Vault #40

[trickster]

Third Man Records is proud to announce the Raconteurs third album “Help Us Stranger” will be the focal point of our 40th Vault package. Their first full-length studio recording in eleven years, “Help Us Stranger” finds the band in top form, at fighting weight, as powerful as they’ve always been. The twelve songs on this album explore all the bravado and bluster, sincerity and sensitivity you’d hope for in a classic rock album. Soaring riffs, earnest lyrics, machine gun drumming, heartfelt harmonies, bass for days, and four guys coming together to be more than the sum of their parts, firing on all cylinders like an absolute unit. The exclusive 180-gram version offered only to Third Man Vault members showcases the LP on electric green/black/copper swirled vinyl and is astutely paired with a stunning moving image lenticular cover. The kind of thing you can stare at for hours.

The companion 7-inch single in the package features early, demo recordings of two songs that are included on the album in a final, finished form. “Help Me Stranger” is a “get the idea down” version recorded with Jack White playing all instruments, complete with different lyrics and simplified instrumentation from what ultimately ended up on the album. “Somedays (I Don’t Feel Like Trying)” showcases Brendan Benson exclusively performing everything in an intriguing, embryonic take that, along with White’s song, help illustrate how this band can take a song that’s solid to start with and once all four of them are in the room together, truly push it over the edge. The band, as one entity, works to make these songs great.

Additionally, we’re including a Patrick Keeler-designed Raconteurs bandana. Wrap it around your head “Rambo” style, tie it around your leg as a tourniquet, use it to sop up grease around your garage…the uses are metaphorically endless.

Finally, just to push the package over the top, we’re including an exclusive Raconteurs slip mat. As far as we can remember, this is the first Raconteurs slip mat ever and will provide decades of soft rotational comfort separating your records from your turntable platter.

Subscriptions are open now and close on April 30th. Come join us.

The Raconteurs

Help Us Stranger

1. Bored and Razed

2. Help Me Stranger

3. Only Child

4. Don’t Bother Me

5. Shine the Light On Me

6. Somedays (I Don’t Feel Like Trying)

7. Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)

8. Sunday Driver

9. Now That You’re Gone

10. Live a Lie

11. What’s Yours Is Mine

12. Thoughts and Prayers


7-inch single

Jack White - Help Me Stranger (demo)

Brendan Benson - Somedays (I Don’t Feel Like Trying) (demo)

[runofthemill]

Logged into Facebook and everybody seems to think they are first in bringing this breaking news.

[Mick III]

Omg I expected something like that and it happen. I am back for sure!

[Coma16]

If it included a second disk with bsides/leftovers I would join back up. Although, the bandana does so d tempting...

[chaptertwentyone]

!!!
Rad.
Just uh, just not digging the artwork.

[rsimms3]

Bandana? Oh, that makes a lot more sense....

[shaneoftheroad]

I'm not huge on the cover art either. Broken Boy Soldiers and Consolers of the Lonely are among my favorite covers of all time so I'm a bit disappointed here. BUT!!! The music is more important than the cover any day. And I love the album title. I'm excited as hell for this release, can't wait to hear it!

[chaptertwentyone]

...The music is more important than the cover any day...

While that IS true it's a big part of the experience for me and it sort of shapes the album era, you know?
Promotional items, tour imagery, posters, all that.
It gives a feel to the entire album.
Blunderbuss was all birds and hues of blue and white, Lazaretto was loosely nautical based, and Boarding House Reach was ..in another galaxy.
Crosswalks and all that?
Eh...
We'll see where it goes, but I'm excited for sure.

[vandelpinkfloyd]

Think I'm sitting out. Will buy the new release regardless but this set is lacking again IMO

[ehartsock1991]

I'm in for sure. Just waiting on tour dates now....

[Jamie]

I like the art. It reminds me of the early 2006 UK tour poster style, which I liked a lot but didn't think fit in well with the other BBS era stuff. It's like we've circled back around.

[schrik]

Really happy about the new raconteurs album !

But paying $100 cadian dollars for a ''limited edition'' version of the album that will be release to the public, 2 demos on a 7'', a bandana and a slipmat, i will have to pass on this one.

[chaptertwentyone]

I like the art. It reminds me of the early 2006 UK tour poster style, which I liked a lot but didn't think fit in well with the other BBS era stuff. It's like we've circled back around.

I love me some Animal Rummy, but I mean... come on.


If I showed up to a venue and that was the poster I’d be pretty fucking bummed.

[arewhyehen]

I like the art. It reminds me of the early 2006 UK tour poster style, which I liked a lot but didn't think fit in well with the other BBS era stuff. It's like we've circled back around.

I love me some Animal Rummy, but I mean... come on.


If I showed up to a venue and that was the poster I’d be pretty fucking bummed.

Yup...haha. Other than the UGWNL tour, there is not much Rob Jones art that I am a fan of. The old Racs stuff is probably my least favourite of his.

[arewhyehen]

I think we all expected this sort of vault, but super excited that it is announced, because I think a lot of us signed up for the vault a few weeks ago once the 10th anniversary show was announced and were locked in no matter what.

My first time ever seeing Jack live was The Racs and it is by far my favourite project of his, so this is F@CKING awesome.