Thursday, October 27, 2011

2011 Voodoo Experience Artist Spotlight: The Raconteurs

Rock The Body Electric will be covering this years Voodoo Experience.  Leading up to the event we will be showcasing some of the acts who are playing the show, now the spotlight shines on: The Raconteurs 


The Raconteurs close the festival on Sunday @ 7:15 on Le Ritual Voodoo Stage
They were a surprise late announcement and coming as a huge victory for all rock and roll fans Voodoo Experience placed the storytellers of rock and roll as the festival closers on the main stage.  Jack White has recently been touring with Wanda Jackson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler did a Greenhornes record and Brendan Benson has been working on some solo action, but the time has come for the group to reunite.
The band started back in 2005 and released their first album Broken Boy Soldiers.  It was instantly clear that White relished the opportunity to break out of his self made confines and play with a full rock and roll outfit.  Keller and Lawrence provided the thundering low-end while Benson provided a writing partner for him, flourishing into a full group not just a side show vanity project.  The songs were solid if not earth shattering, "Level", "Store Bought Bones" and "Steady As She Goes" were all winners:


The band hit the road and RtBE had the privilege of first catching them open for Bob Dylan in 2006 and were instantly impressed, seeing them 3 more times that tour.  The band's second album Consolers of The Lonely was a surprise to most fans as it was recorded quickly and released even quicker in 2008.  The album was sonic blast of pure rock and roll with the group hitting on all cylinders.

The disk doesn't let up from beginning to end, no weak tracks at all.  RtBE helped out Glide Magazine at the end of the last decade with their "best of" list, and we ranked Consolers of the Lonely as the 4th best album of the decade, here's what we wrote:
#4.  The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely (2008)
The rock world had been waiting and it finally happened; Jack got himself a band.  The first effort from these raconteurs had it’s moments but the stars aligned when
Consolers of the Lonely was conceived and rushed to release.  Loose enough in production yet utterly precise it destroys speakers with its power (“Salute Your Solution” & “Attention”) soothes with it’s over the top pomp (“The Switch and The Spur” & “Many Shades of Black”) and most surprisingly goes huge with its arena rock-ability (“Rich Kid Blues” & “Consolers of The Lonely”).  Brian Stoltz, guitarist for the Funky Meters told Glide in regards to this album:  “I can’t find one note on this record to criticize - nothing out there this innovative. In the land of noodles and white gravy, these guys are the saviors of rock ‘n roll.”  We agree.


Stoltz is a New Orleans staple, and one of RtBE favorite shows ever was The Raconteurs set at the 08 Jazzfest when the ripped into the new album with flair and passion.  Their live show is just as dominate as the albums and probably even more so as the group lets it all hang out:


Hopefully you can stay until the end of the Voodoo Experience because The Rac's promise a hell of a show, and lets hope a new album soon!

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