Congresswoman Donna Edwards (D- MD) totally stuck it to her Republican colleagues with a little slam courtesy of The White Stripes‘ song “Effect and Cause.” Watch it:

My brain exploded twice in one week when both the Strokes and the White Stripes played a double headlining bill first at Irving Plaza (August 14, 2002) and then at Radio City Music Hall (August 15, 2002) in New York City.

The Irving Plaza show was insane of course, with the White Stripes opening, and Strokes playing to the hometown crowd. At that time Julian Casblancas had an injured knee, so he did both shows sitting down on a stool. During the Radio City show Jack White came out during “New York City Cops” and did the guitar solo. Mindbogglingly weird!

According to my blog entry after the Irving Plaza show, even though the White Stripes were one of my most favorite bands ever, they couldn’t compare to the five guys from NYC:

I’m sorry, I really can’t explain it, but as much as I love the White Stripes, it was really all about The Strokes last night. Totally. It’s the first show they’ve done in New York in… 8 months… and it’s just… *sigh* dunno. Great.

Anyone else remember these two epic nights in music history?

When worlds collide! Jack White and Julian Casablancas share a few words (and a kiss) at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom back in the day.

Letting go of the past and looking toward the future can sometimes be a really tough thing to do. I know because I’ve been doing a lot of that recently. As I get older I see how important it is that we keep moving, keep changing, and not let fear or familiarity prevent us from doing something new and exciting. When you’ve had special times in your life — days, months, even years of happy moments, events, or milestones — you tend to put them up on this pedestal. Some of us like to think fondly upon those times as “the good ol’ days,” and I think, “man, it just doesn’t get any better than that!”

And there’s nothing wrong with remembering things as they were, as long as your can accept that part of looking at the past is just that — reminiscing at something that once was, but is no longer.

To me, the end of The White Stripes — a band I’ve both loved and admired for nearly ten years — is of course bittersweet. I think I speak for a lot of fans when I say that I am sad to see Jack and Meg announce the end of their remarkable run as one of the greatest American rock ‘n’ roll bands ever to exist, but I understand why they would want to call an end to the band. I’d rather have them go out on their own terms, while they’re still on top, rather than see them produce albums that their hearts weren’t into doing 100%.

These two kids produced six albums worth of some truly amazing music. I remember in the early 2000s I would literally listen to White Stripes songs over and over and over every waking hour of the day. The simplicity, the power, the raw energy of their tunes would take me to another place. I would pour over bootleg and live recordings, imagining myself there in the crowd.

When I listen to their early recordings I always get shivers down my spine and my heart thumps just a little faster. When I think of my favorite White Stripes songs like “The Big Three Killed My Baby,” “Expecting,” “Now Mary,” I can actually feel my body enliven itself. Over the last 10 years or so that I’ve been a fan, the White Stripes’ music has given me so much joy — I know that seems really very sappy, but it’s absolutely and honestly true.

I’ve also had so many happy memories from the many times I’ve seen Jack and Meg live. Probably my favorite show was when they did a free show on October 1, 2002 at Union Square Park here in New York City.

Here’s what I had to say at the time:

THE BIG THREE KILLED MY BABY!!!!!!

THEY PULLED THE PLUG AT 1 O’CLOCK, AT THE START OF “BOLL WEEVIL”, BUT JACK KEPT SINGING. THEN HE TOLD EVERYONE TO BE QUIET, AND SANG A TRUNCATED VERSION OF THE SONG TO THE CROWD W/OUT A MIC. THEN EVERYONE CHEERED. THEN EVERYONE BOOED NISSAN AND THE COUNTING CROWS. HOPE YOU ALL HAD FUN!

The weather was to die for today. It was like summer. It was beautiful. You were all beautiful. I love you.

And that’s how I’d like to end this post, “It was beautiful. You were all beautiful. I love you.”

Jack and Meg have called it quits just before my birthday AND Valentine’s Day.

THIS IS BREAKING MY HEART.

I’m starting a support group if anyone wants to join.

Noooo!

RIP, White Stripes. We loved ya!

Under Great White Northern Lights has been released. Got my box set in the mail today. What do y’all think? Worth the money?

Best Buy is also featuring a limited edition bundle of the film and live album, get it while supplies last.

Jack White has certainly had some well-publicized beefs in the past, but this major beef that started with a smack-down on the Air Force Reserve and beat its way down to a lone Salt Lake City-based 56-year-old ad and film musician named Kem Kraft.

It all started when The White Stripes took great offense to a recent Air Force Reserve advertisement that aired during the Super Bowl containing a song that sounded eerily similar to “Fell In Love with a Girl.” This prompted the band to post this statement on the Third Man Records website:

We believe our song was re-recorded and used without permission of the White Stripes, our publishers, label or management.

The White Stripes take strong insult and objection to the Air Force Reserve presenting this advertisement with the implication that we licensed one of our songs to encourage recruitment during a war that we do not support.

The White Stripes support this nation’s military, at home and during times when our country needs and depends on them. We simply don’t want to be a cog in the wheel of the current conflict, and hope for a safe and speedy return home for our troops.

We have not licensed this song to the Air Force Reserve and plan to take strong action to stop the ad containing this music.

Watch a video of the “Extreme” ad on the Huffington Post site or on Bing

The original song by the Stripes:

The Air Force Reserve then passed the blame over to the ad company they hired, responding with the following statement:

In response to the claims being made today regarding the Air Force Reserve regional ad that aired in select markets during the Super Bowl, the Air Force Reserve, through its advertising agency, hired Fast Forward Music of Salt Lake City to score original music for its commercial. There was never any intention to utilize any existing music or to sound like any music by the band White Stripes or any other musical performer. Any similarity or likeness to any other music is completely unintentional.

Then Fast Forward Music owner Michael Lee told EW.com that they had hired a local musician named Kem Kraft to do the music. “He created the spot. Never had I ever heard the White Stripes song before. What we thought we had was original. He claims it is original.”

Then in an interview with EW.com, Kraft took the blame for the similarity but denied that he was familiar with the original tune because, “that’s not the kind of music I listen to.”

Kraft followed up by saying he’d like to bury the hatchet with Jack White personally and reimburse him for the fee that he was paid to create the song: “I would say, ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it sounded like your song. I had no intention whatsoever of copying you. If you need me to pay the money back that I made, which was 2,000 bucks, to you, I will do that if you want me to.’ This has gotten way out of proportion.”

As you probably already know, the new documentary It Might Get Loud featuring legendary electric guitar players Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), The Edge (U2), and Jack White (White Stripes, The Raconteurs, Dead Weather) opens this Friday (Aug 14) in NY and LA. The film, helmed by director Davis Guggenheim (executive producer of An Inconvenient Truth), focuses on the three guitarists and their individual relationships with the instrument.

Tonight I had a chance to screen the film, and I’m pleased to report that fans of rock ‘n’ roll have nothing to fear–the movie is a joyous celebration of all things axmen. Even if you go into the theater without being a fan of any of the featured guitarists, by the end of the film you’ll have a newfound respect and reverence for all of them. In fact, if you’re anything like me, you’ll end up running home and spinning all your old Zeppelin, U2, and White Stripes albums and finding yourself listening to them with a whole new set of ears.

Guggenheim is careful not to put the three men on a pedestal, rather he paints a picture of these men as regular guys with extraordinary talents. However, he does allow for their individual personalities shine through: Page comes across as an extremely likable, sweet old man, The Edge is a soft-spoken, yet passionate presence, and White is the fiery, opinionated youngster of the bunch. In fact, White displays some of his love of the odd by conducting a portion of his interviews with a identically dressed 9-year-old boy portraying a younger version of the musician.

The film is comprised of thematic vignettes of all three musicians together chatting about their guitars with individual visits with each to childhood hometowns and rehearsal spaces in their current geographical bases. While the individual interviews are essential to understanding who each of these men are, the scenes of the three guitar titans are the most riveting of the film. Watching as they learn each other’s songs and jam together will bring a smile to your face.

Music fans will be smitten with this film and the opportunity to get the inside scoop on the learnings/thoughts/philosophies of three generations of iconic guitarists.

Part of the film features footage of Jack White writing and recording the song “Fly Farm Blues” on the spot. The track was released on Third Man Records via iTunes today.

From the official White Stripes mailing list:

“Fly Farm Blues” is a song that was written on the spot by Jack White at the request of film director Davis Guggenheim while filming the incredible new guitar documentary It Might Get Loud which features in depth looks at Mr. White, The Edge, and Jimmy Page’s relationships with the six stringed instrument. Jack also recorded the song immediately to two-track, all while being filmed for the documentary in the attic of the Fly Farm. Some may remember the room this scene was filmed in from the first video for The Raconteurs single “Steady, As She Goes”, which was directed by Jim Jarmusch. “Fly Farm Blues” is released on a special one sided 45 RPM vinyl by Third Man Records and on iTunes today.

Trailer below:

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

This just in: Jack White’s Third Man Records has announced their very own social network and subscription service. The basic jist is this- it’s called The Vault and it’s a two tiered subscription service: Premium service is $7 a month and the Platinum membership is $20 a month, both with a minimum of a 3 month signup. Members will have access to presales and exclusive content and merchandise for bands that are on the label (including The White Stripes, The Dead Weather, and The Raconteurs).

Explains Jack in a blog post, “The community we are building here will be like no other you’ve been a part of in regards to music. We hope to have a place where positivity and beauty in music and art can be shared together as a community. A place that has content that you can only see if you truly want to explore the deepest depths of the third man records vault.”

Platinum subscribers who sign up between July 3rd and July 21st will receive a double album of The White Stripes LP Icky Thump. This will be an exclusive never before heard MONO mix of the album on 180 Gram Vinyl, with customized artwork in a gatefold sleeve. In addition to that behemoth, you’ll also receive a 45 of The Dead Weather performing two covers, Pentagrams Forever My Queen and The Downliner Sect’s Outside. This 45 will come with special labels and sleeves that you will only get through the Vault. Last but not least, you’ll get a Third Man Records T-shirt, with a new design that AGAIN you can only get through The Vault service.

There’s a lot of info on the site, so check it out now.

Press release after the jump.

In their latest groundbreaking initiative, Jack White’s Third Man Records announces the July 3rd opening of The Vault at 3:33 p.m. CST. The Vault is a social networking and subscription service that provides exclusive offerings from the label’s artists. Subscribers will have access to online content and physical products from Third Man artists including The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, all of which will ONLY be available to Vault subscribers.

The Vault is a two-tiered service, providing a forum for all subscribers to create member profiles and usersites, post comments and interact with other members. For the $7-a-month Premium Service (three month minimum), subscribers will get unlimited access to all online Vault services, including exclusive pre-sale concert tickets, streaming video, video messages, official chat rooms, photos, artist updates and pay per view live concerts. The $20-a-month Platinum Service (three month minimum) includes all online content as well as quarterly Third Man 12″ LPs, extremely limited 7″ records and t-shirts These products will only be available through The Vault and will not be distributed to shops or available from Third Man’s online mail order service.

Platinum subscribers who sign up between July 3rd and July 21st will receive a double album of The White Stripes’ LP Icky Thump featuring an exclusive MONO mix, 180 Gram Vinyl and customized artwork, as well as a Third Man Records exclusive T-shirt and a 45 of The Dead Weather performing two covers, “Forever My Queen” and “Outside,” with special dedicated labels and sleeves exclusive to The Vault. While the Premium subscription is available at all times, Platinum subscribers who miss the July 21st deadline must wait until the following registration period for the next set of Third Man products.

For more information on The Vault, check out

http://thirdmanrecords.com/vault.html

According to the official White Stripes website, this weekend White Stripes drummer Meg White and her fiance Jackson Smith officially tied the knot as part of a double wedding staged in Jack White‘s backyard in Nashville, TN. Smith is the son of rockers Patti Smith and Fred (Sonic) Smith (MC5) and was the guitarist in the recently disbanded Detroit group Back in Spades.

The May 22nd wedding also served as a ceremony to Raconteurs and Dead Weather bassist Jack “Little Jack” Lawrence to his girlfriend Jo McCaughey.

The couples were wed by former Soledad Brothers‘ drummer, and long time White Stripes friend, Benjamin (Ben) Swank.

Congratulations to the happy couples!

FUN FACT: Ben Swank was the inspiration behind the Von Bondies song “Been Swank.”

RELATED LINKS: Meg White to Get Married