The Dead Weather - Horehound

If after listen "Consolers Of The Lonely", The Raconteurs second album, we wondered: Does anyone misses to The White Stripes? After listen "Horehound", the debut album of The Dead Weather, the new superband founded by Jack White (and probably, along with Chickenfoot, one of the few that deserve the adjective these days) which also involved Alison Mosshart, The Kills vocalist, Dean Fertita, Queens Of The Stone Age keyboardist, and Jack Lawrence, from The Greenhornes and The Raconteurs, the question (perhaps a little bit unfair since White is not alternating with a support band nor beginners) that is floating on the air is: Is Jack White a genius of actual rock?. If in "Consolers Of The Lonely" White exploded the opportunity of have the "creative counterweight" of Brendan Benson and to play with a real band, with enough solvency to make more elaborated music, in "Horehound" what he gets is boost and enhance the garage sound of The White Stripes taking it to another level and give it some sophistication without lose a bit of his powerful and visceral nature. 11 pieces of hard and volatile music, in which White let Fertita take charge on the 6 strings (with a style very similar to White but less frenetic), and except for "Will There Be Enough Water?", a dark blues that closes the album, he abstain from play guitar taking charge, along with Lawrence, of the drums and share vocals with Mosshart and her raspy voice. "Horehound" is an extraordinary album, 43 minutes of austere elements music but with a robust and overpower sound, as garage as bluesy. Is Jack White a genius of actual rock? The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and now The Dead Weather seem to give us the answer: absolutely yes. -CORANNIEIT-

The Dead Weather, Horehound
Third Man Records, 2009

Links:
Official Website
My Space Website

Joe Gideon & The Shark - Harum Scarum

A brother-sister power-duo. Using as primary instruments guitar and drums respectively. With an austere but powerful sound based on blues. Where we heard this before? However, despite many similarities, the music of this London duo sounds completely different to the "brothers" White of Detroit. With the unsophisticated but intense and effective Gideon’s guitar, which in some songs is changed for bass guitar and Gideon no doubt to use some distortion to create crushing riffs, and accurate and precise drums of Viva, Joe Gideon & The Shark deliver in "Harum Scarum" music in a simple and overwhelming way with a clear and vibrant blues vein despite the dark atmosphere that wraps the 9 songs that compose it. With a voice that makes listening a lot longer than he is (let say he has a voice of an old men) and a vocal style in which he often talk more than sing (maybe because the duo elaborated lyrics are small stories of disappointment, love, loss and crimes) Gideon interpretations at times evoke Iggy Pop and Johnny Cash (in particular when he talk) providing warmth and emotion to each song. Including decidedly vigorous songs as "Harum Scarum", "Civilization" or "Johan Was A Painter An Arsonist," a tasty and distorted blues, others that combine delicacy with moments of explosive guitars as the poignant and epic "Kathy Ray" or the accelerated "Hide And Seek" with Viva playing the piano, and also some moments of serenity as the beautiful and heartbreaking "Pale Blue Dot" that closes the album, "Harum Scarum" is a great debut for this real brothers band that definitely promises great things. -CORANNIEIT-

Joe Gideon & The Shark, Harum Scarum
Bronzerat Records, 2009

Links:
My Space Site