Six Songs to Celebrate the White Stripes

Image: Fader

    Fall is here, hear the yell and I'm listening to lots of White Stripes. Autumn has always been the season I resonate with their music. When listening to their albums, it's perfectly understandable why the band's sound matches the aesthetic of the season. Whether queing up 'Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground' to match the some of the bleaker days or the childhood heartwarming back-to-school nostalgic feel of 'We're Going to Be Friends' (my all-time favorite song). Their sound jumps back and forth from cozy acoustic to haunting electric, all encapsulating a sense of youthful innocence. 

Image: Pitchfork Thanks to Arctic-White-Striped for finding this

    Recently I moved into a apartment with my girlfriend and sat down with my boxes of CDs, questioning how many of them do I need to keep? When I started collecting as a pre-teen, I never guessed streaming would take over and make CDs seemingly obsolete, let alone cash-grab 'greatest hits' albums. Which is why it surprised me when a White Stripes greatest hits album was announced. Bands that formed in the Gen Z generation don't release greatest hits albums! 

Image: Third Man Records

    This news instantly reminded me of being in the car with my Dad and his shocked reaction to Jane's Addiction being played on a classic rock radio station. I immediately wondered how many years would it be until I find Seven Nation Army thumping behind a 80s hair metal ballad. 

    With the accessibility of streaming, their music continues to reach new audiences in numbers many of their peers haven't. Despite being nearly a decade since their last performance, the stamp their music made has not withered away in time, as they are often cited as an influence to many modern musicians. 

    In celebration of their continued success, I decided to celebrate the lesser known 'deep cuts' that I hold dear and embodies their story. Trying my best to choose one from their six albums, knowing that there are still many more to be discovered by future listeners. 

Do - The White Stripes (1999)

    Simplicity was always the heart of the band. While the White Stripe's bare-bone sound made them more approachable to those looking to pick up an instrument, it was Jack's lyrics that made the music relatable. Especially when it came to bringing sentiments of color and warmth to feelings of loneliness, as perfectly exemplified in Do. 

Sister Do You Know My Name? - De Stijl (2000)

    A song that feels like a musical sibling to Do, with lyrics that resemble the cute back-to-school relationship of We're Going to Be Friends. Were Do tackles isolation, Sister Do You Know My Name builds on that same theme as the narrater yearns to invite someone into their lost romantic world, with an extra kick of bluesy slide guitar. 

Now Mary - White Blood Cells (2001)

    On an album dedicated to Loretta Lynn, Hotel Yorba might be the most well known song that showcases their country influence, Now Mary reveals the band at their twangiest. Now Mary is also one of the first times I discovered that artists don't always release their best songs as singles. 

Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine - Elephant (2003)

    Just incase this playlist was a little too soft Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine is one of the band's most ripping songs. While growing a global audience and pumping out radio hits, the Stripes continued to make it clear that they kept their underground roots proud on their shoulder.

Ugly As I Seem - Get Behind Me Satan (2005)

    A brisk and simple acoustic song of self reflection. Where despite achieving admiration and fame, the lonely protagonist from the earlier songs is still trying to navigate through feelings of unease and personal strife. 

I also included this song on my October 2020 playlist which you can check out here.

Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn - Icky Thump (2007)

    "It has bagpipes" enthusiastically said the record store clerk when I bought Icky Thump (first record store purchase), while also mentioning that their grandmother was a fan. From their first album, they made it clear they weren't going to hold down to one particular sound and 'Prickly Thorn' represents the peak of their branching out. Jack and Meg were now an accomplished global phenomena and this song reflects their time on the road, evoking imagery of sweeping hillsides and valleys. While the band's core simplicity was meant to be reminiscent of childhood, around the time Icky Thump was released, their image of childlike innocence nearly faded away. The Candy Cane Children had grown up. 

    The story of the White Stripes holds a lesson that has remained with me since discovering them in elementary school, that is to be open to change. It was their ability to switch up their sound, while maintaining a relatable simplicity that has kept me listening all these years later. While finding comfort in their music, change is always expected, embrace it and be ready to move on.

Image: Autumn De Wilde

     

    Comment below with any recommendations, I am interested in hearing more fan favorites! Subscribe above for more, each month I create playlists that I resonate with that month.