When Jack White gives an artist his seal of approval, the music world pays attention, and rightfully so. After the success White has had with his side projects including The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs, it was only a matter of time before he championed another great artist within the alt-rock world. Enter: Olivia Jean.
Starting out as a member of the “garage-goth” trio Black Belles, as well as being a backup performer for Third Man artists like Wanda Jackson, Karen Elson, and even White himself, Jean released her first solo album, Bathtub Love Killings, last fall.
Today, Jean has premiered a rowdy cover of The Kinks‘ 1964 hit “You Really Got Me.” With strong and swift percussion, Jean’s vocals pierce through the heavy distortion and turn the original on its head. If Jean’s version sounds familiar, you might recognize it as the soundtrack of an Yves Saint Laurent commercial for “Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils.” A major ad featuring Cara Delevigne? Not a bad way to promote a B-side.
The Merry Widow 7″ is out February 16 via Third Man Records, and available for pre-order now.
