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The Black Keys

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This article is about band. For piano keys, see Piano § Keyboard.

The Black Keys

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.

Career

Early history and The Big Come Up (2001–02)

The Black Keys formed in 2001 and were active in the underground scene of Akron, Ohio. The band released their debut album, The Big Come Up, in early 2002. The album was very successful for a new independent rock band. Along with their second album Thickfreakness, it was recorded entirely in drummer Patrick Carney's basement on an 8-track tape recorder from the early 1980's. The album spawned two singles released as an extended play, Leavin' Trunk and She Said, She Said which are both cover songs. "Leavin' Trunk" is a traditional blues standard and "She Said, She Said" is originally by The Beatles. "I'll Be Your Man" would later be used as the theme for the HBO series Hung.

Thickfreakness era (2003)

The band released Thickfreakness in April, 2003 which along with The Big Come Up was recorded in Carney's basement. The album was favored by critics and three singles were released from the album; Set You Free, Hard Row and a cover of Have Love Will Travel. Set You Free was featured on the soundtrack for School of Rock, as well as 2009 comedy I Love You, Man.

The band released a split-EP with The Six Parts Seven on September 16, 2003, titled The Six Parts Seven/The Black Keys EP and featured one song by The Six Parts Seven and three songs by The Black Keys.

Rubber Factory and first live album (2004–05)

Rubber Factory, the band's third album was released in 2004. During Thickfreakness and Rubber Factory, the band gained reception and popularity, boosting their career. Rubber Factory was recorded in an abandoned factory in early 2004. The factory was[1] located in Akron, but, according to Carney was finally torn down in early 2010.[2] The album featured singles 10 A.M. Automatic, and 'Til I Get My Way and Girl Is On My Mind, released as an EP. "When the Lights Go Out" was used in trailers for the film Black Snake Moan. Additionally, "10 A.M. Automatic" was used in Live Free or Die, The Go Getter, the soundtrack to MLB '06: The Show and an American Express commercial. The Go Getter also featured "Keep Me". "Grown So Ugly" was featured on Cloverfield and "Girl Is On My Mind" on Sony Ericcson and Victoria's Secret commercials. Around this time, they also opened for bands such as Pearl Jam, Beck, Radiohead and Sleater-Kinney.

Around this time, the band also released their first live video album, Live, released in 2005, recorded at The Metro Theatre in Sydney, Australia on March 18, 2005.

The Moan was an extended play which was released on January 19, 2004, featuring Have Love Will Travel, an alternate version of "Heavy Soul" and two covers.

Magic Potion and other releases (2006–07)

The Black Keys released Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough, an EP with covers of songs by Junior Kimbrough. Kimbrough was a bluesman and the founder of Fat Possum Records , whom the band had previously covered on The Big Come Up. The EP was released on May 2, 2006. Four days later The Black Keys released their second live album, Live in Austin, TX, also known as Thickfreakness in Austin. It was recorded October 24, 2003 and released May 6, 2006. Soon after, they released their fourth album Magic Potion, which was their first album on Nonesuch Records. The album featured three singles; You're the One, Your Touch and Just Got To Be. The latter was featured on the soundtrack to the video game, NHL 08. Your Touch was featured on the 2009 film Zombieland. The Black Keys recorded a cover of "The Wicked Messenger" for the soundtrack of I'm Not There and have recorded "If You Ever Slip", a song written by Jesse Harris for The Hottest State soundtrack.

Attack & Release and the Blakroc project (2008–09)

Attack & Release, the band's fifth album, was produced by Danger Mouse and released on April 1, 2008, having leaked onto the internet by March 4. Attack & Release debuted at number 14 on the Billboard Top 200. The singles from the album were "Strange Times", "I Got Mine" and "Same Old Thing". "Strange Times" was featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV and NASCAR 09. "I Got Mine" was named the 23rd best song by Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008. "I Got Mine" is used as the theme song for Canadian Police Drama TV Series The Bridge. "Lies" was used in episodes of Big Love, Lie to Me and was covered by Kelly Clarkson live on her All I Ever Wanted Tour. "So He Won't Break" was featured on an episode of One Tree Hill. 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.[3] "Some of the stuff we ended up recording sounds like Screamin' Jay Hawkins", Carney told Flaunt magazine, in April 2008.[4]

Live at the Crystal Ballroom is a live video album released on November 18, 2008. It was filmed April 4, 2008 in Portland, Oregon at the Crystal Ballroom.

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. On July 6, 2009, The Black Keys performed along with The Roots, TV on the Radio, Public Enemy, Antibalas and other acts at the 2nd Annual Roots Picnic on the Festival Pier in Philadelphia. The Black Keys also joined the 9th annual Independent Music Awards judging panel to assist independent musicians' careers.[6][7] [8]

On February 10, 2009, vocalist and guitarist Dan Auerbach released his debut solo album, Keep It Hid. During this time, drummer Patrick Carney formed an indie band called Drummer, who are currently signed to Carney's Audio Eagle Records label. Drummer released their debut album Feel Good Together on September 29, 2009.

Blakroc is a collaborative album featuring The Black Keys and several hip hop artists released on Black Friday. The project was supported and brought together by Damon Dash, who is a big fan of The Black Keys. The album features rappers among the likes of Mos Def, RZA, Raekwon, Ludacris, Pharoahe Monch, Q-Tip, NOE, Jim Jones, Nicole Wray, M.O.P., and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. The album was recorded in Brooklyn, New York. Dan Auerbach said on the official Blakroc site, "Pat and I have been preparing for this record since we were 16." [9]

Brothers (2010–present)

Brothers is the album released on May 18, 2010. It features a 15 track listing.[10] The album was leaked onto the internet on April 19.[11]

Cultural references

The band is frequently compared to The White Stripes (also a blues-based musical duo of drums and vocals/guitar that started around the turn of the millennium) and to the stylings of The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant,[12] 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 the 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". "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 Ivanović 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 both in an episode of NBC's Friday Night Lights and in an episode of "Eastbound and Down". 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 IV 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, 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 of the first season. The song "Lies" is featured in the advertising campaign for the third season of HBO's Big Love. "The Breaks" can be heard in Guy Ritchie' film RocknRolla. "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 Hungand was also featured in an episode of the FX Network show Rescue Me. "Your Touch" can also be heard in the film Zombieland and in an episode of "Eastbound and Down" on HBO. The song "I Got Mine" has been used in HBO's sports reality series 24/7 Pacquiao-Hatton" [13] as well as background music for the 2009 American League Championship Series.

Discography

For a more comprehensive list, see The Black Keys discography.
Studio albums
Collaboration albums

References

  1. ^ http://twitter.com/patrickcarney/status/2675142190 Patrick Carney's Twitter update
  2. ^ http://twitter.com/patrickcarney/status/2675142190 Patrick Carney's Twitter update
  3. ^ Pitchfork: The Black Keys Reveal Danger Mouse-Produced Album
  4. ^ The Black Keys and Danger Mouse Tewksbury, Drew, Flaunt magazine May 2008
  5. ^ Akron Beacon Journal online
  6. ^ Independent Music Awards – 9th Annual Judges
  7. ^ MicControl
  8. ^ Top40-Charts.com
  9. ^ [1]
  10. ^ [2]
  11. ^ http://leaksallday.com/
  12. ^ Q&A: Robert Plant : Rolling Stone
  13. ^ [3]
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