Concert Review: Dead Weather, 7-13-10, 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C.

JUST IN CASE THERE WAS ANY LINGERING DOUBT, THE DEAD WEATHER ARE A LOUD BAND. VERY FUCKING MUCH SO, AS A MATTER OF FACT. TWO DAYS AFTER THEY PLAYED THE 9:30 CLUB, AND HONEST TO BLACK DYNAMITE, MY EARS STILL ARE RINGING. FORTUNATELY, THEY'RE A PRETTY GOOD BAND, SO THE HOPEFULLY TEMPORARY CASE OF TINNITUS PROBABLY WAS WORTH IT.

i say "pretty good" because, quite frankly, that's where they are. Sure, folks really are just coming to see Jack White, but he's actually the weakest link in the group. While his drumming has improved exponentially since their last jaunt through DC, it's obviously still not his most comfortable instrument. Whereas most percussionists keep the beat and arguably set the song's structure, White seems more likely to play catch-up with the songs, leaving the pacing to bandmates Dean Fertita and Jack Lawrence, which is fine. Alison Mosshart remains a force on-stage, though it took about half the concert before she really seemed to get into things, by that time pacing the stage like a feral cat looking to either fuck or fight her way back into the wild.

Of course, the above point about White gets thrown completely out the window when he gets out from behind his kit and picks up his axe, as he did with show closer "Will There Be Enough Water." At this point, sadly too near the end of the show, the band exhibited a focus and energy that just seemed missing for earlier parts of the set. While the lack of a lead guitarist clearly is the direction White appears to have wanted, perfering to eschew the limelight in favor of Mosshart, it gives the band a somewhat directionless feel. With everyone nicely defering to one another, there's no one to take the lead and put folks through their paces. i'm sounding a bit more negative than i want, as it was a good, solid performance. Again, it just wasn't a great one.

The set list was pretty strong, jumping back and forth between Horehound and Sea of Cowards material. Oh yeah, and they did that Twilight track, too, for those of you keeping score. The crowd seemed to get more into the earlier stuff, with the largest reactions coming from "Hang You from the Heavens," "I Cut Like a Buffalo," and "Treat Me Like Your Mother." Again, though, it wasn't until the last song or two and the encore that the band seemed truly charged.

i would like to point out that the band had one of the best light shows i've seen at the 9:30 in quite some time. Sure, the stage was just festooned with goat heads and a large eyeball tapestry in the background, but the interplay with the lighting just worked. Well, in fact.

The Dead Weather are a gut bucket rock outfit. They dress the dress and swagger the swagger. With just a bit more seasoning, these cats just might start making the next big sound based on their talent, not just their brand name recognition.

mp3: Hang You From the Heavens (Live) (The Dead Weather on the Zane Lowe Show)

mp3: Treat Me Like Your Mother (Live) (The Dead Weather on the Zane Lowe Show)

mp3: Treat Me Like Your Mother (Dead Weather Remix) (DJ Z-Trip Ft. Slug from Z-Trip's website)

Free Music Fri, er, Tuesday: The Covered, Heartsy, Jewelly, Remixed, Spacey, Acoustic-y, Beaty, REALLY Late Version

Holy Toledo, what a past few days. The Missus and i closed on our new house, which was a nightmare i'm not even going to bore you with right now. We won't have Interwebs (or cable, for that matter) 'til a week from tomorrow, hence the lack of posts recently. Of course, that doesn't mean i can't waste time at the office, now does it? Later this week, i have every intention of catching up on some band submissions (i have some great CDs still left to discuss, plus numerous offerings from Germany and up-and-coming female starlets to share), as well as the Greatest Mango Mix You Will Ever Hear, so you've got that going for you. In the interim, however, let's get past the yapping and onto the world of free mp3s for your listening pleasure.

First up, a Britney Spears cover by Or, The Whale. Why? Because Brit Brit covers amuse me, and that is enough.

mp3: Toxic (Britney Spears cover by Or, The Whale from Cokemachineglow's Fantasy Podcast)

Next up is a now late Valentine's tune from Paul and the Patients. According to Paul himself, it was inspired by a dream he had with every person he's ever loved in it. He's got it up at BandCamp.com as part of their Song of the Week Project (this marking the 18th week), but as of this writing Band Camp is down, so i can't say much more about it other than i'm sure Michelle Flaherty must be distraught. Oh, and i really dug the song artwork, so much so that it's today's post picture. The juxtaposition of a blindfolded, topless chick holding a heart and what appears to be a zipper scar in the middle of her chest? i dunno, i just dig it. i'm assuming it's not an ex-gf of his, but it's the thought that counts. Remember, kids, Uncle Terrible can and will be bribed with depravity, done artfully or otherwise.

mp3: Embrace (Paul and the Patients from the Song of the Week Project)

One Little Indian, home of Icelandic pixie Bjork, has the latest from Dan Sartain up for the price of your email addy, apparently the cost of doing such business these days. The fuzzy guitar line is instantly addictive, so let them know how to send you similarly themed junk mail and get your groove on.

mp3: Ruby Carol (Dan Sartain from Dan Sartain Lives) (available soon)

LET favorite Alan Wilkis has remixed Yeasayer's Ambling Alp. You may recall we gave AW's Babies Dream Big Top Ten CDs of the Year honors (#5, to be exact) a couple of years back. He continues on the good foot with this one.

mp3: Ambling Alp (Alan Wilkis Remix) (Yeasayer from Odd Blood [Remixed])

Not quite sure what to say about the next one by Malachai. It sounds like a bit of crate digging done right. The resulting sound is both timely and distant, but grabs you by the boo boo regardless. Domino imprint Double Six are to release the ‘Ugly Side of Love’ album this April 19th, but you can have a taste today. Initially released on Portishead’s Geoff Barrow’s Invada label (under the band’s old name Malakai) last year, the 13 track album will be preceded by the band’s debut radio single for Double Six ‘Snowflake’, which is set for release a week earlier on April 12th.

mp3: Fading World (Malachai from Ugly Side of Love)

Since you've grown accustomed to me overstuffing you, let's keep this train wreck a rollin'. To get your juices pumped for their upcoming tour with The Clientele this March, The Wooden Birds have put together a rather kick-ass, acoustic EP for free! It's pretty damn fantastic, if you're into that laid back, indie folk kinda sound. And right now, i am.

mp3: Believe in Love (The Wooden Birds from Motague St. EP)

And to close things out, plenty of DJ love from all over the place.

Master of the Mash-Up and Remix, DJ Z-Trip, just re-did the Dead Weather's "Treat Me Like Your Mother" with a little help from Slug of Atmosphere fame. Better than the original? You make the call. Hell, it's free, so why not?

In anticipation of his upcoming project on the Brainfeeder label, Daedalus has released his own trippy freebie, "Order of the Golden Dawn." Grab it ASAP, though, as they've only got the link up for a week.

Finally, the phat cats over at Low End Theory finally got around to posting this month's podcast, this time featuring D-Styles and Shlohmo. Shlohmo samples the hell out of "Half Baked" for his half, which is always a good thing.

mp3: Treat Me Like Your Mother (Z-Trip Remix ft. Slug from Z-Trip's website)

mp3: Order of the Golden Dawn (Daedalus from Righteous Fists of Harmony)

mp3: Episode 12 ft. D-Styles and Shlohmo (Low End Theory Podcast)

And i'm out.