Loading ...What were the 80 most important musical recordings, artists, trends, events, and performances of 2008? What were the eight things this year that broke our hearts—or, at least, our ears? We’re happy to announce 80 ‘08 (and Heartbreak), Idolator’s year-end overview. The list is below the jump.
Posts Tagged ‘The Raconteurs’
Jack White Writes A Love Poem To The Detroit Of His Mind
Mon Jul 7 2008 by anthonyjmiccio
Jack White may have been a little down on his hometown in interviews lately, but don’t think he doesn’t have love for the Motor City. The Raconteur may have said that Detroit’s “super-negative” music scene was part of what drove him to move to Nashville in 2006, but “those expressions of mine have never been a representation of my feelings about Detroit the city, a town that I have strong feelings about … nor were they expressions about its citizens.” To prove his devotion to the city that gave us Ted Nugent, General Motors, and some of the most successful white rappers in American history, he has crafted a poem. A series of stanzas that includes references to “malt from Stroh’s and Sanders,” “frescoed families strife fractured,” and “The water letter carrier, bringing prose to lonely sailors.” Surely the fear of another lyrical waxing of this kind will keep locals from ever daring to question his spiritual solidarity again.
Coldplay Can’t Be As Cool As Other Major-Label Acts Because They’re On A Major Label
Wed May 14 2008 by anthonyjmiccio
Chris Martin would love for Coldplay to be one of those maverick bands revolutionizing the world of music through independent online retail and eliminating the time between the creation of an album and it’s release, but he feels faithful to EMI, much as you would to an elderly grandparent. “We have absolute respect for the Radioheads and Raconteurs and people who can do what they like. We’re in contract though, so we’re just going to make the most of it and enjoy the people we get to work with.” Actually, the Raconteurs are signed to Warner, Chris. Don’t pretend the major label connection is the only reason you can’t come up anything more novel than free concerts and recording in a church with Brian Eno.
Active Rock Playlists Get Some Disturbing Shakeups
Thu Apr 17 2008 by Al Shipley
Since many people find it hard to tell the great from the godawful when it comes to 21st-century mainstream rock, welcome to “Corporate Rock Still Sells,” where Al “GovernmentNames” Shipley examines what’s good, bad, and ugly in the world of Billboard’s rock charts. This time around he looks at the return of nu-metal in the guises of Disturbed and oddly rap-free rap-metal.
The Raconteurs’ Plans For A Sneak Attack Were Foiled By Retail
Tue Mar 25 2008 by Maura
Poor Jack White. He wanted the latest album by the Raconteurs, Consolers Of The Lonely, to hit stores around the world today with no advance warning (and, presumably, no advance availablity), but his plans were foiled by the archaic structures of the world’s traditional music-retail outlets, which… More »
iTunes Leaks Raconteurs Album, Apple Switchboard Prepares For The Worst
Fri Mar 21 2008 by Maura
Looks like the iTunes Store accidentally leaked the Raconteurs’ Consolers Of The Lonely a few days before its Tuesday release–reports are filtering in from people who successfully purchased the album on both the US and UK versions of the iTunes store, and it’s apparently popping up on the… More »
The “Raconteurs Model”: Is It Aimed At Preventing Leaks Or Muzzling Music Critics? (Or Both?)
Tue Mar 18 2008 by Maura
In the press release heralding the imminent street date of the Raconteurs’ Consolers Of The Lonely, the band explains part of the reason for rush-releasing the album as follows: “[We] are forgoing the usual months of lead time for press and radio set up, as well as forgoing the all important ‘first week sales’. We wanted to explore the idea of releasing an album everywhere at once and THEN marketing and promoting it thereafter. The Raconteurs would rather this release not be defined by it’s first weeks sales, pre-release promotion, or by someone defining it FOR YOU before you get to hear it.” Those last 11 words struck fear in the hearts of a lot of people who make their living by defining (or at least trying to sorta-explain) music for potential consumers, as evidenced by rumblings in our comments section and at still-allowed-to-write-at-length outlets like the Guardian. But is Jack White really trying to clamp down on music critics specifically, given that the combination of “leak culture” and the post-Yelp society has resulted in everyone being elevated to the reviewer’s platform?
