“Moments of synchronicity that are so powerful that I feel like I’m levitating,” Paste Magazine

Posted Thursday, April 8th, 2010 at 6:43 pm

Best of What’s Next: White Mystery

By Evan Minsker

The average White Mystery song has a whole lot going on. Take “Powerglove”: There’s a distorted series of power chords and a jangly set of higher guitar licks played over that; a soulful female voice bursts through, only to be joined by a caveman-like male voice for a crude harmony as drums crash to keep up with the guitar’s sheer volume. Like the No Ages and White Stripes before them, this power duo can make kick-ass, raw-power, loud-as-hell rock ‘n’ roll as well as any foursome. And a White Mystery recording—like their self-titled debut LP (out now)—doesn’t even begin to reflect their high-energy live shows, now legendary in Chicago.

These red-headed North Side siblings’ power comes, in part, from the sheer amount of time they’ve spent playing together. Miss Alex White, 24, started playing guitar in her early teens; Francis, 22, picked up the drums when he was 11 or 12. Alex was inspired early on by The Who, The Rolling Stones and “scummy Detroit punk bands,” while Francis listened to Black Sabbath and stoner rock. And although Alex had played in several bands prior to starting White Mystery with her brother, something about collaborating with Francis clicked.

“There’s definitely a telepathic connection that we have,” she says. “Some people talk about twin language or whatever. We definitely have our sibling language.” (Their parents are in on the action, too; all of White Mystery‘s recording, production, art, design and assembly was done by someone in the White family, including mom and pop.) The genetic connection makes something happen in their shows that verges on magic for Alex. “Sometimes when we play together live,” she says, “there will be these moments of synchronicity that are so powerful that I feel like I’m levitating.”

Hometown: Chicago
Album: White Mystery
Band Members: Miss Alex White (guitar, vocals), Francis White (drums, vocals)
For Fans Of: The Sonics, The Monks, The Dead Weather