De Stijl

De Stijl is the second studio album by the American rock duo the White Stripes, released on June 20, 2000, on Sympathy for the Record Industry. The album was recorded following the covert divorce of band members Jack and Meg White, who insisted they continue in music. It was produced by Jack White, and was recorded on an 8-track analog tape in his living room. The album takes its name from the De Stijl art movement, which also inspired the White Stripes' signature color schemes and presentation. Though it was not an immediate commercial success, De Stijl later reached number 38 on Billboard'''s Independent Albums chart in 2002, two years after its release, when the White Stripes grew in popularity. It is regarded a cult classic. Background and recording Jack and Meg divorced in 2000, and Jack assumed that the band was over. On the day the band was set to perform after their separation, Meg convinced Jack that they should continue their work as the White Stripes regardless. It was self-recorded by the duo in Jack's living room, using an 8-track analog tape. The album takes its name from the De Stijl ("the style" in English) art movement, which included the painter Mondrian. Vocalist Jack White had been an admirer of the style for some time, especially of furniture designer Gerrit Rietveld. Rietveld designed the Rietveld Schröder House, which Jack and Meg White visited while on tour in the Netherlands. De Stijl was dedicated to both Rietveld and Blind Willie McTell. On February 5, 2008, Canadian media reported that former Radio-Canada host Dominique Payette filed a lawsuit against the White Stripes for using a nine-second clip of her interview with a little girl at the beginning of "Jumble, Jumble". She demanded $70,000 in damages and the removal of the album from store shelves. The dispute was settled out of court.