De Stijl (album)

De Stijl(/dəˈsteɪl/) is the second studio album by the Americanrockduothe White Stripes, released on June 20, 2000, by theSympathy for the Record Industry. Produced by the band's guitarist and lead vocalistJack White, the album was recorded on an8-trackanalog tapein his living room following the covert divorce of members Jack andMeg White, who nevertheless continued working together. The album takes its name from theart movement of the same name, and features their earlyblues-inspired sound.
De Stijlreceived positive reviews from critics, and earned a gold certification from theBritish Phonographic Industry. The album became acult classicafter appearing onBillboard'sIndependent Albumschart in 2002, and was later included onNME's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2013.
The White Stripesband membersJackandMeg Whitedivorced in 2000,however Meg insisted that they continue working together.De Stijlwas recorded by the duo in Jack's living room, exclusively using an8-trackanalog tape.Its cover art sets Jack and Meg against anabstractbackground of rectangles and lines in red, black and white,and utilizes common elements from theaestheticsof its namesake.
De Stijltakes its name from theDe Stijl("the style" in English) art movement, which included the painterMondrian.Jack had been an admirer of the style for some time, especially of furniture designerGerrit Rietveld,who designed theRietveld Schröder Housewhich the band had visited.De Stijlwas dedicated to both Rietveld andBlind Willie McTell.
On February 5, 2008, Canadian media reported that formerRadio-Canadahost Dominique Payette filed a lawsuit against the White Stripes for using a nine-second clip of her interview with a little girl at the beginning of "Jumble, Jumble". She demanded $70,000 in damages and the removal of the album from store shelves. The dispute was settled out of court.
De Stijlfeatures the band's earlyblues-inspired sound, which was prominent on theirself-titled debut album.Tom BreihanofStereogumsaid the album showcaseddelta blues,hardandpsychedelic rockinfluences, andLizzy GoodmanofNPRsimilarly noted its "camp" blues sound.
De Stijlwas released on June 20, 2000, through theSympathy for the Record Industrylabel.A re-issued vinyl LP version of the record was pressed atUnited Record PressinginNashville, Tennesseeand mastered all-analog from the original master tapes.The album was re-issued again for its 20th anniversary.
De Stijlearned positive reviews from critics, who noted its simplicity, and fusion of blues and "scuzzy garage rock". It was asleeper hit, earning a following after the White Stripes began to grow popular outside of Detroit.NMEincluded it on their "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list in 2013.
Heather Phares ofAllMusicsaid that "As distinctive as it is diverse,De Stijlblends the Stripes' arty leanings with enough rock muscle to back up the band's ambitions."William BowersofPitchforkwrote that the album "contained thunderous, honky-soulful, lacerating pop at various stages of evolution".Jenny EliscuofRolling Stonecalled it "feisty and clever" and praised the drumming, guitar and vocal performances, stating that "like everything about the White Stripes, it [De Stijl] proves that you don't need bombast to make a blues explosion."Ann Powersof theNew York Timesdescribed the album as "what many hip rock fans consider real music."
De Stijllater appeared at number 38 onBillboard'sIndependent Albumschart in 2002, and is now considered acult classic.The song "Why Can't You Be Nicer to Me?" appeared onThe Simpsonsin 2010, used in the episode "Judge Me Tender" from itstwenty-first season. The song "Apple Blossom" was featured in the 2015Quentin TarantinofilmThe Hateful Eight.
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.
The White Stripes
Additional musicians
Production
Artwork