They released their first album, The Big Come Up, in 2002, followed by Thickfreakness in 2003, and Rubber Factory in 2004. October 2005 saw the release of the DVD Live, recorded live at The Metro Theatre in Sydney, Australia March 18, 2005. In 2006 they released Magic Potion, as well as the lesser-known Chulahoma and a single version of Your Touch.
One of their trademarks is their preference for simple, lo-fi recording techniques. They refuse to use big-name studios, and do most recording, producing, and mixing themselves. Most of Thickfreakness was recorded in about 14 hours in Carney's basement, using only an early 80's Tascam 388 8-track recorder. Often, their recordings still have background noises (such as an owl hooting).
The Black Keys have achieved increasing critical acclaim and recognition since their debut album, which itself received praise from Rolling Stone magazine. Time magazine named them one of the "10 Best Acts of 2003" (behind OutKast and The White Stripes). They have supported a number of bands: they toured with Sleater-Kinney in 2003, had a short stint opening for Beck, have recently opened for Radiohead on the American leg of their brief 2006 tour, and performed at Lollapalooza in 2005 and 2007. In addition to this, they were also well-liked by influential British radio DJ John Peel and appeared on both Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Late Show with David Letterman. Famous followers of the band include Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, and Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammet. Matt Helders, drummer for the Arctic Monkeys, can be seen in a Black Keys T-Shirt in an interview on MTV's RAW.
Their song "When the Lights Go Out" was featured in the 2007 film Black Snake Moan, and also on the soundtrack for that movie. The Black Keys were included in the soundtrack of the 2003 movie School of Rock with their song, "Set You Free". "Lies" was featured in the conclusion of the February 4, 2009 episode of Lie to Me. One of their songs, "Girl Is on My Mind", was used in a 2006 Sony Ericsson advertisement, starring the tennis players Ana Ivanović and Daniela Hantuchová, gaining the band more commercial recognition. It was also used in a 2006 Victoria's Secret commercial featuring Heidi Klum and could be heard in the movies Rest Stop and Cashback. Their song "10 am Automatic" was used in the video game MLB '06: The Show, The O.C., The Go-Getter, and was also used in a 2007 American Express commercial starring Shaun White. "Your Touch" was featured in a 2007 Lee's jeans commercial, and can be heard both in an episode of NBC's Friday Night Lights and in an episode of "Eastbound and Down". Their cover "Grown So Ugly" can be heard in the background of the going away party in the 2007 film Cloverfield. "Strange Times" is used in Grand Theft Auto IV on the in-game radio station Radio Broker. "Strange Times" can also be heard during a preview for ABC's The Mole, and the trailer for season three of the Showtime series Dexter, as well as a promo for Gossip Girl. Their song "Just Got To Be" is used on the soundtrack for the video game NHL 08, and "Hard Row" is featured in the premiere episode of the FX show Sons of Anarchy. Sons of Anarchy has gone on to use "Keep Me" in both Episodes 6 and 7, as well as "Busted" in episode 7. The song "Lies" is featured in the advertising campaign for the third season of HBO's Big Love. "The Breaks" can be heard in Guy Ritchie' film RocknRolla. "Your Touch" can also be heard in the HBO series "Entourage" in the episode "Manic Monday", during the opening scenes. The song "Psychotic Girl" is featured the episode "Messin' with the Kid" in season 6 of One Tree Hill. "I'll Be Your Man" is the opening theme song for the HBO show Hungand was also featured in an episode of the FX Network show Rescue Me. "Your Touch" can also be heard in the film Zombieland and in an episode of "Eastbound and Down" on HBO. The song "I Got Mine" has been used in HBO's sports reality series 24/7 Pacquiao-Hatton" [13] as well as background music for the 2009 American League Championship Series. The song "Next Girl" is featured in the in game radio of Saints Row the Third.
Their fourth record that Danger Mouse produced Attack & Release was out April 1st 2008. The duo's fifth album is the first one recorded in a proper studio.
The Band's fifth album, "Brothers" was released in spring 2010 and has seen increasing amounts of exposure to the "Dancing T-Rex" video for the song "Tighten Up" that went viral...until the band asked it to be removed because they felt it made light of their music. A proper video was released later in 2010, featuring Dan Auerbach and Pat Carney at a playground and was pushed on the band's official YouTube channel, as well as through the iTunes and Zune marketplaces. The track "Tighten Up" was also used as the background music for a Subaru Legacy commercial and on the FIFA 2011 Soundtrack.
The Black Keys' seventh studio album, "El Camino," was released on the 6th of December 2011. Co-produced by Danger Mouse, the album was released to critical acclaim, receiving positive reviews from The Rolling Stones, NME and more. Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly commented on "El Camino", saying that "El Camino trades the soulful stylings of Brothers for harder-driving, faster-riffing rock & roll". At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, El Camino won the award for Best Rock Album, while "Lonely Boy" received multiple honors, taking 'Best Rock Performance' and 'Best Rock Song'. The album has sold 1.4 million copies in the United States to date.
The Black Keys' eighth studio album, Turn Blue, was released on May 12, 2014 to generally favorable reviews.
Strange Times
The Black Keys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Travel all the way to earth
Coming restless mile
Easing all of them, all of them for you
Strange times, here
Strange times, here
Meant so much when we first met
People come from far and near
Bless them me, bless them everyone
Strange times, here
Strange times, here
Stay here to dry your tear
I will be the one
To pull you through the mirror
Before you come, before you come undone
Strange times, here
Strange times, here
Strange times, here
Strange times, here
The lyrics to The Black Keys' "Strange Times" may seem a bit cryptic at first glance, but upon closer examination, it becomes clear that they're rich with imagery that serves to convey a sense of alienation and uncertainty. The opening lines, "Kings and sons of god/ Travel all the way to earth" evoke a sense of godhood and majesty, but one that has come down to our mundane world, as if the singer is suggesting that these powerful entities have made a journey to our level of reality. The next line, "Coming restless mile/Easing all of them, all of them for you" suggests some sort of troublesome arrival, and a desire to relieve someone's burden.
The chorus of "Strange times, here" repeats, cementing the idea that the world is undergoing some sort of upheaval, and the remaining stanzas continue to build on this theme. "Scratch you in the square/Meant so much when we first met" implies a sort of violence, or a sense of danger lurking under the guise of familiarity. The singer states that "people come from far and near/Bless them me, bless them everyone," which can be interpreted either as an attempt to offer solace to those seeking refuge, or as a sort of mythic role-playing, with the singer acting as some sort of savior figure. The final two stanzas suggest that the singer is attempting to reassure someone that it's going to be all right- "Stay here to dry your tear/I will be the one/To pull you through the mirror/Before you come, before you come undone." Overall, "Strange Times" is an invitation to explore a world that's in a state of flux- a little weird, a little scary, but full of potential nonetheless.
Line by Line Meaning
Kings and sons of god
People with high status or power, even those considered divine or godly,
Travel all the way to earth
Are making a journey to reach Earth, leaving their lofty positions or homes to do so
Coming restless mile
Arriving after a long, tiring and difficult journey
Easing all of them, all of them for you
Making their arrival easier or more comfortable, all for the sake of one individual
Strange times, here
The current situation is unusual or alarming
Scratch you in the square
A gesture that carries significance, possibly a form of initiation or marking upon meeting someone
Meant so much when we first met
That action held special meaning or significance when they first met one another
People come from far and near
Individuals from various distances and locations are converging together
Bless them me, bless them everyone
Showing gratitude or wishing well upon all of the people who have gathered
Stay here to dry your tear
Offering support and comfort to someone who is upset or in distress
I will be the one
Taking on the responsibility to provide assistance or guidance
To pull you through the mirror
Helping someone overcome or escape from a difficult or troubled situation
Before you come, before you come undone
Offering help before the person reaches a breaking point or difficult moment
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DANIEL QUINE AUERBACH, PATRICK JAMES CARNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@quietberserker
I don't usually like music videos, but I love how this band writes a song, records it and and then just goes out and films themselves doing random, light hearted, stuff and and uses the footage to go with the song. At least thats what they seem to have done in this one. All the videos I've seen so far by them have at least been funny and creative.
@LowQualityl
I know right?
@Sekushiwolf
I remember hearing this song years ago. It still kicks ass.
@Kanterwil
The black keys make me feel like music is finally allowed to be fun again....so tired of all the wannabe dark and ominous stuff
@harrisonr2193
Brothers anyone?
@nateman20
have you paid attention to the lyrics? a lot of them came from a dark place
@markmartin2819
@@nateman20 ah yes, "The dark place"
@JulianSanchez
Aún hay músicos con talento. The Black Keys hagan lo que les plazca, seguramente será extraordinario
@marceli-wac
I got to the point when I realized that Black Keys' videos are waaaay to cool to study to the music itself, gotta watch them
@Thegirlwiththegoldeney3
They are one of my absolute fave bands!