Raconteurs

One of the most admired guitarists of the early 21st century, Jack White helped restore the popularity of punk-blues as the frontman of the White Stripes. Meanwhile, he widened his reach by participating in a range of other projects, including the Raconteurs, the Cold Mountain soundtrack, Loretta Lynn's comeback vehicle Van Lear Rose, the Dead Weather, and a solo career. Although White's nasal voice and loose, fiery guitar delivery were mainstays of the White Stripes' early work, the group branched out as its reputation grew, building upon an initially minimalist sound with elements of metal, backwoods country, pop, and early rock & roll. White followed a similar evolution in his own career, and by the time the White Stripes celebrated the tenth anniversary of their debut album, the frontman had already issued two pop-oriented records with the Raconteurs, starred in several films, collaborated with Electric Six, duetted with Alicia Keys, and produced records for a number of artists.

No sooner does he establish his White Stripes side project, the Raconteurs, as a fully fledged band, than the restless Jack White unveils his latest project, the Dead Weather. He has already described this record as "gothic blues". Here he hooks up with Alison Mosshart, singer of Anglo-American duo the Kills. She fronts the band with White ostensibly taking a backseat by playing drums, but his influence is everywhere; from the band name to the album title, a typically wry choice of word that turns an innocuous plant into an intimation of foreboding. The Dead Weather are given continuity with White's other musical activities through bassist Jack Lawrence, a carry-over from the Raconteurs, and rounded out by multi-instrumentalist Dean Fertita. The project came together through jam sessions that followed the end of a Raconteurs tour in 2008 (on which the Kills played as support) and was recorded over 15 days at the HQ of White's Third Man label in Nashville. (The Observer)