Shame, Shame Jack White

The exploitation of celebrities and stars by the paparazzi and sympathizers like TMZ or the like is disturbing to me on the deepest of levels. I certainly don't buy into their formulated and manipulative opinions of people whom they choose to raise up or demonize. Mostly because I don't really care about the people that frequent the tabloids. But I must admit that when my friend Connor sent me a text message all the way from Brooklyn concerning Jack White's latest divorce craziness, it sent me into a bit of a frenzy. White was calling Dan Auerbach, 1/2 of the Black Keys (official) lineup, an a*shole "ripoff" for "copy[ing] me and push[ing] himself into my world" (exact quotes). I don't mind admitting that I lost a sizable amount of respect for the president of Third Man Records, whose logos were all over those damn emails, upon reading that quote.

Now, I'm having a difficult time seeing why White was bringing up Auerbach in the first place. The email is about a mediation concerning their separation gone awry, so maybe I'll give Jack the benefit of the doubt and assume it's Stan Auerbach, Dan's brother, who stole his wife and all of his peppermint-candy-themed undies. Those are the only circumstances under which I would grant White the right to talk about a man named Auerbach and get away with it.



Otherwise, it would seem somewhat hypocritical for a man who has openly professed his reliance on classic blues. If anything, early Auerbach and Carney sound more like Junior Kimbrough (they even recorded Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough). Regardless, they've gone in a whole new sonic direction. From Danger Mouse's experimental production of Attack and Release onward, the Keys had developed something all their own, and something radically different. Even rap. It eventually turned into an over-produced, fluffed up outfit that indulged in elements that the duo had only flirted with before (Brothers represents the threshold there). I'm not personally a fan of them now (I only have enough love for two band members), but I felt Auerbach needed some defense in this case: The Black Keys sounds nothing like the White Stripes, whose definition of "over-produced" is adding a piano or letting Meg sing.

Even the Keys' covers of old blues standards hold a much more raw tone. More cutting and muff'd guitars. Dirtier, more technical drums. Certainly more distorted, compressed vocals.

Auerbach was a bluesman. White was songwriter well-versed in the blues. Today, Auerbach is a pop songwriter with a blues background and White is a songwriter who has made the full transition into the logical next step of Rock-n-Roll. He's even dumped his Airline for a Gretsch and his Silvertone for boutique amps.

White went on to Dead Weather and Raconteurs because the Stripes' sound had run its course. They had taken the vintage fuzzed-out 60's cheapo guitar, caveman drummer formula as far as it would go. The man is not only a fantastic musician, but also a smart business man. He treads a fine line there, and somehow still stays cool. I just hope that he has not been carrying around these sentiments since the Black Keys came on the scene. That would be incredibly disheartening. I hate losing respect for people. Especially those whose music I enjoy so much.

But I'm not fit to judge the man's character. So, I'll let you all decide whether or not White is justified in his comments, just having an off-day and blowing off steam 'cuz he inherited Jay-Z's only non-problem, or if he is just mad that the Dead Weather is just not that amazing of a band. Feel free to comment.

The Futurebirds are like a(n even more) stoned Neil Young and Co.

plus a bit more reverb...especially in this Hear YA session.

Just check out those caterwauling harmonies in Serial Bowls, and Neil Young's For the Turnstiles.

And tasteful Lap Steel parts are always key to the best songs. Kudos to Ben Keith and Dennis Love. Examples include: really most of the Birds' tunes, and Neil's classics, but hell I love this song: Harvest

Let's be honest, Futurebirds has fantastic production on their albums, but anyone who has seen them play will agree: they are best live. Ex: American Cowboy. Those raw vocals, Thomas. Hot damn. They sound worn out, road tested, smoked and barbequed. Much like my main men Neil and Co. Tonight's the Night's Come on Baby Let's go Downtown (They also had multiple vocalists in the band, in this case it's Danny Whitten).

What Brannon Miles and Billy Talbot (and even Rick Danko behind Neil) have in common: Understated bass lines that f***ing deliver- Death Awaits, Roll Another Number (for the road).

They switch it up live, or slow things down, but they still keep it Toit like a Toiger. See: Tan Lines, Everybody Knows this is Nowhere.


Futurebirds takes some of the key elements of Neil Young's classic (some Stray Gators, some Crazy Horsi) band and sound and puts them in a more euphoric light. This isn't to say that the lyrics of the Birds can't get dark. They can. Especially in their latest release. Somehow, even songs like "Death Awaits" and "Heavy Weights" (probably one of my favorites from Baba Yaga) have an uplifting quality to them (even those both songs literally sound heavy---weights, awaits. Ha ha). There is a lot more that the 'Birds have in common with StrazyHorse. Including sounding great on vinyl. This HearYa Session is free, but bands need and deserve support.

And if you haven't checked out Hearya.com. Please do. They have other fantastic sessions like
This one. This one. And this one. (even this one).

The Genius of Burt Bacharach and Reforming Top 40

I know Elvis Costello has been bringing Burt and lyricist Hal David's music back into the forefront with his revival of their tunes and even a collaboration with Bacharach in the late 90's, but I think it's time a new generation of musicians learned the calculated beauty of the duo's songwriting.

These tunes embody the music theory behind writing a pop song. The chord changes are familiar without being repetitive, exciting without being jarring, and catchy without being annoying. These are the melodies that get stuck in your head even when you hear them in passing. You find yourself humming them all day and you may not even know why, but that is the beauty of wonderfully applied music theory. Those progressions and melodies are formulated to appeal to everyone's ear. So, whether they are being performed by Jackie DeShannon, Dusty Springfield, The Carpenters, Costello or even the White Stripes the structure of the songs is what shines through. It transcends the artist or production.

I would defy any guitarist/keyboardist to learn a Bacharach/David tune and not be able to put your own spin on it and make it appealing to your audience, be they metalheads or Bieber-ites. The state of pop radio today is sad and weak at best. Repetition has replaced structure. The thinking today seems to be, "if we repeat a chorus enough, it'll stick." This isn't an indie-kid/old rocker rant. I don't want to put experimental or potentially off-putting songs on the radio just because my weird music brain likes them from time to time. I just yearn for pop songs that everyone enjoys, even as a guilty pleasure. I'll be the first to admit that I am a sucker for a good pop song, but I haven't heard a solidly written tune on top 40 for a long while. To quote Zeppelin, "Where's that confounded bridge?". Adele needs to find it!

I firmly believe if we begin to revive the music of Bacharach/David, Manilow, Holland/Dozier/Holland, we can bring about another generation of songwriters that write with their pop sensibility. Another Paul Simon, Lennon or McCartney, Neil Young or Elvis Costello. Something has been diluted and lost since them, and we need to return to those roots. We don't need to revive, but reaffirm a foundation for new growth in pop music.