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Stop Breaking Down...

Ahhh, the B-side, how I love thee. Many of my favorite bands have been big fans of the bastard non-album track, releasing some of their very best material as single fodder - Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Oasis, Blur, Suede, Robert Pollard - I could go on and on. Mostly a British phenomenon, thanks to a greater emphasis on the physical single market, but a few American bands are able to make good use of the flipside track. You can add The White Stripes to that list, they've been steadily releasing a stream of quality non-album tracks since their career first began. It started on limited edition discs attached to pinball magazines and Sub Pop Club singles, now it continues with them releasing stop-gap EPs chock full of new material. In celebration of their latest such release, Conquest (B-sides recorded in Beck's living room!), here's the tracklist of a (far from comprehensive) Stripes B-Sides compilation I put together tonight and a couple tracks for your listening pleasure.

Special Things To Do - White Stripes B-Sides
01. "Let's Shake Hands" (from Let's Shake Hands 7")
02. "Lafayette Blues" (from Lafayette Blues 7")
03. "The Red Bowling Ball Ruth" (from The Big Three Killed My Baby 7")
04. "Hand Springs" (from White Stripes/Dirtbombs split 7")
05. "Party of Special Things To Do" (from Sub Pop 7")
06. "China Pig" (from Sub Pop 7")
07. "Ashtray Heart" (from Sub Pop 7")
08. "Lovesick (live at The Forum)" (from Fell in With a Girl single)
09. "Suzy Lee (BBC Session)" (from Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground single)
10. "Stop Breaking Down (BBC Session)" (from Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground single)
11. "Good To Me" (from Seven Nation Army single)
12. "Black Jack Davey" (from Seven Nation Army single)
13. "Who's To Say" (from I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself single)
14. "I'm Finding It Harder To Be A Gentleman (John Peel Live)" (from I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself single)
15. "Though I Heard You Calling I Will Not Answer" (from Blue Orchid single)
16. "Walking With A Ghost" (from Walking With A Ghost EP)
17. "Screwdriver (live)" (from My Doorbell single)
18. "Shelter of Your Arms" (from The Denial Twist single)
19. "It's My Fault For Being Famous" (from Conquest EP)
20. "Cash Grab Complications on the Matter" (from Conquest EP)
21. "Honey, We Can't Afford To Look This Cheap" (from Conquest EP)
22. "Conquest" (acoustic mariachi version) (from Conquest EP)