The White Stripes “The White Stripes” 1999. Sympathy For the Record Industry. Yesterday, July 9th, was Jack White’s birthday (b. 1975) and today I’m actually not listening to this on vinyl because while we have two copies (this one and another on the Third Man Records label from 2009), they are both sealed and I’m not allowed to unwrap them so I’m settling for a digital recreation.

The White Stripes is stripped-down garage blues at its finest. Though there were certainly two-piece bands playing similar genres before (i.e. Flat Duo Jets) and definitely since (The Black Keys), the White Stripes were the first to cut through and make minimalism BIG in the new millennium. The White Stripes mix excellent originals (like the sinister stomping of “Cannon,” the slow subtle riffing on “Do” and the raucously gritty “When I Hear My Name”) and some covers (Robert Johnson’s “Stop Breaking Down,” Bob Dylan’s “One More Cup of Coffee” and the traditional “St. James Infirmary Blues”).