Latest Posts

Is Originality Overrated?

June 23, 2014

I’m still not sure what my favorite song on the new Black Keys album is. It might be the one that sounds like Pink Floyd, or the one sounds like Sweet, or the one with the riff that sort of sounds like an electric version of Cat Stevens’ “Wild World.” Or maybe the other one that sounds like Pink Floyd…. Ok, you get the idea. But while many of the songs on Turn Blue can be directly traced to 70s classic rock, that doesn’t make me love it any less. If you go to The Black Keys looking for originality, you’re looking in the wrong direction. They have loads of great songs, but they are more than happy to be revivalists rather than originators. This brings up an interesting question: Is originality really all that important? We’ve spent more than a decade appreciating songs from rock bands who we love because[...]

Who Cares What Jack White Thinks About The Black Keys?

June 2, 2014

In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Jack White said some shit that pissed off a bunch of people. He accused the Black Keys of ripping off his work, and argued that Adele owes a large part of her commercial success to Amy Winehouse’s death. This was apparently controversial enough that White released a statement apologizing for the comments on his website this weekend. To me, the question that needs to be asked is why the fuck does any of this matter? First off, White’s apology is hilarious. He’s basically saying “Sorry I told you how I really feel.” I mean, it’s not like he’s actually retracting any of those opinions or saying “Nah, I was just shitting around, the Black Keys are a great band.” And as someone who thoroughly enjoys the music of White as well the Keys, I couldn’t possibly care less. So Jack White doesn’t like a band[...]

The Black Keys – Turn Blue

May 13, 2014

It’s been a busy week for Patrick Carney. The Black Keys have just released their 8th (can that be right?) studio album, and he’s somehow managed to find time to reignite his old beef with Justin Bieber. While he’s correct in his opinion that Justin Bieber is pretty much the worst type of person the world has ever seen, it’s not his responsibility to make everyone aware of it. His responsibility is to be a sick drummer in one of the better bands we’ve ever heard. If this is a PR move, I think we can all agree that it is pretty shameful. I really, really don’t think it is, but I can’t completely dismiss the idea. Offstage, The Black Keys have always struck me as a bit goofy. I remember watching them as extras in an SNL skit a few years ago and being surprised at how remarkably unfunny[...]