Despite the fact that his new video features a ton of skaters — and a cameo from him — Brendan Benson wants you to know he’s not a skater. “I feel I should clear that up straight away,” the Raconteurs co-founder tells Rolling Stone. “It was always a symbiotic relationship, though, so I’m well acquainted with it, and I’ve made attempts and hurt myself too many times.”
Benson is premiering the video for “Ain’t No Good” with Rolling Stone, the first single off his upcoming eighth studio album,...
Benson is premiering the video for “Ain’t No Good” with Rolling Stone, the first single off his upcoming eighth studio album,...
- 11/1/2022
- by Brenna Ehrlich
- Rollingstone.com
For most, it’s been almost an entire year without concerts, a previously unimaginable set of circumstances for fans, not to mention the musicians and behind-the-scenes workers who depend on live shows for their livelihood. Our weekly Rolling Stone Music Now podcast addressed the situation in multiple episodes; press play below to listen now, or go to iTunes or Spotify to hear any episode and subscribe.
Rob Sheffield and Andy Greene join host Brian Hiatt to share their picks for the greatest live albums ever made, while engineer Bob Pridden...
Rob Sheffield and Andy Greene join host Brian Hiatt to share their picks for the greatest live albums ever made, while engineer Bob Pridden...
- 12/30/2020
- by Brian Hiatt
- Rollingstone.com
Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, Alison Mosshart and more perform from quarantine on the latest installment of Third Man Records’ Public Access web series.
The episode features Moore playing a song titled “Mantra for D.A. Levy,” while Mosshart — vocalist for the Kills and Jack White’s the Dead Weather — opened the show with a spoken-word piece titled “Roadkill.” Other performers include the Nude Party, Detroit singer-songwriter Anna Burch, Pavement’s Spiral Stairs, Craig Brown, members of the Go, Liz Cooper and more. Poet Janaka Stucky also shared an excerpt...
The episode features Moore playing a song titled “Mantra for D.A. Levy,” while Mosshart — vocalist for the Kills and Jack White’s the Dead Weather — opened the show with a spoken-word piece titled “Roadkill.” Other performers include the Nude Party, Detroit singer-songwriter Anna Burch, Pavement’s Spiral Stairs, Craig Brown, members of the Go, Liz Cooper and more. Poet Janaka Stucky also shared an excerpt...
- 5/18/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
With concert venues sitting silent, the latest episode of Rolling Stone Music Now finds our writers — along with special guests Brian Fallon of Gaslight Anthem and Brendan Benson of the Raconteurs — looking back on highlights from their lifetimes of seeing live music. Brittany Spanos, Andy Greene, and Rob Sheffield join host Brian Hiatt for the episode, which touches on performances by Stevie Wonder, Cher, Bruce Springsteen, Harry Styles, Fleetwood Mac, LL Cool J, the Jesus Lizard, and beyond. The panel also discusses the fallout for the concert industry and artists,...
- 4/21/2020
- by Brian Hiatt
- Rollingstone.com
Brendan Benson gets soaked in the animated video for “Richest Man.” The song is off his upcoming album Dear Life, out April 24th on Third Man Records.
Directed by New York cartoonist Wartella, the clip features Benson in a dilapidated home as picture frames fall off the wall and a vase of flowers wilt. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, he’s grateful for what really matters: “I gave you your name, but you gave me my life,” he sings, “And you made this house a home.”
“This was a very different video-making experience,...
Directed by New York cartoonist Wartella, the clip features Benson in a dilapidated home as picture frames fall off the wall and a vase of flowers wilt. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, he’s grateful for what really matters: “I gave you your name, but you gave me my life,” he sings, “And you made this house a home.”
“This was a very different video-making experience,...
- 4/9/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Brendan Benson has dropped a charming ode to family life, “Richest Man,” off his upcoming album, Dear Life, (out April 24th via Third Man Records).
“I’ve got two beautiful babies/one hell of a good looking wife,” the Raconteurs guitarist sings over a sizzling guitar riff. “Got twice the love and half the money/and I feel like the richest man alive.”
“I never thought I would write a song about domesticity!” Benson said in a statement. “When I wrote the words, I thought I would eventually change them...
“I’ve got two beautiful babies/one hell of a good looking wife,” the Raconteurs guitarist sings over a sizzling guitar riff. “Got twice the love and half the money/and I feel like the richest man alive.”
“I never thought I would write a song about domesticity!” Benson said in a statement. “When I wrote the words, I thought I would eventually change them...
- 3/31/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Shortly after Rosalía closed out the 45th season of Austin City Limits, the long-running series has added a bonus installment of the Raconteurs’ recent performance, streaming now on PBS.
The supergroup’s performance now extends to a full hour and shows previously unreleased songs in the set list — including the opener, “Bored and Razed,” which you can hear below. Other songs include “Only Child” and “Thoughts and Prayers” from 2019’s Help Us Stranger, and “Old Enough” and “Carolina Drama” from 2008’s Consolers of the Lonely.
In the clip of “Bored and Razed,...
The supergroup’s performance now extends to a full hour and shows previously unreleased songs in the set list — including the opener, “Bored and Razed,” which you can hear below. Other songs include “Only Child” and “Thoughts and Prayers” from 2019’s Help Us Stranger, and “Old Enough” and “Carolina Drama” from 2008’s Consolers of the Lonely.
In the clip of “Bored and Razed,...
- 2/12/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
The Raconteurs’ October 2019 gigs in Tulsa — and Jack White and Brendan Benson’s first-ever gig together in Detroit in 1999 — are the focus of the latest release from the Third Man Records’ Vault.
Live in Tulsa captures highlights from the Raconteurs’ three-night stand at Tulsa’s Cain Ballroom — “My favorite place to play in the world,” Jack White states on the recording — from the band’s recent tour in support of Help Us Stranger spread across three vinyl records.
The Vault 43 package also includes a Blu-ray disc of White and Benson...
Live in Tulsa captures highlights from the Raconteurs’ three-night stand at Tulsa’s Cain Ballroom — “My favorite place to play in the world,” Jack White states on the recording — from the band’s recent tour in support of Help Us Stranger spread across three vinyl records.
The Vault 43 package also includes a Blu-ray disc of White and Benson...
- 11/10/2019
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
The Raconteurs explore a Wisconsin tourist attraction in their new video for “Somedays (I Don’t Feel Like Trying),” a track from their latest album Help Us Stranger.
Directed by Ben Chappell, the clip shows the supergroup — Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler — filmed on location at the House on the Rock in Spring Green, Wisconsin. The 1950s modernist house features a unique layout design and many other oddities, including an indoor carousel, token-operated musical instruments and a 218-foot “Infinity Room” that juts out from the house with no supports underneath.
Directed by Ben Chappell, the clip shows the supergroup — Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler — filmed on location at the House on the Rock in Spring Green, Wisconsin. The 1950s modernist house features a unique layout design and many other oddities, including an indoor carousel, token-operated musical instruments and a 218-foot “Infinity Room” that juts out from the house with no supports underneath.
- 11/4/2019
- by Claire Shaffer
- Rollingstone.com
When Jack White first met Brendan Benson the late 1990s, White shocked his future Raconteurs bandmate by ashing his cigarette all over the table.
“We were standing in a room and I was showing him all my stuff, you know, I was kind of showing off all my crap — guitars and amps,” Benson jovially recalls. “He was smoking a cigarette and he looked around — for an ashtray, I guess, now — but he didn’t find one, so he kind of ashed on the table. I was just like… shocked.”
Luckily,...
“We were standing in a room and I was showing him all my stuff, you know, I was kind of showing off all my crap — guitars and amps,” Benson jovially recalls. “He was smoking a cigarette and he looked around — for an ashtray, I guess, now — but he didn’t find one, so he kind of ashed on the table. I was just like… shocked.”
Luckily,...
- 9/25/2019
- by Brenna Ehrlich
- Rollingstone.com
Fans looking for more date and venue options to go see The Raconteurs are in luck. The Nashville rock quartet, led by White Stripes alum Jack White, announced earlier this summer they will extend their 2019 tour to support their comeback album, Help Us Stranger. Get Raconteurs Tickets Here! White, Jack Lawrence, Brendan Benson and Patrick Keeler are next set to perform […]
The post The Raconteurs Extend Fall 2019 Tour [Dates, Tickets, Deals] appeared first on uInterview.
The post The Raconteurs Extend Fall 2019 Tour [Dates, Tickets, Deals] appeared first on uInterview.
- 9/3/2019
- by Pablo Mena
- Uinterview
The Raconteurs caught the beginning and end of Saturday night’s Washington Nationals game – and played a concert in between – after the contest between the Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers stretched to 14 innings.
According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, White and his band mates attended the first three innings of the game and then left to perform their show at the Anthem, a venue that is roughly a mile away from Nationals Park.
When the concert ended, the Raconteurs checked the score and learned that the baseball game was tied and in extra innings.
According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, White and his band mates attended the first three innings of the game and then left to perform their show at the Anthem, a venue that is roughly a mile away from Nationals Park.
When the concert ended, the Raconteurs checked the score and learned that the baseball game was tied and in extra innings.
- 8/18/2019
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
The Raconteurs took the stage at Jimmy Kimmel Live to offer up two of their new tracks, “Somedays (I Don’t Feel Like Trying)” and “Don’t Bother Me.” Both songs come from the rock band’s recent album Help Us Stranger, which dropped in June.
The musicians get particularly raucous on “Don’t Bother Me,” a guitar-driven garage rock number with a raw, energized vibe. “Somedays (I Don’t Feel Like Trying)” is more low-key, with Jack White taking a less impassioned approach to the vocals.
Help Us Stranger is The Raconteurs’ third album,...
The musicians get particularly raucous on “Don’t Bother Me,” a guitar-driven garage rock number with a raw, energized vibe. “Somedays (I Don’t Feel Like Trying)” is more low-key, with Jack White taking a less impassioned approach to the vocals.
Help Us Stranger is The Raconteurs’ third album,...
- 7/26/2019
- by Emily Zemler
- Rollingstone.com
After making 2018’s wild Boarding House Reach, Jack White decided it was time to take a little pressure off himself. So he re-formed the Raconteurs — the band he put together in 2006, just before the dissolution of the White Stripes, with fellow Detroit musicians including co-frontman Brendan Benson. Their first two albums have become fan favorites; their third, Help Us Stranger, is a welcome return to their garage-y looseness and the blend of White’s aggressive vocals with Benson’s “sweet-sounding voice,” as White, calling from Nashville, puts it. “He’s an actual singer,...
- 7/15/2019
- by Patrick Doyle
- Rollingstone.com
The Black Keys, Let’s Rock” ****
The Raconteurs, Help Us Stranger ****
If rock is dead, that memo did not reach Nashville, where these albums were recorded. And Detroit – the Raconteurs’ real home, where singer-guitarists Jack White and Brendan Benson each grew up in the local garage-punk ruckus – has always ignored that message. “I’ve been riding this thing out since I was eight years old,” Benson sings on Help Us Stranger, in “Somedays (I Don’t Feel Like Trying),” which starts in Seventies-arena-ballad distress but jumps to a thumping, electric...
The Raconteurs, Help Us Stranger ****
If rock is dead, that memo did not reach Nashville, where these albums were recorded. And Detroit – the Raconteurs’ real home, where singer-guitarists Jack White and Brendan Benson each grew up in the local garage-punk ruckus – has always ignored that message. “I’ve been riding this thing out since I was eight years old,” Benson sings on Help Us Stranger, in “Somedays (I Don’t Feel Like Trying),” which starts in Seventies-arena-ballad distress but jumps to a thumping, electric...
- 6/27/2019
- by David Fricke
- Rollingstone.com
The Raconteurs’ two-night stand on Late Show With Stephen Colbert continued Friday with a performance of “Bored and Razed,” a track off the group’s just-released new album Help Us Stranger.
Bathed by green light on a stage designed after the Help Us Stranger cover art, Jack White and company delivered a fierce rendition of the track that amplified the studio rendition, with White’s distorted vocals and guitar filling the Ed Sullivan Theater.
The previous night the Raconteurs brought “Help Me Stranger” to the Late Show. Help Us Stranger...
Bathed by green light on a stage designed after the Help Us Stranger cover art, Jack White and company delivered a fierce rendition of the track that amplified the studio rendition, with White’s distorted vocals and guitar filling the Ed Sullivan Theater.
The previous night the Raconteurs brought “Help Me Stranger” to the Late Show. Help Us Stranger...
- 6/22/2019
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
The Raconteurs released the new video for “Help Me Stranger,” the latest single off the reunited band’s upcoming LP Help Us Stranger.
The video, directed by Yasuhiko Shimizu, finds Jack White, Brendan Benson and company performing the track in the studio and posing for what appears to be promotional photos. A strange subplot sees White finding an abandoned baby in front of a shuttered store in Kitmitsu, Japan – the Raconteurs filmed the video last month while touring Japan – and Benson making telephone calls in a green-lit room.
The Raconteurs...
The video, directed by Yasuhiko Shimizu, finds Jack White, Brendan Benson and company performing the track in the studio and posing for what appears to be promotional photos. A strange subplot sees White finding an abandoned baby in front of a shuttered store in Kitmitsu, Japan – the Raconteurs filmed the video last month while touring Japan – and Benson making telephone calls in a green-lit room.
The Raconteurs...
- 5/17/2019
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
One day after playing their first show in eight years at Third Man Records’ 10th anniversary celebration, the Raconteurs announced a full-scale North American tour. The quartet — Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler — will kick off the trek July 12th in Detroit, Michigan and wrap October 18th in St. Louis, Missouri.
General tickets go on sale Friday, April 12th at 10 a.m. local time. Third Man Records Vault members can access the first pre-sale, which runs Tuesday, April 9th at 10 a.m. through Thursday, April 11th at 10 p.
General tickets go on sale Friday, April 12th at 10 a.m. local time. Third Man Records Vault members can access the first pre-sale, which runs Tuesday, April 9th at 10 a.m. through Thursday, April 11th at 10 p.
- 4/8/2019
- by Ryan Reed
- Rollingstone.com
It’s been eight years since the Raconteurs came together for a live performance, and on Saturday night, as part of Third Man Records’ 10-year anniversary party, Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler reunited to kick off their forthcoming LP, Help Us Stranger, with a tight set of songs new and old that show the foursome hasn’t rusted a bit in their time off. After a sweet introduction from White’s mother Teresa Gillis, the foursome launched into fan favorite “Consoler of the Lonely” — the same...
- 4/7/2019
- by Marissa R. Moss
- Rollingstone.com
The Raconteurs performed their first concert together in eight years and debuted tracks off their upcoming third album Help Me Stranger at the band’s gig Saturday at Third Man Records’ 10th anniversary celebration in Nashville.
In addition to performing the previously released “Now That You’re Gone” and “Sunday Driver,” Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler also introduced the crowd to new album cuts “Help Me Stranger,” “Shine the Light on Me” and “Bored and Razed.”
The Raconteurs also debuted their cover of Donovan’s “Hey...
In addition to performing the previously released “Now That You’re Gone” and “Sunday Driver,” Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler also introduced the crowd to new album cuts “Help Me Stranger,” “Shine the Light on Me” and “Bored and Razed.”
The Raconteurs also debuted their cover of Donovan’s “Hey...
- 4/7/2019
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
The Raconteurs – Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler – have announced their third album. Help Us Stranger will be released via Third Man Records on June 21st. The group’s first new album in more than a decade, the LP follows 2008’s Consolers of the Lonely.
Written by White and Benson, with the exception of their cover of Donovan’s “Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness),” the group recorded the 12-song set at Third Man Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Produced by the Raconteurs and engineered by Joshua V. Smith,...
Written by White and Benson, with the exception of their cover of Donovan’s “Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness),” the group recorded the 12-song set at Third Man Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Produced by the Raconteurs and engineered by Joshua V. Smith,...
- 4/2/2019
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
Jack White’s long-dormant band the Raconteurs have returned with their first new music in 10 years, sharing two songs, “Sunday Driver” and “Now That You’re Gone.”
“Sunday Driver” boasts a rocksteady rumble of thumping drums and crunching guitars, though the song also veers into more surreal and serene spaces. During the psych-tinged mid-section, Jack White and the rest of the group sing in hypnotic harmony, “Let’s take a drive, let’s take our time/ Paying no mind to people behind/ The road stretches wide, you’re close by...
“Sunday Driver” boasts a rocksteady rumble of thumping drums and crunching guitars, though the song also veers into more surreal and serene spaces. During the psych-tinged mid-section, Jack White and the rest of the group sing in hypnotic harmony, “Let’s take a drive, let’s take our time/ Paying no mind to people behind/ The road stretches wide, you’re close by...
- 12/19/2018
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Jack White‘s long-dormant side project the Raconteurs will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their second album Consolers of the Lonely with a deluxe reissue that will sport the band’s first new songs in 10 years.
Consolers of the Lonely: 10 Year Anniversary Special Edition, the latest installment in the Third Man Records Vault series, will come with a special 7″ boasting two songs from the Raconteurs’ “recent sessions that will ultimately result in a new Raconteurs album in 2019,” Third Man announced, adding the songs won’t be revealed until the reissue arrives in Vault members’ mailboxes.
Consolers of the Lonely: 10 Year Anniversary Special Edition, the latest installment in the Third Man Records Vault series, will come with a special 7″ boasting two songs from the Raconteurs’ “recent sessions that will ultimately result in a new Raconteurs album in 2019,” Third Man announced, adding the songs won’t be revealed until the reissue arrives in Vault members’ mailboxes.
- 10/8/2018
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Ashley Monroe embraces the inherent beauty of nature in a dreamy new video for her song “Wild Love.” A track off her latest album Sparrow, it’s one of the more passionate numbers off an already smoldering LP.
In the clip, Monroe is captured wandering through a forest and bathing her feet in a stream as the song’s strings swell around her. “I need a stranger to pull my hair and call my name,” she sings, “take me home and make me feel alive again.”
Monroe co-wrote “Wild Love...
In the clip, Monroe is captured wandering through a forest and bathing her feet in a stream as the song’s strings swell around her. “I need a stranger to pull my hair and call my name,” she sings, “take me home and make me feel alive again.”
Monroe co-wrote “Wild Love...
- 8/15/2018
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Leigh Nash is back on the music scene with a new album!
The former "Sixpence None the Richer" singer will release "The State I'm In" on Friday – her first country album (and first record since 2011's "Hymns and Sacred Songs").
"I’ve talked about making this record for 20 years, it took every minute of the last 20 years to complete, but it’s been well worth it," Leigh tells Access Hollywood of her upcoming album. "I’m overjoyed with it."
Photos: Country Music Stars
Produced by Grammy winner Brendan Benson, the album features 12 songs (all co-written ...
Copyright 2015 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The former "Sixpence None the Richer" singer will release "The State I'm In" on Friday – her first country album (and first record since 2011's "Hymns and Sacred Songs").
"I’ve talked about making this record for 20 years, it took every minute of the last 20 years to complete, but it’s been well worth it," Leigh tells Access Hollywood of her upcoming album. "I’m overjoyed with it."
Photos: Country Music Stars
Produced by Grammy winner Brendan Benson, the album features 12 songs (all co-written ...
Copyright 2015 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
- 9/16/2015
- by access.hollywood@nbcuni.com (Access Hollywood)
- Access Hollywood
South By Southwest, the Austin-based festival that combines music, film, and technology, will celebrate its 27th year next March. This morning, SXSW released a preliminary list of invited acts scheduled to perform during the weeklong music festival taking place March 12-17. Highlights from the very long list include: the Mercury Prize winning Alt-j, Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, Klaxons, Akron/Family, Brendan Benson, Marnie Stern, Why?, Ezra Furman, Turbo Fruits, Shakey Graves, Mac DeMarco, Pacific Air, Civil Twilight, Haim, The Rocketboys, and even The Zombies. As the festival nears, more bands will be added to the lineup. Check out a ...
- 11/8/2012
- avclub.com
Sound on Sight’s misshapen relative Sordid Cinema is finally back with a new episode, and it’s a doozy: William Friedkin, famed director of The Exorcist and The French Connection, has undergone a bit of career rehabilitation these past few years, thanks to his collaborations with playwright Tracy Letts. On this episode, Ricky D, Simon Howell and special guest Justin Li tackle their two cinematic encounters: Bug, which introduced the world to the errant ways of Michael Shannon, and the new Killer Joe, an Nc-17 Southern-fried neo-noir graced with some truly debauched material.
Download the show in a new window
Playlist:
Andre Ethier – “Cop Killer”
Killer Mike – “Southern Fried”
Brendan Benson – “Insects Rule”
Listen on iTunes RSS feeds Twitter Facebook Tumblr Podcast Feed...
Download the show in a new window
Playlist:
Andre Ethier – “Cop Killer”
Killer Mike – “Southern Fried”
Brendan Benson – “Insects Rule”
Listen on iTunes RSS feeds Twitter Facebook Tumblr Podcast Feed...
- 7/30/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Kermit and the gang hit the shelves last week with the release of James Bobbins’ The Muppets, and this week brings Daniel Radcliffe in his first feature following Harry Potter in James Watkins’ The Woman in Black, which topped the UK box office three weeks in a row back in February, and has been one of 2012’s biggest earners internationally.
Not too bad a follow-up, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Surprisingly few new titles coming to DVD and Blu-ray this week. But next week brings with it Charlize Theron in Young Adult, along with the Blu-ray releases of Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle and Tales from Earthsea, so be sure to get your pre-orders in early for them. Because who can resist Studio Ghibli?
My picks of the week:
James Watkins’ The Woman in Black & Roman Polanski’s Carnage
The Woman in Black Iframe Embed for Youtube...
Not too bad a follow-up, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Surprisingly few new titles coming to DVD and Blu-ray this week. But next week brings with it Charlize Theron in Young Adult, along with the Blu-ray releases of Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle and Tales from Earthsea, so be sure to get your pre-orders in early for them. Because who can resist Studio Ghibli?
My picks of the week:
James Watkins’ The Woman in Black & Roman Polanski’s Carnage
The Woman in Black Iframe Embed for Youtube...
- 6/18/2012
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
On “What Kind of World,” the opening title track of his latest solo album, Brendan Benson laments about being, “So looked over, so underrated” over a somber organ and appregiated guitar chords, and you can’t help to think that the guy kind of has a point. Since 1996, Benson has released five good—at least one great (2002’s Lapalco)—records of guitar rock that seamlessly fuse the hooks and sweetness of Big Star with the more gruff riffs of his Michigan brethren The Stooges and the twang of The Band and Gram Parsons. However, it is still safe to say that far...
- 4/24/2012
- Pastemagazine.com
“I’m tired of the underdog mentality. I’m older and I am not cool.“ Hey, Brendan Benson has done his time. He’s been making solo albums for more than a dozen years, and already spent his years drinking too late, touring too hard, handing his royalties over to labels that have dropped him, or folded, or in one-offs deals. He’s married now, has a two-year-old kid and – in a new change of scenery – has his own label. Which is sort of like having a kid, he said. His new album, “What Kind of World” (out April 21), is his...
- 4/7/2012
- Hitfix
It was back in March this year that we warned you of the imminent return of Spiritualized. This March, in 2012, the Jason Pierce-fronted band will make its presence known again. The English rock act has announced its new album "Sweet Heart Sweet Light," to drop some time in that thawing month. The band performed at the Other Voices festival in Ireland last weekend, the set streamed for audiences who couldn't make it. Leftover are two new songs, now available via The Guardian: "So Long Pretty Things" and "Hey Jane."On the latter, I closed my eyes and heard Brendan Benson. On...
- 12/8/2011
- Hitfix
It was just a couple weeks ago that Jack White found a new musical collaborative partner in Stephen Colbert. Now, it seems, that the ex-White Stripes frontman is reuniting with friends for his next endeavor. The Raconteurs -- White's "supergroup" rock outfit with Brendan Benson and two members of the Greenhornes -- are playing live for the first time together in two years for the first annual Mi Fest, to be held on Sept. 17 in Brooklyn, Mich. (The Other Brooklyn.) The threat here, too, is that band "will be joined by several artists from the Third Man Records’ roster" for the...
- 7/7/2011
- Hitfix
The Raconteurs have announced that their first gig of 2011 will be at an outdoor music festival in Brooklyn, Michigan. The Jack White-led band will headline the Mi Fest alongside Sheryl Crow on September 17. Other Michigan-based bands due to perform include The Romantics and Mike Farner. The band formed in 2005 before releasing debut album Broken Boy Soldiers in 2006. This was followed by 2008 release Consolers of the Lonely. The gig is to be the band's only gig of 2011, with band member Brendan Benson unsure of when new material (more)...
- 7/6/2011
- by By Tom Eames
- Digital Spy
Jack White is one of music's busiest men. The dissolution of his long-running band The White Stripes notwithstanding, Jack White has had his hand in many musical projects including his songwriting collaboration with Brendan Benson, The Raconteurs, and drumming in the Allison Mosshart-fronted outfit Dead Weather. White also runs Third Man Records where he tirelessly invents new musical contraptions and produces records for Wanda Jackson and Loretta Lynn.
"I won't join another band again," White told Q magazine (via Diy). "Three's enough for one lifetime. If I can't say it in any of these bands, then I'll say it by myself." Since Jack White never seems to come up short of things to say, this means we'll most likely see a surfeit of Jack White solo albums in the future.
Recently White has collaborated with Jay-z on a track (though news of its release has yet to be revealed) and...
"I won't join another band again," White told Q magazine (via Diy). "Three's enough for one lifetime. If I can't say it in any of these bands, then I'll say it by myself." Since Jack White never seems to come up short of things to say, this means we'll most likely see a surfeit of Jack White solo albums in the future.
Recently White has collaborated with Jay-z on a track (though news of its release has yet to be revealed) and...
- 2/23/2011
- by Theo Spielberg
- Huffington Post
I don't normally get too bent out of shape about bands I love breaking up. Oasis? Eh, fine, it was probably time. The Smashing Pumpkins? Bummer, but they should have stayed that way. Rage Against the Machine? Perfect recorded career, quit while you're ahead. Nicely done, lads.
(Click here for retrospective photos of the White Stripes, featuring classic live shots from throughout their career!)
But when news broke on Wednesday (February 2) that the White Stripes were throwing in the towel, somehow I got the feeling I'd been cheated. I won't pretend that every song on all of the duo's six studio albums was great (even though the majority actually were). But the Stripes were a rare band that simultaneously managed to stay true to their core sound — a kind of gutbucket urban punk blues — while constantly expanding it and reshaping it without losing the spark that made them unique.
From...
(Click here for retrospective photos of the White Stripes, featuring classic live shots from throughout their career!)
But when news broke on Wednesday (February 2) that the White Stripes were throwing in the towel, somehow I got the feeling I'd been cheated. I won't pretend that every song on all of the duo's six studio albums was great (even though the majority actually were). But the Stripes were a rare band that simultaneously managed to stay true to their core sound — a kind of gutbucket urban punk blues — while constantly expanding it and reshaping it without losing the spark that made them unique.
From...
- 2/2/2011
- by Gil Kaufman
- MTV Newsroom
Margaret Cho gave me some of her time recently to discuss the August 24th release of her new album Cho Dependent. News Flash: Girlfriend can sing, and really really well. The thirteen songs here cut across quite a few genres; hip hop, girl group, country music, rock & roll, singer-songwriter, dance-pop. Margaret enlisted a stellar group of compadres to help write and perform the tunes -- Ben Lee, Tommy Chong, Tegan & Sara, Grant Lee Phillips, Ani Difranco, Andrew Bird, Fiona Apple, Brendan Benson, Garrison Star, Patty Griffin, Jon Brion, Meghan Toohey, Diana Yanez and Kurt Hall. Rachael Yamagata also appears on a hidden Easter Egg track. Cho had been wanting to do something like this for a long time. "I wanted to create a comedy album with really great music that would endure beyond the jokes, so the songs...
- 7/28/2010
- by Holly Cara Price
- Huffington Post
If you amassed a decent music collection during the '90s and '00s, then there's a good chance you own at least one record on which Jason Falkner has played, written or produced. The guy has worked with everyone from Paul McCartney to Beck to Cheap Trick to Air to Brendan Benson to Daniel Johnston, and that's just scratching the surface. Play "Six Degrees Of Falkner Separation" and you can probably come up with any pop musician of the last twenty years -- I tried it and even made a connection to a friend's drummer ex-boyfriend. If Falkner was merely a session musician, he'd have a resume he could be proud of, and a waiting list of potential clients. Problem is, he doesn't like playing sideman for other people. He's an astoundingly gifted and creative singer/songwriter/performer in his...
- 6/8/2010
- by Tony Sachs
- Huffington Post
Alex Chilton’s sudden death days before his band Big Star was slated to perform at SXSW last March left the music world stunned. This Friday, May 15, the remaining members of Big Star will perform in Memphis for what was meant to be the band’s homecoming show after an extensive spring tour. Proceeds from the show, which will feature special appearances by R.E.M.‘s Mike Mills and Brendan Benson of The Raconteurs, will help bring 50 free concerts to Memphis by supporting Levitt Shell’s free concert series....
- 5/12/2010
- Pastemagazine.com
Contrary to popular belief, despite the fact that I write this internationally acclaimed column, the overnight success that is the new comic Hands Down and the glory of being an imaginary talking head on countless podcasts, I don’t have a lot of spending cash. Unfortunately, this means I don’t get to catch as many concerts as I did in my rent free youth. One concert I did manage to stump up my cash for recently was Brendan Benson playing in Vicar Street, Dublin.
This gig was originally scheduled for a venue not even half the size of Vicar Street but got bumped up pretty quickly due to ticket sales. This pleased me to great end as the last time Brendan played in the city he was in The Village. A nice venue admittedly but one much smaller than what he, arguably, deserves. I was there that night. It...
This gig was originally scheduled for a venue not even half the size of Vicar Street but got bumped up pretty quickly due to ticket sales. This pleased me to great end as the last time Brendan played in the city he was in The Village. A nice venue admittedly but one much smaller than what he, arguably, deserves. I was there that night. It...
- 3/19/2010
- by UncaScroogeMcD
Brendan Benson is best known as a member of the Raconteurs, along with the White Stripes/Dead Weather’s Jack White and Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler of Greenhornes. But he’s also released four stellar solo albums, most recently “My Old, Familiar Friend,” this past August. The collection is irrepressible melodic pop rock redolent of Benson’s musical influences, including the Cars, Todd Rungren, Cheap Trick and the Kinks. Hitfix caught up with the lowkey, genial Benson prior to his second performance at Ascap’s Music Café at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah (Yep, we're still cleaning out our interviews from the...
- 2/5/2010
- Hitfix
The American rockers’ 2001 debut LP topped a list compiled by British music magazine NME made up of votes from record producers, label bosses and musicians, including members of Radiohead and Arctic Monkeys who both rank highly. Troubled rocker Pete Doherty saw three of his albums make the list, with his former band The Libertines coming in second place with their debut effort ‘Up The Bracket’. The group’s second, and final, self-titled release was placed at number 24, while his other band Babyshambles saw their debut record ‘Down In Albion’ achieve 35th place. NME Editor Krissi Murison said: "This is the definitive word on the greatest albums of the ‘00s – as voted for by everyone who helped make music brilliant this decade." Veteran rockers Primal Scream came in third place with ‘Xtrmntr’, while Arctic Monkeys’ debut album ‘Whatever People Say I am, That’s What I’m Not’ was fourth and...
- 11/18/2009
- by Kavy
- Gossipvita
I just read here that Representative Michele Bachmann is hosting a very special tea party at the Capitol today. I'm sure it will be a lovely affair, so I wanted to do my part and send along this playlist for Congress' hostess with the mostest. Tea & Theatre - The Who Cold Tea Blues - Cowboy Junkies Tea For The Tillerman - Cat Stevens Pennyroyal Tea - Nirvana Tea In The Sahara - The Police Strange Cup Of Tea - Sister Hazel Tea For One - Led Zeppelin Tea For Two - Ella Fitzgerald & Count Basie Tea - Brendan Benson Another Pot O' Tea - Anne Murray with Emmylou Harris To Have A Tea Party - The Wiggles Other songs anyone? ...
- 11/5/2009
- by David Wild
- Huffington Post
Raconteur gets back to his old, familiar solo roots
Brendan Benson is more famous for being overshadowed by Jack White in the Raconteurs than he is for his twelve-year string of intelligent, inventive solo albums. That’s no fault of his own: Sturdy power-pop melodies are by definition more modest than blues-rock riffage. Benson’s fourth album is full of all the clever lyrics and dynamic melodies you’d expect, with nods galore to the 1970s: analog production, layered vocals, Elo synths, laidback drumming. His predictability is reassuring, and as always, the memorable tracks are the most spirited ones. Opener “A Whole Lot Better” (not a Kinks cover, but close enough) kicks out of the gate with a buoyant organ riff and a supremely catchy hook, and “Garbage Day,” which borrows liberally from Philly soul, bolsters Benson’s lonely lyrics with high-flying strings and an insistent backbeat. Ignoring the historical...
Brendan Benson is more famous for being overshadowed by Jack White in the Raconteurs than he is for his twelve-year string of intelligent, inventive solo albums. That’s no fault of his own: Sturdy power-pop melodies are by definition more modest than blues-rock riffage. Benson’s fourth album is full of all the clever lyrics and dynamic melodies you’d expect, with nods galore to the 1970s: analog production, layered vocals, Elo synths, laidback drumming. His predictability is reassuring, and as always, the memorable tracks are the most spirited ones. Opener “A Whole Lot Better” (not a Kinks cover, but close enough) kicks out of the gate with a buoyant organ riff and a supremely catchy hook, and “Garbage Day,” which borrows liberally from Philly soul, bolsters Benson’s lonely lyrics with high-flying strings and an insistent backbeat. Ignoring the historical...
- 8/21/2009
- Pastemagazine.com
In a recent interview, Brendan Benson laughed off the title of My Old, Familiar Friend, explaining that it was plucked from a song on his fourth solo album, but wasn’t really meant to hold any greater significance—it just sounded interesting and provocative. While answering the question, though, he realized it probably refers to his return to putting out albums by himself: Playing with The Raconteurs has kept him away from releasing his playful, practiced power-pop for four years, but here he is, putting it on again like a pair of old slippers. How odd, then, that so much ...
- 8/18/2009
- avclub.com
It's been more than a decade since Brendan Benson debuted with his first solo release, 1996's One Mississippi. The Michigan-born, Nashville-based musician jumped from record label to record label as a solo artist before forming the Grammy Award-winning Raconteurs with buddies Jack White, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler. Now Benson is returning to the solo game, offering his brand of power-pop, reminiscent of the crafty arrangement of classic rock 'n' roll.
Paste caught up with Benson in his hometown of Nashville after returning from his holiday overseas, which included stops in Berlin and London to promote his fourth solo record, My Old, Familiar Friend, which hits stores Aug. 18. Preparing to kick off a North American tour, which includes an appearance on the Late Show With David Letterman on Aug. 21, Benson talked about recording in Nashville and London, how his approach to playing live has changed and what he's learned playing with The Raconteurs.
Paste caught up with Benson in his hometown of Nashville after returning from his holiday overseas, which included stops in Berlin and London to promote his fourth solo record, My Old, Familiar Friend, which hits stores Aug. 18. Preparing to kick off a North American tour, which includes an appearance on the Late Show With David Letterman on Aug. 21, Benson talked about recording in Nashville and London, how his approach to playing live has changed and what he's learned playing with The Raconteurs.
- 8/13/2009
- Pastemagazine.com
In J.K. Rowling's series of "Harry Potter" books, Harry is simultaneously blessed and cursed — a chosen one granted great power and potential but nevertheless forced to carry the burden of his parents' death and his ties to Lord Voldemort. Daniel Radcliffe, the young man who plays the titular Mr. Potter in the obscenely successful series of "Harry Potter" films, seems to similarly be anointed (except without any of the negativity). He's not only the anchor of a massive film franchise, but he has also received praise for a number of heavier acting roles (most notably in a stage production of "Equus") and is one of the most Googled people on the planet. And here's the kicker: As of today, he's only 20 years old.
Radcliffe also happens to have excellent musical taste, leaning towards indie rock and British punk. He's expressed affection for groups as eclectic as the Hold Steady,...
Radcliffe also happens to have excellent musical taste, leaning towards indie rock and British punk. He's expressed affection for groups as eclectic as the Hold Steady,...
- 7/23/2009
- by Kyle Anderson
- MTV Newsroom
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