If Brothers was their breakout album in 2009, then the Black Key's seventh album El Camino, released last December and debuting at number 2 on the Billboard 200, was certainly their most widely heard, appreciated, Googled, etc. It only took seven albums for everyone to realize how talented and widely appealing they could be. Even in their earliest days as two college drop outs playing music in a small town in Ohio, their sound, performance style and energy all pointed towards something great. Nonetheless, they sat patiently without a care for fame and produced a stellar array of rock n' roll worth revisiting.
Formed back in 2001 and consisting of singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney, the Black Keys were formed at a time when rock 'n roll had slowly seceded its monopoly hold of American ears in favor of the fast emerging hip-hop and R & B scenes. Rock still had its big hitters in Pearl Jam, The Foo Fighters and Green Day, but at the time, it seemed no one could outsell Eminem, 'N sync or The Backstreet Boys. As a result, the Black Keys came along during a time where rock formed itself on "revival" acts. Post-punk revival was headed by acts like The Strokes and Interpol, while garage revival came back with The White Stripes and The Black Keys. The revival of the latter genre meant a return to the raw sound and sheer simplicity formed by early blues rock 'n roll. Recorded in Carney's basement, their debut album The Big Come Up did just that. Stripped down guitars, drums and that's basically it.
Met with some small, initial success, Auerbach and Carney remained a relatively unknown and mainly an "underground" act until the release of 2010's Brothers which earned them three Grammys including Best Alternative Music Album. With this and the release of their latest album El Camino, the Black Keys have established themselves as something far greater than just two guys "reviving" old tunes. Selling out their first stadium concert late last year, it's obvious they've done just that.
========================================1. Heavy Soul [The Big Come Up] 2002- From their first album, "Heavy Soul" represents the early "revival" sounds the band made their name on. Its short and simple structure resembles the dire simplicity of that old sound. Stripped down to only all that is necessary: guitar + drums + vocals
2. Psychotic Girl [Attach & Release] 2008- Quiet, deliberate guitar picking alongside the soft touches of a piano make for a chilling song. As the back choir rings out, its almost haunting.
3. Black Mud [Brothers] 2010- A contemporary turn of the old-time sounds of Blues rock n' roll. Much like their own early work, but the addition of an another guitar and a pipe organ for a little more allure. No words needed here.
4. Everlasting Light [Brothers] 2010- Yes this is still the same band. With a slower tempo, Auerbach shows off the high notes in a wonderfully controlled and mellow serenade of rock 'n roll.
5. Gold on the Ceiling [El Camino] 2011- With a catchy sing-a-long styled refrain and some synthesized magic going on in the background, its a glamorous and delightful new sound taken up by the one time small-town rockers. A huge hit off of their newest album, was there ever a chance this would not be a hit?
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