The Black Keys are a two-man blues-rock group from Akron, Ohio, consisting of singer and guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney. They named the band, not as a play on the name of the band The White Stripes, who they had not yet heard of when they named themselves, but from inspiration of a schizophrenic artist friend in Akron, who used the term "black keys" to describe things he disliked or people he did not trust. The band is frequently compared to The White Stripes because they are both 2-man bands (vocals, guitar, and drums) which play blues based music that both emerged within a couple of years of each other. The Black Keys have a less pop based sound than The White Stripes, and are more traditional blues based.
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 Theater in Sydney, Australia March 18, 2005.
One of their trademarks is their preference for simple recording techniques. They refuse to use big name studios, and do most of the recording, producing, and mixing themselves. The album Thickfreakness was recorded mostly in its entirety in 14 hours in Carney's basement on an early 80's Tascam 388 8-track recorder. Another trademark is not following the 'norm'. They typically use odd recording techniques as well as what some may consider off the wall playing techniques as well.
The Black Keys were included in the soundtrack of the 2003 movie School of Rock with their song, "Set You Free."
The Black Keys have achieved increasing critical acclaim and recognition since their debut album, which was praised by 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, and toured with Sleater-Kinney in 2003, as well as a short stint opening for Beck, and performed at Lollapalooza 2005. They were also popular with influential British radio DJ John Peel and appeared on 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, and Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead.
