The Dead Weather

Another music post, but this is definitely worth it. I was surprised when a friend of mine asked me last night, "Have you heard Jack White's new band?". I hadn't heard so much as a rumour, so I went to iTunes and found The Dead Weather's debut release Hang You From the Heavens, with a cover of Gary Numan's Are Friends Electric? on the B-side. This time around, White is behind the drum-kit, with Alison Mosshart (a.k.a VV of The Kills) supplying lead vocals, Jack Lawrence (of White's other other band The Raconteurs) on bass and Dean Fertita (QOTSA) on guitar. The sound is exactly what I would expect from a mix-up of the White Stripes, The Raconteurs and The Kills, the same raw, dirty sound associated with Jack White. The B-Side is also very interesting, one that definitely does Numan's original justice.



Hang You From the Heavens released 12th March on Third Man Records

Dan Auerbach

Dan Auerbach (of the Black Keys) released his debut solo album Keep It Hid this February, which simply serves to emphasise his ability as a versatile and talented musician. The album seems to take the driving blues sound of the Black Keys discography and tone it down until it resembles more country and western, with suitable harmonies to support the comparison. Recorded at his own studio (Akron Analogue), Auerbach has made good use of vintage and analogue equipment, resulting in a much warmer sound compared to the industry standard these days. James Quine, Auerbach's uncle also appears on the album playing guitar, adding an extra touch. Standout tracks include Heartbroken, In Disrepair, The Prowl and Mean Monsoon, while the stripped down sound of Goin' Home and Real Desire add a softer dynamic. Here, Auerbach performs the opening track, Trouble Weighs a Ton with James Quine.

Keep It Hid released on Feb 9th 2009, on Nonesuch Records

Jay Jay Pistolet

'"I hate my voice...I think my lyrics are bad too", says singer/songwriter Justin Hayward-Young, aka Jay Jay Pistolet, as he flits from modest martydom to forthright faith, "but I already know that one day I'm going to be really good but I don't think I'm there yet." One thing's for certain, though, his new release 'Happy Birthday You' is a haunting, vintage, post-war collection of naïve love songs produced by Charlie Fink of Noah & The Whale fame. Anti-folk associations aside, Justin should be rescued from the oversaturated gaggle of musicians circulating at the moment. "When people criticise me, it's always that I'm not offering anything new. But I don't think that's really that bad...if I wanted to do something new I'd probably sit on a computer all day and make weird sounds. All I want to do is make nice songs."

- The Fly, Jan 2009

This track was filmed for the Fly, it's beautiful. I also recommend We Are Free, it's a much bigger sound similar to that of Bright Eyes.

Jeremy Warmsley

By no means a new find, but when I finally got round to buying his latest album (How We Became) on iTunes last night, I immediately thought of a collaboration between Patrick Wolf, Rufus Wainwright and Thom Yorke. If He Breaks Your Heart is released for free download on February 14th.