The Black Keys

jesus i just got a live nation spam email and they are playing the target center (20K arena where the minnesota timberwolves play), no idea they were that big

feels like they decided to pretend they were that big and people believed them

whoever compared them to kings of leon is right, no idea how that dull-as-dust band manages to get anyone excited enough to fill up stadiums year after year but hey it happens.

I like 'em. Brothers and El Camino are enjoyable for what they are, but I don't listen to them a hell of a lot.

concert doc about the black keys:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaM6lTmhnak&sns=em

Trollbaiter3 years ago

The director could have substituted in the Black Keys for Blueshammer and the effect would be the same.

black keys=blueshammer?

I loves me some Black Keys! They rock. Fuck y'all haterz.

What does it mean for a piece of music to "rock"?

Black Keys supporter here!and to add to the controversy, big fan of Attack & Release, though Rubber Factory is the definitive work.

i guess "black keys=blueshammer lol" is the blueshammer of jokes

blueshumor

I loves me some Black Keys! They rock. Fuck y'all haterz.

― Mr. Snrub, Tuesday, May 13, 2014 11:26 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

THE RETURN OF

if the Black Keys sounded like Blueshammer they would suck less

they would be awesome if they sounded like rory gallagher

eh, the blueshammer comparison is kind of bullshit unless you're gonna throw it onto the 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 other white rock bands who ripped off original blues musicians, too, b/c on some level all those bands are blueshammers. even led zeppelin on a certain level.

I always feel like these guys bit Judah Bauer of Jon Spencer's side project band 20 Miles pretty hard...their first album on Fat Possum was dope, stripped down 2 piece blues deal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAcQw7QN68U

I enjoyed some recent TV performances I've seen of theirs. Don't really get a blueshammer vibe at all, but maybe the new songs are super psyched out.

Yeah marcos otm there

Probably mentioned or debated upthread, but I don't know if I respect the band for just giving in and essentially making breadwinner Danger Mouse a member or no. I mean, Black Keys were reasonably popular before, for an indie act, but Danger Mouse made them mega. So does that count as a sell-out move to stick with him? Does that mean he deserves as much if not more credit than the band itself? "El Camino" was the first where he was given co-writer credit on every track, but he must have played a big role in the previous album's writing. The new one is a full collab/co-write, too. They should just call it Danger Keys.

A friend noticed that the drummer is perfectly fine when paired in a duo with the guitarist, but as a drummer in a full band, as the BK are now, he's sloppy city.

the guitarist was basically fixing the drummers mistakes imo

i think the blueshammer tag is cruel, these guys aren't particularly interesting or much fun IMO but they aren't just a punchline.

I would genuinely rather go see a local BBQ blues band play SRV and Albert King covers than see Black Keys

#coldshot

those guys are at least self-aware

"gotta get away" is my jam atm.

Neck in neck with Michael Jackson's album to debut at #1 next week

If these guys don't merit the blueshammer tag its because they're too ignorable. That vague inoffensive schmindie quality.

I keep waiting for these guys to make that one crossover jam that I'd want to hear twice (or hell, just remember the hook of) but it ain't happened yet.

Bluespaperweight

I had their first album, it was ok, i liked that '10 AM Automatic' song after that. There's worse omnipresent music out there, all the recent hits are fairly tolerable.

Keys enthusiasts/tolerators, is there anything missing from the formula "White Stripes - Violent Femmes = Black Keys"? Admittedly I ain't dug deep into the BK oeuvre.

What about Black Keys as NPR Gun Club?

yeah '10 AM Automatic' ain't bad. blueshammer doesn't work because there's no lengthy minor pentatonic solos (there are short ones) or honkin on the ole mouth harp.

I feel like they must be self aware if they can title a song with a hilariously loose drum track 'Tighten Up'

A-Bing the two, croup's equation is pretty accurate though, yeah

i don't get a violent femmes vibe from this band at all

RS cover story from a few years ago had details that I found very telling: that auerbach is suspect in some circles (elucidated by Carney's exwife) in that G Love and special Sauce were his favorite band as a teen. which I might snort at were I to be uncharitable to be a guy who's 8 years younger than me. I would think it's likely that he probly went in for JSBX hard afterwards, which would lead to 20 miles, referenced above.

and I think there was this bit about Jack white being pissed at his ex-wife because she had their kids go to the same school as Auerbach's, and he doesn't want to go to parent teacher conferences and be around the guy that he considers to be his lousy imitator.

and some ill-will might be down to the whole presumptuous "we're saving rock from nickelback" thang—funny now, as Nickelback's time appears to be over. BK seemed to be one of the dime a dozen blooz duos I saw live in the 10 years spanning JSBX and White Stripes.

Yeah that's why there's a minus sign in there

Xpost

ah ok

I would listen to a Nickelback/Danger Mouse collab.

The other thing they are missing from the Stripes is that Jack is a hotshit guitar player

Jack's guitars always sound amazing, but is he really that skilled at guitar? I'm sure he doesn't want to play fast, but could he play fast many-note solos if that's what he wanted? Can he play hotshit fingerpicking songs? "We're Going to Be Friends", if a good song, is some sub-blackbird fingerpicking.

yeah the guy has chops (doesn't always show em off, but he's more than capable)

Persona-wise, I find the Black Keys dudes way less annoying than Jack White. And loose though he may be, the drummer is miles better than Meg "1, 2, 3...um, um..." White.

Plus, I continue to find this video amusing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_PrT25o8Vs

yeah i've seen live footage of him going off and white got more showoffy on later stuff and in other projects

jack white's annoying persona is the best part!

the white stripes are super pretentious and the black keys are not and that's why the white stripes are way better

it was a concept band, naming their 2nd record de stijl and the coordinated clothes and stuff...it was art rock

full disclosure: i'm giving jack a lot of slack lately because of the neil young record and the angel holograms in his new record

What about Black Keys as NPR Gun Club?

― da croupier, Wednesday, May 14, 2014 7:40 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

uuuh fuck no bro