The Black Keys
are an American blues-rock music duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. They were formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001. Their sound heavily incorporates elements of blues and blues-rock.
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Biography
The band released their first album,
The Big Come Up
, in 2002, followed by
Thickfreakness
in 2003, and
Rubber Factory
in 2004. Around this time, they also opened for bands such as
Pearl Jam,
Beck,
Radiohead and
Sleater-Kinney. October 2005 saw the release of the DVD
Live
, recorded live at
The Metro Theatre in
Sydney, Australia March 18, 2005. In 2006 they released
Magic Potion
and the lesser known
Chulahoma EP
, as well as a single version of "Your Touch".
Their fourth album,
Magic Potion
, was released on September 4, 2006 in the UK and September 12, 2006 in the United States. It was their first recording for
Nonesuch Records.
According to an interview in
Pitchfork Media, the band was collaborating on an album with
Ike Turner, to be produced by
Danger Mouse and released in 2007, but the idea was rendered impossible with Turner's death in December 2007.
[1] "Some of the stuff we ended up recording sounds like
Screamin' Jay Hawkins," Carney told
Flaunt
magazine, in April 2008.
[2] Ultimately
Attack & Release
, their fifth album, was produced by Danger Mouse and released on April 1, 2008, having leaked onto the internet by March 4. The first single from the album was "Strange Times", with a supporting video featuring Auerbach and Carney appearing as themselves shooting "real" laser guns at one another during a game of laser tag.
The Black Keys have achieved increasing critical acclaim and recognition since their debut album, which was praised by
Rolling Stone
magazine.
[3] Time
magazine named them one of the "10 Best Acts of 2003".
[4] They have supported a number of bands, and toured with
Sleater-Kinney in 2003, as well as a short stint opening for
Beck, and performing at
Lollapalooza 2005 and 2008. They opened for
Radiohead on the American leg of their brief 2006 tour. In addition to this, they were supported by the influential British radio DJ
John Peel and appeared on
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
, and
The Late Show with David Letterman
. They have recorded a cover of Bob Dylan's "The Wicked Messenger" for the
I'm Not There
soundtrack, and have recorded "If You Ever Slip", a song written by Jesse Harris for
The Hottest State
soundtrack.
On October 17, 2008, the band was an opening act for fellow Akron-area band
Devo at a special benefit concert at The Akron Civic Theater for presidential candidate
Barack Obama.
Chrissie Hynde of
The Pretenders, also an Akron native and
Firestone High School graduate, followed their set.
[5] In November they toured through Europe together with
Liam Finn.
The Black Keys also joined the 9th annual
Independent Music Awards judging panel to assist independent musicians' careers.
[6] [7]
[8]
Cultural references
The band is frequently compared to
The White Stripes, a blues-based musical duo (drums; vocals and guitar) from
Detroit.
Led Zeppelin frontman
Robert Plant,
[9] Josh Homme of
Queens of the Stone Age,
Billy Gibbons of
ZZ Top, and
Thom Yorke and
Jonny Greenwood of
Radiohead are fans of the band.
Metallica guitarist
Kirk Hammett has also stated in an interview that he enjoys listening to the band.
Arctic Monkeys' Drummer
Matt Helders can be seen in a Black Keys T-Shirt in an interview on MTV's RAW. Their song "When the Lights Go Out" was featured in
Samuel L. Jackson's 2007 film
Black Snake Moan
, and also on the soundtrack for that movie. The Black Keys were included in the
soundtrack of the 2003 movie
School of Rock
with their song, "Set You Free." The song can be heard when
Jack Black takes
Joan Cusack to a bar for "coffee". "Lies" was featured in the conclusion of the February 4, 2009 episode of "Lie to Me."
One of their songs, "Girl is on My Mind", was used in a 2006
Sony Ericsson advertisement, starring the tennis players
Ana Ivanovic and
Daniela Hantuchová, gaining the band more commercial recognition. It was also used in a 2006
Victoria's Secret commercial featuring
Heidi Klum and could be heard in the movies
Rest Stop
and
Cashback
. Their song "10 am Automatic" was used in the video game
MLB '06: The Show
,
The O.C
,
The Go-Getter
, and was also used in a 2007 American Express commercial starring
Shaun White. "Your Touch" was featured in a 2007 Lee's jeans commercial, and can be heard in an episode of NBC's
Friday Night Lights
. Their cover "Grown So Ugly" can be heard in the background of the going away party in the 2007 film
Cloverfield
. "Strange Times" is used in
Grand Theft Auto 4
on the in-game radio station, Radio Broker. "Strange Times" can also be heard during a preview for ABC's
The Mole
, and the trailer for season three of the
Showtime series
Dexter
, as well as a promo for
Gossip Girl. Their song "Just Got To Be" is used on the soundtrack for the video game
NHL 08
, made by
EA Sports, and "Hard Row" is featured in the premiere episode of the
FX show
Sons of Anarchy
.
Sons of Anarchy
has gone on to use "Keep Me" in both Episodes 6 and 7, as well as "Busted" in episode 7. The song "Lies" is featured in the advertising campaign for the third season of HBO's
Big Love
. "The Breaks" can be heard in the Range Rover while Gerard Butler is driving Tom Hardy to his going away party in the
Guy Ritchie film "RockNRolla". Their song "Your Touch" can be heard in various episodes of HBO's comedy series "Eastbound and Down". "Your Touch" can also be heard in the HBO series "
Entourage" in the episode 'Manic Monday', during the opening scenes. The song "Psychotic Girl" is featured the episode "Messin' with the Kid" in season 6 of
One Tree Hill. "I'll Be Your Man" is the opening theme song for the HBO show "
Hung"
The song, "I Got Mine" has been used in 2009 for HBO's sports reality series "
24/7 Pacquiao-Hatton."
[10]
Discography
Studio albums
- The Big Come Up
(2002)
- Thickfreakness
(2003)
- The Moan
(2004)
- Rubber Factory
(2004)
- Magic Potion
(2006)
- Attack & Release
(2008)
References
- Pitchfork: The Black Keys Reveal Danger Mouse-Produced Album
- The Black Keys and Danger Mouse Tewksbury, Drew, ''Flaunt'' magazine May 2008
- CD Reviews : Rolling Stone
- TIME Magazine: 2003 Best and Worst: Music
- ''Akron Beacon Journal'' online
- Independent Music Awards - 9th Annual Judges
- MicControl
- Top40-Charts.com
- Q&A: Robert Plant : Rolling Stone
- [1]