Line #49 Music/TheBlackKeys


1	[[quoteright:314:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_black_keys_409977b_3106.jpg]]
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4	->''"Asking the Black Keys 'Why do you play the blues so good?' would be like asking a cloud 'Why are you fluffy so good?' How the hell is someone supposed to answer that? It's like a Zen koan."''
5	-->--'''Brian J. Bowe''', ''[[http://www.creemmagazine.com/_site/BeatGoesOn/BlackKeys/ZenAndTheBlues001.html Creem Online]]''
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7	The Black Keys are a Grammy-winning BluesRock band from Akron, Ohio formed in 2001. While some of their albums have featured session musicians, the core band consists of only two members - Dan Auerbach (guitar, vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums).
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9	Early in the band's career, much media attention was placed on their raw, minimalistic style, the result of a recording technique euphemistically referred to as "medium-fidelity", described by the band as "equal parts broke-ass shit to equal parts hot-ass shit." Since ''Attack and Release'', however, their sound has been a bit more expansive, adding more sonic detail while keeping the band's BluesRock sound front and center. The music video for "Howlin' for You" is so {{troperiffic}} that it has [[Music/HowlinForYou its own page]].
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11	Not to be confused with Music/TheBlackEyedPeas.
12	----
13	!!Discography:
14	* ''The Big Come Up'' (2002)
15	* ''Thickfreakness'' (2003)
16	* ''Rubber Factory'' (2004)
17	* ''Magic Potion'' (2006)
18	* ''Attack and Release'' (2008)
19	* ''Blakroc'' (2009)
20	* ''Music/{{Brothers\|Album}}'' (2010)
21	* ''El Camino'' (2011)
22	* ''Turn Blue'' (2014)
23	* ''Let's Rock'' (2019)
24	* ''Delta Kream'' (2021)
25	* ''Dropout Boogie'' (2022)
26	* ''Ohio Players'' (2024)
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28	----
29	!! '''''Tighten up on your tropes, you're running wild''''':
30	* AlbumTitleDrop: ''Magic Potion'' gets one in "Modern Times". ''Turn Blue'' in its corresponding {{title track}}.
31	* AWildRapperAppears: They don't normally do this, with one major exception: ''Blakroc''. The entire album is ''built'' on this concept, turning the normal trope up to eleven.
32	** The only other main exception is "The Baddest Man Alive", made for RZA's film ''Film/TheManWithTheIronFists'' and featuring a BoastfulRap from RZA himself.
33	* BadToTheBone: Their songs see a ''lot'' of use in movie trailers, most often "Lonely Boy" and "Howlin' for You."
34	* BadassBoast: "The Baddest Man Alive", [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin as you might guess from the title]], consists of nothing but this and BoastfulRap courtesy of [[Music/WuTangClan RZA]].
35	* BigRockEnding: Often, to the point they finish concerts with their biggest use of this trope, "I Got Mine".
36	* BreakupSong: ''Brothers'' and ''Turn Blue'' are filled with them, as each member was experiencing a divorce (Carney in the former, Auerbach in the latter).
37	* BrokenPedestal: They were asked to induct Music/SteveMiller into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, being big fans. Given he was overtly critical about the Hall and didn't care about who they were ([[http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/music/sdut-steve-miller-rock-hall-of-fame-interview-2016apr14-htmlstory.html Miller himself later]] said he wanted his induction by friend Music/EltonJohn), [[http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/black-keys-we-regret-inducting-steve-miller-after-rock-hall-insults-20160413 they regretted the experience, leaving even before Miller's angry speech.]]
38	* BunnyEarsLawyer: Patrick Carney - celebrated musician, veteran of the garage rock scene, [[http://instagram.com/officerpatrickcarney/ curator of an Instagram that goes out of its way to be as weird as possible]]. If you didn't know who he was, you'd assume he was a FYAD veteran rather than a famous drummer.
39	* {{Chiaroscuro}}: The front cover of ''The Big Come Up''.
40	* CoverAlbum: ''Chulahoma: The Songs of [[Music/JuniorKimbrough Junior Kimbrough]]'' and ''Delta Kream'' consist of covers of North Mississipi blues standards that influenced the band.
41	* CoversAlwaysLie: [[http://flavorwire.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/black-keys.jpg The vehicle]] pictured on the cover of ''El Camino'' is '''''NOT''''' an El Camino. [[http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashvillecream/archives/2011/12/06/the-black-keys-patrick-carney-the-cream-interview Instead it's a Plymouth van like those the band rode in their first tour]].
42	* CoverVersion: Almost every Black Keys album, save for ''Magic Potion'', ''Attack and Release'', and ''El Camino'', has included at least one cover.
43	* EpicRocking: "Weight of Love", the first song from ''Turn Blue'', clocks in at 6:50 ([[EpicInstrumentalOpener the vocals only come in after 2 minutes]]) and is loaded with guitar solos.
44	* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: The cover for ''Brothers'' reads, "This is an album by The Black Keys. The name of this album is ''Brothers''." The album's singles follow suit, and not even the [[https://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Black-Keys-Brothers-album-cover-T-SHIRT-DTG-BLACK-S-5XL-/264395851914 related merch]] was immune!
45	* GenreThrowback: Their style would honestly be more at home in TheSeventies than TheNewTens.
46	* GratuitousSpanish:
47	** In the "Howlin' for You" video, the band is referred to as Las Teclas de Negro.
48	** ''El Camino''.
49	* {{Instrumentals}}: "Black Mud", which was nominated for a Grammy.
50	* InsultBackfire: They infamously decried Music/{{Nickelback}}, but in the process called them "The biggest band in the world". The many reasons why this is not really an insult should be pretty obvious.
51	* LongRunnerLineUp: Type 1 (not counting session/tour musicians).
52	* MinimalisticCoverArt: ''Brothers'' has nothing but text on a black background reading "This is an album by The Black Keys. The name of this album is ''Brothers''." The cover design won a Grammy.
53	* NerdGlasses: Pat wears them.
54	* NewSoundAlbum:
55	** ''Attack and Release'', due largely to the involvement of Music/DangerMouse.
56	** '' Brothers'' emphasized elements of soul music while rolling back ''Attack And Release's'' psychedelia somewhat.
57	** With Music/DangerMouse back on board, ''El Camino'' adds backing instruments and backing singers, stretching somewhat away from the GarageRock "drummer-and-guitarist/singer" rock duo sound.
58	** ''Turn Blue'' turns back towards PsychedelicRock while also leaning toward RapRock.
59	* OrdinaryPeoplesMusicVideo: The video for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_426RiwST8 "Lonely Boy"]] consists entirely of security guard Derrick T. Tuggle dancing and miming to the song.
60	* PunBasedTitle: ''Turn Blue'' is not only a reference to their Blues influence, but how a CreatorBreakdown[[invoked]] inspired the whole thing.
61	* RealTrailerFakeMovie: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLSpj7q6_mM&ob=av3e The video]] for "Music/HowlinForYou"
62	* RecordProducer: Music/BrianBurton (aka Danger Mouse) produced ''Attack and Release'' and ''El Camino'' as well as "Tighten Up" from ''Brothers''. In recent years, Auerbach has become an in-demand producer himself.
63	* TheRival: Music/TheWhiteStripes, [[ColourCodedForYourConvenience appropriately enough]]. Another blues-based duo with a name inspired by piano keys.
64	** Made all the more real when Music/JackWhite's emails leaked in 2013 containing several undiplomatic statements about them.
65	* ShoutOut:
66	** ''Let's Rock'' is a big one to ''Series/TwinPeaks'', right down to the titles of both the album and the final track, [[Film/TwinPeaksFireWalkWithMe "Fire Walk With Me"]].
67	** In "The Baddest Man Alive", one of the lyrics is "I wear [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles a super-suit like I'm incredible]]."
68	* SirSwearsALot: Patrick Carney has a really foul mouth, especially when he's trash-talking other people or artists. However, he also seems to do it a lot even when he isn't expressing disdain for anything in particular, so it's definitely not limited to just those situations.
69	* ThreeChordsAndTheTruth

Context Music / TheBlackKeys