Críticas Magazine

Bruce Jensen

The White Stripes--er, Las Rayas Blancas--cross on over to el otro lado
March 19, 2008

What do Detroit rockers The White Stripes share with Joan Baez and Linda Ronstadt? Aside from awesome musicianship, I mean?

All built mammoth English-language music careers and then decided to record in Spanish. Ronstadt’s three albums released between 1987 and1992 still sound good; I could walk over to Taco Palenque right now and probably hear something from Canciones de Mi Padre booming from the sound system. And Baez’s politically charged1974 album Gracias a la Vida is a lovely thing, too, in its own way.

Both those women are of Mexican descent and have Spanish speakers in their immediate families. Recording in that language was a natural move, given their backgrounds. But what about The White Stripes? How did two Anglos from Detroit get it in their heads to start shooting videos in Mexico and, a few weeks ago, to rechristen themselves Las Rayas Blancas?

Jack and Meg White last month added a couple more Grammys to their pile, but few music lovers  hold that against them. The duo’s talent and their inspired choices have put them in the enchanted place where pretty much anything they do is acclaimed as unspeakably cool.

The title song of last year’s Icky Thump album takes the listener to Mexico. Its Spanish-subtitled video looks as it it could‘ve been made by Luis Buñuel and it lands some powerful punches in the brawl that is the American immigration debate. Watch to the end to see hilarious ridicule of the border wall project, and listen closely for Jack’s line

"Icky Thump" is, as Joe Strummer unforgettably said in another context, a public service announcement--with guitars!  Though Mike Wallace interviewed Jack on 60 Minutes a few years ago, don't look for Lou Dobbs to be inviting him anytime soon. 

The album includes an old Patti Page hit called "Conquest." Last month they released a Spanish-language single of that, "Conquista," which is what prompted the parallel-universe renaming of the band to Las Rayas Blancas. The video for that one has Jack White in the bullring as a sentimental torero who ultimately lacks the killer instinct.

He grew up near the Detroit barrio known as Mexicantown but it’s hard to tell what gave Jack the perspective that’s emerging in this recent work.  It's great stuff and watch for more like it from the people who make an imprint on our popular culture.  If nu-metalheads like KoRn can hook up with norteño gods Los Tigres del Norte, there's a whole lot of surprising collaboration that can happen.  And it enriches us all.

Posted by Bruce Jensen on March 19, 2008 | Comments (1)