The White Stripes and the Sound of Mutant Blues

In the past few years, Detroit siblings Jack and Meg White have in conjunction with a stream of similar-minded bands, revitalized rock music. Their sound is raw, stripped right back--back to the primal fury and alienation of bluesmen like Son House and protopunks The Stooges and the MC5. In the Stripes hard knocks hometown of Detroit, an entire scene has emerged--rudimentary, primordial garage rock championed by legendary names such as Mick "Dirtbombs" Collins, Jack White's own Third Man Records, Electric Six, and producer Jim Diamond. Over in Brooklyn meanwhile, loft parties are all the rage--fueled by vodka stills and loud music, featuring names such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Liars, and Oneida. Writer Everett True has already covered much of this music in his own underground UK rock magazine "Careless Talk Costs Lives. Now he goes public with his passion, delving deep into the lives of the personalities who make up the scenes--the countless hours touring, the celebrity girlfriends, the parties, the power, and the people.