The White Stripes Music Group

Jack White and John Mayer no longer share a hairstyle. Mayer recently abandoned the floppy mop that both pale-skinned, chinchilla-eyed guitar stars sported for years, letting celebrity stylist Sally Hershberger give him a towering inferno not unlike Lyle Lovett's. No longer is there a visible mark of the bond between these two seemingly disparate characters. Yet they're still separated at birth -- specifically, the birth of the blues.

Jack White and John Mayer no longer share a hairstyle. Mayer recently abandoned the floppy mop that both pale-skinned, chinchilla-eyed guitar stars sported for years, letting celebrity stylist Sally Hershberger give him a towering inferno not unlike Lyle Lovett's. No longer is there a visible mark of the bond between these two seemingly disparate characters. Yet they're still separated at birth -- specifically, the birth of the blues.

White Stripes "Get Behind Me Satan" (Third Man/V2) * * * * One of the most fascinating things about the Stripes' fifth album is that on first listening it is likely to baffle fans of the Detroit duo as much as it will eventually delight them. Though Jack White's trademark sound -- the blistering blues-rock guitar assault of such popular numbers as "Seven Nation Army" -- shows up in a few places, the heart of "Satan" moves to fresher sonic turf.

White Stripes "Get Behind Me Satan" (Third Man/V2) * * * * One of the most fascinating things about the Stripes' fifth album is that on first listening it is likely to baffle fans of the Detroit duo as much as it will eventually delight them. Though Jack White's trademark sound -- the blistering blues-rock guitar assault of such popular numbers as "Seven Nation Army" -- shows up in a few places, the heart of "Satan" moves to fresher sonic turf.

Radiohead and the White Stripes are among the half-dozen most exciting bands in rock, though they have little in common except a contempt for the drab, unimaginative state of mainstream rock of the late '90s. After the critical and commercial success of their "OK Computer" album established Radiohead as rock's latest heroes in 1997, band leader Thom Yorke worried that rock was exhausted as an art form.

The White Stripes' Jack and Meg White still publicly claim to be brother and sister, although it's pretty well known now that they're actually a former married couple. In any case, they've just signed a new recording contract that challenges conventions of music business relationships.

The White Stripes' Jack White is ready for a break as he slips behind the wheel of his vintage four-seat Thunderbird and switches on the ignition. White has been working feverishly on a new album, and he is just days away from starting a grueling world tour. The CD, "Get Behind Me Satan," is a a daring creative advance in which he and drummer Meg White have added layers of imagination and depth to what was an already thrilling sound.

Some songs have hooks. The White Stripes' have lassos--enormously compelling riffs that rope you in and don't let go. Explosive, passionate, angry, raw, their music is classic rock in the truest sense, sewn from the souls of legendary Mississippi bluesmen and fleshed out with primitive but meaty rhythms. Jack White, 25, a guitarist, pianist and singer who seems to be summoning the rock gods when he plays, leads the band, while his sister Meg keeps the beat, Moe Tucker-style.

The White Stripes' Jack White is ready for a break as he slips behind the wheel of his vintage four-seat Thunderbird and switches on the ignition. White has been working feverishly on a new album, and he is just days away from starting a grueling world tour. The CD, "Get Behind Me Satan," is a a daring creative advance in which he and drummer Meg White have added layers of imagination and depth to what was an already thrilling sound.

Radiohead and the White Stripes are among the half-dozen most exciting bands in rock, though they have little in common except a contempt for the drab, unimaginative state of mainstream rock of the late '90s. After the critical and commercial success of their "OK Computer" album established Radiohead as rock's latest heroes in 1997, band leader Thom Yorke worried that rock was exhausted as an art form.

The White Stripes' Jack and Meg White still publicly claim to be brother and sister, although it's pretty well known now that they're actually a former married couple. In any case, they've just signed a new recording contract that challenges conventions of music business relationships.

Some songs have hooks. The White Stripes' have lassos--enormously compelling riffs that rope you in and don't let go. Explosive, passionate, angry, raw, their music is classic rock in the truest sense, sewn from the souls of legendary Mississippi bluesmen and fleshed out with primitive but meaty rhythms. Jack White, 25, a guitarist, pianist and singer who seems to be summoning the rock gods when he plays, leads the band, while his sister Meg keeps the beat, Moe Tucker-style.