BEATS 1 BOOKS A JACK WHITE HISTORY LESSON

Jack White’s Third Man Records will begin a month-long residency tonight on Apple Music's Beats 1. We’ll assume that whatever crackling is heard is oft-played shellac 78s.

Each week in May, family and friends of the Nashville label will discuss its sound, history and influences—including the worlds of film and print. Ben Blackwell and Ben Swank—Third Man’s employees #1 and 2—discuss the label's inception and their roles as label heads, event planners and marketing geniuses. They'll take listeners through some of their favorite releases from the past eight years of Third Man.

White’s next project is the three-part PBS series America Epic that starts airing 5/16; he’s executive producing along with T Bone Burnett and Robert Redford. Third Man will release a collection of new recordings, American Epic: The Sessions, on vinyl in conjunction with a special edition of the show that airs 6/6. Third Man has already issued seven compilations related to the series on vinyl.

Columbia Records will handle the digital release of American Epic: The Sessions featuring performances by White, Alabama Shakes, The Avett Brothers, Beck, Elton John, Los Lobos, Rhiannon Giddens and others. Sony’s Legacy Recordings will release a five-CD box set, American Epic: The Collection, and the single CD American Epic: The Soundtrack on 5/12.

Takeover: Third Man Soundsystem starts at 7pm PT/10pm ET on Beats 1 on Friday and re-airs Sunday at 9pmPT/midnight ET.

Sunday will also see the start of a weekly Beats 1 show from Metallica's Lars Ulrich beginning at 3pm PT/6pm ET.