Greetings from the White Stripes

So, The White Stripes are back and as bohemian-enigmatic-eccentric (and no doubt as talented) as ever, with a new album entitled 'Icky Thump' ... if you are familiar with the folklore of Northern English accents then this may be familiar (albeit slightly bastardised) expression to you; rarely used in parlance nowadays but parodied in a gentle, affectionate way by many as representing being 'Northern' - and especially Yorkshire, where we live - dialect.

So far, so good and appropriately quirky for Jack and Meg - but, quite why Jack and Meg are pictured in quintessential Cockney Pearly King and Queen style outfits on the album cover is quite another matter. Still, makes a nice change from the uber-cool-art-house-dandy-look, Jack! Or maybe they are just trying to appease the soft, Southern fans in their homage to the much superior Northern fan-base? (Joke).

No doubt it will be as unique a sound as ever. Whilst we have a few weeks to wait yet for its release, at least the recently released new album from The Kings of Leon will help us to psyche up for more musical wizadry from Jack and Meg.

We're going to see The Kings of Leon this week, so listening to the excellent 'Because of the Times' a great deal since its recent release, so we know the new tracks as well as the older stuff.

All of this excellent new music is in danger of somewhat stealing the thunder from the much-anticipated new Arctic Monkeys album, 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' ... again of course a product of Yorkshire (and my beloved Sheffield) ... but, somehow, I think they'll cope. It's a great time for innovative, non-conformist pop music at the moment.

PS, Jack - don't forget we all need a follow-up album from The Raconteurs, please.

Greetings from the White Stripes