If That Ain’t Love, Then Tell Me What Is

Loretta Lynn with Jack White “Portland, Oregon” – I want to shake Jack White’s hand and pat him on the back for writing this song, which is undoubtedly the newest instant classic in his catalog. This is his greatest guitar performance on record to date – there’s a sense of space and cinematic grandeur that comes off sounding so effortless on this song, particularly in the instrumental opening section. I doubt that Jack would see it this way, but he’s managed to fuse the aesthetics of Joshua Tree-era The Edge with the blues riffing of Led Zeppelin, which is a pretty astonishing thing given that they are two of the world’s most iconic bands and to my knowledge no one has ever come close to meeting the two halfway. If White keeps this up and translates it to his live act, then there is a strong chance that The White Stripes will become the most unstoppable stadium-rocking force of this decade. Kudos to White for saving this song for Loretta Lynn’s comeback album – I can’t imagine anyone else singing this song with as much authority, passion, and flair.

(Note: I’ve just learned that this is a Lynn song, arranged by White. I have no liner notes, so I made a guess. No matter who wrote what, this is a major achievement for the both of them.)

Barbara Morgenstern “Kleiner Auschnitt” – I assure you that it is only coincidental that I’ve posted so much German music lately. Of all of the German music that I’ve posted in recent weeks, this is the most obviously German in terms of tone and aesthetic. Or do I mean to say stereotypically German? Either way. Let’s play the All Music Guide game and list off some adjectives which apply to this song: cold, firm, austere, aloof, clean, sober, arranged, proper, low key, calm, melancholic, refined, sparse. This is taken from Morgenstern’s 2003 album Nichts Muss.

Elsewhere: London Booted is essential listening, a bootleg mash-up of the entire Clash London Calling LP made by some of the best bootleg djs in the biz. McSleazy’s “Lost Souls in The Supermarket,” Miss Frenchie’s “Fuck Em Boyo” (“Wrong Em Boyo” + “Fuck The Pain Away”!!!), Jimmi James’ “This Girl Wants A Cheat,” and Blo-Up’s mix of Tiga’s “Burning Down” and “London Calling” are all must-hears.