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.