White Stripes

I recently read an article on Pitchfork.com about how Jack and Meg are playing together again and planning a new record and tour this year. Ever since I read that, I have been on a White Stripes kick where they are almost the only band I've listened to for about three days. Since they have never done a bad record and they are unquestionably my favorite band of this decade, it isn't hard for me to do that. Here's a quick overview of their six albums:

White Stripes: A fun debut that sounds like it is completely written on the spot - Jack blazes through 17 tunes in 44 minutes. Although his songwriting doesn't really shine yet, his demonic guitar playing and sense of the blues sure do on "Jimmy The Exploder" and "Screwdriver". This also has some of his best covers: check out his angry scream-through of Robert Johnson's "Stop Breaking Down". Good album, and he was only getting started.

De Stijl: Jack is starting to discover catchy choruses, particularly on the hilarious "You're Pretty Good Looking (For A Girl)". Also, the country and folk flourishes are starting to creep in, making "Apple Blossom" and "Your Southern Can Is Mine" nice surprises among the heavy blues/punk tracks. Already, it's clear they aren't a one-trick pony.

White Blood Cells: "Fell In Love With A Girl" and "Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground" hit the radio and now the world knows them. Then Jack throws two curve ball singles: "Hotel Yorba" invokes Johnny Cash and "We're Going To Be Friends" is the first of Jack's many brilliant acoustic folk songs. On "Little Room", he prematurely sings about hating fame, which just furthers my claim that they are this decade's Nirvana. Their first masterpiece.

Elephant: We knew they could do a lot, but we had no idea they could go this far. They make brilliant use of 1960's recording technology as Jack's ferocity, musicianship, and songwriting peak. "Black Math" and "Hardest Button To Button" are new punk standards while "Seven Nation Army" takes over the radio again with it's bouncy bass rhythm. The middle of the album has his most charming ballads before he flexes his guitar muscles on "Ball & Biscuit" - seven minutes of horny electric blues. This is one of the landmarks albums of this century.

Get Behind Me Satan: The first three tracks of this album incited one of the biggest collective "WTFs" of music history. The proto-metal of "Blue Orchid", the creepy marimba ballad "The Nurse", and the piano-pop "My Doorbell" could easily be the work of three different bands. Every crazy idea Jack had went on this album, making it their most creative album and their third straight masterpiece. Jack spends more time on the piano than the guitar, which gives us gorgeous ballads like "White Moon" and "I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)". He does take on the guitar and a fire-and-brimstone preacher persona for "Red Rain", just to prove once again that he can do anything.

Icky Thump: Mostly a return to garage blues, with a few surprises thrown in. The two bagpipe tracks feel tacked on, but the trumpet in "Conquest" is a fun touch. The slow burner "300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues" is a highlight of guitar soloing and Jack's vocal dynamics. A good album, but it feels like a letdown only because of the quality of the previous three.

So in short, the world needs this band.