Jack White's Many Hats Multiply

Three bands just weren’t enough for Jack White, who’s started a music store/recording studio/record label in his adopted hometown of Nashville. Third Man Records is “where everything starts to make sense,” the White Stripes frontman tells the Wall Street Journal. “Where modern meets old and tangible meets invisible.” White says the label could have 100 releases within 2 years.

Third Man embraces White’s love of old vinyl records—the motto is “Your turntable’s not dead”—though it also has a digital presence. White has retained exceptional control over his career since the beginning, and the core DIY values haven’t left him. “You can’t help but have a punk aesthetic,” he says. “Real rock and roll isn’t about MySpace pages and digital music. Those are accessories. That’s the scarf on the jacket of real rock and roll.” (More Jack White stories.)