Jun 29 2007
The White Stripes

The White Stripes Icky Thumping Into My Hip-Hop Archive

Number one in the UK. Two on the U.S. Billboard charts.

You know how I know Hip-Hop has a foot in its nut sack? Because my ‘hip-hop’ album of the moment is The White Stripes “Icky Thump.” Yeah, while everyone is partying like rock stars, I’m listening to them. It should be noted I bought the album the same day I gave Rihanna a digit on soundscan, picking up her album despite having the ripped web copy; also gave Chrisette Michele’s album some much deserved love; and then there was The White Stripes album, I had to have it.

I remember a few years back when they performed on the MTV Awards, looking at them with a blank stare and the outsider’s response, like.. “OK, I guess that’s what the ‘dudes’ are feelin’.”

Last week Tyrese was on The Conan O’Brien Show, I tuned in thinking I’d get something postable. Tyrese talked about the Shirts Off Tour, Transformers, and chocolate milk making his voice deep, which didn’t register as anything blurbable, or maybe it was just overshadowed by The White Stripes performance. Unlike the MTV Awards, this time they caught me. There is something about a female banging out a hard-ass drum beat with a calm “I could do this in my sleep” look on her face, combined with screechy, guitar work and high-pitched vocals supplying attitude and edge, the back and forth between the two, that is so soothing to the auditory canal.

This isn’t some teenage, bubble-pop, angst music.

As Conan excitedly described the White Stripe’s performance when they hit the last lick..“That’s the real thing. I could hear that twice.”

The album is more of the same. 13 tracks of loveliness.

Partake.. and let it get to the first break. That’s hard!

Albums awaiting purchase: Pharoahe Monch “Desire” and The Beastie Boys “The Mix Up”; diversification is where sanity lives.


☼ What's Your Opinion? ☼

1 Jay Cee Sat, Jun 30, 2007 - 12:37 am

you’re right on target for this one, listen to jack’s delivery on the album version of icky thump, listen to his detroit bred vernacular on ‘rag and bone”, and his hip hop styled delivery on ‘a martyr for my love for you’ (vibe also picked up on this) there is definitely some (perhaps inadvertent) hip hop influence on this album. by far this is the only rock group worth listening to, and the best this decade.

oh and if you loved that conan performance,  watch this one:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y6WVD3PqeNY

i’m with on you on the monch album, not so much the beastie boys.

2 Nik Sun, Jul 01, 2007 - 1:01 pm

Yeah, and what about the chopped and sequenced beat of “300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues”? Sounds like hip-hop a la Beck.

3 kay Tue, Jul 03, 2007 - 12:28 am

Glad to see im not the only one feeling this cd.

4 Young K Tue, Jul 03, 2007 - 12:19 pm

That joint does rock.  It is funny because I saw it on MTV and it caught my attention briefly so I let it ride.  Then I saw it again and I was like this joint is kinda hot and the video is cool too.  Third time I heard it I was like yeah, this my shit!  Now I am thinking of getting the album and by what I have read this is pushing me in that direction.

What up Chris?  It’s been a minute.  Glad to see you still doing your thing.

5 BRB Mon, Oct 15, 2007 - 9:28 am

The white stripes are The best everyone rock band since Nirvana. regardless of your taste in music you cant deny that the rock.

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