**Update: We had to remove the Jay-Z/Jack White photos, unfortunately, per the photographer’s request.

Perhaps even Jay-Z and Jack White knew that the story about them hitting the studio in NYC and Nashville sounded too good to be true as the pair have now provided some undeniable photo evidence, as well as a song name. Uncovered by a French White Stripes fan site (via Rock it Out! Blog) last night were ten professionally shot pictures of Three Quid and Hova laying down their forthcoming track, “Ray Bans,” in the studio.

In the photos below, Jack White can be seen playing guitar with a vocal microphone set up, while Jay-Z is pictured laughing and looking pensive (memorizing rhymes?) atop $20k worth of studio gear.

Check out the photos here.

A notable story from the nation’s capital hit early yesterday, which was surprisingly ignored by the music blogosphere: Just four months following Bob Dylan’s performance of “The Times They Are A-Changin’” for President Obama and company, Paul McCartney will be honored in the next chapter of the “In Performance at the White House” series.

In an intimate concert at the East Room next week, Sir Paul will be treated to tribute covers by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, the Jonas Brothers (?), Dave Grohl, Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, Herbie Hancock, and others, including… Jack White.

I was surprised, frankly, that White is set to perform at the White House next Wednesday (June 2), but it does make sense, given the night’s honoree: “Paul is my favorite Beatle,” White said last fall. “He’s been a big influence on me — especially the way that he sings.”

Great news all around, but the best part is that, yes, we will get to watch these performances as the pre-taped show will air on PBS in late July.

If you failed to secure a winning bid on Trent Reznor’s marimba auction earlier this month and yet still must possess the former mallet instrument of a pale rock star, you’re in luck: Jack White has listed his Get Behind Me Satan-era marimba to benefit the Nashville chapter of the Red Cross.

“In an effort to help the thousands of people in the Nashville area who’ve lost so much in the recent floods,” the item description reads (via @kaseyjls), “Jack White and Third Man Records are auctioning off a unique item from their archives.” The Musser M250 Concert Grand marimba was the actual instrument used by Jack and Meg on their ‘05/’06 tour — particularly on the song “The Nurse” — and comes complete with a signed certificate of authenticity by Jack White himself, as well as its original custom red, white, and black flight case.

Start your bidding here and check out the marimba live from Brazil below:

We’ve been following Karen Elson’s music ever since she furtively dropped a so-called Mildred and the Mice single via her husband’s Third Man Records this time last year, and, finally, a full-length record is imminent. A live rendition of the title track (featuring Meg White’s spouse/Patti Smith’s son, Jackson Smith) ensured that the LP was well worth the hype and her fireside take on “Stolen Roses” hit the spot, but neither teasers hold a candle to a full stream of Elson’s solo debut, The Ghost Who Walks, produced by that guy we’ve been talking about way too much.

Check out all 12, analog-recorded tracks from Elson’s record below (via the Observer):

Jay-Z isn’t the only mainstream star inspiring Jack White as of late: According to WENN, the fearless White Stripes/Raconteurs leader has confessed to channeling Lady Gaga for one of the cuts off the Dead Weathers forthcoming second album, Sea of Cowards — specifically, “The Difference Between Us” (video below). The quote in question:

Lady Gaga - I was thinking of the type of song a contemporary musician would write so I started thinking about her. I started thinking of how she would write the music to this song and got quite into being Lady Gaga in an odd way.

As far as rap/rock collaborations go, I’d be hard-pressed to come up with a more exciting combo than Jack White and Jay-Z. We know that the pair have at least one song in the can, but with all that kinetic creative energy White described from their session in NYC, are they plotting something more (album, EP)? Perhaps.

“I would love to,” White told Times Online about a possible LP. “If we can find the time.” Those exciting pull-quotes are preceded, however, by an even more intriguing bit from interviewer Craig McClean which states that White and Hova are set to reconvene “in a few weeks” at the Third Man record shop/studio/headquarters in Nashville.

Great news, of course, though that wasn’t the only potential future collaboration White discussed in the Q&A…

The Dead Weather graciously let us watch their vicious performance at Coachella live via webcast and now Jack White, Alison Mosshart, Dean Fertita, and “Little” Jack Lawrence will perform live online once again.

Scheduled one week before the release of their latest album, Sea of Cowards, the band will perform the record in its entirety at Jack White’s Third Man Records store/recording studio/venue in Nashville. The concert will be streamed live on their MySpace page at 6 p.m. EST on Monday (5/3). The Third Man stage is notably the site of the band’s first performance ever almost exactly one year ago.

In other Dead Weather news of the day, the band are offering a free download of their new song “Hussle and Cuss,” as well as a chance to win a VIP package and airfare to Bonnaroo this summer. To download the song and enter the contest, simply click either the “Tweet this!” or “Post to Facebook!” button here (you can opt out of posting it to your FB wall).

Hopefully by now you’ve heard about the Dead Weather’s face-melting live show (or witnessed one for yourself), so we’ll take a break from raving about our favorite new bona fide rock star, Alison Mosshart. In the meantime, I can’t think of a better showcase for the respective talents of all four Dead Weather members than this studio version of “Gasoline.”

Though a stream of the latest single from their new album, Sea of Cowards, first hit the Internets last week, we now have an official music video (sorta) for the tune, as well. Dean Fertita is the group’s unsung hero, I’d say, so take note of his skills behind the keys here. Also, White Stripes and Raconteurs fans should enjoy Jack White’s blistering, octave pedal-effected guitar solo, as it recalls some of the standout work from his electric guitar-strapped past (“Blue Veins,” “Broken Boy Soldiers,” “Seven Nation Army,” et al.).

I said “sorta” above because there isn’t much going on in this clip (“Die By the Drop” was more of a traditional music video), but if you’re as mesmerized by Mosshart as we are (wait, I said we’d stop raving!), then watching her exhale a perpetual stream of spooky smoke to the tune will be well-worth three minutes of your time. Check it out below:

After attending the Dead Weather’s brilliant show at the Fillmore in San Francisco Friday night, rock withdrawal ran high all weekend. Until late last night, that is, when Jack White, Alison Mosshart, and the boys performed almost the exact same set at Coachella, which was streamed live on the web.

I had a feeling someone would rip the live stream, as it is beautifully shot/recorded, and sure enough, the series of YouTubes is hosting a plethora of clips. Though I won’t say that you’re getting the full impact of the DW’s live low-end frequency assault here, this is a great way to check out some new tunes, covers, and rearranged songs from their debut, Horehound, save for driving out to a crowded desert.

Check out some of my favorite moments below: