The Dead Weather

Last updated

The Dead Weather
Dead Weather.jpg
Left to right: Dean Fertita, Jack White, Alison Mosshart and Jack Lawrence, The Dead Weather in 2009.
Background information
Origin Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres
Years active2009–2015 (on hiatus)
Labels Third Man
Members
Website thedeadweather.com

The Dead Weather is an American rock supergroup, formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2009. Composed of Alison Mosshart (of The Kills and Discount), Jack White (of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs), Dean Fertita (of Queens of the Stone Age, Karen O and Iggy Pop) and Jack Lawrence (of The Raconteurs and Karen O). [6] The Dead Weather debuted at the opening of Third Man Records' Nashville headquarters on March 11, 2009. The band performed live for the first time at the event, immediately before releasing their debut single "Hang You from the Heavens".

Contents

The band's second studio album, Sea of Cowards , was released in 2010, followed by Dodge and Burn in September 2015.

History

Formation and Horehound (2009)

When The Raconteurs were performing in Memphis, Tennessee, Jack White lost his voice and the band asked Alison Mosshart of The Kills with whom they were touring to fill in on some songs. [7] She sang lead vocals on "Steady as She Goes" and "Salute Your Solution". White later asked her if she would record a song with him and Jack Lawrence. They met Dean Fertita at the studio and they ended up performing more than one song that night.

Ultimately they decided to form a band with Mosshart as their lead singer, Lawrence on bass, Fertita on guitar and keyboard and White on drums. White claims he wanted to play the drums in the band, having rediscovered drumming after playing on a kit on "Another Way to Die" with Alicia Keys. He had played drums as a child, and for Goober & the Peas before forming the White Stripes. White said he felt that playing lead guitar in another band would be too redundant and saw it as an opportunity to do something different.

White and Mosshart performing live at the Glastonbury Festival. The Dead Weather Glastonbury 2009-1.jpg
White and Mosshart performing live at the Glastonbury Festival.

In January 2009, Mosshart, Fertita, Lawrence and White got together for an impromptu jam at White's Third Man studio. The session was followed by two and a half weeks of song writing and recording, during which The Dead Weather formed. [8] "Things just started to happen," said White. "We didn't have a direction. We just went a song a day, two songs a day, whatever we could do and recorded them on the fly... There was no time to think about what it was. It just was." [8]

The Dead Weather's debut album, Horehound, was released on July 14, 2009 in North America, and July 13 in Europe. It entered the U.S. Billboard 200 Album Charts at No. 6 and the UK Album Charts at No. 14. Three tracks from Horehound ("No Hassle Night", "Hang You from the Heavens", and "Treat Me Like Your Mother") were made available as downloadable content for the Rock Band video game series on the same day as the North American release.

Jack White co-directed a short documentary about The Dead Weather called "Full Flash Blank". It contains exclusive interviews of the band members and performances of "60 Feet Tall", "I Cut Like A Buffalo", and "Treat Me Like Your Mother". "Full Flash Blank" aired on Channel 4 straight after the showing of "Later... with Jools Holland" which featured The Dead Weather performing their first three singles.

Sea of Cowards (2009–2010)

On October 16, 2009, Mosshart confirmed that a second album was "halfway done". [9] White later announced that the first single from the new album would be called "Die by the Drop", for which he would sing lead vocals. He commented that it was "bluesier and heavier than we ever thought we could be".

Sea of Cowards was first released on May 7, 2010, in Ireland, and then released on May 10 and 11 in the U.S. and the U.K. respectively. The album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200, [10] and was placed at number eleven on Rolling Stone's thirty greatest albums of 2010 list.

The song "Rolling in on a Burning Tire" appeared on The Twilight Saga: Eclipse movie soundtrack .

Dodge and Burn and inactivity (2013–2015)

In October 2013, Third Man Records announced the forthcoming release of a limited edition 7-inch vinyl record containing two newly recorded Dead Weather songs. "Open Up (That's Enough)" and its B-side, "Rough Detective," were released exclusively in this format through the label's record subscription service, The Vault. These two tracks were the first pair of songs to be released in vinyl-only physical form through The Vault. "Buzzkill(er)" and "It's Just Too Bad" were released in similar fashion on November 4, 2014. These four songs and eight others would make up the band's third studio album, Dodge and Burn. The songs were recorded from approximately July 2014 to July 2015 when members of the band had the available time or inspiration to record. [11] The third single in advance of the album, "I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)," was made available for download on August 21, 2015. [12] It was released on 7-inch vinyl, backed with "Cop and Go," through The Vault in September 2015. [11]

Influences and sound

Both Alison Mosshart and Jack White are heavily influenced by Captain Beefheart and have made several tributes to him in a few songs, similarly to how they covered Beefheart songs in their previous bands. The Dead Weather usually open their acts with an intro of "Sure Nuff 'N' Yes I Do". On the track "Hustle and Cuss", the first line Mosshart sings is "knock on the door and the door knocks back", a reference to the Beefheart song "The Dust Blows Forward 'n the Dust Blows Back".

Other influences come from the range of artists that Mosshart listened to when she was growing up. Her own frontwomanship is the result of watching videos of Janis Joplin and Patti Smith.

Band members

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsSales
US
[13]
AUS
[14]
AUT
[15]
CAN
[16]
FRA
[17]
NL
[18]
NOR
[19]
NZ
[20]
SWI
[21]
UK
[22]
Horehound 648437196326241414
Sea of Cowards
  • Release date: May 11, 2010
  • Label: Third Man
  • Formats: CD, LP, music download
528246307611131932
Dodge and Burn
  • Release date: September 25, 2015 [25]
  • Label: Third Man
  • Formats: CD, LP, music download
10212816472514321521

Live albums

TitleAlbum details
Live at Third Man
Records West
  • Release date: October 30, 2009
  • Label: Reprise
  • Formats: Digital Download

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
US
Sales
US
Alt

[26]
US
Rock

[27]
BEL
[28]
CAN
Rock

[29]
CZ
Rock

[30]
MEX
[31]
SCO
[32]
UK
[22]
UK
Rock

[22]
"Hang You from the Heavens"2009833Horehound
"Treat Me Like Your Mother"40181621168
"I Cut Like a Buffalo"1516 [upper-alpha 1]
"Die by the Drop"20102036301515424Sea of Cowards
"Blue Blood Blues"
"Open Up (That's Enough)" / "Rough Detective"2013743Dodge and Burn
"Buzzkill(er)" / "It's Just Too Bad"20141437
"I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)" / "Cop and Go"201527 [upper-alpha 2] 551235
"Impossible Winner" / "Mile Markers"42
"Let Me Through" / "Be Still"2016
"Three Dollar Hat" / "Lose the Right"2017
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos

YearSongDirector
2009"Hang You from the Heavens"David Swanson
"Treat Me Like Your Mother" Jonathan Glazer
"I Cut Like a Buffalo"Jack White
"Will There Be Enough Water?"David Swanson
2010"Die by the Drop" Floria Sigismondi
"Blue Blood Blues" Christopher Mills & Tim Wheeler
2015"I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)"Ian & Copper
2016"Impossible Winner" Sophie Muller & Ross McDowell

Notes

  1. "I Cut Like a Buffalo" did not enter the UK Singles Chart, but peaked at number 41 on the UK Physical Singles Chart. [22]
  2. "I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)" did not enter the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, but peaked at number 47 on the Rock & Alternative Airplay chart. [33]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack White</span> American musician (born 1975)

John Anthony White is an American musician who served as the guitarist and lead singer of the rock duo the White Stripes. One of the key artists in the garage rock revival of the 2000s, he has won 12 Grammy Awards among other accolades. Three of his solo albums have reached number one on the Billboard 200. Rolling Stone ranked him number 32 on its 2023 list of greatest guitarists of all time. David Fricke's 2010 list ranked him at number 17. In 2012, The New York Times called White "the coolest, weirdest and savviest rockstar of our time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Raconteurs</span> American rock supergroup

The Raconteurs is an American rock band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 2005. The band consists of Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence, and Patrick Keeler (drums). Lawrence and Keeler were originally members of the Greenhornes, while White and Lawrence went on to become members of the Dead Weather.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Greenhornes</span> American garage rock band

The Greenhornes were an American garage rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio, formed in 1996 by vocalist/guitarist Craig Fox, bass guitarist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler. They released their debut album Gun For You in 1999, followed by a self-titled album in 2001. A third studio album, Dual Mono, was released in 2002, with the band taking a small hiatus. The Greenhornes returned in 2005 to release a new EP, East Grand Blues, and a compilation album, Sewed Soles. During this time, Lawrence and Keeler formed The Raconteurs with Detroit musicians and personal friends Jack White and Brendan Benson, leaving very few performances and interaction with Fox. In 2010, the band reunited once again to record a studio album, Four Stars, their first in eight years.

<i>Broken Boy Soldiers</i> 2006 studio album by the Raconteurs

Broken Boy Soldiers is the debut studio album by American rock band the Raconteurs, released on May 15, 2006 in the United Kingdom and May 16, 2006 in the United States. The album was generally favored among critics and spawned the hit single "Steady, As She Goes". The album earned a nomination for Best Rock Album at the 49th Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alison Mosshart</span> American musician

Alison Nicole Mosshart is an American singer, songwriter, artist, and the lead vocalist for the rock bands The Kills and The Dead Weather. She started her musical career in 1995 with the Florida punk rock band Discount which disbanded in 2000. She then co-founded the Kills with British guitarist Jamie Hince in 2000 in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dean Fertita</span> American rock musician (born 1970)

Dean Anthony Fertita is an American rock multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as a keyboardist and occasional guitarist of the hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age, and as the guitarist and keyboardist for the Dead Weather.

<i>Consolers of the Lonely</i> 2008 studio album by The Raconteurs

Consolers of the Lonely is the second studio album by American rock band The Raconteurs. It was released on March 25, 2008, on Warner Bros. Records in most parts of the world, and a day earlier on XL Recordings in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hang You from the Heavens</span> 2009 single by The Dead Weather

"Hang You from the Heavens" is the debut single by American alternative rock band The Dead Weather. It was released on March 11, 2009 and was backed with a cover of Gary Numan's "Are 'Friends' Electric?". The single was released through iTunes and on a 7" vinyl limited to 150 copies, all of which were given to the crowd at the band's debut performance at the opening of the Third Man Records headquarters. The 7" was later released through their website, and record stores.

<i>Horehound</i> (album) 2009 studio album by The Dead Weather

Horehound is the debut studio album by American rock band the Dead Weather. It was released on July 10 in Australia, July 13 in Europe, and July 14, 2009 in North America. The album was recorded at Third Man Studios during a three-week session in January 2009. The first single from the album, "Hang You from the Heavens", was released through iTunes on March 11, 2009, and on vinyl on April 18, 2009. "Treat Me Like Your Mother" was released as the second single from the album on May 25, 2009. The third single from the album was set to be "I Cut Like A Buffalo" and includes a cover of The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band's "A Child of a Few Hours is Burning to Death" as a B-side. The album debuted at No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard 200 Album Charts and at No. 14 on the UK Album Charts. As of 2010, sales in the United States have exceeded 163,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treat Me Like Your Mother</span> 2009 single by The Dead Weather

"Treat Me Like Your Mother" is a single released by the alternative rock band The Dead Weather. It is the second single released off of the band's debut album Horehound. The single was released on May 25, 2009, and released with the album on July 14, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Cut Like a Buffalo</span> 2009 single by The Dead Weather

"I Cut Like a Buffalo" is the third track from the album Horehound, by the alternative rock group The Dead Weather in 2009. It was also released as the third single from the album. Jack White is the sole writer of this song.

<i>Sea of Cowards</i> 2010 studio album by The Dead Weather

Sea of Cowards is the second studio album by the American alternative rock band the Dead Weather. It was first released on May 7 in Ireland, then on May 11, 2010, in the U.S. and May 10 in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Die by the Drop</span> 2010 single by The Dead Weather

"Die by the Drop" is the first single from The Dead Weather's second album Sea of Cowards. It was released on March 30, 2010 in the United States and April 25 in the UK. The single includes the B-side "Old Mary".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Blood Blues</span> 2010 single by The Dead Weather

"Blue Blood Blues" is the second single to be taken from the album Sea of Cowards by the alternative rock group the Dead Weather. It was released digitally on June 25, 2010.

<i>Blood Pressures</i> 2011 studio album by the Kills

Blood Pressures is the fourth studio album by indie rock band the Kills. It was released on April 1, 2011 in Australia, on April 4, 2011 in Europe, and on April 5, 2011 in the United States and Canada. The album was recorded at Key Club studio in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the same studio where the band had previously recorded both No Wow and Midnight Boom. The album was promoted by four singles: "Satellite", "Future Starts Slow", "Baby Says" and "The Last Goodbye".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buzzkill(er)</span> 2014 single by The Dead Weather

"Buzzkill(er)" is a single by the Dead Weather from their third studio album, Dodge and Burn. A short clip of the song was originally posted in July 2014, as part of Third Man Records' Vault subscription series. A full version of the song was released digitally on November 4, 2014, along with another Dead Weather song, "It's Just Too Bad". An extended excerpt of the song was used by Turner Classic Movies to promote its January 2017 broadcast schedule.

<i>Dodge and Burn</i> 2015 studio album by The Dead Weather

Dodge and Burn is the third studio album by the American rock band the Dead Weather. It was released worldwide on September 25, 2015, through Third Man Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)</span> 2015 single by The Dead Weather

"I Feel Love " is a single by the Dead Weather from their third studio album, Dodge and Burn. The song was first released on the streaming service Tidal, but was made available to download when pre-ordering the album on August 21. "I Feel Love " and its B-side "Cop and Go" were released exclusively in physical format through Third Man Records' subscription service The Vault as a 7-inch vinyl single in September 2015.

<i>Ash & Ice</i> 2016 studio album by the Kills

Ash & Ice is the fifth studio album by indie rock band the Kills, released on June 3, 2016, through Domino. The album was recorded in a rented house in Los Angeles and at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. It was produced by Jamie Hince and co-produced by John O'Mahoney. It was promoted by the singles "Doing It to Death" and "Heart of a Dog".

<i>Help Us Stranger</i> 2019 studio album by The Raconteurs

Help Us Stranger is the third studio album by American rock band The Raconteurs. It was released on June 21, 2019, through Third Man Records, their first studio album in 11 years following Consolers of the Lonely (2008). The album was recorded at Third Man Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, and mixed at Blackbird Studios in Nashville. It was produced by the band, engineered by Joshua V. Smith, and mixed by Vance Powell.

References

  1. Roberts, Randall (June 18, 2009). "The Dead Weather at the Roxy: Jack White And Alison Mosshart Vs. The Cream Of The Blues-rock Canon". LA Weekly . Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  2. Coulehan, Eric (August 29, 2013). "Jack White Is Working on New Dead Weather Material". Rolling Stone . Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Rutherford, Kevin (October 2, 2013). "Third Man Records Announce New Dead Weather, Raconteurs Releases". Billboard . Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  4. Michaels, Sean (August 30, 2013). "Jack White resumes work with the Dead Weather". The Guardian . Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  5. Murray, Noel (May 18, 2010). "The Dead Weather: Sea Of Cowards". The A.V. Club . Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  6. "Jack White's new band: The Dead Weather". idiomag. July 21, 2009. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  7. Keiper, Nicole (March 12, 2009). "Jack White Debuts New Band the Dead Weather: A Full Report From Private Nashville Show". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
  8. 1 2 Rayner, Ben. "The Weather Makers. Interview: The Dead Weather". Toronto Star , July 19, 2009
  9. Greg Cochrane (October 16, 2009). "New Dead Weather LP 'half done'". BBC.
  10. "The Dead Weather Tell Even More About Sea of Cowards Release". idiomag . Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  11. 1 2 "Introducing... Vault Package #25: The Dead Weather Dodge & Burn". Third Man Records Vault. July 6, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  12. Young, Alex (August 17, 2015). "The Dead Weather Premiere Electrifying New Single "I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)" – Listen". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  13. "The Dead Weather Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard . Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  14. "australian-charts.com – Australian charts portal". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  15. "austriancharts.at – Austria Top 40". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  16. "The Dead Weather Chart History – Canadian Albums". Billboard . Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  17. "lescharts.com – French charts portal". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  18. "dutchcharts.nl – Dutch charts portal". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  19. "norwegiancharts.com – Norwegian charts portal". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  20. "charts.nz – New Zealand charts portal". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  21. "Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade und Music Community". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  22. 1 2 3 4 "The Official Charts Company – Dead Weather". Official Charts Company . Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  23. "The Dead Weather". Billboard. April 3, 2010. p. 32. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  24. "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. HITS Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on September 17, 2015.
  25. "Dead Weather Announces New Album 'Dodge and Burn,' Shares New Track". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  26. "The Dead Weather Chart History – Alternative Airplay". Billboard . Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  27. "The Dead Weather Chart History – Hot Rock & Alternative Songs". Billboard . Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  28. "Discografie The Dead Weather". ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  29. "The Dead Weather Chart History – Canada Rock". Billboard . Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  30. "CZ - Radio - Top 20 Modern Rock - Dead Weather" (in Czech). IFPI Czech Republic . Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  31. "The Dead Weather Chart History – Mexico Ingles Airplay". Billboard . Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  32. Peaks on the Scottish singles chart:
  33. "The Dead Weather Chart History – Rock & Alternative Airplay". Billboard . Retrieved May 23, 2022.