The Black Keys
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The Black Keys are a two-man blues-rock group from Akron, Ohio, consisting of singer and guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney.
Biography
They named the band, not as a play on the name of the band The White Stripes, who they had not yet heard of when they named themselves, but from inspiration of a schizophrenic artist friend in Akron, who used the term "black keys" to describe things he disliked or people he did not trust. The band is frequently compared to The White Stripes because they are both 2-man bands (vocals, guitar, and drums) which play blues based music that both emerged within a couple of years of each other. The Black Keys have a less pop based sound than The White Stripes, and are more traditional blues based.They released their first album, The Big Come Up, in 2002, followed by Thickfreakness in 2003, and Rubber Factory in 2004. October 2005 saw the release of the DVD Live, recorded live at The Metro Theatre in Sydney, Australia March 18, 2005.
One of their trademarks is their preference for simple recording techniques. They refuse to use big name studios, and do most of the recording, producing, and mixing themselves. The album Thickfreakness was recorded mostly in its entirety in 14 hours in Carney's basement on an early 80's Tascam 388 8-track recorder. Another trademark is not following the 'norm'. They typically use odd recording techniques as well as what some may consider off the wall playing techniques.
The Black Keys were included in the soundtrack of the 2003 movie School of Rock with their song, "Set You Free."
The Black Keys have achieved increasing critical acclaim and recognition since their debut album, which was praised by Rolling Stone magazine[link]. Time magazine named them one of the "10 Best Acts of 2003" [link] (behind OutKast and The White Stripes). They have supported a number of bands, and toured with Sleater-Kinney in 2003, as well as a short stint opening for Beck, and performed at Lollapalooza 2005. They have recently opened for Radiohead on the American leg of their brief 2006 tour. In addition to this, they were also popular with influential British radio DJ John Peel and appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and The Late Show with David Letterman. Famous followers of the band include Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant [link], Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, and Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead. One of their songs, "Girl Is On My Mind", was used in the 2006 Sony Ericsson advert, starring the tennis players Ana Ivanovic and Daniela Hantuchova, gaining the band more commercial recognition.
Discography
Albums
- The Big Come Up - CD/LP (May 14, 2002) Alive Records
- Thickfreakness - CD/LP (April 8, 2003) Fat Possum Records
- Rubber Factory - CD/LP (September 7, 2004) Fat Possum Records #143 US
- The Magic Potion - CD/LP (September 12, 2006) Nonesuch Records
EPs
- The Moan - CD (January 19, 2004) Alive Records
- - CD (May 2, 2006) Fat Possum Records
Singles
- Hard Row - 7" (May 26, 2003) Fat Possum Records
- Hard Row 3:15
Splits
- The Six Parts Seven / The Black Keys - CD (September 16, 2003) Suicide Squeeze Records
- The Moan (live@WMBR 5/16/2003) 3:33
- Thickfreakness (live@WMBR 5/16/2003) 3:50
- Yearnin' (live@WMBR 5/16/2003) 2:56
Compilations
- Punk-O-Rama 8 - ECD (2003) Epitaph Records
- Thickfreakness 3:48
Soundtrack
- Rescue Me Original Television Soundtrack - CD (May 30, 2006) Nettwerk Records
- I’ll Be Your Man 2:37
Official Bootlegs
- Live In Austin, TX - 256MP3 (May 5, 2006) Jumper Productions
Videography
DVDs
- Thickfreakness In Austin - DVD5 (September 7, 2004) Jumper Productions (limited to 10,000 copies)
- Live - DVD5 (October 4, 2005) Fat Possum Records/Ryko
- Austin City Limits Music Festival 2005 - 2DVD5 (June 20, 2006) Image Entertainment
- Set You Free
Music Videos
- Set You Free (Thickfreakness, 2003)
- 10am Automatic (Rubber Factory, 2004) - Directed by David Cross
Songs
Covers
- "Act Nice and Gentle" by The Kinks
- (Rubber Factory, 2004)
B-Sides
- "Flash of Silver"
- (Til I Get My Way [SP], 2004)
External links
| The Black Keys |
| Daniel Auerbach | Patrick Carney |
| Discography |
|---|
| Albums: The Big Come Up | Thickfreakness | ''Rubber Factory |
| Extended plays: The Moan | |
| Live bootlegs: Live In Austin, TX |
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