Why the White Stripes were the most innovative band of the 2000’s

The first time I heard “The White Stripes” was in the opening credits of “Napoleon Dynamite”as a kid. “We are going to be friends” started playing and I immediately had a nostalgia trip. It provoked a very specific yearning for memories I had never actually experienced, but somehow could perfectly visualize and vividly remember. A feeling of anemoia to be more exact, which is when I realized how special this band is. How incredibly exceptional a band must be to make you feel something you had never even experienced.

The White Stripes were a driving force in the garage rock revival of the late 90’s early 2000’s. There was so much versatility and multidimensional aspects and the minimalism is quite perfect and prevalent throughout every aspect of the band. A two piece band is therefore very limited to their instruments , especially during live shows. Their sound varied from garage rock, blues,punk,folk and the list goes on. It was very collage-like and a trademark for Jack White, watching it carry on into his career post White Stripes era.

The simplicity of Meg’s drumming is something I really appreciated as I got older. Jack once said “Meg can do what those with ‘technical prowess’ can’t. She inspires people to bang on pots and pans… There’s an overall structure of simplicity and revolves around Meg’s drumming style, and it can’t be beat. We can’t do those structures in the Raconteurs”. It was absolutely genius, and perfect for what they were trying to create. Garage rock is about simplicity, and rawness, it’s what makes it so authentic. Something so simple yet brilliant that I could only learn to truly appreciate and adore more with age. Learning that the complexities and intricate details of a song isn’t what makes it great. In the words of Duke Ellington “If it feels good, sounds good, then it is good”!

Something I was always fascinated by was the ongoing themes within the band, the continuity is remarkable. Throughout their entire career, Jack and Meg stuck to the commitment of the strict red,black and white threads-only-dress code for all those years. Jack told the New York Times “Red, white and black was a sacred part of what Meg and I were doing”. Their use of color and the importance placed upon that was a huge part of their success as a band.As much as their music was an experience,their visuals were just as important to them and commanded attention from the viewer.Their music videos and album colors, strictly adhering to the repeating color code. Jack told Rolling Stone “They are the most powerful color combination of all time…When you see a bride in a white gown, you immediately see innocence in that. Red is anger and passion. It is also sexual. Black is the absence of all that”. Never underestimate the power of color and the impact it makes!

Another theme that carried out throughout The White Stripes was innocence and adolescence, which ties in perfectly with the simplicity and minimalism. Another piece of the band I had never noticed until I grew older and analyzed their discography. Between Meg’s “childish” drumming, and her sweet, gentle, voice, it all feels very young and light hearted. Songs like “In the cold cold night” , “Rag and bone” has the dialogue between Meg and Jack in the beginning. The two sound like children going back and forth, Jack saying “Meg look at this place!!! This place is like a mansion, look at all this stuff!”. Or songs like “We are going to be friends” all reflecting elements of the feeling of running around in a schoolyard and the purity of youth. Another mysterious/ ingenious element of The White Stripes was their dynamic as people. Jack and Meg were married from 1996-2000, so they were divorced by the time their career had peaked. However, they pretended that they were siblings, which later was exposed they were actually ex’s that just stayed friends. The gimmick started because Jack was very concerned about their music being taken seriously and the media focusing on their relationship instead of their art. A pretty interesting, I suppose you could say, “scandal” but also added to the childlike feel of the band. The two pretending they were just brother and sister playing music around the world is still very, very interesting to me still to this day.

Whether it was the flexibility and experimentation of their sound, their attention to detail regarding their aesthetic, or the absolute brilliance of the minimalism, the White Stripes made history with what they did. It’s something very special and near and dear to my heart, and for that I’m eternally grateful for.

Working for 102.3 WBAB

Working for 102.3 WBAB has been a dream of mine for since I was probably 16 years old. Even before i Knew I wanted to be a radio DJ , I just knew I wanted to be in that environment of people who loved the music and were all about that. A little over a year ago I had been itching for an internship to explore more of the world of radio and broadcasting, and WBAB is the first thing that came to mind! It was definitely a competitive spot but I knew that it was mine straight away, because It just had to be! I’ve wanted to work there for years, and knew that things would work out exactly the way it was supposed to. Feeling a bit nervous, and several interviews later, I got the call that the job was mine! Immediately I started working with Roger and JP for the morning show and was absolutely thrilled! Being able to be apart of the show I would listen to on the way to school for years was surreal, and most definitely one of the highlights of the fall semester.