BEST OF '09: THE DEAD WEATHER

No Expiration readers know that I have been digging The Dead Weather, and after listening to it while running today, I decided it has to be on my list of the Best Albums of '09.  Some people may think that Jack White spreads himself too thin with all of his projects, but I think he does whatever feels right at that moment.  Plus, the guy has a crazy sense of quality control.

But it would be wrong to just attribute the greatness of this band to Jack White - a lot of it is about singer Allison Mosshart. She is a cool singer and great frontwoman, with nearly the power of PJ Harvey. She brings out more of the raw blues vibe in him.  I think this is actually his most aggressive project.  I'm glad that they are going to continue it - Jack says their next album will come out next year. Obviously, blues rock has been done before, and even blues rock with a punk rock edge. But this is a great combo for that particular mixture.  More importantly than that, they have some really great songs: "60 Ft Tall," "Hang You From The Heavens," "I Cut Like A Buffalo," "Treat Me Like Your Mother" and their cover of Bob Dylan's "New Pony." If you like what Jack White has done in the past - or Allison Mosshart's main band, The Kills - I'd say you'd like this.  But even if you don't like Jack's music, you may like this, try it out.

Other Best of '09 albums: Bob Dylan's Together Through Life , The Cocktail Slippers' Saint Valentine's Day Massacre , Rancid's Let The Dominoes Fall, N.A.S.A.'s Spirit Of Apollo , Levon Helm's Electric Dirt , Buddy & Julie Miller's Written In Chalk, Ben Harper & Relentless7's White Lies For Dark Times