When most people think of duos, they think of the Everly Brothers or Seals & Crofts; when they think of brother-and-sister acts, it's Donny and Marie. Detroit's White Stripes are here to reset the counter. The Stripes -- Jack and Meg White -- work double duty as a duo and a brother-and-sister act, but they're not acoustic strumming songbirds or folk-tinged pop stars. The Stripes are a viscerally charged blues juggernaut, with Meg bashing away at the simplest of drum kits in the back and Jack slashing away at his guitar with mesmerizing ferocity. The White Stripes' latest album,
De Stijl, takes its name from a Dutch art movement conceived just after the turn of the century -- a movement that valued simplicity and deconstruction. Jack, who has played with a number of Motor City-area bands (including 2 Star Tabernacle and a gig with the Go, just in time to wind up on its Sub Pop debut), makes things more interesting with the White Stripes. In addition to the material from their first two albums and a handful of progressively cooler singles, the Stripes will be unveiling a number of new songs destined for their forthcoming
White Blood Cells album. Rumored to be the subject of a bidding war between major labels, the White Stripes may continue in the fashion of the art style that adorns their last album, or they may decide to pump up the production and turn their backs on simplicity. Regardless of where they are headed, where the White Stripes are right now is in the screaming service of the red-hot blues.
