Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney started as a lo fi blues rock duo in a basement in Akron and gradually expanded their sound into something that could fill arenas. Their early records were raw and deliberately scruffy. two guys making as much noise as possible with as little equipment as possible. The formula worked because Auerbach's guitar tone was massive and Carney's drumming hit harder than it had any right to.\n\nBrothers and El Camino marked their commercial breakthrough, with Danger Mouse's production adding a polish that made their blues rock palatable to mainstream audiences without sanding off the grit entirely. "Lonely Boy" and "Gold on the Ceiling" became ubiquitous. Their later albums have been more uneven, but at their best the Black Keys are proof that blues rock doesn't need to be a museum piece.
Key Albums
"Tighten Up" and "Howlin' for You." Danger Mouse's production brought them to the masses.
"Lonely Boy" and "Gold on the Ceiling." Tighter, faster, and their most consistently fun album.
Recorded in fourteen hours. Raw, lo fi, and dripping with blues grit.
Why They Matter
The Black Keys kept blues rock alive in an era when it was deeply unfashionable, and proved that two people with a deep love of the blues could build something that connected with millions without betraying their roots.