The Go - Howl On The Haunted Beat You Ride

Has anyone told The Go that it's not 1967 anymore, and that their new LP, Howl On The Haunted Beat You Ride, is on CD as opposed to vinyl? The album comes in a gatefold cardboard case, just like the records of the The Beatles ("You Go Bangin' On" falls squarely into the pop magnificence of mid-career Beatles tracks) and The Rolling Stones (The Go are reinterpreting '60s R&B like the Stones did). The record even takes on a Pet Sounds vibe at times, with harmonizing vocals and slightly psychedelic instrumentation. Listen to "Mary Ann" and tell me Brian Wilson couldn't have rocked that tune.

While these guys keep getting called "Jack White's old band" (he was in the band for all of, what, 6 months?) they set aside the Led Zeppelin power chords and embrace guitar virtuosity with bangers like "Yer Stoned Italian Cowboy". It's still Detroit's unique domestic, factory made, assembly line rock 'n roll, but The Go are lucky to have had Jack White than to have him and still be constrained by his minimalist ideals. Taking post-punk and pop balladry back 40 years, The Go are unique exactly for remaining in the past: The Stones can't hang it up, but The Go can't deny the sound they love. The most riff-rocking track on the album, "Help You Out", builds lightly on the garage sound of The Go's hometown, but more often than not Howl rides a beat that Detroit would have all but forgotten (saved only by classic rock radio) if The Go weren't here to carry the torch.

And the production on this record is as meticulous as Howard Hughes in his later days. Bobby Harlow, lead singer, produced the album with an attention to detail reserved for curators of only the most precious of archival quality artifacts. The way a paleontologist finely cleans a discovered dinosaur bone, Harlow tweaks and tunes every centimeter of tape the band recorded during the Howl sessions. The obsession comes through in the details, all the way through to the tambourine shakes that sneak their way onto the downtempo "She's Prettiest When She Cries".

Leaked Shots From Video Shoot For The White Stripes' "You Don't Know What Love Is, You Just Do What You're Told"

The White Stripes recently wrapped up a video shoot for "You Don't Know What Love Is, You Just Do What You're Told", from their recent album, Icky Thump(read a review of Icky Thump here). Here they are, the day before the video premieres:

Album Review: The White Stripes - Icky Thump

On their new album (and major label debut), The White Stripes break a few of their self-imposed rules, such as inviting collaborators and refraining from doing covers or using new/unusual instruments, by inviting guest artists, using trumpets and bagpipes, and recording a cover. The album's title, Icky Thump, is a Lancashire slang term, sort of an exclamation of surprise. The title track itself is indication enough that the band has passed on the guitar-absent Get Behind Me, Satan and returned to riff-rock. Not too surprising, there, but definitely welcome.

"Conquest" is both a cover and a collaborative track featuring a trumpet/guitar duel that blows the pants off dueling guitars or banjos. The "hunted becomes the huntress" table-turning of "Conquest" would almost be in sharp contrast to the sinister trap of "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)". While the latter is brazenly critical of the person who succumbs to an unequal would-be lover, the former paints the would-have-been Don Juan as duped by a clever, foxy female who "led him helpless down the aisle" with her "female guile". Continuing the analysis of personal relationships, "I'm Slowly Turning Into You" can be interpreted in at least one respect as a charming rendition of lovers adopting one another's idiosyncracies.

The fact that major label digs have not pushed this minimalist (formerly) Motor City duo to dump the rust and cracked plastic facade of their three-minute power chord-driven jams in favor of an album full of epic failings is a blessing. While a number of songs break the four-minute mark (and one, "300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues", despite its speedy title breaks five minutes), the album's best tracks retain the character of the Stripes' past. If anything, Jack's lyrics have matured, adding a new layer of growth to the craftily deconstructed yet powerful and hooking songwriting.

Following the bagpipes of "Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn" is the misstep of "St. Andrew (This Battle In The Air)", a sort of "Revolution No. 9" with vocals by Meg. Quickly regaining footing, Icky Thump proceeds with "Little Cream Soda", the most rock 'n roll track present with the heaviest riffs and pounding drums telling the tale of an overwhelmed and perhaps somewhat tortured soul.

So, by Icky Thump, are we supposed to be surprised that moving over to Warner Brothers enticed the duo to branch out from their red-and-white box and break their own rules a bit? As the closing track, "Effect And Cause", explains: "Well, in every complicated situation/of human relation/making sense of it all takes a whole lot/of concentration". The answer to that question just be more than we can glean from the album alone.

Click the album art to order.

New Releases for Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Your recommended new releases for this given Tuesday, June 19, 2007:



The White Stripes - Icky Thump: It's riff-tastic. That's my new word.



Art Brut - It's a Bit Complicated - A bit poppier than the last LP.



Bon Jovi - Lost Highway - Not to be confused with the David Lynch film of the same name, this is listed for pure spectacle. Bon Jovi used to be awesome. Now, he's doing Nashville records that slander Nashville's reputation.



The Mooney Suzuki - Have Mercy



Click on the art or album title to order any of the above.

The Go To Release Howl on the Haunted Beat You Ride July 24; Hear "Invisible Friends" From The Album

Detroit-based rockers The Go are preparing for the release of Howl on the Haunted Beat You Ride. Due in stores July 24th, Howl on the Haunted Beat You Ride is the follow up to the The Go’s critically acclaimed 2003 self-titled release, The Go.

Former bandmates of Jack White of White Stripes and Raconteurs fame, The Go have their own pop sensibility, with a more Beatles meet The Beach Boys sound on tracks like "Invisible Friends". This is definitely more indie pop than the Stripes, whom the band has been known to tour with.

See below to get "Invisible Friends" and hear it for yourself.

The Go - "Invisible Friends"

Free MP3: The White Stripes - "Icky Thump"

Coming on June 19, Icky Thump from The White Stripes. Don't let the silly name fool you, this song is riff-tastic, and Jack White has proven once again that he is a guitar-lick machine. If you aren't playing air guitar when you hear this, you've got issues.

**UPDATE 7/22/07 - Dead Link**

Click on the album art to pre-order the album, and get your Stripes at the Patriot Center on July 28.

Upcoming Shows Courtesy of Filter Magazine

Here's what's hot and coming to the Baltimore/DC area over the next two months:

6/4 Deftones, The Fall of Troy@ 9:30 Club
6/5 Two Gallants, Les Claypool @ Rams Head Live
6/7 The Cinematics, The Bravery @ 9:30 Club
6/8 EL-P, Hangar 18 @ 9:30 Club
6/8 Kenna, Nelly Furtado @ Patriot
6/9 Califone, Bitter Tears @ Rock and Roll Hotel
6/9 RJD2 @ Starscape (read a review of RJ's last visit to Baltimore)
6/9 Loney, Dear, The Sea & Cake @ Black Cat
6/10 Architecture in Helsinki @ 9:30 Club
6/10 As Tall as Lions @ Rock and Roll Hotel
6/10 Electrelane @ Black Cat
6/12 Favourite Sons, Voxtrot, Au Revoir Simone @ Ottobar
6/13 Voxtrot, Favourite Sons, Au Revoir Simone @ Black Cat
6/13 Feist, Grizzly Bear @ 9:30 Club
6/15 French Kicks, Bon Savants @ Rock and Roll Hotel
6/16 VHS or Beta @ Rock and Roll Hotel
6/19 Great Northern @ Black Cat
6/19 Illinois @ Rock and Roll Hotel
6/20 The National, Talkdemonic @ 9:30 Club
6/21 Panda Bear @ Ottobar
6/21 Wilco @ Merriweather Post Pavillion
6/22 Shiny Toy Guns, Stars of Track & Field, The Hourly Radio @ Sonar
6/23 Bryan Scary @ Velvet Lounge
6/24 Lovedrug, Sparta @ Black Cat
6/28 The Fray, OK Go, Mae @ 9:30 Club
6/30 The Polyphonic Spree @ 9:30 Club

JULY
7/3 Morrissey @ Rams Head Live
7/5 The Fiery Furnaces @ Black Cat
7/7 Tortoise @ Black Cat
7/17 Dirty On Purpose, The Besnard Lakes @ Black Cat
7/20 Violent Femmes @ Power Plant Live (FREE: learn more)
7/23 The Ponys @ Black Cat
7/25 James Morrison @ Verizon Center
7/27 Paid Dues International Hip Hop Festival: Brother Ali, Hangar 18, Sage Francis, Mr. Lif, Living Legends and more @ Pier Six Pavilion
7/28 The White Stripes @ The Patriot Center

AUGUST
8/07 Ra Ra Riot, Tokyo Police Club @ Black Cat
8/21 Wolf Parade @ Black Cat

Exclusive Interview with Jack White of The White Stripes In NME

Yeah, I'm usin' the old-fashioned White Stripes picture. I like the old picture.

In a world wide exclusive in this week's issue of the NME Jack White explains some of the lyrical themes in the new White Stripes' single ICKY THUMP.
In answer to queries about the song's seemingly political content, in particular the lines: "White Americans, what?/ Nothing better to do?/ Why don't you kick yourself out/You're an immigrant too”, Jack explains "I've always been interested in the double-edged sword of being proud of your culture,” elaborates Jack. “It’s a very touchy subject in America. You can’t be too proud or you tip the scale. But at the same time, America is made up of nothing but immigrants. It’s a big melting pot, yet there’s a lot of segregation still to this day. It’s an intricate minefield of a topic.”



You can read more excerpts from his revealing interview at NME's site.

Austin City Limits 2007 Lineup: Dylan, Bjork, White Stripes, more

The lineup for Austin City Limits has been announced. The fest will take place in Zilker Park in Austin from September 14-16.

Bob Dylan
Björk
The White Stripes
The Killers
Wilco
Arcade Fire
Muse
My Morning Jacket
Queens of the Stone Age
Bloc Party
Arctic Monkeys

Gotan Project
Joss Stone
Damien Rice
Robert Earl Keen
Lucinda Williams
Spoon
Blue October
Indigo Girls
The Decemberists
Paolo Nutini
Regina Spektor
Amy Winehouse
Crowded House
Steve Earle
Ziggy Marley
Stephen Marley
Kaiser Chiefs
LCD Soundsystem
Devotchka
Augustana
Amos Lee
M.I.A.
Ben Kweller
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Andrew Bird
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones

Ghostland Observatory
Cross Canadian Ragweed
Reverend Horton Heat
Pete Yorn
Butch Walker
Peter Bjorn and John
STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9)
Yo La Tengo
Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Zap Mama
Blonde Redhead
Eli Young Band
Aterciopelados
Heartless Bastards
Raul Malo
James Hunter
Mighty Clouds of Joy
Del McCoury Band
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Andy Palacio & the Garifima Collective
Asleep at the Wheel
Ryan Shaw
Will Hoge
The National
Beau Soleil
Midlake
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Railroad Earth
Dax Riggs
Sound Team
The Legendary Soul Stirrers

Charlie Musselwhite
JJ Grey & Mofro
Young Love
The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker
Ian Ball (of Gomez)
The Little Ones
Manchester Orchestra
Patterson Hood
Billy Joe Shaver
Fionn Regan
Big Sam’s Funky Nation
John Ralston
The Broken West
Rose Hill Drive
Brandon Rhyder
Ocote Soul Sounds
Sara Hickman
Willy Mason
Jon Dee Graham
Kevin Devine
Nicole Atkins & The Sea
Ike Reilly Assassination
Greyhounds
Guy Forsyth
Adam Hood
Cary Ann Hearst & The Gun Street Girls
The Jones Family Singers
The Gospel Silvertones
The Shields of Faith
Sylvia St. James
Jeffrey Steele

Amy Cook
Trent Summar & the New Row Mob
Back Door Slam
Mario Matteoli
Kara Grainger
One Mississippi
Kevin McKinney
Jennifer Nicely
Sahara Smith
The New Soul Invaders
The Wonderful Harmonizers
Loretta Williams Gurnell
Amy LaVere
Amy Loftus

And for the kids:
The Paul Green School of Rock All-Stars
The Steps
We Go To 11
The Sippy Cups
Daddy A Go Go
Farmer Jason
Q Brothers
Jambo
The Bummkinn Band
The Jellydots

White Stripes Tour All Over North America In Support of Icky Thump

The White Stripes are fulfilling their promise to tour the remaining contiguous United States they have not visited (look at good ol' Delaware clocking in on 7/27!). Not to mention that they're hitting every Canadian province, too!

06-01 Nuerburgring, Germany - Rock Am Ring Festival
06-02 Nurnberg, Germany - Rock Im Park Festival
06-04 Vienna, Austria - Gasometer
06-06 Rome, Italy - Tenda Strisce
06-07 Milan, Italy - Idroscalo
06-09 Lisbon, Portugal - Alive Festival
06-11 Paris, France - Zenith
06-14 London, England - Hyde Park (O2 Wireless Festival)
06-15 Leeds, England - Harewood House (O2 Wireless Festival)
06-17 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo Festival
06-24 Burnaby, British Columbia - Deer Lake Park
06-25 Whitehorse, Yukon - Yukon Arts Centre
06-26 Yellowknife, Northwest Territories - Shorty Brown Multiplex Arena
06-27 Iqaluit, Nunavut - Arctic Winter Games Arena
06-29 Calgary, Alberta - Pengrowth Saddledome
06-30 Edmonton, Alberta - Shaw Convention Center
07-01 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - TCU Place
07-02 Winnipeg, Manitoba - MTS Centre
07-03 Thunder Bay, Ontario - Community Auditorium
07-05 Toronto, Ontario - Molson Amphitheatre
07-06 Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre
07-07 London, Ontario - John Labatt Centre
07-08 Ottawa, Ontario - LeBreton Flats Park (Ottawa Bluesfest)
07-10 Moncton, New Brunswick - Moncton Coliseum Arena
07-11 Charlottetown, Price Edward Island - Charlottetown Civic Centre
07-13 Halifax, Nova Scotia - Cunard Centre
07-14 Glace Bay, Nova Scotia - Savoy Theatre
07-16 St. John's, Newfoundland - Mile One Center
07-22 Portland, ME - Cumberland Civic Center
07-23 Boston, MA - Agganis Arena
07-24 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
07-25 Wallingford, CT - Chevrolet Theater
07-27 Wilmington, DE - Grand Opera House
07-28 Fairfax, VA - Patriot Center
07-29 North Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
07-30 Birmingham, AL - Sloss Furnaces
07-31 Southaven, MS - Snowden Grove Park Amphitheater

The White Stripes - Icky Thump Tracklisting

The White Stripes' Icky Thump, their sixth album, and their first on Warner Bros., now has a tracklist:

01. Icky Thump
02. You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)
03. 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues
04. Conquest
05. Bone Broke
06. Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn
07. St. Andrew (This Battle Is In The Air)
08. Little Cream Soda
09. Rag And Bone
10. I'm Slowly Turning Into You
11. A Martyr For My Love For You
12. Catch Hell Blues
13. Effect And Cause

Icky Thump is scheduled for a June release.

Changes In Social Networking Landscape

Another social networking site just launched, this one out of London. Streakr's goal is to come at you with more attitude than other social sites. I was eyeing this up for its launch, and it's happened, but I haven't signed up. Anyone out there trying it yet? If you go to it from this site, tell 'em we sent you!

In other news, Facebook is reportedly asking for over $1 billion in its bid to be bought out. No wonder rumors of Yahoo scooping them up fizzled.

Anyone involved in social networking (major labels are apparently beginning to require their bands to have MySpace pages, why else would the White Stripes finally enter the MySpace world?) knows that MySpace is on its last legs. We all hate Tom and his fat pockets and stupid MySpace profile, and we hate the constant errors which, of course, have been forwarded to a system administrator. But who's next?

In the current Web 2.0 (shudder) world, the consumer driving the social networking world is the young pre-teen and teen who suffers no allegiance to any one page. This consumer will go where the "cool" is (which turned out to be far away from Friendster, and what's up with Yahoo 360?). Right now, there's Bebo skewing toward the younger consumer. Cozi is after the moms and dads. With various markets to be tapped, the potential is almost infinite. The point: social networking is too big for one titan. There will likely at any given time be 2-3 big names in the market fighting to stay relevant as the next big thing starts clawing its way up.

Thankfully for Any Given Tuesday, we haven't spent that much time on our MySpace page.

The White Stripes prepared to release new album, Icky Thump

The White Stripes have announced that their sixty album will be entitled Icky Thump and will be released by their new label, Warner Bros.

Some of the tracklist:

Catch Hell Blues
Little Cream Soda
Monkeys Have It Easy (discarded)
Rag and Bone
Clicky Bump (retitled into something pleasant)
Blue Orchid (relocated to previous album)
You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)
Icky Thump [this will be the first Stripes record with a title track. Wow.]

Bonnaroo Lineup Officially Announced: The Police, Tool, The White Stripes, and more! Tickets Available Next Week

It's out. Bonnaroo's lineup is, of course, sick. You can view it at the Bonnaroo website, or look here:

The Police • Tool • Widespread Panic • The White Stripes • Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals • Wilco • The Flaming Lips • MANU CHAO & Radio Bemba Sound System • The String Cheese Incident • Franz Ferdinand • Bob Weir & Ratdog • Damien Rice • Ween • Gov't Mule • Ziggy Marley • The Decemberists • Kings of Leon • Michael Franti & Spearhead • Wolfmother • Regina Spektor • The Black Keys • Galactic • DJ Shadow • Gillian Welch • Spoon • Keller Williams (WMD'S) (read a review of Keller's new album, Dream, here • Sasha & John Digweed • STS9 • Old Crow Medicine Show • The Hold Steady • Lily Allen • North Mississippi Allstars • Fountains Of Wayne • Hot Tuna • Feist • Hot Chip • John Butler Trio • Dr. Ralph Stanley & His Clinch Mountain Boys • Aesop Rock • The Richard Thompson Band • Dierks Bentley • James Blood Ulmer • Xavier Rudd • Gogol Bordello • Junior Brown • Tortoise • T-Bone Burnett • Mavis Staples • Clutch • Cold War Kids • Dr. Dog • Paolo Nutini • Brazilian Girls • RX Bandits • The Nightwatchman • The Slip • Girl Talk • Railroad Earth • Martha Wainwright • Rodrigo y Gabriela • Annuals • Tea Leaf Green • Sam Roberts Band • Elvis Perkins in Dearland • Charlie Louvin • Sonya Kitchell • Mute Math • Apollo Sunshine • Uncle Earl • The National • The Little Ones • Black Angels • Ryan Shaw • Lewis Black & Friends • Dave Attell • David Cross •

And more to be announced later! Tickets go on sale next week, February 23. They will start at $184.50. Once that batch is sold out, they go up to $199.50 and then $214.50. Oh, and $21.85 service charge per ticket.

Bloc Party: Jack White Is "Treacherous"

According to Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke, Jack White (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs) is a punk when it comes to speaking out on political issues. Okereke states that he was amazed when White "said it wasn't his job to be critical about foreign policy because he was being paid to be an entertainer. I thought that was treacherous because it's complicit with the capitalist society. Selling more records is the only thing that's important to him, not provoking debate." Source: NME

Capitalist society aside, how does Meg White feel? We already know Bob Dylan (who had the Raconteurs open on his recent tour) is hanging his head in shame for poor Jack.




Bloc Party's Weekend in the City releases next Tuesday, February 6.