The Raconteurs, also known as The Saboteurs in Australia, is an American rock supergroup that was formed in Detroit, Michigan, featuring four musicians associated with earlier musical projects: Jack White (formerly of The White Stripes, currently The Dead Weather, as well as solo), Brendan Benson (solo), Jack Lawrence (of The Greenhornes, Blanche and The Dead Weather), and Patrick Keeler (also of The Greenhornes). (More from Wikipedia)
Jack White’s next musical project, the Raconteurs grew out of the Do-Whaters that had backed Loretta Lynn on Van Lear Rose; the band was organized in 2005 by Jack White, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler of the Greenhornes, and Brendan Benson (vocals, guitars, keyboards). Since a Queensland band was already using that name, they are called the Saboteurs in Australia. The Raconteurs was a high-profile band from the beginning, since Jack White was so well known.
Their first album, Broken Boy Soldiers was released in May 2006; it was named Album of the Year by the British magazine Mojo. The Raconteurs spent much of that year touring, including eight dates as the opening act for Bob Dylan in November 2006.
Another album, Consolers of the Lonely came out in 2008. By early 2010, the future of the Raconteurs was uncertain; Brendan Benson was quoted in February as saying: “I think we’re all just really focused on other things.” The band is on hiatus at present, though they have made several appearances during the past five years, including a partial reunion at one of Jack White’s solo concerts in late January 2015, when Jack Lawrence and Brendan Benson joined White on stage during his encore performance.
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The Dead Weather is Jack White’s current band and was organized in 2009; other bandmembers include Jack Lawrence of the Greenhornes, Dean Fertita (previously in Queens of the Stone Age – he also contributed to the Raconteurs album Consolers of the Lonely), and Alison Mosshart (lead singer of the indie rock band the Kills).
The genesis of the band sprung from a concert by the Raconteurs in Memphis, when Jack White lost his voice; he asked Alison Mosshart to fill in for him on vocals. He later asked her to record a song with him and Jack Lawrence, and they met Dean Fertita at the studio. The Dead Weather has released two studio albums, Horehound (2009) and Sea of Cowards (2010); Live at Third Man Records West came out between these two. Another album is promised in 2015.
(February 2015)
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Items: The Raconteurs
