2016 has actually been a rip in space-time, during which we have all been transported back to the late ’90s and early aughts. Just weeks ago, the most popular things in the cultural zeitgeist were Pokémon and Blink-182, who had the number one record in the country. Emo has made quite a comeback with Brand New and Dashboard Confessional releasing new material. Independence Day just got rebooted, Green Day are back, and we’re getting a Legends of The Hidden Temple movie. And now, to complete this time warp, the White Stripes have unveiled a previously unreleased track and Regina Spektor has debuted a brand-new track.
Jack White just announced that on September 9 he would be releasing a career-spanning double LP of material from the White Stripes era called Jack White Acoustic Recordings 1998-2008, and as a brief taste, he dropped the previously unheard White Stripes song, “City Lights.” As promised by the title of this record, the song is a beautifully performed ballad that taps into the softer side of the Stripes repertoire, in the vein of “We Are Gonna Be Friends.” White, lovelorn yet hopeful, sings “So we will be side by side / the plane will land / in the winds we’ll glad… / and to you I will arrive..” It’s a really beautiful song and hopefully indicative of the tone throughout the rest of the forthcoming record. You can listen to the whole thing above.
The queen of mid-aughts, piano-driven indie pop, Regina Spektor, has finally returned to the fold, announcing a brand new album due out on September 30. Her first offering from her forthcoming record, Remember Us To Life is called “Small Bill$” and features the rich storytelling Spektor is best known for. While, admittedly, the instrumental and vocal structure of the verses is a bit repetitive, her wordless chorus breathes a bit of life into the song. The track is really well produced, which is not too surprising given Spektor told us that she was extremely excited about her creative relationship with her producer while making this record. You can check out that whole conversation below.
What do you think of these new songs from Regina Spektor and the White Stripes? Will you be copping both albums when they drop next month? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter.
Image: Third Man Records/Columbia;Warner Bros./SireÂ
Matt Grosinger is the music editor of Nerdist and wondersÂ
