It's hard to call the Raconteurs a genuine supergroup since there's only one true ock star in the quartet: the White Stripes' eccentric mastermind Jack White. Sometime between the recording of the Stripes' 2003 breakthrough Elephant and its willfully difficult 2005 follow-up, Get Behind Me Satan, White teamed up with fellow Detroit singer/songwriter Brendan Benson to write some tunes, eventually drafting the rhythm section of Cincinnati garage rockers the Greenhornes as support. Lasting just ten tracks, their debut, Broken Boy Soldiers, doesn't feel hasty, but it doesn't exactly feel carefully considered, either. It sounds exactly as what it is: a busman's holiday for two prodigiously gifted pop songwriters where they get to indulge in temptations that their regular gig doesn't afford. For Benson, he gets to rock harder than he does on his meticulously crafted solo albums; for White, he gets to shed the self-imposed restrictions of the White Stripes and delve into the psychedelic art pop he's hinted at on Elephant and Satan. Both Benson and White are indebted to '60s guitar pop, particularly the pop experiments of the mid-'60s -- in its deliberately dark lues-rock, Elephant resembled a modern-day variation of the Stones' Aftermath, while Benson has drawn deeply from Rubber Soul and Revolver, not to mention the Kinks or any number of other '60s pop acts -- so they make good, even natural, collaborators, with Brendan's classicist tendencies nicely balancing Jack's gleeful freak-outs. Appropriately, Broken Boy Soldiers does sound like the work of a band, with traded lead vocals and layers of harmonies, and no deliberate emphasis on one singer over the other. Even if there's a seemingly conscious effort to give Brendan Benson and Jack White equal space on this brief album, White can't help but overshadow his partner: as good as Benson is, White's a far more dynamic, innovative, and compelling presence -- there's a reason why he's a star. But he does willingly embrace the teamwork of a band here, dressing up Benson's songs with weird flourishes, and playing some great guitar along the way. If the Raconteurs don't rock nearly as hard as the White Stripes -- there's a reckless freedom in Jack's careening performances when he's supported only by Meg White -- they do have some subtle sonic textures that the Stripes lack, and a tougher backbone than Benson's albums, which makes them their own distinctive entity. And they're a band that has their own identity -- it may be somewhat stuck in the '60s, but they're not monochromatic, showcasing instead a variety of sounds, ranging from sparely ominous single "Steady, as She Goes" and the propulsive pop of "Hands" to the churning Eastern psychedelia of "Intimate Secretary" and the grandiose menace of the title track to the slow lues burn of "Blue Veins." These songs, and the five other cuts on this album, prove that the Raconteurs are nothing less than a first-rate power pop band -- but they're nothing more, either. They may not rewrite the rules of pop on Broken Boy Soldiers, but they don't try to: they simply lie back and deliver ten good, colorful pop songs, so classic in style and concise in form that the album itself is barely over in 30 minutes. It's brief and even a little slight, but it's almost as much fun to listen to as it must have been to make.
right?because, basically what can i say really about them? jack white is a literal guitar hero, brendon benson possesses the cabability to hold his own against him, and hell, the rest of the band kick ass too?so wednesday after my college class let out i found myself on the way to the ATL with pam to see openers the kills and the raconteurs on the last stop on their tour. we only got there two ...
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I was just sitting about (had the day off sick you see) and thinking about the last band/album that touched me and rocked me to my very core.For me it was Broken Boy Soldiers by The Raconteurs, their fusion of rock and funk for the modern world laid down over killer guitar riffs blew me away. In particular the tracks Level and Broken Boy Solider.It gave me a hunger for more but when I tried t...
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You can't buy what you can't find what you can't buyWhat you find what you can't buy what you can'tWhat you can't buy what you can't find what you can'tYou can't buy what you can't find what you can't buyWhat you find what you can't buy what you can'tWhat you can't buy what you can't find what you can'tWhat you can't buy what you can't find what you can'tThree days til Christmas and I still hav...
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They released the list of Grammy nominees and there were some *interesting* noms on there.I guess I'll watch. If they can get some of the bands I like to play that night. If it's yet another R&B/Rap lovefest, that'll blow though.http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/37845164
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The Raconteurs kicked off their biggest UK tour to date last night and I was there to witness them blow the roof off a sold out Glasgow Carling Academy.Now... I dig their debut album 'Broken Boy Soldiers' but ever since first listen i've had the feeling that something was amiss. Last night any doubts I had were stamped clean out by a classic rock hammershot to the head. The band, a five piece o...
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I recently saw a band (rhymes with "The Skins") for the first time live and went in with real high hopes because I have been really diggin an album of theirs.....well.....I walked out of that show feeling that I would have been happier listening to the studio album over the PA system...not the feeling I look for when exiting a show.That being said, the expectations were real high going into th...
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When one factors alcohol and boredom into anything, the results are, more often than not, bad. Last night's combination of the two happened to be catastrophic. I was at my friend Matt's house and we were hanging out, drinking beer and playing video games. Well, at one point, Matt dissapeared, so I flipped over to the VMA's to see if Jack Black was doing anything of note. No dice there. I was "b...
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I love the White Stripes, their rough feel, their minimalism, hell... even Meg White's drumming. When I heard Jack White had a side project I was excited. I didn't expect it to be The White Stripes but I though it whould show another side of Jack White. When "Steady As She Goes" came out I was not impressed, but it time I grew to like the song. When "Broken Boy Soldiers" I had come to the c...
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Jack White is brilliant guitarist/musician whose energy is infectious. Last night at the Warfield in SF, The Raconteurs put on one hell of a show. Patrick Keeler's powerful drum work channelled the spirit of Mitch Mitchell. After listening to their first gigs a few months ago in the U.K., you got a real sense of how tight the band has gotten and how they are growing each song every night they ...
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I was so so happy when I heard that Jack White's career would not be ending with The White Stripes. Then I thought, how could it? He was still young and still talented. He has a ways to go, right?So I first heard The Raconteurs at the beginning of May when I was sitting in french math (don't ask) class and my friend Kenny passed me his iPod and told me to listen. I recognized the song as "Steady A
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the second version of the video for "Steady, As She Goes" by The Raconteurs. Looks like it was fun to make
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The way great songwriters can take simple words and phrases and turn them into a beautiful pop song that everyone can relate to boggles my mind! It is truly a gift...long live talents like Brendan Benson and Jack White...my world is so much better for having them in it,
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The Raconteurs NewsThe stunning new bluegrass inspired version of "Old Enough" featuring Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe will be released digitally exclusively through Amazon.com on December 2, 2008. The song will hit all other digital retailers on December 9, 2008 where it will be also be released as a physical cd single. Lastly, it will see it's 7" vinyl release on December 16, 2008.Full Track...
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right?because, basically what can i say really about them? jack white is a literal guitar hero, brendon benson possesses the cabability to hold his own against him, and hell, the rest of the band kick ass too?so wednesday after my college class let out i found myself on the way to the ATL with pam to see openers the kills and the raconteurs on the last stop on their tour. we only got there two ...
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So…the second day started with Jose Gonzalez at This Tent and he, like Newton Faulkner the day before, really set the day in a good folksy mood. I especially dug the bongo beats that were added later in the set. His voice wasn't as good as Faulkners' but he compensated with some awesome grooves and folky melodies that became trance-like after a while. Coincidentally the song highlight for me, l.
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This is a really cool album for sure, but you've just got to think that Jack, Brendan, and the boys had The Beatles Rubber Soul on repeat while they were recording. Some of these songs sound like they could be outtakes, fo real.
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"You want everything to be just likeThe stories that you read but never writeYou gotta learn to live and live and learn "These were the lyrics I had in my head as we were in the kitchen making dinner together tonight. If you would have walk by our apartment tonight you'd hear me singing "Together." I get in a zone when I cook, especially when the songs start coming. You know that I'm in full ch...
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Check it out! Lots of great performances the set list is as follows: 1. Consoler of the Lonely2. Hold Up3. The Switch and the Spur4. You Don't Understand Me5. Top Yourself6. Old Enough 7. Store Bought Bones8. Keep It Clean9. Steady, As She Goes10. Rich Kid Blues11. Blue Veins12. Many Shades of Black 13. Level14. Salute Your Solution15. Broken Boy Soldier16. Carolina DramaMy favorite performanc...
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The Raconteurs kicked off their biggest UK tour to date last night and I was there to witness them blow the roof off a sold out Glasgow Carling Academy.Now... I dig their debut album 'Broken Boy Soldiers' but ever since first listen i've had the feeling that something was amiss. Last night any doubts I had were stamped clean out by a classic rock hammershot to the head. The band, a five piece o...
More >
You can't buy what you can't find what you can't buyWhat you find what you can't buy what you can'tWhat you can't buy what you can't find what you can'tYou can't buy what you can't find what you can't buyWhat you find what you can't buy what you can'tWhat you can't buy what you can't find what you can'tWhat you can't buy what you can't find what you can'tThree days til Christmas and I still hav...
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Anthony wrote in to Brooklynvegan.com "here":http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2006/09/jack_whites_hat_1.html#more with this story of Brooklyn, the Raconteurs, and the VMAs..."Went to the Raconteurs video taping for "Level," yesterday in an abandoned warehouse in Greenpoint (on West St and Noble St). Got the call to attend because I entered their VMA ticket giveaway on their website, and si...
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the second version of the video for "Steady, As She Goes" by The Raconteurs. Looks like it was fun to make
More >
Jack White is brilliant guitarist/musician whose energy is infectious. Last night at the Warfield in SF, The Raconteurs put on one hell of a show. Patrick Keeler's powerful drum work channelled the spirit of Mitch Mitchell. After listening to their first gigs a few months ago in the U.K., you got a real sense of how tight the band has gotten and how they are growing each song every night they ...
More >
They released the list of Grammy nominees and there were some *interesting* noms on there.I guess I'll watch. If they can get some of the bands I like to play that night. If it's yet another R&B/Rap lovefest, that'll blow though.http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/37845164
More >
"Yellow sun is shining in the afternoon I'd really like to tell you, but I feel it's too soon My actions are dictated by the phase of the moon The phase of the moon The sun, it isn't hiding when it sets on you It's not a coward like me, and I know that it's true Waiting for the darkness now is all I can do It's all I can do And if the sun should follow us into your room Well, the courage will b...
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"And I know you won't deceive me Like the rest and there's nothing you need to explain You always were the first one to believe me When I said to you girl I think it's gonna rain But I could be wrong"It is depressive day what can I say.
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Broken Boy Soldier |
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| 2 Headin’ For The Texas Border (Live) |
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Click to purchase…
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 "Broken Boy Soldiers")
