Anyone heard of "The Black Keys"?

[Diggzz]

A fellow co-worker passed their CD on to me and I am seriously diggin it. Bluesy, rock/alternative (insert whatever other label in here) music. I really like it anyways, just wondering if anyone else has any info on them. There is a link to one song, one of their slower ones, but they rock out hard on other songs on the CD (Rubber Factory it's called). Hope y'all enjoy them as much as I do.

Cheers!!!

http://theblackkeys.com/news.php

[StoneMtn]

I think they recently played here in Whistler. If it's the band I'm thinking of, the show had great reviews.

[Swan]

I saw the Black Keys open up for the Blues Exposion in Buffalo a couple of years ago. A two piece band. I remember them opening the set with She Said She Said and it blew me away.

[TheGoodRev]

Man I'm surprised more people on this board haven't heard of them. I consider them to be an appropriate alter-ego to the White Stripes: they both have two members, the white/black thing, except the White Stripes are BAD, whereas the Black Keys are GOOD.

Sometimes, though, I can't forgive them for the lacking of the bass player. Does anybody else feel this way about bands without bass players? I play some bass but don't consider myself a bass player, but come on, you need the bottom end, man. Anyway, I digress.

The Black Keys new record is solid, I've been spinning it here and there on my radio show [AHEM Friday mornings 6-9 93.3 in Hamilton]. If you dig this record, Diggzz, check out their last one too, thickfreakness. The first one was called The Big Come Up, but I didn't like it as much as the last two. I think the most recent is the best.

[stu dog]

hey digzzz. nice to hear from ya.. why don't you think about heading to chatham this weekend.. i think its your turn..

here's to brother diggler...

love to see you here dude

to get back to the subject ya, i shot those guys at bonnaroo and what a blast they were, the crowd was wicked.. you'll love them. really good performers..

peace diggzz.. say hi to fire box for me too

oh and i am coming to toronto a week friday for the weekend, i'll fill u in on details ::

[Jaimoe]

I consider them to be an appropriate alter-ego to the White Stripes: they both have two members, the white/black thing, except the White Stripes are BAD, whereas the Black Keys are GOOD.

Sometimes, though, I can't forgive them for the lacking of the bass player. Does anybody else feel this way about bands without bass players?

I've liked the Black Keys for a few years now. I'd call their sound delta blues revisionism with a healthy dash of garage blues rock. I disagree with your first above statement however: The White Stripes are good and for me, a better band than The Black Keys. Jack White's a prolific, plundering songwriter and a nasty delta/punk guitatist. His songs are important, soulful and The Stripes have virtually brought blues and country based rock into mainstream music consciousness.

In response to your second question: I like the two-piece, drums and guitar sound. It may seem gimmiky, but it really isn't if you look at how the blues sound has evolved over 60-70 years. Many of the early blues players played with just a guitar, voice and drums: See Muddy Waters. Two-piece blues is raw, gritty and sparce, all elements that some modern blues bands with 6-7 members seem to lack.

Check out these two newish 2-piece blues-rock bands:

The Soledad Brothers - Detroit hard-rockin' blues with a nod to Mississippi.

The Immortal Lee County Killers - The heaviest band I've ever heard. I describe their sound as hardcore punk meets delta blues. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but they ain't boring. Scary at times and screaming distortion, but somehow they remain blues based.

[AdamH]

The Soledad brothers knocked me on my feet last I saw them.

My girlfriend bought me the keys' album Thickfreakness. It's good, but I can only listen to it a couple of times before getting bored. I don't get bored of the White Stripes nearly as easily.

I'm also miffed that the Keys have stood up the Bluesfest two years in a row.

[Diggzz]

Ahhh Stu...I'll see what I can pull for this weekend, don't really have the transportation though...You're gonn be in town next weekend? (19, 20, 21?) If you are I unfortunately will be in Buffalo for the weekend. About 40 guys are headin down there to do some liver damage and see the Bills game on Sunday (If ya watch check the endzones for a group of 40 guys wearing flourescent orange t-shirts!) I'll be in touch though....

Thanks for the other info folks, gonna have to check out Thickfreakness for sure..