Pitchfork

Scruffy blues duo the White Stripes have signed a three-record contract with XL Recordings. Jack and Meg White got their start out of Detroit on the smaller indie, Sympathy for the Record Industry. This changeover to UK management should be no surprise after the huge reception the White Stripes received two weeks ago by some of London's major periodicals, including The Guardian, The Times, and The Mirror. Some reports claimed that the White Stripes mania bowled over the British fans, declaring a musical revolution reminiscent of the Sex Pistols.

Meg and Jack White released White Blood Cells, their third album on Sympathy for the Record Industry, just over a month ago. XL will be re-releasing the White Stripes' earlier albums, including De Stijl and White Stripes. The UK label is also home to Basement Jaxx, Badly Drawn Boy, Prodigy, the Avalanches, and Capitol K. The Stripes will return to the U.S. to continue their tour of small clubs in early September. Dates:

09-05 Bloomington, IN - Second Story
09-07 Columbia, MO - Blue Note
09-08 St. Louis, MO - Creepy Crawl
09-09 Nashville, TN - End
09-10 Memphis, TN - Earnestine & Hazel's Bar & Grill
09-11 Fayetteville, AR - JR's Lightbulb Club
09-12 Oklahoma City, OK - Green Door Mercantile
09-13 Dallas, TX - Trees
09-14 Houston, TX - Rudyard's British Pub
09-15 Austin, TX - Emo's
09-17 New Orleans, LA - Shim Sham Club
09-18 Tallahassee, FL - Club Down Under
09-19 Atlanta, GA - Echo Lounge
09-20 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club
09-21 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
09-22 Asheville, NC - Stella Blue