The Black Keys: History of the Rock Band
Indie Debut
The pair wound up recording their 2002 blues and garage rock debut in Carney’s basement. The Big Come Up was released through the independent label Alive Records, and, considering the band’s indie status, it achieved considerable popularity.
Second Album and Movie Appearance
METALLICA’S BLACK ALBUM IS 30 YEARS OLD! | Was Paul McCartney Killed in 1969? | OTHERWISE Interview
The do-it-yourself approach carried over to 2003’s bluesy Thickfreakness. Like their first record, it was recorded in Carney’s basement with the drummer himself taking on production duties. The Black Keys were introduced to a wider audience that year when their music appeared in the movie “School of Rock.”
Recording in a Factory
The Damn Truth on Recording with Bob Rock
Following a few EPs, the band built on their popularity by dropping 2004’s Rubber Factory on Fat Possum Records. Carney continued with production duties on the album, which was recorded in a deserted factory. The track “10 A.M. Automatic” was found on that release, and was accompanied by a David Cross-directed music video.
EPs and Live Albums
Top 10 Most Important Albums in Rock History
Up next was Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough, which was a tribute EP that covered songs by the legendary bluesman. Following that, the live album Live in Austin, TX managed to capture the group’s raw energy from performances during their 2003 tour.
Next Studio Effort and Movie Soundtracks
AC DC: History of the Hard Rock Band
The duo then came out with Magic Potion in 2006 on Nonesuch Records. This moodier album was entirely written and composed by the pair themselves. During this time, The Black Keys also contributed to several movie soundtracks.
Danger Mouse
2008’s Attack & Release marked a few firsts for the band: it was the first record to be produced in a studio and the first to feature the more refined production work of Danger Mouse. With the inclusion of more bass guitar and keyboards, this album went beyond their typical guitar and drums set-up to result in a fuller sound. It also generated singles like the bluesy “I Got Mine” and the hook-heavy “Strange Times.”
Touring and Side Projects
Denny Somach on touring with The Rolling Stones
The Black Keys spent the next couple of months on the road. In 2009, members took time away to focus on solo and side projects. They also collaborated with hip hop artists like Ol’ Dirty Bastard and members of the Wu-Tang Clan on the rap rock project Blakroc.
“Brothers”
Top 10 Chemical Brothers Songs
With help from Mark Neill and Danger Mouse, the twosome produced the majority of their 2010 return to blues-rock: Brothers. The end product was a Grammy-winning album filled with powerful vocals and dynamic drumming. Brothers hit the third position on the Billboard 200, and achieved gold status with help from the song, “Tighten Up.” The Black Keys also showed off their sense of humor with the music video for “Howlin’ for You,” which spoofed movie trailers.
Success and “El Camino”
2011 proved to be a busy year for the Black Keys: aside from playing numerous summer festivals, they appeared on “Saturday Night Live” on two separate occasions and recorded their seventh album in Nashville, Tennessee. Co-produced and co-written by the duo, El Camino was a pure rock effort that also blended soul and rockabilly influences. Not just loved by critics, the album jumped to number two on Billboard and yielded their biggest hit to that point: the rock single “Lonely Boy” was complemented with a widely-viewed music video.
Touring and the Grammys
Innersleeve #8 Nita Strauss on Alice Cooper, Teaching Guitar, Touring with Motley Crue interview
The Black Keys took off on tour in 2012 in support of El Camino. That year, they were also up for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 54th Grammy Awards for their cover of “Dearest” from the 2011 compilation Rave On Buddy Holly.
Pop Culture and Future
Top 10 Black Keys Songs
The Black Keys’ blues and garage rock reached near-ubiquitous status by showing up in video games, TV programs and films. By bringing back good old fashioned rock and roll, The Black Keys have become one of the new millennium’s most talked about bands. And, on the strength of solid song-writing and a rough-and-tough sound, this is one band that will keep fans howlin’ for them.
