The Third Men Podcast

You've heard his name amongst the earliest die hard White Stripes fans...you've seen him mentioned in Mojo Magazine, Rolling Stone and even the White Stripes & Third Man Records official social channels. He's Frank Anselmo, and this week he's joining us on the Third Men podcast to talk Jack White Collections...and he's got one of the finest in the world! Going all the way back to the White Stripes initial rise to fame in the US, Frank was there to witness it all as a die hard fan with enough close encounters to fill a Steven Spielberg movie. From gifting Jack White an authentic 1964 Airline Res-O-Glas (in iconic RED of course) to being on-set during the Hardest Button to Button video shoot, Frank has been on-hand for some incredible moments in Third Man history. This week we talk to Frank about his journey, and about the JackWhiteCollections.com - his labor of love website that showcases the incredible complete collections of Third Man memorabilia that will leave you breathless. So thanks Frank for joining us on the show, and for keeping James company at this year's Jack White concert in NYC!

The future's not a bore on the Third Men Podcast this week, as we're joined by Third Man Records recording artists THE PARANOYDS! Laila Hashemi and Lexi Funston join your humble co-hosts to break-down the origins of the band, how they linked up with Staz Lindes & David Ruiz and what brought them into the TMR orbit - and that's only the beginning. Their latest LP TALK TALK TALK delves deep into LA culture, fears of the future and an askew glance at the present in one of the freshest rock records in recent memory. This episode Laila and Lexi are on-hand to tell the tales behind our favorite tracks like BWP, Nissan Overdrive and more! Up on your bed? Looking to mend? This podcast's for you!

We have arrived at the finale of our ELEPHANT album analysis & review series...and so much more is left to cover. Part 2 left off with our track-by-track deep-dive, ending with middle-point powerhouse track Ball & Biscuit -- now it's time to bring it on home to the end. With favorite cuts like Little Acorns and Hardest Button to Button, the best is truly left to come as we journey to the conclusion of this mammoth LP. We'll also analyze chart performance, critical reaction, band reflection and our own personal reviews of the breakthrough album that put The White Stripes on the map. Last but not least, your humble co-hosts will spelunk through the new ELEPHANT XX twentieth anniversary vault release, having freshly arrived in our grubby little paws - featuring video archives, a mono mix of the album and a commemorative book that offers fresh, fascinating insights into this classic entry into the candy cane canon! It's true that we love Elephant!

We're back for part 2 of our 3-part ELEPHANT album analysis & review! With The White Stripes breakthrough masterpiece celebrating its 20th anniversary, and in advance of the corresponding commemorative vault release, the Third Men Podcast is finally tackling the only Stripes record remaining in its "album analysis & review" series -- and you'd better believe we're not cutting any corners in the process. Last episode we discussed the inception, recording, design and historical context of the release of this mammoth LP, delving into detail on how the sessions came about. We also poured over our own interviews through the years to paint an accurate portrait of the inception of one of our favorite records of all time - from Ben Blackwell to Pat Pantano to Bruce Brand and everyone in-between. In part 2 of this series we'll begin the track-by-track discussion, from the album's iconic lead-off cut right on through to the similarly iconic blues rocker that continues to wow audiences in a live setting to this day. So grab some peanuts and park your trunk - our love for this album is 10-fold, girl. We'll let you hear it if you want to before you go.

The BIGGEST White Stripes record of all is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and to help ring in the festivities the Third Men Podcast is launching a 3-part retrospective on the mighty album ELEPHANT! Over the course of this podcast we've analyzed and reviewed nearly all of Jack White's albums in his various group incarnations and solo work, but this is one record we wanted to save for a special occasion -- and what better occasion than to celebrate both the anniversary of its release AND the brand new vault package coming our way shortly from Third Man Records! In this first installment of the series, we'll set the stage for the recording of the LP, where the band was in its own history at the time -- and what circumstances lead Jack and Meg White to Toe Rag Studios in Hackney, London. We're deep-diving into the methodology behind the album's themes, artwork and technical aspects, as well as providing context for some of the record's quirks and mysteries. Revisiting this record has been a real pleasure, and we hope you all enjoy the journey to Elephant as much as we did!

Join the Third Men Podcast this week as we explore the history of women in music, from the Indie Rock boom until the present day, with an episode we had to call: Women, Rock & Detroit. Joining your humble co-hosts are three special guests, each offering their own unique perspective on the triumphs, struggles and perceptions of female representation in music. Offering up a boots-on-the-ground view at the Detroit scene experience is the legendary Marcie Bolen, known for her work across many bands through Detroit & beyond such as The Von Bondies, The Datsuns and Seger Liberation Army. Next up is record industry executive (across many different labels), as well as hip-hop solo artist Lady Tee the Difference, who shares her journey rising through the ranks of the music industry and carving her own path in the process. Finally, returning guest Kate McCoy details her point of view as a music fan, detailing experiences as a woman attending concerts, frequenting record stores, and learning music inspired by bands like The White Stripes. It's an essential conversation you don't want to miss, and we hope you all enjoy this deep-dive exploration!

The Third Men podcast is excited to welcome to the show (for the first time!) the extraordinary guitarist, composer and oft-Third Man Records collaborator Mr. William Tyler. In this all-new extended interview, we'll talk with William about his incredible career - from solo albums to secret origins and everything in between. We'll also deep-dive into the ever-changing landscape of Nashville, what Third Man has meant to the city since planting its flag there nearly 15 years ago, and of course William's musical connections to Jack white - both through several live TMR releases as well as opening for Jack during the Boarding House Reach tour in 2018. We'd like to thank William Tyler for joining us on the show, and hope you all enjoy this interview as much as we enjoyed conducting it!

Ben Blackwell is back! With the calendar year 2022 freshly in the rear view mirror, we here at the Third Men Podcast are once again on a mission to look back at the music, art and output from Third Man Records over what turned out to be a joyful and creatively robust 12 months. Not one, but TWO Jack White solo records were released, heralding a massive worldwide tour from the Third Man himself for the first time in several years. Not only that, but a parade of varied vault releases, legendary collaborations and unforgettable stunts followed in what is sure to go down in TMR history as a watershed moment of copious and successful output. In this special retrospective, 6-time-returning guest Ben Blackwell (co-founder and co-owner of Third Man Records) joins us to shed light on these events…and teases a glimpse of what’s in store for 2023. Does Tropical Gothclub signal a Dead Weather reunion? Can The Paranoyds pierce the zeitgeist in the same way TMR finds such as Margo Price have done so in the past? Can James find it in him to successfully pronounce each member of the Bobby Weir band's names correctly? The answers to these questions and much more await you in this special 2022 retrospective, and we’d like to extend a huge thanks to Mr. Blackwell for not only appearing once more on the show but for all the wonderful art he helped bring into the world this year. Cheers to Third Man, and cheers to 2023 — Happy New Year, everybody!