The Raconteurs is a side project that proved unexpectedly successful for its members —Jack White of The White Stripes, Patrick Keeler and Jack Lawrence of The Greenhornes, and solo artist Brendan Benson. After a weekend of writing songs together at Benson's Detroit home studio, he and White were spurred to follow through with their inspiration and — with the addition of the rhythm section of Keeler and Lawrence — lay down a full album. Broken Boy Soldiers, released in 2006, thrust The Raconteurs into the realm of "supergroup" status when on the wings of "Steady, As She Goes," they found themselves in the Top 10 on both the U.S. and British charts. With its off-beat blend of The White Stripes' thunderous approach to songs and strings, and Benson's endearing sense of melody, the album was hailed as the best of the year by Mojo magazine.
The foursome's professional lives have been intertwined for years: Benson produced The Greenhornes' 2005 album East Grand Blues, while Lawrence and Keeler are part of The Do-Whatters, the backing band pulled together by White for Van Lear Rose, his 2004 Grammy-winning collaboration with country music duchess Loretta Lynn.
After Broken Boy Soldiers, the group continued to mine the creative vein they'd discovered, and toured throughout the world in spurts between day jobs with their home-bands. The Raconteurs settled in Nashville to woodshed, and eventually record at Black Bird Studios another collection of songs in homage to roots rock (if "roots" can be defined as Led Zeppelin and T Rex). Consolers Of The Lonely was released in March of 2008. A more expansive set than Broken, it reflects a lot of time on the road, during which they acquired a rather devious sense of humor, and deftly honed their skills at storytelling.
Provenance: Detroit, Michigan
Latest release: Consolers Of The Lonely (2008)
© 2008 Nigel Music Media LLC. Used by permission.
The Raconteurs
