What's that all about, then?

[caddyman]

The White Stripes. No, really. don't get it; why are they so popular?

The advertising poster for their latest album has the bloke dressed like Willy Wonka, whilst his sister is reminscent of a younger Judy Cornwell (Daisy from "Keeping Up Appearances"). What's the handle, how does it all fit together?

Watching them briefly on TV tonight (from Glastonbury, I think), I realise that I have it wrong. He is actually somewhere between Warner Brothers' Tazmanian Devil and the guy out of the Police Academy movies.

I don't get it, I really don't.

Somebody please to explain.

Comments

[binidj.livejournal.com]

I guess it's one of those indefinable 'taste' things ... I like 'em, not sure why.

[nattydreadi.livejournal.com]

They satisfy a certain perception of 'cool', they only use 70's recording equipment, there are only two of them, they are brother and sister

Oh and their song 'Seven Nation Army' had a cool video with Skellingtons in it and was listenable to. One hit + packaging = superstar.

Packing includes him beating up other pop stars while drunk and being threatened with Prison

[mr-h-r-hughes.livejournal.com]

They're not bother and sister Rich, though they pretend they are. They're actually ex-husband and ex wife.

Why they are so popular I don't know. I think it helps that they have a really strong image (the 3 colours thing, the deep south, american gothic, the odd incestuous bro/sis band mythology) and rather excellently it's not something any marketing guru has come up with they've always done it, from everything I know they actually live it 100% of the time. Yes they makes them odd people but it also makes them more interesting than many of todays dull pop stars.
I also think they are quite good in that they can appeal to lots of different people. They are poppy enough that they can grab a pop listner and rocky enough that they can get rock listeners, Jack is prolly the best guitarist of his generation and that kind of drags in a few musos and dads who are concerned by that kind of thing.

All that nonsense aside I like them but I'm not really sure why, they're just interesting. They are aslo INCREDIBLE live.

[lupercal.livejournal.com]

Wot Jamie said. I got into them after hearing John Peel and Jack trading subtle musical blows in an interview on the Peel Show. It was hilarious, each of them were trying to best each other by dropping more and more obscure musical trivia and referencing into the conversation...

They are a truly original band, a dying breed these days, and the wall of musical sound they can achieve from a duet is amazing. Jack's guitar playing is very, very complex, but sounds so rootsy and simple, he plays from his heart, as Bill Hicks would say. But when it comes down to it, I can't exactly say why I like them, either.. all I can suggest is to give the albums a few listens through.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

I shan't write them off just yet, then.

But that bizarre distruction of Jolene (not that the song doesn't deserve thye destruction, mind) was painful to the ears, ironic performance or not.

They reminded me of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (a few years before your time, I guess!). Never got them, either, though a bunch of my mates were great fans.

[agentinfinity.livejournal.com]

I don't know if the latest album is the best way in, although I possibly haven't listened to it enough to get into it myself yet. Either of the previous two are smashing.

Maybe they're too stripped down for your prog sensibilities :p

[lupercal.livejournal.com]

Agreed. As everyone knows this is the only way to acceptable way to destroy Jolene...

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

That's not bad. Never heard it before.

[cowjam.livejournal.com]

I like them. Specifically, I like 'elephant', the only album I've listened to. The music is fairly simplistic, I like the lyrics in a lot of their songs and vocally they seem to carry them off well. Of my favourite songs on the album, there's more often than not quite a pace to them which again I like.

"No home for you here" is an excellent song.

[lupercal.livejournal.com]

Queen Adreena. Katie Jane Garside of Daisy Chainsaw's new(ish) band..

Heathen!

[mr-h-r-hughes.livejournal.com]

The original Jolene was great. Jack's looney stalker tearing his own eyes out version of it is also great. He does sometime muck about with stuff live so I dunno what the version you heard was like but normally it's ace.

The other thing I really like is that when they do Jolene Jack doesn't change the gender of the song just because he's a bloke. That's a pet hate of mine, changing the gender of songs for no real reason.

Re: Heathen!

[mr-h-r-hughes.livejournal.com]

The HEATHEN! was directed at you Mr Lea and not Simon by the way : )

Re: Heathen!

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

My ears and sensibilities rebel at the tuneless falsetto that is Jack White. Stripped down rock is one thing, catterwaul is quite another.

I discard them.

And you, Mr Twine, are saved only by your liking for Seinfeld, which proves that you are not entirely beyond redemption.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Ah, but I like stripped down rock - there is room in my musical pantheon for more than just prog! ;-)