The Kills - Satellite

While it's obvious that Jack White will not be returning to The White Stripes, as they have just announced their permanent dissolution, his Dead Weather cohort Allison Mosshart has returned to her original band The Kills.

The Kills have a new record called Blood Pressures dropping April 5. The video for the 1st single "Satellite" can be viewed above.

So what is Jack White up to? I could go for another Raconteurs record, please.

The White Stripes Are Officially Over

The White Stripes have been on hiatus for a while now, and they haven't released an album since 2007's Icky Thump. Nonetheless, I always figured that Jack and Meg White would reunite and record a new album sooner or later.

Now it seems that Icky Thump is the last album we'll ever hear from the group, as it's been announced that The White Stripes are officially done.

"The White Stripes would like to announce that today, February 2nd, 2011, their band has officially ended and will make no further new recordings or perform live."

The statement indicates that the only reason this decision has been made is to preserve the band's legacy.

"The White Stripes belong to you now and you can do with it whatever you want."

You can read the full statement here.

last.fm Artists 11-15

11. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - 542 plays
It kinda quietly crept on me how much I like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.  I loved "Maps" when it first came out, but didn't go any further than that.  Didn't even listen to Fever to Tell.  Seems strange now that I wouldn't have, considering.

But anyway, fast forward to It's Blitz! coming out, and the band has added some electro pop to their sound.  And electro pop is like my crack these days.  So I listened to It's Blitz!, loved it, listened to their previous two albums and loved them as well.  Now the YYY's are a staple.

Karen O seems like the ultimate frontwoman.  I have not had the pleasure of seeing this band live yet, but I hope to correct that very soon.

My favorite song of theirs is probably "Down Boy", off the Is Is EP.

12. MGMT - 529 plays
MGMT have risen the ranks!  Definitely the most recent addition to this upper territory of my last.fm chart.  This is in no small part to me loving their sophomore record Congratulations, only officially dropping this week.  Oracular Spectacular has the killer singles, and I do hope they make more songs like that again at some point.  But I love their new direction, it's a glorious album.  Do not understand the early wave of hate/disappointment.  I hope that over time it is vindicated, but who knows.

13. LCD Soundsystem - 499 plays
Just shy of 5k, LCD!  That will change by tonight.  This Is Happening is soooo fucking good.  James Murphy is a genius, and this is dance rock of the highest caliber.  That is all.

14.  TV on the Radio - 491 plays
Return to Cookie Mountain is one of the albums that got me into all this art-rock and electro-pop crap in the first place.  I was so impressed.  Dear Science is prolly even better, and came around during one of the best times in my life to date.  It'll hold a special place in my heart forever.

15. The White Stripes - 488 plays
The oldest band in the Top 15, in terms of when I started listening to them.  Jack White is the man.  His output across three bands (and counting?) in the past decade is legendary. 

"The Hardest Button to Button", "Seven Nation Army", "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground", "Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine" and "Conquest" are some faves.

Jack White

Rolling Stone did an interview with Jack White.  I had heard that Jack announced some details about a new White Stripes album and a solo album, but that's not exactly the case.  The interviewer is asking Jack about his future plans and he says...

"I honestly could be working on a White Stripes in the next two weeks. I have no idea if that is going to happen. And the same with Dead Weather. I'd rather live like this without a calendar in front of me".

So I mean, that's an awesome attitude Jack has - I know that's how I'd like to operate if I made music for a living.  But he basically said "I don't know".  The chances of us getting a new White Stripes album in 2010 seem about 50/50 based on that statement.  As for the solo album business, the interviewer brings it up, and Jack says that "eventually" he would like to make one.

One thing that can be said with certainty is we'll see some new music from Jack in 2010, whether it's from The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs, The White Stripes, a solo album, or some combination.  Reportedly Jack's methods usually call for heading into the studio and banging out a record in a matter of weeks.  The potential for getting another "oh yeah, we just did an album and it comes out in a few days", like we did with The Raconteurs' Consolers of the Lonely, is awesome.

Jack also returns the love that Jay-Z showed to indie rock with his endorsement of Grizzly Bear this summer.  Jack calls Jay-Z "just incredible" and names The Black Album as one of the best of the decade.

The White Stripes - Under Great White Northern Lights

So who wants to get me this ridiculously extravagant and expensive White Stripes live box set for Christmas?  Anyone?

The set includes...

• DVD of the tour documentary Under Great White Northern Lights
• DVD of the 10th anniversary show Under Nova Scotian Lights (exclusive to the set)
• Double LP (CDs and Vinyl) of 16 live tracks
• Exclusive 7" on colored vinyl
• Exclusive silkscreened print
• Hardcover book of photography 

The set costs $179 now, but the price jumps up to $229 after New Year's...ouch.

The White Stripes