Having one supergroup isn't enough for Jack White, who is best known as the frontman of the White Stripes and co-leader of the Raconteurs. White just revealed his latest side project, the Dead Weather, and surprise, it finds him not in the spotlight, but sitting on the drum stool. The band also includes Alison Mosshart aka VV from the Kills on vocals, Jack Lawrence from the Raconteurs and the Greenhornes on bass, and Dean Fertita from the Queens of the Stone Age and a touring member of the Raconteurs on guitar. And from the sound of their first single, "Hang You From The Heavens," these guys and girl have come to rock. Check it out below.
The single and its B-side, a left-field cover of Gary Numan's "Are Friends Electric?," are available now through iTunes and on 7-inch vinyl on White's own Third Man Records. Interesting that White and company, whose love of organic instrumentation and analog production, would choose to cover the tune by the British synth-pop pioneer. Check it out.
Despite the formation of the Dead Weather, fans of the Raconteurs and the White Stripes don't have to worry. "The bands are all still happening. Everything is still occurring. This is a new one to add to the mix," White told John Gerome of the Associated Press. And White has more surprises up his sleeve. He unveiled the Dead Weather on Wednesday (March 11) at his new Third Man Records headquarters, the label's offices/performance space/record store/photo studio and darkroom. The complex is located in close proximity tool a vinyl record pressing plant. White plans to record and press up new music quickly and may also delve into reissuing out-of-print vinyl on the label, according to the Los AngelesTimes.
At the unveiling the Third Man offices, the band played a four-song set in front of approximately 150 lucky attendees, including Sheryl Crow, Martina McBride and White's other bandmates, White Stripes' drummer Meg White and Raconteurs' singer/guitarist Brendan Benson. During the 20-minute set, White stayed behind the drum kit, singing with Mosshart in the spotlight. He only left his kit to duet with Mosshart on a song called "So Far From Your Weapon," according to the Los Angeles Times.
When I first heard "Hang You From The Heavens," I thought it sounded like a dirtier version of "Another Way To Die," White's collaboration with Alicia Keys from the last James Bond flick, Quantum Of Solace. Take another look at the video for that song.
Sure enough, White told AP there is a connection between the one-off with Keys and the Dead Weather. "I produced from the drummer seat, and I really loved it so much because I haven't done it since I was a teenager, 15 years ago," he said. "I wanted to go back to my first love which was the drums. I did it on James Bond with Alicia and I wanted to do it with a band," he said. "I wanted to produce from the drummer's seat and see what happens."
Horehound, the Dead Weather's debut album, is due in June. The 11-track effort features 10 originals written by White, Mosshart, Ferita and Lawrence, separately and together, as well as a cover of Bob Dylan's "New Pony." The Dead Weather plans to tour this year to support the album, so stay tuned. In the meantime, what do you think of White's latest musical endeavor? How does it stack up to the White Stripes and the Raconteurs?