The Raconteurs

Never one to drool over Meg White's musical "talent," I found Jack White's switch to Brendan Benson a definite trade up. Go ahead, fillet me, but first, hear me out. With the White Stripes, Jack carries the duo, while Meg provides a writhing sexiness. But I ask--do her tribal gyrations always translate into good musicianship? Thought not.

With the Raconteurs, listeners finally get to hear Jack with musicians of equal skill. Benson's effortless power pop battles White's wham-bam blues, while Patrick Keeler (of the Greenhornes) and Jack Lawrence offer rhythmic efforts that actually keep a beat without losing soul, tease and fuck--not sex--appeal (just listen to "Blue Veins" on Broken Boy Soldiers). With a catalog of songs that channel Yes, Zeppelin, Jellyfish and old blues but don't imitate any of them, this team of consummate performers will shake the house with melodies coming from all over The Rock. Openers Dr. Dog are incredible vintage rock showmen in their own right.