It’s been awhile since I have heard Chris Corner’s voice, today was luck would have it I heard the sweet melody of the Sneaker Pimps with their song Bloodsport. I remember playing their cd in my very first car all during high school. It was then I became hooked to Chris’ voice and the addictive beat that is so submerged in his lyrics. The Sneaker Pimps broke up shortly after their album Splinter, however various sources would say that they never broke up at all, they just had a conflict with one of their band mates. Years went by and Chris went on to start his solo career under the name “IAMX.” He later came out with his first album “Kiss + Swallow,” which would lead his career into the spotlight in trip-hop. IAMX’ albums are dark and edge with an array of trip-hop beats intermingled among it. Since his first album in 2008 to present day he has four albums and in the studio working on his fifth album which has yet to be titled. Chris Corner is a true artist that has a very unique sound and style, which will leave you intrigued and wanting more. His latest album Volatile Times is very well produced however a personal favorite of mine is his second album “The Alternative,” which has number one songs on it such as; “President”, “Nightlife” and my personal favorite “Bring me back a dog.” If you are like me and loved the Sneaker Pimps then check out “IAMX,” because you might find a striking resemblance. I will leave you with my favorite song of his, “President,” (please keep in mind this is not one of his best music videos, just listen to the music).

I’m pretty picky when it comes to music but I’m also loyal so when I find an artist who fits into my wheel house I tend to stick with them through the good times and the bad. Back in 2001 I came across a music show late one night called “Crossroads” featuring a fairly unknown singer songwriter by the name of Ryan Adams dueting with the legendary Elton John (and holding his own pretty well) and I immediately knew this was gonna be a beautiful relationship. He makes awesome music and I enjoy it, It’s as simple as that.
That’s not to say that he hasn’t tried my patience at times. His foray into space metal on last years Orion was certainly not my favorite album of 2010 but I knew if I just stuck around a little longer he’d be back to his old ways and it looks like Adams has done just that. His first song off of the October 11 2011 release Ashes & Fire called Lucky Now begins with a melodic blend of heartfelt lyrics and acoustic guitar that falls somewhere between Easy Tiger and Cardinology and evolves from there. A twisting turning story that unfolds in his voice and guitar, Lucky Now is a solid return to form for Ryan Adams for what looks to be a continued mutually beneficial relationship. Enjoy the first song and pre-order the album here.
Lucky Now by ryanadams

New Album Releases for April 26th, 2011

An Horse – Walls
Augustana – Augustana
Bowling For Soup – Fishing For Woos
Lynda Carter – Crazy Little Things
Clutch Blast – Tyrant
Dennis Coffey – Dennis Coffey
Bootsy Collins – Tha Funk Capital of the World
Dirty Vegas – Electric Love
Steve Earle – I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive
Earth – Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light (LP)
Emmylou Harris – Hard Bargain
Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
Bill Frisell – Sign Of Life
Holly Golightly and The Brokeoffs – No Help Coming
Don Jamieson – Live And Hilarious
Kode9 & The Spaceape – Black Sun
Cass Mccombs – Wit’s End
Mike & The Mechanics – Road
Mindless Self Indulgence – Tighter
Morrissey – Glamorous Glue
Martha Munizzi – Make It Loud
Otep – Atavist
Sixxam – This Is Gonna Hur
Tab Benoit – Medicine
The Waifs – Temptation
Whiskey Myers – Firewater
Younger Brother – Vaccine

New Album Releases for March 29th, 2011

Amon Amarth – Surtut Rising
Awolonation – Megalithic Symphony
Derek & The Dominos – Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs
Funeral For A Friends Generationals – Welcome Home Armageddon
Hello Seahorse – Lejos. No Tan Lejos
Innerpartysystem – Never Be Content
Jennifer Lopez – Love?
Los Lonely Boys – Rockpango
Nelson/Marsalis/Jones – Tribute To Ray Charles
TJ Nix & Paul Plumeri – Blues In Disguise
Obscura – Omnivium
Peter Bjon And John – Gimme Some
Radiohead – The King of Limbs
Royal Bangs – Flux Outside
Alex Skoinick Trio – Venritas
Snoop Dogg – Doggumentary
Amy Speace – Land Like A Bird
Britney Spears – Femme Fatale
Sum 41 – Screaming Bloody Murder
Those Darlins – Screws Get Loose
Unwritten Law – Swan
Yelle – Safari Disco Club

New Album Releases for March 15th, 2011

As Blood Runs Black – Instinct
Awol Nation – Megalithic Symphony
Travis Barker – Give The Drummer Some
Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears – Scandalous
Caillin Rose – Own Side Now
Cannibal Corpes – Global Evisceration
Cornershop – Cornershop & The Double-O Groove
Damnwells – No One Listens to the Band Anymore
DJ Afro – Free
DJ Kicks – Wolf + Lamb vs. Soul Clap
Dodos – No Color
Doesitoffendyouyeah – Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You
Funeral for a Friend – Welcome Home Armageddon
Brent Hinds – Fiend Without a Face / West End Motel (2CD)
J Mascis – Several Shades of Why
The Joy Formidable – The Big Roar
Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers – Rare Bird Alert
Mastodon – Live At The Aragon (CD+DVD)
VaShawn Mitchell – My Songbook (CD + DVD)
Mother Mother – Eureka
The Naked And Famous – Passive Me, Aggressive You
New York Dolls – Dancing Backward In High Heels
Noah and the Whale – Last Night on Earth
Oh Land – Oh Land
Rise Against – Endgame
Screeching Weasel – First World Manifesto
Swollen Members – Dagger Mouth
Traffic – John Barleycorn Must Die
Trap Them – Darker Handcraft
Weedeater – Jason…The Dragon
Yellowjackets – Timeline

At what age did you start learning how to play the flute?
About 21 or so while in transition from military to civilian life.

How did you learn how to play?
Applying my background in music theory and practice and upon finding the standard concert flute in C fingering chart.

What inspires/motivates your music?
As a photographer and graphic artist, music fulfills my innermost expressionism and experiences of beingness.

Out of all your albums which is your favorite? And why?
That’s easy! “CHANGES”, my first recording, is always my favorite because it launched me in a new direction full of possibilities.

Where do you grow up? Where do you live now?
I grow wherever I happen to be from one moment to the next. I have two homes, one in northern Sonora in an O’odham village called Chuk’saan and the other upon the Weeminuche’ Uncompahgre Plateau. Mostly, I live on airlines.

Out of all the places you have performed which was your favorite and why?
That would be craters in Volcanoes National Park on Hawai’I and later performing with Keola and Moanalani Beamer in Kamuela. My spirit comes from Polynesia.

Are you working on any projects or upcoming albums?
Yes, three but of those which will make it to Canyon Records will be discerned as each becomes finalized.

What kinds of music or artist influenced you?
Besides traditional ceremonial music of the Mojave, Chemehuevi, Yuma, Cahuilla, Hopi, Athapascans and Celts, I have always liked the music of many world cultures both old and modern.

Can you tell me about your cultural heritage?
I’m one of a number of peoples. I am born into the Red Willow people and born for the Mountain people of the Bear kiva. I am also born through my mother’s people for the Corn and Deer kivas of the Ashiwi. I also carry the blood of my ancient ancestor of the northern Spanish Celtic peoples.

If you had a chance to work with anyone you wanted whom would it be and why?
Saami, Senegalese, Mongolian, Moroccan dreamers of sound and silence. No particular individual strikes me at the moment.

Talisman is Nakai’s fifteenth studio album; the album celebrates 25 years of the Native American flute. The album will take you on a journey as it illustrates a soundscape of Native past. Nakai’s flute music in this album is not diluted with other instruments, only flute and in some songs two. The album sheds a new light on New Age music while paying homage to the heritage. You can purchase this album on Canyon Records website.

If you liked Nakai’s music, he also has a new album “Dancing into Silence” that is collaboration with William Eaton & Will Clipman. This album is different than Nakai’s solo work. “Dancing into Silence” not only has the Native American flute, but it also combines and harmonies with harp guitar and ethic percussion. In a few songs it also has some chants/prayers in the background. The album really portrays a Native soundscape and a good direction for world music. You can purchase the album on Canyon Records website

I understand this is your solo album, does this mean that Vermillion Lies broke up?
The band is on an indefinite hiatus. We are both focused on our solo projects and super excited to be doing music independently. I hope for a reunion tour someday though.

How does your music differ from Vermillion Lies?
Vastly. Vermillion Lies was part music and part cabaret. Some of our songs were genuine and many were story songs unrelated to our own lives and experiences. A lot of the songwriting was focused on comedic effect and shock value. While in Vermillion Lies I was writing a lot of the songs I play now and they didn’t quite work with the band. They were too honest. My sister and I both wanted to go in the direction of more sincere music making but its hard to change once people expect a certain thing from you. My songs are super vulnerable for me to perform. I still put a lot into my performance but in a different way… a more vulnerable and less theatrical way.

Your music is very unique if you had to put it in a genre what would you put it in?
Geek glam. Music for people who wear sequins to the library.

Who or what inspires your music?
Despite my best efforts, most of my songs are about heartbreak or heartache. Relationships are my inspiration. I don’t necessarily or exclusively mean romantic relationships. I have written many songs about friends or members of my family. They end up all sounding like love songs… which they are… just not the kind people might assume they are.

If you had a chance to work with any artist who would it be and why?
My goodness… that’s a super hard question to answer. I’m not sure I could pick just one. Andrew Bird is on the top of the list. He is incredible. Mosdef is in there. Johnny Cash if he were alive. Jona Bechtolt of YACHT and The Blow, he makes such amazing beats.

If you weren’t making music what other career path would you have chosen?
I have so many things I’d love to do. I can’t really imagine not doing exactly what I’m doing though. It keeps me sane… and also insane.

That said, I would love to focus more on prisoners rights activism. That is something I’m really passionate about and don’t have a ton of time to devote to. I have played at Folsom Prison four times in the last year. It’s been a really incredible experience to go in there. I’ve learned so much. The justice system in our country is not awesome. Its really punishment based instead of working towards rehabilitation. Its a self sustaining system with no hope of a cure the way its being run now. I could go on and on about this…

Can you walk me through your music making process?
Oh my… not really. It’s pretty random. Often there will be a line in my head for weeks and eventually there will be a tune with it and then I’ll pick up my guitar and try to figure out the chords to match the tune and then if its works and sounds good I try to write the rest of the song. Its a lot of trial and error. I’ve recently been experimenting with using just my voice to write instead of guitar. I will write and record backing vocal parts with harmonies and come up with a lead vocal to sing over it. That is really fun.

Out of all the places you have played at which was your favorite and why?
I love playing my home towns… anywhere I’ve lived and know lots of people. I get really nervous. I don’t usually get super nervous before shows so its a nice change. Its really exhilarating.

Out of all your songs which is your favorite and why?
That changes all the time. Usually my newest songs are my favorites. One that has been at the top of the list for a while is one that isn’t recorded yet. I wrote it a year and a half ago. Its called Serrated Spoon and is about a museum I build to display someone’s faults. I’m really proud of the imagery in it. “I’ll pick little parts of you out with a serrated spoon. I’ll fill jars with formaldehyde and put those parts of you inside.”

What are you looking forward to SXSW 2011?
I really loved SXSW when I went a few years ago with Vermillion Lies. Playing there is interesting because its hard not to get lost in the mix. There is so much going on. What I love is just hanging out and finding music. There is so much energy buzzing around and so much creativity. The unofficial shows are my favorite part. Every drive way, store front and back yard is hosting a show. It’s wonderful to be a part of it in any way. I’m excited to be hosting my own party this time. It’s also incredibly stressful. All the bands are really great and I can’t wait to see them all play.

Zoe’s new album called “Artichoke Perfume,” the album is catchy and enchanting. Her music sounds like a mixture between folk and pop and emulates the sound of an old vinyl record. Her lyrics will take you on a journey as she sings about heartaches and love with an array of whimsical charm she will leave you wanting more. If you want to find out more about Zoe or buy her album “Artichoke Perfume” check out her site http://www.zoeboekbinder.com/

New Album Releases for March 8th, 2011

Exene Cervenka – Excitement Of Maybe
Children Of Bodom – Relentless, Reckless Forever (CD/DVD)
Cut Copy – Zonoscope (CD/DVD) Deluxe Edition
Defeater – Empty Days & Sleepless Nights
Sara Evans – Stronger
Ellie Goulding – Lights
Grails – Deep Politics
Lupe Fiasco – Lasers
Avril Lavigne – Goodbye Lullaby
Memphis – Here Comes A City
Alexi Murdoch – Towards The Sun
Parts & Labor – Constant Future
Raekwon – Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang
R.E.M. – Collapse Into Now
Ringo Deathstar – Colour Trip
Daniel Tosh – Happy Thoughts
Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
WC – Revenge of the Barracude
Wires Under Tension – Light Science
Wye Oak – Civillian

So the other day I was in my car on my way to work and I heard this song on the radio. I thought it was Enrique Iglesias’ song “Tonight” however when I heard the lyrics I couldn’t help but love it. It has all the clips from Charlie Sheen’s recent outburst from various interviews and put them in the song. If you haven’t heard it on the radio yet check it out!

The Noob News.com exclusive interview with Home Video

How long have you known each other and how did you meet?
We’ve known each other since freshman year of high school… so a long time. We shared an art class together and sat at the same table. We didn’t end up making music together until our last year of high school, but have been pretty much making music together ever since.

How did the band get started?
We used to play as a three person band with our friend Paul (who goes by the name Airman Our Pal) during the summer breaks in college when we would go home to New Orleans. We recorded a good amount together and played a handful of shows. We all went to school in different states, so it was hard to collaborate during the rest of the year.

Once we graduated college, David moved to New York, where Collin was . We ended up living in a brownstone in Brooklyn together and started making music together. We made three solid tracks that we felt were cohesive and started giving them to label people we knew. This was before blogs!

What inspires/motivates your music?
I think there is an immediate joy in making music that you feel proud of. That feeling is something very motivational. Also, the feeling of focusing your life and energy on something substantial. There are so many people who go through life doing things every single day that make them unhappy – all for the pursuit of money. And I think that life will catch up to you eventually.

Out of all the places you have performed which was your favorite and why?
We played Pukkelpop Festival, with Nine Inch Nails headling the festival, in Belgium a few years ago at 12 noon. We headed into it sort of exhausted from touring, and thinking that no one would be there so early. But when we came out on stage the tent we played was pretty much full, with at least 1,500 people. I remember feeling the exhaustion just evaporate, and this giddy feeling overwhelm me.

Out of all your songs, which song is your favorite and why?
I’m a big fan of Accomplished But Dead, the first track on our new album. I don’t know if it’s my favorite, but right now I’m liking it a lot.

What kinds of music or artist influenced the band?
From the old school – Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, Portishead, Massive Attack, Radiohead, Brian Eno, Bjork, Boards of Canada, The Cure. Composers like Chopin and Philip Glass have definitely left their mark on us.

But we also bonded in art class, so we have an attachment to visual art as well. Painters like Francis Bacon, Rothko, Edvard Munch. Film directors like David Lynch, Jeunet and Caro, Wong Kar Wai, Brothers Quay.

If you had a chance to work with anyone who would it be and why?
My first thought is Brian Eno. He seems endlessly creative, and insanely smart. Although, I actually haven’t thought about this question much before.

Can you walk me through your music-making process?
We utilize the computer/studio pretty heavily in our writing process. So, one of us usually will record a piece of a song, a beat, or chord progression and bring it to the other. Then each of us will add and subtract from this until there seems to be something inspiring going on.

At some point, Collin sits with the music and writes lyrics to it and susses out a melody. This usually will dictate some of the structure. Then we come back together for more refining and additions. For our latest album, The Automatic Process, we also hired our friend and drummer Jim Orso to play drums for some of the songs, which we recorded in a proper studio.

So far we’ve done all of our own mixing and production, so we’ve had months of relistening and refining mixes of songs until we feel like they’ve proven themselves to us.

How has your music evolved since your first album?
Musically, the songs have gotten thicker on this latest album. The mixes are more dense and epic. We’ve focused more on the piano also. There are more songs on The Automatic Process with live instrumentation than No Certain Night Or Morning – including more live drums.

Lyrically, the new one is more personal. There was an intention to bare something more honest in these new songs, where the first album was a little more universal.

Production-wise, we’ve gotten much more adept at everything. We have better equipment. We’ve learned how to record and mix better.

Do you have any upcoming projects or tours?
We will be playing some shows at SXSW in March (check out our website: www.homevideo.fm) and we are releasing our new album, The Automatic Process, in Europe and the UK at the end of February.

The Internet collectively held its breath: Would the music industry’s teen Samson really do something so rash just to goose holiday weekend grosses for Never Say Never? He would, and he did. TMZ reportsthat Bieber put scissors to scalp on the set of a Rascal Flatts video today because he “wanted to change it up,” deeming the new do “kind of a mature look.” So many questions! Could this be a wig-and-bald-cap fakeout? Was it the bright idea of that teen harlot Selena Gomez? Will this give new life to the website Lesbians Who Look Like Justin Bieber? And, most important, does this hairstyle work for him? We say yes, although we fully realize the pitfalls of messing with one’s perfectly coiffed brand; perhaps those who were born too young to fully understand Keri Russell’s calamitous season-two Felicity haircut are simply doomed to repeat it. [TMZ]

Britney Spears’ highly anticipated seventh studio album Femme Fatale is confirmed to be released on March 29th. Check out her new music video for “Hold It Against Me.”

New Album Releases for February 15th, 2011

Asobi Seksu – Fluorescence
Bright Eyes – The People’s Key
Hayes Carll – Kmag Yoyo (& Other American Stories)
Sarah Darling – Angels & Devils
The Dears – Degeneration Street
Deicide – To Hell With God
Drive By Truckers – Go-Go Boots
East River Pipe – We Live In Rented Rooms
Eddie Spaghetti – Sundowner
Tommy Emmanuel – Little By Little
The Forms – Derealization
PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
Hillsong United – Aftermath
Hurtsmile – Hurtsmile
Korpiklaani – Ukon Wacka
La Sera – La Sera
Lifeguards – Waving At The Astronauts
Robert Miles – Th1rt3en
Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
Angelo Michajlov – Saxana – The Girl On A Broomstick
Nelson – Lightning Strikes Twice
OFF! – First Four EP’s
Ben Ottewell – Shapes & Shadows
Redline Chemistry – Dying For A Living
Rev Theory – Justice
Telekinesis – 12 Desperate Straight Lines
Ten – Stormwarning
Shugo Tokumaru – Port Entropy
Sirenia – Enigma of Life
Stryper – The Covering
Twilight Singers – Dynamite Steps
Yuck – Yuck

Last night’s Grammys have, believe it or not, pissed a lot of people off, for a variety of hilarious reasons. But who is angriest?

5. People Who Prefer Willow Smith to Jaden Smith
His pants were questionable, and the cutaways to his parents were a bit cheesy, but fans’ biggest problem with Jaden Smith seemed to be that he is not Willow Smith. Critique No. 2: Jaden Smith is not Justin Bieber. (Note: No one seemed to know the correct spelling of Jaden’s name.) Otherwise, the fans were generally pretty kind about his performance (though not about his post-puberty prospects, poor kid).

4. Protein Enthusiasts
Along with our own Cut blog, who expressed disappointment with the “Tupperware” aspect of Gaga’s red-carpet vessel, the Twittering Gaga masses hoped for a little more in the way of glamour. Still, she’s Lady Gaga: No one was exactly shocked by her weirdness. Instead, we got a lot of meat dress and protein jokes, plus some skepticism that Gaga was even inside the plastic. Oh, and of course,some Tupac wisdom. Save the eggs for the children, Gaga.

3. Justin Bieber Maniacs
Lesser-known Esperanza Spalding beat out Justin Bieber for the Best New Artist Grammy and, considering the hatred generally spewed toward Bieber’s rumored love interests, you’d think the legit rival would have been barricaded in a horrible dank basement by now. Instead, the Beliebers just went after her Wikipedia page. But, hey, Esperanza — might still be a good idea to lay low for a few weeks, just in case?

2. People Who Had Never Heard of Arcade Fire Before
The brand-new Tumblr Who Is Arcade Fire?!!!, dedicated solely to Arcade Fire–related Grammy outrage, is crucial. Representative tweet, from user LEO_187: “Fuck the fucking grammys!!! I cant see wat im typing but fuck those mother fuckers!!! Arcade fire?!! Who the fuck arfe they? I dnt know …” Also piling on here: Radiohead? Announcing your new, secret album the morning after the ceremony takes some wind out of Arcade Fire’s Grammy-winning sails. Very possible, however, that Radiohead scheduled the announcement for today safely assuming that an act not generally considered a direct competitor would win.

1. People Upset That Vulture Pointed Out Christina Aguilera Falling
Last night, in a bit of attempted levity, Vulture noted that Christina Aguilera fell down at the end of the Aretha Franklin tribute. The Internet reacted strongly, rushing to the defense of Aguilera and her sterling performance and taking pains to bash them by name along the way. By the way, if you don’t know what we’re talking about, here’s the fall:

[nymag.com]

You will, most likely, have a two-part reaction to the video, above, of Weezer in the studio recording a jingle for State Farm. Part 1: “Ah, what the hell, Weezer? It’s like you’re sitting at home actively thinking of ways to make yourselves seem lamer. Would it have killed you to at least write a song for a commercial for something awesome, like vodka or blunt wraps or something?” Part 2: “Wait, hold on a second — this song is amazing.” And it is now that second part that Vulture would very much like you to focus on.

Yes, it’s incredibly odd that Weezer has chosen the occasion of a car-insurance-company jingle to momentarily recapture a sound that a vocal subset of their fan base has long clamored for (this basically sounds like a Pinkerton B-side, specifically “Getting Up and Leaving”). But isn’t the more important takeaway here the fact that Rivers Cuomo, who long ago evolved into a prolific, slick-hit-writing mercenary, is able to so convincingly ape his former self? Maybe, next time, he’ll actually do it on a Weezer album! Okay, sing along now: “Whenever you’re driving / and wherever you’re bound / on freeways and byways / the whole country round / you’ll feel better knowing / any time, any where / that like a good neighbor / State Farm is there.”

Continuing with their semi-fascinating quest … [Pitchfork/Tumblr]

Eminem, Foo Fighters, and Muse, according to the Chicago Tribune‘s Greg Kot, who gets to hear about this stuff way before it’s officially announced (the fest’s not till August, and the confirmation won’t come until April). Also on the bill: Best Coast, Girl Talk, Crystal Castles, and Lykke Li. Coachella’s still sounding better, right? [Turn It Up/Chicago Tribune via Consequence of Sound]

Some have quibbled with the Black Eyed Peas’ halftime performance during yesterday’s Super Bowl, and Fergie feels you. “Some of my notes were pitchy to me,” sheadmitted to a radio show today. Still, “It was so exhilarating. The whole thing. It was so big. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.” Fergie saved most of her defense for the beleaguered Christina Aguilera, whose flawed rendition of the national anthemhas inspired a bloodthirsty media to call for the singer’s head: “You know what? It’s such a huge venue, your nerves take a hold of you. I completely understand. She’s one of the best singers of our time. Nobody can take that away from you. … But you get nervous at these things. We’re human.” [USAT]

Christina Aguilera mixed up the words to the National Anthem at the Super Bowl on Sunday. When she was supposed to sing, “Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, o’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming,” the Grammy winner went with, “Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, what so proudly we watched at the twilight’s last reaming.” Whoops. Twitter users were quick to notice, and Aguilera’s Wikipedia page has already been updated to reflect the error. But she otherwise sounded fine! Check it out, below:

Aguilera Flubs National Anthem [ArtsBeat/NYT]

What are your thoughts?

So apparently the White Stripes have decided to call it quits. They left this note on their website…

The White Stripes would like to announce that today, February 2nd, 2011,
their band has officially ended and will make no further new recordings or perform live.

The reason is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any
health issues as both Meg and Jack are feeling fine and in good health.

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.

Meg and Jack want to thank every one of their fans and admirers for the incredible
support they have given throughout the 13 plus years of the White Stripes’ intense and
incredible career.

Third Man Records will continue to put out unreleased live and studio recordings from
The White Stripes in their Vault Subscription record club, as well as through regular
channels.

Both Meg and Jack hope this decision isn’t met with sorrow by their fans but that it is
seen as a positive move done out of respect for the art and music that the band has
created. It is also done with the utmost respect to those fans who’ve shared in those
creations, with their feelings considered greatly.

With that in mind the band have this to say:

“The White Stripes do not belong to Meg and Jack anymore. The White Stripes belong
to you now and you can do with it whatever you want. The beauty of art and music is
that it can last forever if people want it to. Thank you for sharing this experience. Your
involvement will never be lost on us and we are truly grateful.”

Sincerely,
Meg and Jack White
The White Stripes

It’s the kind of nice breakup letter you always left your ex in the hope that you could “still be friends” but in all honesty you really just wanted to bang other people and didn’t want to have to explain that to your now ex. I have no problem with The White Stripes breaking up, actually I was pretty sure they hadn’t been together for quite some time. Jack had been touring with The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs and producing records with so many people that I’m sure he really didn’t have time to play house with Meg anymore anyway.

I’m not a huge White Stripes fan but I can certainly appreciate what they have brought to the world of music in the past 13 years. I had never heard of Jack White before he smashed in the face of the Von Bondies frontman Jason Stollsteimer in 2003 but the ensuing media circus and exposure following that event left me with a firm grip on who Jack and Meg White of The White Stripes really were. They were one of the greatest American rock bands to come along in a long, long time.

Other than their color coordinated red and black instruments and clothes, there was very little pretense involved with The White Stripes. Their music was stripped to its core, consisting of emotion, energy, passion, and little else. Hell, they didn’t even feel the need to have a bassist in the band. The dynamic combo of Jack White and Meg White on stage was pure chemistry in it’s sloppiest,passionate, and most intimate form.

When it was all said and done The White Stripes discography consists of six studio albums, one live album, two extended plays (EP), one concert film, one tour documentary, twenty-six singles, and fourteen music videos. Their last three albums each won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.

Awards and success may have come to The White Stripes but it never seemed to go to their heads. Instead of doing what most good band do and get soft in their old age and rest on their laurels, they did what only the great bands have done and that’s go out on top. We may never again hear The White Stripes play live again but the legacy of music they have left over the years has created a spot that won’t easily be filled anytime soon.

Oh, and we also have the numerous Jack White projects that once filled his time between The White Stripes tours but will now take center stage in many a White Stripes fan’s heart.

Long live The White Stripes…

New Album Releases for February 1st, 2011

Cowboy Mouth – Mardi Gras
Dirtbombs – Party Store
Go!Team – Rolling Blackouts
Paul Hardcastle – Desire
Hotel Of The Laughing Tree – Terror & Everything Else
Insane Warrior – We Are The Doorways
The Jane Dear Girls – The Jane Dear Girls
Bobby Long – A Winter’s Tale
David Lowery – Palace Guards
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Live Forever: Stanley Theatre 1980
Matisyahu – Live At Stubb’s Vol. II
Marcus Miller – A Night In Monte Carlo
North Mississippi All-Stars – Keys To The Kingdom
Gurf Morlix – Blaze Foley’s 113th Wet Dream
Red – Until We Have Faces
Ricky Martin – Ricky Martin M.A.S.
The Rippingtons – Cote D’Azur
Seefeel – Seefeel
Todd Snider – Live At The Storyteller
Tiger Riot – Look Up
Tristen – Charlatans At The Garden Gate
VA – OST – Blue Valentine