Eulogy

Sadly, the White Stripes have decided to call it a career. Although this doesn't come as much of a surprise as they've been on hiatus for the last three years, it's still disappointing to see a truly great rock band hang 'em up. Beginning with a mutated hybrid of Mississippi delta mud and Motor city muscle on their eponymous debut and morphing into proto-Zeppelin super rock behemoths on their classic main sequence of De Stijl, White Blood Cells and Elephant before indulging Jack White's restless id and taste for country and folk arrangements on the schizophrenic and unfocused Get Behind Me Satan and finishing strong with 2007's gloriously eclectic and endearingly weird Icky Thump, the White Stripes have fashioned a body of work which artistically rivals anything put to tape this decade. Moreover, the band's skillful handling of its image combined with Jack White's unadulterated musical genius fashioned a media profile just as intimidating as their music. While I feel that given White's restless spirit it makes sense to retire the Stripes brand, it is a little bit upsetting to see one of the world's only superstar rock and roll groups ride off into the sunset. The White Stripes fill a need in the public consciousness for the transcendent mass cultural euphoric experience that can only be gained by blowing apart a stadium full of screaming fans with pure rock fury. With the Stripes gone, where can we turn to get stadium-filling, rock radio-ruling, car stereo-blasting rock and roll that you can get behind? Not Coldplay, that's for sure.

Unfortunately, I never was able to experience the Stripes in all of their live shit-kicking glory, although it wasn't for lack of opportunities. I'm pissed at myself now. Guess I'll have to be content with last year's blistering live career retrospective, Under Great White Northern Lights.

Here's a little something to remember them by. I first saw this video on Much Music's The Wedge when I was in about Grade 8. How time flies. Still a great track, awesome video.