...and that band is no-more.
On Groundhog Day, The White Stripes posted a message on their website explaining that, though the decision is for a “myriad of reasons”, it had nothing to do with musical differences or personal health (Meg White’s anxiety saw them pull out of their last US tour and it’s been widely rumoured she’s the reason they’ve never resumed). The duo just wants to “preserve what is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way.” And the band was certainly special.
After forming in 1997 when Meg learned to play drums, they released their debut (The White Stripes) in 1999. In 2000, De Stijl was released and the cult following intensified. White Blood Cells provided a song that had one of the coolest videos of that year (or that decade?). After Fell In Love With a Girl, people began to really take notice and after Seven Nation Army was released, from 2003’s Elephant, everyone had heard the name The White Stripes.
The Success of Elephant brought the band fame, acclaim and even a guest spot on the Simpsons. They’d hit it big. Then they went in a different direction for 2005’s Get Behind Me Satan, which was largely piano-driven and featured a sort of southern gospel vibe of the 1940’s, complete with the way the band dressed at the time. In 2007, they released what would be their last studio album: Icky Thump.
Icky Thump was a return to form for the duo, with Jack White attacking his guitar with such a ferocious urgency; it was like he was saying: “I missed you”. Icky Thump may well be the band’s heaviest song, and the album itself is possibly their most bluesy. In the documentary It Might Get Loud, Jack mentions how he likes beat up guitars with character, which help provide the songs he writes with character and mood. He likes to fight with his guitar to get the sounds he produces; he doesn’t want it to be easy. Icky Thump shows this, possibly, more than any other album. The fact that it’s now their studio swan song, is a testament to that special nature in which they mention wanting to preserve the band.
The White Stripes’ mixture of punk, garage rock and blues combined for a refreshing sound which harkened back to the days of Zeppelin’s blues infused rock. Much like the blues that influenced him, Jack White always incorporated a bare-bones approach to the Stripes – when you only have two members it’s easy to do – which gave their music a raw, intense vibe. They were known to write and record albums in just a couple of weeks, while other acts would spend months at a time in the studio, tweaking and layering their music to make it sound bigger and more polished. The White Stripes never needed that. There was sense of urgency and emotion in the music that was unparalleled.
Much like Nirvana did for Grunge in the early 90’s The White Stripes paved the way for the garage rock sound of the early 00’s. For whatever reason, though, they never quite achieved the same massive, widespread success and status as Nirvana. That huge momentum shift in rock that happens every decade or so (The 80’s saw Glam rock, the 90’s had Grunge, then Rap-Rock, etc) should have belonged to the White Stripes, but they were eclipsed by bands like Nickelback, who seemed to take off with their thing at the same time and so that became the bigger sound, which is still massive today. Things like that just happen.
Of course, as is the case with any band (Nickelback included), there are those that scoff at the idea of The White Stripes, with most of the scorn going to Meg’s drumming. She’s not the flashiest drummer, and her beats have always been very basic; but that’s the point. The band has always had a very minimalist approach to music and the basic nature of the drums combined with the ferocity in which Jack attacked his guitar, made for a sound that was unique. The truth is: the White Stripes have never been very flashy. For jack, it was always about the music and the art. Jack rarely gives interviews and there was just enough eccentricities connected to the band to keep people interested enough to discover the music: The red, white and black theme; the brother-sister label - despite the fact it was later proved they were married; it was all part of the art. They were aloof and intriguing, and they let the music do the talking. I’m gonna miss them*.
Below is a clip of the band on late Night with Conan O’Brien, where they appeared many times – including the one week stint from which this performance is taken. It’s a cover of Dolly Parton’s Jolene, and, to me, it exemplifies the integrity and passion that goes into everything the band did. It’s not perfect (his guitar falls out of tune) but it’s certainly raw and full of emotion – and one of my favourites:
...sure sounds like he's fighting that guitar, huh?
-Crash-
*Now, obviously Jack White is still very active; he still has the Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, plus his duties as a producer and label boss (Third Man Records) but there was something special and unique about the White Stripes. Unfortunately, I missed the chance to see them when they toured Moncton and now they’ll be on my Concert Bucket List forever - hopefully they do a reunion tour someday.
Thankfully, the released a documentary about their Canadian Tour in which they became the first band to ever tour the entire country. They stopped in every Province & Territory, playing in everything from a bus to a bowling alley to arenas. Under the Great White Northern Lights is a fantastic documentary which gives a glimpse into the band’s world, while still maintaining their personal distance and mystery.
On Groundhog Day, The White Stripes posted a message on their website explaining that, though the decision is for a “myriad of reasons”, it had nothing to do with musical differences or personal health (Meg White’s anxiety saw them pull out of their last US tour and it’s been widely rumoured she’s the reason they’ve never resumed). The duo just wants to “preserve what is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way.” And the band was certainly special.
After forming in 1997 when Meg learned to play drums, they released their debut (The White Stripes) in 1999. In 2000, De Stijl was released and the cult following intensified. White Blood Cells provided a song that had one of the coolest videos of that year (or that decade?). After Fell In Love With a Girl, people began to really take notice and after Seven Nation Army was released, from 2003’s Elephant, everyone had heard the name The White Stripes.
The Success of Elephant brought the band fame, acclaim and even a guest spot on the Simpsons. They’d hit it big. Then they went in a different direction for 2005’s Get Behind Me Satan, which was largely piano-driven and featured a sort of southern gospel vibe of the 1940’s, complete with the way the band dressed at the time. In 2007, they released what would be their last studio album: Icky Thump.
Icky Thump was a return to form for the duo, with Jack White attacking his guitar with such a ferocious urgency; it was like he was saying: “I missed you”. Icky Thump may well be the band’s heaviest song, and the album itself is possibly their most bluesy. In the documentary It Might Get Loud, Jack mentions how he likes beat up guitars with character, which help provide the songs he writes with character and mood. He likes to fight with his guitar to get the sounds he produces; he doesn’t want it to be easy. Icky Thump shows this, possibly, more than any other album. The fact that it’s now their studio swan song, is a testament to that special nature in which they mention wanting to preserve the band.
The White Stripes’ mixture of punk, garage rock and blues combined for a refreshing sound which harkened back to the days of Zeppelin’s blues infused rock. Much like the blues that influenced him, Jack White always incorporated a bare-bones approach to the Stripes – when you only have two members it’s easy to do – which gave their music a raw, intense vibe. They were known to write and record albums in just a couple of weeks, while other acts would spend months at a time in the studio, tweaking and layering their music to make it sound bigger and more polished. The White Stripes never needed that. There was sense of urgency and emotion in the music that was unparalleled.
Much like Nirvana did for Grunge in the early 90’s The White Stripes paved the way for the garage rock sound of the early 00’s. For whatever reason, though, they never quite achieved the same massive, widespread success and status as Nirvana. That huge momentum shift in rock that happens every decade or so (The 80’s saw Glam rock, the 90’s had Grunge, then Rap-Rock, etc) should have belonged to the White Stripes, but they were eclipsed by bands like Nickelback, who seemed to take off with their thing at the same time and so that became the bigger sound, which is still massive today. Things like that just happen.
Of course, as is the case with any band (Nickelback included), there are those that scoff at the idea of The White Stripes, with most of the scorn going to Meg’s drumming. She’s not the flashiest drummer, and her beats have always been very basic; but that’s the point. The band has always had a very minimalist approach to music and the basic nature of the drums combined with the ferocity in which Jack attacked his guitar, made for a sound that was unique. The truth is: the White Stripes have never been very flashy. For jack, it was always about the music and the art. Jack rarely gives interviews and there was just enough eccentricities connected to the band to keep people interested enough to discover the music: The red, white and black theme; the brother-sister label - despite the fact it was later proved they were married; it was all part of the art. They were aloof and intriguing, and they let the music do the talking. I’m gonna miss them*.
Below is a clip of the band on late Night with Conan O’Brien, where they appeared many times – including the one week stint from which this performance is taken. It’s a cover of Dolly Parton’s Jolene, and, to me, it exemplifies the integrity and passion that goes into everything the band did. It’s not perfect (his guitar falls out of tune) but it’s certainly raw and full of emotion – and one of my favourites:
...sure sounds like he's fighting that guitar, huh?
-Crash-
*Now, obviously Jack White is still very active; he still has the Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, plus his duties as a producer and label boss (Third Man Records) but there was something special and unique about the White Stripes. Unfortunately, I missed the chance to see them when they toured Moncton and now they’ll be on my Concert Bucket List forever - hopefully they do a reunion tour someday.
Thankfully, the released a documentary about their Canadian Tour in which they became the first band to ever tour the entire country. They stopped in every Province & Territory, playing in everything from a bus to a bowling alley to arenas. Under the Great White Northern Lights is a fantastic documentary which gives a glimpse into the band’s world, while still maintaining their personal distance and mystery.
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