From the folder marked “Whuzzat?” comes an announcement about the UK single for “You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do What You’re Told).”

The B-side of that particular single will be…wait for it…a frat rock version.

What does that even mean? Complimentary toga with purchase? Or will everyone, upon listening to it, want to strip stark naked and start the revolution?

Keep your fingers crossed, Yorbites (British and American alike). On second thought, all nationalities of Stripes-lovers should be en garde! Who knows what this may bring.

I shudder to think about it. Is the disco version of “Hotel Yorba” not far behind?

We’ll find out September 10, when the single makes its consumer debut.

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Jack & Meg fill the Garden with their massive, magnificent sound!

Alicia Keys really wants to work with the Stripes! Take a number, honey.

Jack says journalists are “the laziest people on earth.” The gloves are off!

And, to wrap the review up, the official White wire offers the following:

The White Stripes have just added a show at Stubb’s Bar-B-Q in Austin, Texas on September 16th. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, July 28th at 10 am CST and can be purchased HERE.

Due to noise restrictions and concern from local residents, the venue has now changed for the gig in San Diego on September 18th. This show will now take place at Coors Amphitheatre where seating will now be general admission and all tickets purchased for The Embarcadero will be honored at this new venue. Apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused our fans.

Due to unforeseen scheduling conflicts, the October 11th performance at Kiva Auditorium in Albuquerque, NM will now take place on September 13th. All tickets for the 10/11 date will be honored on 9/13. If you are unable to attend the new date, refunds are available at point of purchase. We apologize to all of our fans for any inconvenience this may have caused.

If you haven’t already seen the new video for You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You’re Told), be sure to sneak a peek on the video page of the site.

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Dear candy cane children,

The White Stripes are announcing that the “single note performance” in Newfoundland will be their last secret/side/B show for quite sometime. Every free performance was a success on the brink of disaster, and the band regrettably must retire them for the time being… undefeated! The Stripes did their best to ensure that fans of the band knew about the shows before anyone else, and are very happy for those who were able to find out and attend. The fans have been very supportive and aiding in the events, and Jack and Meg are gleeful by the way the shows have been received. But alas, before the performances become expected, or people start the inevitable misunderstanding of the true purpose of them (or worse), The Stripes feel it wise to keep these experiences memorable, and not let them turn perfunctory. Thanks to all who helped.

I believe it’s a good move. Heaven forbid the Stripes become merely “that band that does fishing boat gigs.”

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We’ve now officially played in every province and territory in Canada!

…and a quick exit to prepare for a full-length set at St. John’s Mile One Stadium later that evening, the truly final show.

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Someone call George Romero! The dead have risen!

According to an article at the Guardian Unlimited, sales of vinyl in the United Kingdom are up an amazing 13%, with our own duo’s Icky Thump as the best seller!

Looks like the Stripes are riding the crest of a new movement in personal music.

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Stories are sweeping in about those stranger tour locations on the Stripes’ North American tour:

Daycamp and a young R. Kelly impersonator!

Bagpipes, kilts and a cannon!

Fiddling at the Savoy Theatre!

And finally…

A fishing boat?

The gig spots just keep getting charmingly wackier.

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THE PROS ->

musicOMH.com

It’s eccentric, it’s exhilarating, it is, in parts, absolutely insane. Yet it’s never less than absolutely compelling, which is what makes the White Stripes one of the greatest bands of modern times.

Lost At Sea

At 48 minutes, Icky Thump has enough genre-hopping, rip-roaring tunes to get even the 70s rock purist nodding his head again.

The Guardian

Icky Thump positively swarms out of the speakers.

Entertainment Weekly [22 Jun 2007, p.68]

Despite all the distortion and teeth-shivering riffs, Icky Thump rivals White Blood Cells in accessibility.

THE CONS ->

Spin [Jul 2007, p.91]

A noisy, cranky piece of work.

No Ripcord

Icky Thump is an anti-climatic, vaguely appealing record that unfortunately feels like a retreat from the ballsy piano-based pop eccentricity of Get Behind Me Satan. And that’s a shame because going back to basics — at least in this case — feels like surrender.

NOW Magazine

Most of Icky Thump’s songs sound half-assed, with keyboard parts thrown in ad hoc, but at least they had the good sense to trim the piano bar balladry.

The Village Voice

The affecting style that made them the most imaginative revivalists of their generation has been replaced by half-assed and half-hearted prog rock.

I can’t say I agree with the Cons, especially Spin’s curt response.

“Noisy?” “Cranky?”

I quite enjoy Icky Thump’s weaving in and out of genres and intensities. Sure, it returns to the power-packed, hard rock riffing of earlier albums like Elephant, but it also explores the realms of Celtic folk, Desperado-esque trumpet anthems and spoken word madness.

But, then again, you know me, Yorbites. I’m a bit…well…biased.

Keep an eye out for my personal review of Icky Thump in a few days.

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The spot for the Stripes’ Anchorage gig has been changed to the George M. Sullivan Sports Arena. Apparently, more space was needed to accommodate all those screaming fans! Don’t worry if you’ve already purchased tickets. They’ll be accepted for GA floor seats.

But that’s not all! New items have been added to the Stripes’ web store: t-shirts featuring a “button horse” (somewhat reminiscent of a similar creature in The Science of Sleep) and a penguin, the Jack & Meg flash drives finally available for international customers and official tablature books for the albums White Blood Cells and Elephant.

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Word from the official White wire:

The Stripes will return to the United Kingdom this fall for a headline tour across the country. Here’s a listing of the gigs:

24 Oct. – Glasgow SECC
25 Oct. – Manchester MEN Arena
26 Oct. – Newcastle Metro Arena
28 Oct. – Birmingham NEC
29 Oct. – Cardiff Int. Arena
31 Oct. – Sheffield Hallam Arena
1 Nov. – Nottingham Arena
2 Nov. – London O2 Arena

Tickets for every show except the Glasgow one can be purchased from a 24-hour credit card hotline (0871 2200 260) or online at gigsandtours.com

Glasgow tickets will be sold from pclpresents.com

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Pop the cork on that champagne! The Billboard charts for the week of June 27th have Icky Thump debuting at #2! Even this early, it’s already the Stripes’ best-selling debut.

But there’s a problem, Yorbites. Guess who took #1.

Bon Jovi. Yes, hair-metal-to-country-and-western Bon Jovi, with their Lost Highway.

We can do better for Jack and Meg, right? Right! So, here’s the plan: buy two copies of Icky Thump! One for playing and one for posterity. We can’t change the debut stats, but we can certainly outsell Jon and Ritchie!

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