Guest Post: Third Man Records - 5 records you need from Jack White's label

Guesting on this post is fellow music blogger Sean Earley. You can find him over at http://seanear1ey.wordpress.com where he blogs and podcasts regularly. He also writes for HeinekenMusic.ie, is a contributor over at Culch.ie and co-runs a Dublin events blog http://todayindublin.wordpress.com

You can follow him on twitter on @seanear1ey

Jack White's Third Man imprint was originally established as the brand name for a pubescent Anthony Gillis' furniture re-upholstery business, Third Man Upholstery. Based in Detroit, Gillis [a.k.a. Jack White] spent his late teens covering, filling and reviving old armchairs and sofas, all while wearing trademark yellow and black clobber. Between then and now; Gillis has become White, White has become a guitar virtuoso rock icon and the Third Man motif that began it all has been altered slightly but still Jack White's signature style.

White has always had a passion for exposing bands and performers he likes to a wider audience through the vehicle of his influence and production skills. An early example being Sympathy For the Record Industry's 'Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit' where White took it upon himself to gather and produce an LP of Detroit's local garage bands who were knocking about, just when the White Stripes were gathering steam. In the years thereafter, the duo brought old Detroit friends on tour with them to expose them to global audiences; the Greenhornes, Brendan Benson, the Von Bondies, the Dirtbombs and Blanche all accompanied the White Stripes across the US and around the world.

Now, in his third band, White decided to establish a physical location for Third Man Records, a previously fleeting interest, previously used to publish his previous albums and fund smaller ventures including a single and album in conjunction with Cass Records by the Muldoons. However, Third Man is no longer a fleeting interest. Serious thought, planning and money has been invested into this store, label and venue all-in-one venture. A professional relationship with Nashville's famous United Record Pressing has been fruitful for Third Man and has resulted in the pioneering of Tri-Colour records, "Three-sided" records, Glow in the Dark 7"s, and 8" singles/13" LPs. (A peach coloured and SCENTED LP is planned for Karen Elson's debut album due out this month)


Third Man's aim is to put interest back into vinyl and physical, tangible music that you can hold. Store-only editions, pop-up stores and live recordings of in-store performances all add to the store's appeal. A veritable Mecca for the Jack White enthusiast. There is a lot more to come for sure and we definitely haven't seen the best yet-

For now though here's a run-down of my top 5 most desirable releases from the Third Man Label so far -

BP Fallon - Fame #9/I Believe in Elvis Presley/BP Fallon Interview 7"

All rock and roll roads lead to BP. The Irish music mogul has been in every musical circle worth mentioning over the years. He worked at the Beatles' label Apple Records in the sixties, became Thin Lizzy and T-Rex's publicist, toured with Led Zeppelin as their entertainment manager and wrote a book on his experiences with U2. Now, Jack White is BP's new interest. The photographer / journalist / Death Disco-jockey recorded a 7" with the folks at Third Man Records down in Nashville.

The A-side is a spoken word monologue, where BP considers and muses over the fickle nature of Fame. Fantastical imagery is portrayed in a smashing line about Elvis Presley

"I'm hungry he says and the door is jammed with the Memphis mafia. Each one trying to be first to return to the king with a triple cheeseburger covered in molasses and lard, the food that killed him. No one had the balls to say 'Elvis I love you, you're a bit fat. Have an apple."

The B-side is two tracks split left and right in mono: Third Man Records' patented 'three-sided record'. 'I Believe in Elvis Presley' BP's first musical outing, is a nice little ditty with slide guitar and brushed drums. BP tells us through song what he believes in, the cornerstones of his musical faith. 'BP Fallon Interview' is a stark and honest conversation between BP and Jack White's disembodied voice, hovering like a spectre. They discuss Chuck Berry, touring with Zep and the appeal of the Blues.

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Wanda Jackson - You Know I'm No Good / Shakin' All Over 7"

First Loretta, now Wanda. Jack has a penchant for ageing Country music ladies. This 45 features two covers performed by grooving and shaking Wanda Jackson plus backing band. First is Amy Winehouse's 'You Know I'm No Good' which Wanda bellows amid blasts of Mark Ronson-esque trumpets. Imagine Amy being 30 years older and more bitter. 'Shakin' All Over' originally performed by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, Jackon's version is a little more modern featuring some Jack White guitar solos and some dramatic pauses which breathe new life into the track.

The first pressing is now sold out but we are assured that Third Man is repressing the single and orders will be honoured.

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The Dead Weather - Jawbreaker/No Horse 7" [Fanclub only]

One of Third Man's most innovative money spinners is a fan-club delivered through Modblast.com The site founded by Blink-182 guitarist Tom DeLonge. Modlife allows a band to charge for a subscription to exclusive content including streaming video and audio, live webcam feeds, ticket pre-sales and band blogs. As part of Third Man Records' Vault subscription you not only get access to exclusive content but also a package of exclusive releases in the form of unreleased 7"s, live LPs, t-shirts, slipmats and silkscreened posters.

It was in the first subscription to the Vault that subscribers were treated the first takes of cuts from the new Dead Weather album 'Sea of Cowards' on an exclusive 7" a full 3 months before the album was released.

On the album 'Jawbreaker' is one of the Dead Weather's finest, start/stop organ with some blistering guitar in the bridge from Fertita. Mosshart is on flying form spitting too "I'd call you a heart breaker but I reserve that for nicer things." This version is more laid back with piano replacing the guitar in an almost stripped down, acoustic version. 'No Horse' is a personal favourite from the album, but the first take version is far less evolved than the finished track.

This 7" is pretty much like listening to a Beatles Anthology track from White, Mosshart & Co. Great stuff, but only exciting/interesting to hardcore fans.

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Black Belles - What Can I Do / Lies 7"

Seemingly plucked from obscurity in local Nashville, the Black Belles are a four-piece girl band. All four girls have black hair and pale skin, clearly in the Jack White fan club themselves. Appearing as part of Third Man's on-going 'Blue Series' (a series of singles in the genre of garage-blues-rock with artists photographed on a blue background) the ladies are clad in what appears to be witches hats on the sleeve.

'What Can I Do' sounds like something completely at home on 'Icky Thump' with organs reminiscent of 'I'm Slowly Turning into You' although Meg's vocal talents couldn't match these bombshells'. It must be said that there is nothing cooler than a girl who can pull off a slick blues guitar solo. The flip features a reworking of Knickerbockers' garage gem 'Lies' which features some crazy blasts of space echo and would lead you to believe it was an original track of their own.

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Carl Sagan - A Glorious Dawn 7"

This is a funny one. Carl Sagan was an American Astronomer and TV personality in the 1980s . He mused on the meaning of life, the nature of the universe and the biggest questions that the galaxy posed. A Youtuber, by the name of John Boswell, remixed an episode of Sagan's 'Cosmos: A Personal Voyage' television show with a snippet of Stephen Hawking talking about the Universe. He autotuned the voices and added some trippy, cosmic music and hey presto- 'A Glorious Dawn' was born.





Issued by Third Man on one-sided vinyl, the reverse etched with the diagram as seen on Voyager's Golden Record. A limited number were also issued on 'cosmic' coloured vinyl; black with specs of glow-in-the-dark, resembling the view from the cockpit of the millennium falcon entering hyper-space.

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So, if any of this interests you you can buy the tracks from iTunes if you're new-school and from Third Man Records online store over at Thirdmanrecords.com OR if you find yourself in the Nashville area why not drop by the store? There are plenty of exclusive items available there that you can't buy online.

Third Man Records
623 7th Ave South
Nashville, TN
37203

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Like this?
Check out my Dead Weather 'Sea of Cowards' review on Culch.ie
Check out my Flight of the Conchords Live review on Heinekenmusic.ie

Album Review: The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards

Yesterday saw the Irish release of the second album from Jack White and Alison Mosshart's Dead Weather. The album, Sea of Cowards came with four exclusive photos if you bought it at HMV (there's still some available as far as I know), and will be released worldwide early next week.

Sea of Cowards probably isn't as immediately accessible as their debut, Horehound, which launched them on the scene last year, but the highs are much higher this time around.

The album is as dirty and as aggressive as the first, and the greasy 'Blue Blood Blues' really sets the tone. It's a great, gritty opener with a fantastic repeated riff, and includes the amazing line "shake your hips like battleships" and the refrain "I sing at Sunday service". Nobody else but a Jack White band could pull this off.

'Hustle and Cuss' is the album's first Alison-fronted tune, and although it has a fantastic title, it's one of the album's weaker tracks. I probably was expecting a lot more from the song's name. It just never really gets going. You know what its problem is? It's not loud enough. Loud is exactly what you want/need (delete as appropriate) from the Dead Weather.

'The Difference Between Us' is the only song solely credited to just Mosshart and White, and is one of their finest songs yet. It's got a kind of B-movie sci-fi theme, and has the feel that it wouldn't be out of place on a White Stripes record. 'I Can't Hear You' is similar, and features fantastic guitar lines. How can you not love the squeal from White's guitar?

Some of the songs are complete throwaway tunes, 'I'm Mad' and 'Old Mary' particularly. The schizophrenic 'I'm Mad' totally interrupts the flow of the album, and is the worst song in the Dead Weather canon (and probably one of the worst things White has put his name to).

Luckily, most of the album is fantastic. Single 'Die By the Drop' (which is missing White's name in the credits) was a fantastic way to introduce the new album, but the highpoint comes later on 'Gasoline', which improves on 'Cut Like A Buffalo' in every way. 'Die By the Drop' features fantastic vocal interplay between Mosshart and White, and has a chorus that demands to be sung along with at maximum volume.

'Gasoline' is the best song so far from the Dead Weather, and would probably be in a list of the top ten Jack White songs. It's that damn good, and is worth the admission price along. Even the opening few bars are incredible. It's definitely Mosshart's best song of her career (Kills tunes included). Go and listen to it now...

Watch: The Dead Weather - Coachella New Songs

Here's four songs from the Dead Weather's upcoming Sea of Cowards (due May 11th), that the band played at the Coachella Festival last night (damn does the US have some great gigs).

'No Horse':


'Die By the Drop':


'Blue Blood Blues':


'Hussle and Cuss':

Album Cover: The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards

The official album cover for the new Dead Weather album Sea of Cowards has been unleashed by Jack White. I preferred the cloaked wizard posters myself, but what does everyone else think?

According to Jack White, the cover photos were taken with a polaroid camera, and then each part was pieced together to make a whole picture.

Album News: The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards

Another track has been announced for the new Dead Weather album. We already knew 'Blue Blood Blues' was set for inclusion on the album, now 'Die By the Drop' has been confirmed as the lead single for the record. The video for the single has been directed by Floria Sigismondi, best known for his work with Marilyn Manson. Remember 'The Beautiful People' video? Awesome. Jack White has also said the album is heavier than the last. In addition, the album also has an official title, Sea of Cowards, and a release date - May 7th (11th in the US). Oh and that could well be the album cover in the pic above.

Have a listen to clips of the new single 'Die By the Drop' and 'Old Mary' here:
http://www.amazon.com/Die-By-The-Drop/dp/B003BNNAX2/ref=dm_ap_alb5

P.S. The single comes out next Tuesday...

Album News: The Dead Weather - Blue Blood Blues

That's not the confirmed name of the album, but it is the confirmed name of the lead single from the new Dead Weather album (So it'll do for now). In a radio interview with Australia's Triple J, Jack White announced that the new album is due out in April, and that the lead single 'Blue Blood Blues' will have White himself on lead vocals instead of Alison Mosshart.

He said "We're finishing recording the last couple of songs and then I’m going to start mixing in the next two weeks, so yeah it should be out in April", and that the album "is bluesier and heavier than we ever thought we could be."

More news on the second Dead Weather album when I get it - including the official title.

List: Top 10 Sideprojects of the 00s

For every band, there's always a disenfranchised member who wants to do more. Maybe get a little more exposure, come out from behind the drums, or even hear some of his lyrics actually being sung back at him (or her). Maybe that's the problem. Maybe it's a female tired of hanging out with these smelly guys all the time. Well, how come there's no Meg White solo record? Sideprojects are predominantly a man thing. Men seem to lose it when trapped in one groove and want to move on (note, this is no way a reflection on me or my life, but men in general.) Thus they set up other bands, try to express their inner failings/feelings. A lot of them fail. Some, however, don't.

For this, solo albums don't count. Nor do new projects. For example, Gorillaz isn't a sideproject as Blur had broken up, but the Good, the Bad and the Queen is. Gettit? It also means you won't see Zwan. There's an album that should be on more lists. Here is the top ten sideprojects of the 00s.


10. Tinted Windows - Tinted Windows (2009)

Tinted Windows is perhaps most notable for being the album where the kid from Hanson became a glorified adult star. We knew he had talent; 'Penny & Me' is a great pop tune, but here he really shone. It wasn't just Taylor Hanson though. He also had Smashing Punpkins James Iha, and Adam Schlesinger from Fountains of Wayne. From opener 'Kind of a Girl' you knew you were in for something special.

9. Neon Neon - Stainless Style (2008)

Boom Bip must be the best name in music. It's even better when it's teamed up with Gruff Rhys of the Super Furry Animals. A heavy departure from the Welsh band's own material, Stainless Style was not just one of the best side-project albums of the decade, it was also one of the best concepts. About John DeLorean and his famous heap of scrap car. Amazing.

8. The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement (2008)

Alex Turner hasn't been long on the music scene, but since his arrival with the Arctic Monkeys, he seems to be everywhere. His latest Monkeys record is awful, he would be better off spending his time with his other project and their more straightforward rock. Forget about being clever Alex, you just need to sing and play great. Like on here. Even the video is brilliant. Pure pop perfection.

7. The Good, the Bad, and the Queen - The Good, the Bad, and the Queen (2007)

Really, we all knew that it was Blur and not Oasis had all the talent. Will either Gallagher go on to do anything now that they've broken up. After Blur, Damon Albarn did everything. His main time was spent on his cartoon-group Gorillaz, but he also had the chance to break out and form his own supergroup. The results were astounding. It's an album you'd forget about, but every time you come back, you remember how good it really is.

6. The Thorns - The Thorns (2003)

Essentially more a supergroup than side-project, it still counts as all three members were still pursuing solo careers when they took time out to make this. The harmonies of Matthew Sweet, Pete Droge, and Shawn Mullins were some of the best since the Byrds. It was just as uplifting too. Pity they only made this one album together. The perfect summer album.

5. The Dead Weather - Horehound (2009)

Jack White is Mister Sideproject. I love this about him, but I also wish he'd make a new White Stripes record. His second side-project is damn good. Featuring Allison Mosshart of the Kills (who sounds like a more feminine White), this is one of the dirtiest albums of the decade, and is absolutely fantastic. Their live show is even better.

4. Works Progress Administration - WPA (2009)

Glen Phillips doesn't need to all these side-projects. Like Jack White, he's already got a fine career as it is. Neither do Sean or Sara Watkins. But when they come together (the first time on the splendid Mutual Admiration Society), they are amazing. (Oh and Luke Bulla is on board too. No Chris Thile, but it doesn't suffer for that. Chris can be very controlling anyway!) This record mixes country and pop perfectly and features some of the finest songwriting I have heard in a long time.

3. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely (2008)

Sideprojects are often one-off things. Not with Jack White. He loves the freedom. He loves making music. Imagine if 2010 had a new White Stripes, a new Raconteurs, and a new Dead Weather. Best year for music ever? I think so. This was his second album with Brendan Benson and the Greenhornes, and here they really honed their craft. It was much more consistent that the first album. That said I still love the debut. 'Steady as She Goes' is one of the best songs of the decade.

2. The Postal Service - Give Up (2003)

What makes a side-project great? When it's better than the main act's work. This is definitely true (for the 00s anyway) of Death Cab for Cutie, whose lead singer Ben Gibbard recorded this splendid electronic piece with Chris Walla of little-known DNTEL. The sum of the whole is far greater than its parts here, and in it, they've made one of the best albums of the decade - main band or side-project. It's fantastic. And those lyrics...swoon!

1. The Swell Season - Once OST (2007)

Glen Hansard's main focus, the Frames, are one of the best bands to come out of Ireland, well ever. Their newer material is far better than U2's, and they've started to build a following in the US. This has been seriously helped by the movie Once, which featured Glen and Marketa Irglova as well as all these gorgeous songs. 'Falling Slowly' was a worthy Oscar winner, and is sure to guarantee Glen will never have to return to busking again. It's just a pity Mic wasn't around to see it happen. (See also: the Swell Season's self-titled debut for many of these tracks. This brought it all together though)

Download: The Dead Weather - Live at the 9:30 Club Bootleg

I'm loving all these bootlegs these days. I'm also loving the grittiness of the Dead Weather album. So why not throw up a Dead Weather bootleg? Great idea Ronan!

This one is taken from the 9:30 Club in Washington DC on the 14th of July this year. It's a great show, and really highlights the new band of Jack White and Allison Mosshart in full flight, moreso than the album does.

Setlist:
1. 60 Feet Tall
2. Bone House
3. Outside
4. So Far From Your Weapon
5. Cut Like a Buffalo
6. Forever My Queen
7. Rocking Horse
8. New Pony
9. No Hassle Night
10. Will There Be Enough Water?
11. Encore Break
12. Treat Me Like Your Mother
13. Child of a Few Hours
14. Hang You From The Heavens


Download:
Full Show

Stream: The Dead Weather - Horehound

Oh yeah. It's available. You can listen to it online for free. No downloading. What are you doing still reading? Click the link. Below. Now.

Tracklist:
1 60 Feet Tall
2 Hang You from the Heavens
3 I Cut Like a Buffalo
4 So Far from Your Weapon
5 Treat Me Like Your Mother
6 Rocking Horse
7 New Pony
8 Bone House
9 Three Birds
10 No Hassle Night
11 Will There Be Enough Water?

From first listen, '60 Feet Tall' is so brilliant, it's indescribable.

Stream:
http://apps.facebook.com/ilike/artist/The%20Dead%20Weather

Watch: The Dead Weather - Will There Be Enough Water?

Jack White's new sideproject is currently touring the States, and have brought out the really big guns with this song. It's absolutely amazing.

Watch The Dead Weather- 'Will There Be Enough Water?':

Album Cover: The Dead Weather - Horehound

What a great name for an album, and what a great album cover. Horehound is the album from the Jack White/Allison Mosshart collaboration The Dead Weather, and is due out on July 14th. I, for one, can't wait.

Album News: The Dead Weather - Horebound

Good news Jack White fans. Or maybe bad news. Another offshoot side-project thingamajig. Jack White has teamed up with Allison Mosshart of the Kills to form the Dead Weather.

Jack isn't playing guitar on this one from the sounds of it, but does play drums and provide vocals. Mosshart is co-singer, or lead-singer. They're joined by Jack Lawrence (Little Jack from the Raconteurs and Greenhornes) and QotSA's Dean Fertita.

Their debut album Horebound is due in June, and single 'Hang you from the Heavens' is available online now:
http://www.thedeadweather.com/

Check out the tunes...
http://www.culturebully.com/the-dead-weather-new-music-from-jack-white

The Dead Weather - 'Are Friends Electric'