The Dead Weather live at Coachella (full concert)

I absolutely love writing this blog -- it's one of the highlights of my weekday -- but I'm in my last quarter of grad school, and Tuesday is my only (and therefore stressful) day of class. After the success of last Tuesday's Florence + the Machine full-length concert post, I hereby establish Daijams' Full Concert Tuesdays. These posts will involve less of me babbling and more of awesome musicians showcasing their talents.

This week's full concert is from Coachella 2010. I encourage you to put it on in the background at work, or save it for laundry hour tonight, or consume it however one might consume 1+ hour of Dead Fertita's guitar riffs, Alison Mosshart's gutteral vocals, Jack Lawrence's thumping basslines, and Jack White's drumset orgy. It's almost like being there, except you're probably not as whacked as the Coachella crowd.

If you're unfamiliar, the Dead Weather is a project of ridiculously talented (and at 36, relatively young) Jack White, who after a string of band projects -- the White Stripes, the Raconteurs and the Dead Weather -- is finally releasing his debut solo album this April. Says Jack of waiting this long to make a solo album: "I've put off making records under my own name for a long time but these songs feel like they could only be presented under my name. These songs were written from scratch, had nothing to do with anyone or anything else but my own expression, my own colors on my own canvas." I'M SO EXCITED. As of last night, the lead single is available on iTunes, or you can hear it for free here.

And if that isn't enough of a Jack Attack for one day, today Showtime is airing "The White Stripes Under the Great Northern Lights," a documentary made in 2007 about Jack & Meg White on tour in Canada. Set the DVR!

Dead Weather: "I Cut Like a Buffalo"

I hope you enjoyed Juke Box Hero's first post yesterday on First Aid Kit. I spent the afternoon entranced by the Swedish songstresses, so I consider it a success. He'll be back next Wednesday.

Let's keep the Jack White lovin' going this week with a Dead Weather performance of "I Cut Like a Buffalo." This song does not follow a typical format, and I have the feeling some of you will like it and some of you will listen to it for 30 seconds and then turn it off. If nothing else, you have to be intrigued by the title -- are buffalos known for their cutting ability? Or lack thereof? The opening lyrics are, "I look like a woman but I cut like a buffalo." What the fuck, Jack?

In a 2009 Spin interview, White talked about how much this song means to him: "It just feels like I'm being the most truthful I've ever been with myself ... I'm just obsessed with this song, but I'm scared to listen to it at the same time." Considering all the music he's written, that's a huge admission, and so I struggle harder to understand what he means when he sing-shouts, "Wake me up when it's broke, just like a woman, cut a record on my throat, then you break me wide open." The fragmented, analogous phrases and quips ("Is that you choking?" followed by painful choking noises) feels artistic and significant and deep, but I gotta be honest...I don't get it.

But I still love this song. The composition itself is basic, almost gutteral -- hard drum and keyboard hits on quarter notes, with White and lead singer Alison Mosshart practically shouting as the song stews. As you listen, head bobbing may be creep up unexpectedly. You can't help but groove along.

Sadly, the Dead Weather is not touring at the moment, but Mosshart will be in Chicago with her band the Kills in January. In fact, Uptown's Riv Theater is the first stop on their 2012 tour. White is all over behind the scenes, producing and collaborating constantly. He's performing with the Raconteurs in Florida and Georgia next weekend, but otherwise no tour dates are readily available. Jack, come to Chicago!!

Dead Weather: "60 Feet Tall"

I could write an entire blog about Jack White. He is hands down one of the most talented musicians of his generation, and all of his projects -- The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather -- have been met with critical acclaim, if not hoards of screaming girls throwing panties on stage, which is the undisputed barometer of rock musician success. (Though I can't confirm or deny the panty count, since I've tragically never seen him perform live.) Rolling Stone named him one of the top 20 guitarists of all time.

The youngest of 10 siblings in a Catholic family, White (born John Anthony Gillis) grew up in Detroit listening to blues and '60s rock. He learned the drums and the guitar; tried his hand in a few small local bands and careers; considered attending seminary but decided against it because he probably couldn't take his amp with him; and then formed The White Stripes with his new bride Meg White (he took her last name) in 1997 at the tender age of 22. They divorced three years later but continued to play together until this past February. The biggest track to come out of that collaboration was "Seven Nation Army," which was released in 2003 and won a Grammy for Best Rock Song. It's been covered by everyone from Audioslave to the Northwestern University Marching Band. (I really wish I had a video. Next season, for sure.)

The success of The White Stripes opened the Louisiana floodgates; White is ubiquitous, performing with his two current bands as well as solo, producing other artists, and making appearances in films like 2009's "It Might Get Loud," in which he palled around with U2's The Edge and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page. (Best scene of the movie: Whole Lotta Love-gasm.)

The Dead Weather is a powerful collaboration: White, The Kills lead singer Alison Mosshart, Queens of the Stone Age guitarist/keyboardist Dean Fertita, and Raconteurs bassist Jack Lawrence. They've released two albums, one of which (Horehound) is overflowing with incredible rhythms and licks. (I haven't heard the other album yet, though it's been out for almost a year. Shame on me.)

This track is stripped down but incredibly satisfying -- especially Fertita's guitar solo around 3:30. They make it look easy, but The Dead Weather is what a modern blues rock band should sound like. Enjoy.

"60 Feet Tall," performed by The Dead Weather.
Original on The Dead Weather's "Horehound" (2009).