Lohan will poke fun at her longtime tabloid headlines.
“Comeback Kid”
It was only last week that Jack White released a new bluesy song called “Love Interruption” from his new album Blunderbuss, due out on April 24. Now, conveniently in time for Valentine’s Day comes Jack White’s “Love Interruption” video. The self-directed video features singer Ruby Amanfu sharing the mic in an old fashioned, glamorous setting.
The song is romantic in a scary, Jack White sort of way. Case in point the first line: “I want love to roll me over slowly, stick a knife inside me and twist it all around.”
I’m loving the new song, what do you think of it?
Watch the clip below:
‘The White Stripes’ frontman Jack White and his wife, Karen Elson, have divorced on their anniversary and are throwing a divorce party, reports E Online.
The divorce comes after six years of marriage and two kids. But instead of a nasty court battle, the couple is sending invitations to close family and friends for a divorce party, to be thrown tonight.
“We remain dear and trusted friends and coparents to our wonderful children Scarlett and Henry Lee,” the couple says in a joint statement. “We feel so fortunate for the time we have shared and the time we will continue to spend both separately and together watching our children grow.”
“In honor of that time shared, we are throwing a divorce party, an evening together in Nashville to reaffirm our friendship and celebrate the past and future with close friends and family.”
The couple, who got married on June 1, 2005, will celebrate tonight in Music City.
“Karen Elson and Jack White kindly request the presence…at a party to celebrate their 6th anniversary, and their upcoming divorce with a positive swing bang hum dinger,” the invite reads. “The party will include dancing, photos, memories and drinks with alcohol in them. This is only for close personal friends and family so please no plus ones or dead beats.”
Well, this is an odd twist. I like that the two can still be amicable, though, it’s how it should be. White seems like an interesting character so it somewhat doesn’t surprise me that he is throwing a “divorce party.”
We just hope she’s as musically gifted as her other half, for the sake of everyone involved.
Karen Elson, the (lucky) British singer/songwriter/model married to musician Jack White, is set to release her first solo album this month, reports NME.com.
The album, The Ghost Who Walks, will be released on May 25 through White’s label, Third Man Records. It was also produced by White.
Elson is heading out on tour this summer in support of the record, and will hit spots in Europe and North America. The tour begins May 23 in Berlin, Germany and wraps up in Brooklyn, NY on June 20. Elson comes to Canada on June 16 at Toronto’s El Mocambo and then heads to Montreal’s Club Lambi on June 17.
In other news, Jack White’s most recent music endeavour, The Dead Weather, just released their second album, Sea Of Cowards. The (super awesome) bluesy rock group, which includes members from other bands The Kills, The Raconteurs, and Queens of the Stone Age, hits Toronto’s Sound Academy on July 15.
Yes, that’s right and it’s red hot.
Former Red Hot Chili Pepper guitarist, John Frusciante, has been voted the best guitarist of the last 30 years, reports CHARTattack. The voting was done in a BBC 6music listeners’ poll.
Frusciante left the Chili Peppers this past December.
But, since 1980, there has been no greater guitarist than Frusciante.
Frusciante beat out many great guitarists for the top spot. He beat former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, as well as Muse front man Matthew Bellamy and Tom Morello.
Overall, Frusciante picked up 13.9 per cent of the votes.
Just recently, the top guitarist of the last 30 years, contributed his talent to Man Meat, Swahili Blonde’s debut album, to be released July 6.
Frusciante is also the executive producer for Mars Volta axeman Omar Rodriguez-Lopez’s The Sentimental Engine Slayer debut album, and plans to release two albums with Rodriguez-Lopez sometime this year.
Frusciante also beat out Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, and Jack White.
Torontonians are about to hear The White Stripes in a whole new way.
Chroma, a ballet choreographed to orchestrated versions of White Stripes songs, is due to open in Toronto this coming November, reports CHARTattack.com.
The ballet, which premiered in London, England in 2006, is the work of choreographer Wayne McGregor and composer Joby Talbot’s interpretations of Jack and Meg White’s songs.
Talbot’s versions of the White Stripe’s songs come from a 2006 album called Aluminum, which houses 10 covers of the band’s songs with XL Recordings’ Richard Russell.
Jack White has been a very busy, very lucky man lately.
Along with his film It Might Get Loud featuring U2′s The Edge and Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, White has entered the studio with the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards, according to Pitchfork.
This isn’t White’s first brush with the Stones – he performed “Loving Cup” alongside Jagger in Martin Scorcese’s concert documentary Shine A Light. Now Richards says the two have been recording together, but wouldn’t confirm rumours that White is lined up to produce the next Stones album.
Details for the album are still vague, and Richards says he is still just trying to rally his band to get writing although they are working together to compile bonus tracks for a re-release of Exile on Main Street next year.
Jack White is taking his other, other band, The Dead Weather, on the road this summer.
The new group, which also includes the Kills’ Alison Mosshart and members of Queens of the Stone Age and the Raconteurs, will tour North America in support of their upcoming debut album, “Horehound.”
The trek kicks off June 11 in Louisville, KY and wraps up with a stop at the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival in San Francisco, CA, which runs from Aug. 28 to 30. The band will also appear at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, TX in early October.
Alicia Keys and Jack White have teamed up to record the theme song to “Quantum of Solace,” making it the first duet in Bond soundtrack history.
The song, titled “Another Way To Die,” was written and produced by White, who also plays drums on the track, Columbia Pictures said in a statement Tuesday.
The announcement puts to rest questions surrounding who would record the latest Bond theme, with rumoured contenders having included Amy Winehouse, Leona Lewis and Duffy.
Coincidentally, Keys and White have both appeared in movies — the R&B songstress’s acting credits include “Smokin’ Aces” and “The Nanny Diaries,” and the White Stripes/Raconteurs frontman had a part in “Cold Mountain.”
Their new song will join the list of such past Bond themes as Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger,” Duran Duran’s “A View To A Kill,” Paul McCartney’s “Live And Let Die” and Chris Cornell’s “You Know My Name.” Cornell’s tune was featured in the most recently released Bond film, 2006′s “Casino Royale.”
The soundtrack to “Quantum of Solace” will be released Oct. 28, while the film itself — the 22nd James Bond flick — will hit North American theatres Nov. 7.
Daniel Craig reprises his starring role as Agent 007 in the Marc Forster-directed movie.
Jack White definitely knows how to keep things interesting.
His band, The Raconteurs, are releasing their second album next week, entitled “Consolers of the Lonely.” Haven’t heard of it? Well, that’s because the band is changing the way albums are released.
Instead of releasing the album to press and promoting it beforehand, the band is releasing it to everyone in all mediums at the same time.
“The Raconteurs are happy to announce that in one week’s time their second album, entitled Consolers Of The Lonely, will be available EVERYWHERE Tuesday, March 25th,” their press release reads. “‘Album’ meaning: full length vinyl, CD and digital formats; and ‘everywhere’ meaning: local mom and pop Indie retailers, corporate superstores, supermarkets, iTunes, Amazon, the band’s own website and any other location that could get the record up and going this quickly (some places couldn’t move this fast, so they will join in as soon as they can).
The timeline for the album is amazing. It was “mastered and completed in the first week of March. It was then taken immediately to a vinyl pressing plant. Then to a CD pressing plant. Then preparations to sell it digitally began. March 25th became the soonest date to have it available in EVERY FORMAT AT ONCE.”
The band prefers that fans download the album together, not just as individual tracks.
A 90-year-old, Detroit mansion — currently owned by White Stripes and Raconteurs front-man Jack White — could be all yours. It’s up for sale, with an asking price of $930,000 U.S.
The house, built in 1914, still retains many of its original amenities, including a walk-in safe, Pewabic tile, and a Humphrey Radiantfire heater.
It was designed by world-famous architect C. Howard Crane, and has been previously occupied by Ralph Phelps, a prominent lawyer in the early 20th century, and Oscar-nominated actress Ann Harding.
In 2005, White renovated the mansion’s basement, having a laundry room and bathroom restored in his signature colours of black, red and white.
He’s even used the house as a studio, with The White Stripes’ “Get Behind Me Satan” being recorded in the main staircase and foyer (dubbed Third Man Studios).
Jack White may look the part of a wild rocker but it seems that The White Stripes singer is ready to become a father.
White and his wife, model Karen Elson, are expecting their first child, reportedly due next spring. Elson?s publicist confirmed the news to MTV yesterday. Her spokesperson added that the couple are “ridiculously happy” about the baby news.
White and Elson married in June in Manaus, Brazil. They exchanged vows in a canoe where three rivers ? the Rio Negro, the Solimones, and the Amazon ? met, according to a post on the White Stripes? web site.
White was previously married to bandmate Meg White, who is supposedly also his sister.
