Jack White's new alt-garage supergroup the Dead Weather made their splashy television debut last night on Conan, and I think I'm just going to have to come out and say it: I don't like them. At all.
The few tracks that have leaked from their forthcoming album Horehound (due July 14) struck me as aimless and noisy, and their lifeless performance on Conan did nothing to alter that opinion. A stringy-haired White was relegated to drums, with the Kills frontwoman Alison Mosshart taking center stage for the group's song "Hang You From the Heavens."
Mosshart's got charisma, but the repetitious whirring of the guitars and the track's obnoxious lyrics did her no favors. (Sample lyric: "I'd like to grab you by the hair and drag you to the devil." Uh, okaaay.)
As a semi-enthusiastic fan of both the White Stripes and the Raconteurs, my displeasure with the Dead Weather is both disappointing and surprising. There just doesn't seem to be anything special about their (generic) brand of dark-rock.
But what do you think, Mixers? Do you like the boozy intensity of Jack White's new band? Or do you prefer him in Stripes or as a Raconteur? Watch the performance below:
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Comments (1-30) of 66 Add your comment
However, I can think of a million worse bands. I dont think its nearly as bad as you made it out to be
Wow, sounds like you didn’t like them before you even heard them. Sounds good to me. Can’t wait to hear the entire album.
This performance was really good, in spite of it being a live on tape show. Perhaps this isn’t your kind of music, and therefore have a negative opinion of it.
I think the lyrics aren’t too out of the ordinary either. They seem energetic and bluesy garage rock. I’m both impressed and excited for the album.
Didn’t hate, but didn’t love it either. Plenty of worse bands than this.
Yeah that lyric is just horrible *rolls eyes*
You have not business reviewing music Jeremy Medina. You have not heard much of it obviously, your taste is where your ass is, and you sound like a girl.
Ever hear bluses lyrics? Unimpressed were you? “Uh, okaaay”. what ever the hell that means.
I am a pretty massive White Stripes fan, but when I first heard ‘Hang You From the Heavens’ I wasn’t all that impressed. But last week I went to the “impromptu” gig the Dead Weather played in Detroit, and it was absolutely awesome. This stuff seems a bit out of place on the Tonight Show, but when you’re front row in a grungy concert hall in Detroit with a PBR in your hand – well…you can’t get much better than that.
Awful performance. The CD may be OK (haven’t heard it) but this was nothing but noise mixed with retro-goth stage gear.
Hey Jeremy, stick to your day job mate. Whatever that is.
Maybe you were looking for something more Coldplay-ish
but you are clearly out of your depth when it comes to reviewing music!!!
Hey Jeremy stick to your day job mate. Whatever that is. Maybe you were hoping for something more Coldplay-ish
but clearly you are out of your depth when it comes to reviewing music!!
These lyrics are beautiful – and they mean something.
Listen to the childish lyrics of the Nicklebacks of the world and tell me these are bad. The fact that you are able to write a column and all you have to say is uhhh okay is sadder than anything i heard in this performance.
It’s not Whites best work, something like Carolina Drama speaks leaps and bounds more, but just because you dont like the sound, doesnt make it all trash.
The lyrics were lame and I was also disappointed, perhaps I had high expectations. I’ll still check out more of there stuff though before I pass final judgement.
Sounded good to me. Can’t wait for the record.
this is the kind of music meant for sweaty nights…i guess you weren’t having one at the time.
Ok firstly it’s a lie to say Alison mosshart is a great lyricist, she’s not. But 3 of 4 musical elements of the band are good. Drums-great, Bass- great, vocals- great, guitar- I wouldn’t even call it guitar. It takes about 2 months to become better than him. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Liking jack as a drummer though.
“As a semi-enthusiastic fan of both the White Stripes and the Raconteurs…”
This fact should be made clear before this review.
Easy people, Jeremy is just cranky because he had to get up early today to get a good spot to see the Jonas Brothers on the Today Show set this morning. His mood has improved though as it a appears he snagged a pick thrown his way.
On the other hand it could be his getting snubbed for membership in the Wendy’s Frosty Boy Band Fan Club
But then again reaching the lofty elite status of 2nd assistant EW.com copy boy should make him impress the kids at the bus stop
This is raw, bluesy roots-rock stuff played in an inhospitable venue. Jack White is not about polished, processed music or glitz. I love DTW’s gritty guitars and the tribal pounding drums; while I miss seeing and hearing Jack singing and on lead guitar, Alison can wail with the best of them and projects the right ragged vibe. Cannot wait to see this band in Boston next month at HOB. A dark, crowded club is their natural environment.
Dead Weather is vastly better than the Raconteurs. Alison is a tremendous front woman. Both cuts I’ve heard so far have rocked, esp the Gary Numan ‘Are Friends Electric’ cover.
I totally disagree…
I found them very charismatic and impressive. I love there performance and the raw and honest Alison Mosshart (“VV”). very exciting !!!
I can’t wait to see them live at the Wiltern in Los Angeles…
i love the song! but I missed their performance last night, but was glad to see that you posted it but read your review and then watched the performance and I must disagree, thought the performance was awesome! very well done! the song isn’t that long, but because of jack white’s drumming skills and alison definitely has charisma while singing – her voice is so good!
I wasn’t paying too much attention when they were on Conan till the “drag you to the devil” line… I though “what is this lame song?” … I didn’t know who the band was at all at the time. I kept listening and I payed attention from that point on and by the time the song was over I was searching the net to find more of their music. I though it rocked. Kind of lame lyrics, but the whole mood is killer. Great stuff and I can’t wait to hear more!
Fire this writer
WTF was this writer smoking? Clueless.
Sounds like a personal problem…..
…aaaand a swing and a miss from the writer of this article. That was pretty killer and unlike most anything on the radio today. Very much a throwback. Sounded to me like if you combined X with Joy Division and seasoned with Nine Inch Nails.
I was never a fan of White Stripes or Raconteurs, but I agree with the writer. Terrible performance. Jack White is just letting his ego get the best of him trying to be respected as a multi- instrumentalist rather than just sticking to what he’s provably good at (writing guitar and vocal songs that I don’t like, but will sell loads of albums). That being said, whether the album is irredeemable rubbish remains to be seen.
Part 1
I have to agree disagree with the writer. Part of the problem he might have is that certain bands and certain types of music does not come off well on glossy, LA stages (or big stadiums for that matter). Also, there are very high expectations for this band. For the White Stripes alone, Jack White is a rock god, to say nothing of the fantastic collaboration with Loretta Lynn (and I don’t like country) and the Raconteurs (although they are a bit weak).
The teaming of White and Alison Mosshart of the Kills is a dream come true. I might be a bit biased though. Mosshart os not a great singer, but she definitely has a great rock stage presence and can write songs. I thought the Kills’ Midnight Boom the best album of 2008. I saw them two months ago and they were killer – minimal blues based rock, rough and loud with tons of snarling guitars and heavy, heavy feedback.
Part 2
I have all of the Dead Weather singles and I have to say I have been unimpressed with the guitarist Dean Fertita (from the Queens of the Stone Age, a solid, hard rocking, but uneven band). On some songs he begins to let go, but we need he needs to play much rougher and longer. I am also not sold on Jack Lawrence of the Raconteurs. The Raconteurs sound is too poppy and polished for my taste. Time will tell.
While the Conan show was not as good as I had hoped, it was still what I expected and much, much better than the usual fare. You could sense that from Conan’s response. If only TV sets could capture the ambiance of a small, crowded, dark, smoke filled room.
Part 3
The combination of Jack White and Alison Mosshart Dead Weather could be huge if the remaining members can step up and we come out with a couple of better singles (although teh remake of Gary Neuman’s Are Friends Electric’ was great). After years of Coldplay, the Killers (nothing killer there), TV on the Radio, Vampire Weekend and so on (to say nothing of the ‘singer/songwriters’), the time is ripe for a return to a more aggressive sound. That type of sound does not come off well on an LA sound stage filled with vacationers being sold the next movie release.