After years spent collaborating as a producer and performer on great singer-songwriter records, Ethan Johns has taken the spotlight with a few well-known pals in tow. Hear solo track “Whip-Poor-Will” here.
Stream: Jack White – “Sixteen Saltines”
If this blistering cut, the first single, and recent live setlists are any indication, Jack White’s solo debut will be an eclectic trip through the styles he explored in previous projects. Come to think of it, there are hints of a few of White’s other bands in today’s preview, “Sixteen Saltines,” alone: the guitar/drum-driven main riff recalls the White Stripes while the chorus’ harmony vocals bring the Raconteurs to mind and an effects pedal-filtered version of the hook wouldn’t be out of place on one of the Dead Weather’s analog synths. Either way, we’re over a month away from when Blunderbuss arrives in full and things are shaping up nicely. Check out the studio version of the tune he debuted on SNL below:
Video: Angel Olsen with the Cairo Gang
Every now and then — when Will Oldham takes a break from traveling the world — we get a chance to hear members of Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s latest live lineup take the stage solo. And given that the debut from Angel Olsen, aka Angela Babbler, hasn’t left our turntable’s side since back in 2010 while solo outings are rare of late, this video that popped up last fall has been the best glimpse at one of those shows for some time. Featuring the Cairo Gang’s Emmett Kelly on harmony vocals and guitar, the tune sounds so timeless that I’ve been digging around for evidence that it’s a cover. Nothing has turned up yet, so suffice it to say for now that if this is a preview of her sophomore effort, we’re in for a real treat. Check it out below:
Strange Cacti is available now on iTunes here.