Jack White
Following the break up of the White Stripes, Jack White recently told Q Magazine that he will never form another new band. “Three’s enough for one lifetime,” said White.
But don’t worry, the rock mogul won’t be leaving the music scene anytime soon. White will continue to make music with his current bands, The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs, and has an exciting array of solo projects already in the works.
At the top of the list, for me, is White’s collaboration with Danger Mouse: an album called Rome that claims to revisit the sound of 60s Italian westerns. Details of that project have recently been revealed, and the album will be released on May 17th of this year.
A more mysterious solo project is even more exciting. Jack confirmed in Q Magazine that he recorded a track with Jay-Z, called “Ray-Bans.” This track has almost become the stuff of legends. The rumor mill has been buzzing about the offbeat collaboration for almost a year now, but no details have surfaced, despite the fact that both Jay-Z and Jack have openly discussed it in the press. Jack and Jay, I have to know: When can we hear it?! I can hardly wait to find out what these two music geniuses have come up with. White himself has already described the track as “unbelievable-sounding.” If the track is not a myth, it’s sure to be a hit. What Jay-Z is for hip-hop, Jack White is for rock (and maybe a little more, since stand-out rockers are pretty rare these days).
Badasses Wear Sunglasses Inside: Jack & Jay
If those projects aren’t tantalizing enough for you, fear not: more are soon to come. Never one to close doors or stop working for a minute, Jack told Q: “If I can’t say it in any of these bands, then I’ll say it by myself,” leading Jack White fanatics like me to hope for a solo album sometime soon.
Rolling Stone met White’s announcement with a bit of angst, implying that White’s music won’t sound like the White Stripes’ garage rock/bare blues any longer. That may be true, but I wouldn’t worry too much. White has a penchant for the blues, something he brings to all of his projects. Some of the rough quality of The Stripes might be lost in his upcoming projects, but White’s thirst for experimentation is bound to bring only more interesting sounds to our rock-starved ears.
Rolling Stone is even talking retirement already, referencing White’s recent attempts to “take a conscious step away from the spotlight.” All I have to say to that is: Rolling Stone writers, are you freaking BLIND? Sure, White often plays the drums (at least it’s not the bass) in Dead Weather, leaving lead vocals to The Kills‘ Alison Mosshart, and he once again shares vocals and guitar duties with Brendan Benson in The Raconteurs. To any other musician, these might seem like background roles. But Jack White still dominates these projects. His “Blue Veins” solo is the highlight of every Raconteurs show, and he steps out front plenty in the Dead Weather (check it out below).
Jack White is “melting into the background” in his new groups like Jimmy Page melts into the background of Led Zeppelin…He doesn’t. Maybe he’s not always the one up front now, like he used to be in The Stripes, but he’s certainly still the one you come to see. As White re-defines himself post-Stripes, there will only be more heart-stopping displays of pure rock joy to watch. Keep an eye on this one!
