Brittany Howard and Ruby Amanfu's Contrasting Vocals Highlight Third Man Blue Series 7-Inch

This recent Blue Series 7-inch 45 rpm single from Jack White's Third Man Records features two up-and-coming vocalists. Brittany Howard is the lead singer and one of the guitar players in Alabama Shakes, one of the hottest bands on the indie scene at the moment. They mix good Deep South blues boogie with thick slabs of buzzsaw rock. Southern rock for the new millennium. Ghana-born Ruby Amanfu has been heard most recently on many collaborations, including Jack White's debut solo album, but has many songwriting credits for tracks by other artists and a few full-length albums and EPs under her belt.

Side A is a cover of cult '70s folk-rock musician Rodriguez' "I Wonder." This version keeps the original's upbeat, snaking rhythm but fleshes it out a bit more. Bass, played by Jack White sideman Dominic Davis,  is featured prominently and plays one of the main riffs while the guitar is mostly crunchy rhythm with some slide/steel thrown in. Bluesy piano and electric organ is provided by former Mars Volta keyboardist Ikey Owens. There's even a reggae-like instrumental break in the middle of the song. Howard and Amanfu trade off verse lines while singing the chorus together. The contrast between the two works very well. Howard, usually a belter, tones it down a bit but still provides a slightly raspy, bluesy swagger. Amanfu's is more in line with soul music with a multi-tonal thing going on. Howard's voice supplies the ground floor for Amanfu's to spring off from.

Side B is a cover of blues legend Memphis Minnie's "When My Man Comes Home." This one is a bit more of a slow burn and keeps in line with old school acoustic blues. Howard plays acoustic guitar on this song as well as sings though the lazy horse clippity-clop blues rhythm is mostly driven by plaintive drums, waves of organ and tinkling piano (played by Cory Younts of Old Crow Medicine Show). Howard's vocals sound just as earthy as Memphis Minnie's herself and Amanfu's take on a warbling 1920s quality. The two meet in a breathy chorus that fits the song well. The only problem with "When My Man Comes Home" is that its too short. Just when its getting good it ends.

Something about this particular collaboration between Brittany Howard and Ruby Amanfu seems natural and special, possibly because, if both play their cards right, their careers could take off explosively. This also shows that a full-length album by these two could easily happen and would probably be great.

Gibby Haynes and Jack White Expertly Marry Punk and Blues on Third Man Blue Series 7-Inch

Jack White's Nashville-based record label Third Man has a series of 7-inch 45 rpm vinyl singles called The Blue Series that brings in varied musicians to the Third Man recording studios to cut two tracks, usually all covers. Each Blue Series release puts a unique spin on familiar and not so familiar songs and really showcases the uniqueness and innate talent of both the featured artist and White's production ability and musical taste. The Blue Series entry from Butthole Surfers frontman Gibby Haynes is no different, though it features original songs written by Haynes.

Side A of the 45 starts off with the wonderfully demented punk ditty "Paul's Not Home," originally by hardcore band Adrenalin O.D. The song is structured around a person ringing the doorbell and asking questions like "Is Paul in rehab?" followed by one line repeated over and over again, like "Paul's on dope!," very fast with a jackhammer downstroke-heavy repetitive punk riff led by Jack White on guitar. The song ends in a typically punk sputter of disjointed notes and random vocalizations. Also in typical punk fashion it's very short, clocking in well under two minutes.

The second track on Side A is a Gibby Haynes original, "You Don't Have To Be Smart." Naturally, it sounds a bit like Butthole Surfers but with a bit more of a blues thing going on. The song also has some Stooges vibes in the tones and a blistering, frenetic James Williams-like guitar solo from Jack White in the middle that actually takes up most of the short song.

Side B is another Haynes original, "Horse Named George," which is an overt Chicago blues boogie, presumably about a guy's adventures with his horse, that nearly verges on parody simply because Gibby exudes tongue-in-cheek. However, it's still a rocking song with the classic Muddy Waters-like call-and-response structure but explosive guitar and drums that recall Jack White's many bands as well as Led Zeppelin.

Not every Blue Series release is a winner but this one from Gibby Haynes is. It manages to capture the unhinged weirdness he has but also showcases it in a way that's enjoyably different than what we've heard from him before.