The Raconteurs Make a Rockin’ Return

Modern Rock

By Kristi Kates | Feb. 23, 2019

Jack White, one of the Motor City’s favorite sons (now a Nashville export), has revived his side-project band, The Raconteurs, and released the band’s latest on his own Third Man Records label. The record, with new songs “Sunday Driver” and “Now That You’re Gone,” is the first from The Raconteurs in nearly 10 years, following up the band’s last full-length album, Consolers of the Lonely, in 2008. White also confirmed that the band is set to return with another full album of tunes this year, which will presumably be accompanied with a tour. White last performed in Detroit in 2018, in support of his third solo album, Boarding House Reach … 

A half-dozen previously unreleased tunes from Thom Yorke’s (Radiohead) soundtrack for the scare film Suspiria have been released on limited-edition vinyl. With the oh-so-original title Suspiria: Limited Edition Unreleased Material, the album drops Feb. 22 and is limited to a first run of 1,500 copies, so get yours fast. The first single from the original Suspiria soundtrack, “Suspirium,” has already been shortlisted in the Academy Awards’ Best Original Song category …

Long Island, New York post-punk outfit Taking Back Sunday is celebrating two decades together as a band, celebrating its 20th band-iversary with the aptly-named Twenty, a compilation album that celebrates the band’s career to date. Already in outlets, Twenty arrives via Craft Recordings and includes 19 tracks culled from all six of Taking Back Sunday’s full-length albums, plus two new studio recordings: the bonus singles “All Ready to Go” and “A Song for Dan.”

The Biebs is about to celebrate 10 years as a pop musician. Justin Bieber first caught public attention as a singer on YouTube in 2009; today, he boasts four full-length albums to his credit, soon to be joined by a greatest-hits collection called The Best. The hits set is out now, accompanied by rumors that Bieber will also head back into the studio with Scooter Braun this year for a fifth new full-length release …
 
LINK OF THE WEEK
Western Michigan’s own mega-music fest, the Electric Forest Festival, has been set for June 27–30, and is returning for its ninth year at the Double JJ Ranch with EDM headliners Bassnectar, Kygo, Odesza, and Zed’s Dead, plus a trio of performances from the fest’s longtime “in-residence” outfit, the String Cheese Incident. Get the rest of the lineup, plus ticket info and more at the fest’s official site, www.electricforestfestival.com …
 
THE BUZZ
James Blake will be in concert at the Royal Oak Music Theater next week (March 2), promoting his brand new album, Assume Form …

Returning to Detroit is legendary pop diva Mariah Carey, who will perform at the Fox Theater on March 8 …

Michigan band Extra Arms has released its latest music video from its new album, Headacher; the vid features band closeups and plenty of floating animated emoji … 

Grand Rapids band Earth Radio mixes up neo-soul, hip-hop, experimental rock, and more, and was just named Emerging Artist of the Year by Local Spins … and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.

Comments, questions, rants, raves, suggestions on this column? Send ’em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com.