The Dead Weather - Gasoline

Brand new Dead Weather single up on Stereogum.

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November: Best Bits

The best of November's posts

Gigs

• Florence and Friends at The Tabernacle
• Editors, The Maccabees and more @Union Chapel
• The Dead Weather- Brixton Academy
  

Bands

• Meet: Frankie and The Heartstrings
• Words with: Alison Mossheart
• Albums to look forward to in 2010
• 5 Most underrated albums of the decade
  

Music

• Blood Red Shoes return with 'Colours Fade'
• Late Of The Pier- Blueberry
• Solange Knowles redefines Dirty Projectors
  

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Words with: Alison Mosshart

Around the time of Halloween and with the dark nights drawing in ever-chillier recently formed ‘super-group’ The Dead Weather have begun to make increasing sense. A thrilling headline show at London’s Brixton Academy crowned a sell out UK tour and the band also played a fancy dress show at a church in East London. Their vintage thrash blues, as documented on the debut album ‘Horehound’, feel warm and seductive. The blend of Alison Mosshart’s purr and Jack White’s Grr combining with the heavy lurch of Dean Furtita’s guitar to make something which, like all that White touches, feels both classic and modern at the same time. Speaking to Mosshart you soon learn what a powerful presence Jack White has on those around him.

“There was never an idea to form a band, the band just sort of formed itself. I’ve known Jack for probably seven years now and The Kills toured America with The Raconteurs last September and I just decided to jump on the tourbus at the end of the tour and go record something with Jack. He has a studio at his home. Jack was just setting up his label (Third Man Recordings) at this point and said “Why don’t we just go and record a single and put it out as a 7”. There was never any plans for it to become what it has at that point. We got to Detroit and in twenty four hours we’d written five songs though and there was just this incredible energy between us then I went back to Nashville to record some more then we had a record, then we did some gigs and it’s all gone from there.”

“He works really quickly, like astonishingly quickly and has tons of energy and enthusiasm so that is great to be around. I would go into the studio with him at any point in my career to record. I love for the record for what it is- an amazing three weeks of my life. I’m really proud of it and it just seems like it happened so fast. It happened really quickly but when you look at everything Jack has ever done it’s been in that amount of time. You just go in believing you can get something done and you make it happen. In a way has it been too fast? It hasn’t felt like I can’t handle it. Its felt really natural it’s just looking back it’s not how I’ve traditionally done things.”

Whilst ‘Horehound’ is a fine collection of songs they all seem to pack more of a punch and take on a new lease of life in the live arena, a statement Alison agrees with,

“I’ve lived in London for ten years and toured here a million times but I never know what to expect as UK audiences can be quite sleepy but Manchester were brilliant, they were really good. We’re used to playing the bigger venues now. When we did our first ever tour in America we tried to play little, tiny places but it got to the point where we were having to announce the shows that morning because it was getting too crazy y’know? We’re all very comfortable with it now. As for the gigs themselves? Alison describes the Dead Weather live experience, “There is definitely more of an aggression because of the audience there and they are feeding you this energy so it becomes a sort of circular thing were both sides react to each other. The show is different every night and so it should because you’re feeding off so many different factors.”

2010 is set to be a very busy year for Mosshart as she has two full albums in the pipeline. One with The Dead Weather and then back to her day job to release the fourth Kills album, the first since 2008’s ‘Midnight Boom’. First up how is The Dead Weathers second effort shaping up?

“I just want the next record to be absolutely brilliant. We’ve already started recording it and we’re playing songs from it out at shows- I can’t wait to go back and finish it off. We have fifteen new songs demos and about five or six have lyrics so far. We have three days to record some more coming up soon so after that we’ll know how the album is shaping up to sound. We want it to come out as soon as it’s done but it depends on people schedules as everyone is working on two hundred things at once right now, I mean I’m working on the next Kills record right now.”

What exactly is the current state of Kills album number four?

“It’s going great- I spent all of September in London writing it. It was so nice to get off tour and just relax into writing. Me and Jamie probably have about twelve or thirteen songs written now. The way we work is on acoustic guitars but the whole thing totally changes when we programme in the drums so whatever it sounds like now I know the end product will be nothing like it currently is. I’m hoping it will be out in early to middle of 2010 if we can get things sorted after Christmas.”

Having spent a ‘year off’ starting a band with one of the most prolific and talented men in modern music Alison has certainly been spreading her wings and showing the world what a true star she is. Having also appeared on Arctic Monkeys third album ‘Humbug’ (she sings backing vocals on ‘The Fire and The Thud’ we feel safe in saying she has the Midas touch and that with two LP’s worth of material in the 2010 pipeline you should get used to having her around- the weather forecast is good.

For Gigwise.com

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The Dead Weather @Brixton Academy

28/10/09

As Jack White, who only shot to fame at the start of this decade, stands behind his drum kit in front of 5,000 people hollering and whooping for his third band The Dead Weather it’s easy to understand why people continue to form ‘super-bands’ so prolifically.

Under normal circumstances a band featuring the superb but commercial minnows The Kills Alison Mosshart and a squad member of Queens Of The Stone Age would not get the chance to play anywhere near the size of Brixton Academy but add the name Jack White to the fray and suddenly everyone wants to know. It’s an odd sense of loyalty that music fans have that they will follow one mans journey through the genres but such is the devotion to White and his past in The White Stripes that tonight’s venue is sold-out. Ditching the country blues of Brendan Benson and The Raconteurs in favour of the arched and sleek Mossheart with her vintage distortion in The Dead Weather is definitely a good look for White. Towards the end of their last tour some of The Raconteurs guitar solos went on for so long there are rumours you can still hear them going on if you stand in certain corners of the nations gig halls. The band had become flabby and middle aged, Jack White is neither of these things as his imposing black clad frame testifies tonight.

The first thing that strikes you about this group is just how incredibly loud they are. Guitarist Dean Fertita’s day job in QOTSA has certainly permeated through into the stage set-up as the next day’s ringing ears testify. Also refreshing and new is Mossheart’s demonic kidnapping. Away from the drum machine and stylish restrain of The Kills she shows herself to be an aggressive and engaging performer as she stalks the stage kicking and metaphorically spitting at the front rows before strutting to the front and assessing the baying mass before her. ‘Hang You From The Heavens’ is Mosshearts signature tune, the only time The Dead Weather feel like being exclusively her band. Pushing the trio supporting her into obscurity she purrs and whirrs through the dirty seduction as everyone in the building offers their own hair in sacrifice. It is Mossheart who impresses most tonight, from playing guitar on ‘New Pony’ to matching White pound for pound on charisma during their numerous duets. White on the other hand feels like he is on auto-pilot. People are accepting The Dead Weather as the methadone to their White Stripes addiction and whilst the return of the duo lies in Meg White’s anxious hands you get the feeling Jack White is as eager to get back as his fans are. He is a fine drummer and gives the crowd what they want as he emerges from behind his kit to sing and raise the decibel level even further by wailing on his guitar but you can’t help feeling the man is just coasting. The adrenaline and passion of his performance are nothing compared to his improvised set-lists and instrument flipping genius of The White Stripes.

The set ends on a high with the one-two uppercut of ‘Treat Me Like Your Mother’ and ‘I Cut Like A Buffalo’ but as the band take a bow the feeling is more a hankering to see The Kills/ White Stripes than it is to hear more from their current incarnation.

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Alison Mosshart: The Black Marks

The Quietus, when they're not running slightly nasty pieces on Florence and The Machine, is one of the best and cared for music sites around. In the run up to Halloween they have teamed up with the impeccable Domino Records to publish a series of short stories from the labels roster. The bands who have currently produced work include Wild Beasts, King Creosote and this from The Kills Alison Mossheart. Hopefully the nice chaps at TQ won't mind me posting this. You can see all the Halloween/ Domino content by clicking here.

Reading this has got me really excited to see The Dead Weather tonight.

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MOVING PICTURES

The Dead Weather- 'I Cut Like A Buffalo'


Los Campesinos- 'There Are Listed Buildings'

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July- September Quarterly Review

July

The Summer months are not particularly great for releases and July started us off with only two really great albums of note. First up there was the Kills/ White Stripes meeting of minds The Dead Weather. 'Horehound' is not a flawless record but when it works it's as good as anything Jack White or Alison Mosshart have achieved in their respective day jobs. Second up, and far better, is the debut album from Florence and The Machine, 'Lungs'. A non stop, bombastic harps and hearts assault it captures the ostentatious nature of it's creator perfectly and has gone on to become a Platinum selling album. No bones about it Florence is now a massive bona-fide popstar.

August

Another relatively quiet month but one which came with 3 of the best albums of the year so far. Arctic Monkeys returned with their third album 'Humbug' and showed their teeth for the first time with a beefed up sound courtesy of producer Josh Homme and the Mojave Desert. Still cryptic of lyric and catchy of chorus 'Humbug shows a new found confidence and a willing to e+xplore the less obvious path which results in tracks like 'My Propellor' and the brilliant 'Pretty Visitors'. Wild Beasts built on their stunning but inconsistent first album with it's follow up 'Two Dancers'. Featuring the brilliant 'Hooting and Howling' and 'All The Kings Men' it's a controlled yet triumphant and emotional journey. Finally we get to The xx. Their self titled album is arguably the best of the year (currently only tipped by Yeah Yeah Yeah's for me). Taking in a disparate range of influences and channeling youthful heartbreak through them all 'XX' is a stunning piece of 3am introspection showcasing some of the most natural and impressive songwriting heard for years.

September

Jamie T released the follow up to 'Panic Prevention' with the brilliant 'Kings and Queens'. The album is good, you know that I know it so who really cares what else I type about it. Other good albums from the month can be found here.

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For the Record: July

Easily the worst month of the year July has chuntered through barely noticed with most labels holding their new releases back for the October- Christmas period. The only album worth hearing really has been Florence and The Machine's debut 'Lungs'. Yeah it's overproduced in parts but anyone expecting something subtle and understated perhaps don't know Florence as well as they think. As predicted here over a year ago Florence Welch is well on her way to becoming one of the biggest pop stars in the country.

Elsewhere The Dead Weather did little to stop people thinking Jack White should try find his quality control again. Great in parts but slow and sludgy in others 'Horehound' sounds like a record just trying a bit too hard. Speaking of trying too hard Discovery released 'LP', a sickly sweet hyper white try hard of an album it's maybe the worst record of the year so far.

Florence and The Machine- Lungs (Album of the month)
The Dead Weather- Horehound

Download these

Florence and The Machine- 'Cosmic Love'
The Dead Weather- 'Treat Me Like Your Mother'

ROLL ON AUGUST/ SEPTEMBER.

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The Dead Weather- 'Horehound'

Jack White is one of the most prolific men in rock and here he returns with another side project. Joining forces with Dean Fertita and Jack Lawrence the trio form a backdrop for The Kills Alison Mosshart to play out to. Written and recorded in Nashville, Tennessee ‘Horehound’ drips with a smokey authenticity and steel from Mosshart’s yearning and jagged vocals to the reliably vintage guitars that fuzz and distort throughout. Say what you will about Jack White being anachronistic he has a definitive sound and it works as a classy signature.

The furious and throbbing ‘Treat Me Like Your Mother’ is the first track that grabs attention, no surprise given that it switches tempo every thirty seconds and features huge synth riffs and a vocal tête-à-tête between White and Mosshart seeing the pair come together to chant “M-A-N-I-P-U-Late”. Glorious and angry ‘Treat Me Like Your Mother’ shines above all else on ‘Horehound’. Elsewhere ‘I Cut You Like A Buffalo’ recreated a similar foot tapping pace whilst ‘Hang You Up From The Heavens’ sees Mosshart contact her inner deviant to talk of wanting to “Grab your by the hair and drag you to the devil” over a grimy blues explosion- devastating stuff. Jack White appears like a flash of lightning amidst the storm on ‘Horehound’ emerging from the thunder and rumbles to illuminate and already impressive sound. With an unmistakable voice and hi-hat heavy drumming he provides the flourishes and twirls to the album however it is Mosshart who provides the spine and the brawn. Sounding sultry and confident throughout The Kill’s front woman transfers the skills learnt from working with Jamie Hince and puts them alongside the more impressive and authentic White, kind of like she’s having an affair with a richer and more powerful man. It should be said though that The Dead Weather have not created anything that matches a single Kills or White Stripes album to date.

Ultimately the success of The Dead Weather and ‘Horehound’ hinges on your tolerance for Jack White. With his various projects appearing at a rate of knots unrivalled by his peers it’s only a matter of time before another band emerge and you can hazard a guess at what they’ll sound like too. Had ‘Horehound’ come before The Raconteurs then maybe it would be greeted differently. However in 2009 an album featuring Jack White feels expected rather than treasured. He’s spreading himself a bit too thin and The Dead Weather could well be the switch off point.

7/10

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Oh Alison...

We all know Alison Mosshart as the lead singer of The Kills. Strutting amidst the smoke and bluesy feedback of her band she strikes an achingly cool figure. As if that wasn't enough she also formed The Dead Weather with Jack White and has been hard at work producing the bands debut album 'Horehound' due for release in July. This is her-

So the tale of The Kills goes that Alison was 16 and Jamie Hince met her and decided to form a band there and then, flying her to London from California. What is carefully left out of the tale is Alison's old band Discount, who look a bit like this.


Oh dear. Listen to Discount on Last.fm here.

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Top Of The Pops #3

Ten tracks currently stuck on repeat in the Boringbythesea HQ (my room). You can download three of them below too.

• Cocknbullkid- I'm Not Sorry
• Metric- Stadium Love
• Maximo Park- Wraithlike
• The Dead Weather- Hang You From The Head
• Little Boots- New In Town (Fred Falke Mix)
• Favours For Sailors- I Dreamt That I Dreamt That You Loved Me In Your Dreams
• Golden Silvers- True Romance (True No.9 Blues)
• Copy Haho- Pulling Push Ups
• Chew Lips- Solo
• Filthy Dukes ft. Orlando Weeks- Nonsense In The Dark

Maximo Park- Wraithlike MP3
Little Boots- New In Town (Fred Falke Mix) MP3
The Dead Weather- Hang You From The Head MP3

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Jack White/ Alison Mosshart- The Dead Weather.

Not content with being in The White Stripes/ Raconteurs/ Electric Six (Remember that?), producing Loretta Lynn and working with Beck, Jack White has branched out again. The Dead Weather features Dean Fertita from Queens of the Stone Age, Jack Lawrence from Raconteurs/Greenhornes and best of all Alison Mosshart of The Kills.



To celebrate the opening of the Third Man recording studios in Detroit last night around 150 fans, family and friends attended the Third Man Records grand opening event and exchanged their letter-pressed invitations for limited edition 7" vinyl pressings of The Dead Weather's debut single "Hang You From The Heavens" (with a cover of Gary Numan's "Are Friends Electric?"). The Dead Weather hand painted each of the 150 7" records that also included a different photo booth strip of the band members. Downloads of these two songs are now available exclusively through iTunes. The band then performed their very first show.

Both tracks are full on garage rock assaults reminiscent of both the early White Stripes material and The Kills album 'Keep On Your Mean Side'.

Third Man recordings hope to release Dead Weather's album 'horehound' in June.

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