The Black Keys… and Dangermouse?
I’m not the biggest fan of The Black Keys, but I think they’re better than most current bands out there today. That “10 AM Automatic” song they put out a few years ago is rad and I dug that free live EP they gave away last year. I’ll take these dudes over those last two White Stripes records anyday…
Whelp, according to the email their publicist just sent me, the good news is that they’ve got a new record coming out sometime soon. The bad news is that on their new single “Strange Times”, they worked with some hip hopper named Dangermouse.If you don’t know how I feel about rock and hip hop coming together click here. Dangermous is the guy that raped all those Beatles records by cutting them up and mashing them up with some Jay-Z record (totally unnecessary) and he’s also the dude responsible for that “Crazy” song every dipshit in the world loved last year (thanks bro).
“Strange Times” actually doesn’t really sound as bad as I imagined it would, but I could do without the wack Gorillaz sounding keyboard line, the oohs/ahhs and the safe production. If a member of The Black Keys, their management or label want a long list of future producers they should work with that will run circles around Mr. Dangerdork all they gotta do is drop me an email. And for the record, The Gorillaz really bum me out.
What do you guys (the readers of this sad site) think of this new single “Strange Times? Let’s hear some opinions cuz I know you’ve all got em… let em rip!
I’ve never seen these dudes live, but they are on tour now. Tour dates here. If you happen to see em, let us know below how the show is…
Also, we just started using the Yahoo player (cause Ian Rogers told me to) for the mp3s on this site now… anyone dig that or care?
Posted in Music |
February 26th, 2008 at 8:44 am
i’m skeptical. the raw sound is a major appeal of these guys. I recommend ‘Thickfreakness’, awesome album
February 26th, 2008 at 10:47 am
agreed, altho the single itself isn’t bad, it’s not what I’d expect from these guys. and leaving their raw bluesy sound would be a major bum for me.
February 26th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
The track isn’t bad, but like you said, the whole ’safe’ production sound doesn’t really butter my toast like their older recordings. The point is to be a raw blues band. Hopefully their ability to write hooky stuff comes through on the rest of the tracks.
February 26th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
The single’s alright. It felt like it was missing a little extra kick of something special to make it awsome, though.
February 26th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
I think we might be seeing a Black Keys collaboration with Rod Stewart coming in the next few years. He says he wants to work with them.
*No I am not a fan of them, I just read a little more than I should.
February 26th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
I like it when artists do something called, ‘growth’ or at least, ‘experimentation.’ It’s better than every album sounding the same. I like this sound. It’s got a kick.
February 26th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
“Gorillaz sounding keyboard line, the oohs/ahhs and the safe production”……
isn’t that how a QOTSA record sounds like anyway nowadaze?…
….sike! yeah this song is OK, I didnt mind the ohh/ahhs or the piano, but it really didnt do much for the song, it sounds like he went into PRO TOOLS and grabbed some default sound thing and stuck it in and said “PAY ME .”
But like you said I’d rather hear this than whats on the radio.
“Hey any word on that new JAMC or MBV record?”
Oh and I heard that Pearl Jam, Neil Young,& “THE BOSS” are going to be putting out a anti-war record for some dude in Iraq
February 26th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
You gotta give these guys some credit for trying something different… their first three albums are awesome, but they sounded tired on the last one. At least they’re not regurgitating the same old shit.
February 26th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
So..Simon says your a poser for possibly liking the Black keys? First off i can think of a shit-ton of other bands out that indeed are posers and the people that dig their shit are not posers but infact total dick pumps. Yea it sucks that dangerdoosh is helping them out but look at it from their perspective..if this pussy punch can make a pig pun-esque looking guy that likes dressing up like napolean dynamite or hans solo and can only sing in falsetto some mean fat burger cash, then think of all the bread he can make us.The single is good.promising even. and as for them throwing in some more gorrilaz bullshit..hey,NPH wouldn’t do that! Tell Nigel or whatever..silver lions are good but has mr dental floss ever heard of EODM cause one of those tracks sounded a hell of alot like a track off Peace Love Death Metal. Or let me guess those guys are posers too..what a shlub.
February 26th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Danger Mouse was working on the new Ike Turner album, and brought in the Black Keys as the core band, when Ike croaked they evidently carried on with the project turning it into the ‘Keys record.
The album also features Mark Ribot who’s played with a ton of folks, (Tom Waits, Cibo Matto, John Zorn, Foetus, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss etc) and Ralph Carney, (Patrick the drummers uncle) who has also played with Waits.
Speaking of 2-piece action check out Mississippi Witch
http://www.myspace.com/mississippiwitch
February 26th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Hmm, it’s an okay song for background music, I suppose. Which to me means I don’t mind it if I don’t have to pay attention to it. It didn’t seem too special. Then again, it’s the only song I’ve heard by them, because whenever The Black Keys’ name is mentioned I think of the following, in this order:
1. A crappy poem/song I wrote when I was 18.
2. Organ Grinder by Marilyn Manson.
3. The Black Eyed Peas.
I thought I was the only person who didn’t like Gorillaz.
Ian Rogers twitters almost as much as Sean Bonner. Almost.
February 27th, 2008 at 7:57 am
I’m a big fan of the Black Keys, Thickfreakness and Rubber Factory are both great records, but after their last crappy record they needed to do something different. I’m at least curious enough to hear what a more produced album will sound like.
February 28th, 2008 at 5:29 am
Last tho white stripes records suck balls. agree
February 28th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I’m not a huge fan of the Black Keys, but have seen them a few times and met them backstage at one of their shows.
Super nice, low key guys who don’t give a shit about hitting it big or anything. They just want to play thick, crazy hard rock blues stuff. You know any other 2 dudes who can belt this kind of stuff out?
After seeing these TWO guys kill it both nights, and being in awe of how full the sound was, I had to give these guys my repsect.
The fact that Dangermouse produced this album isn’t really clear when you listen to it, this is a Keys album, a rock album. And despite some questionable synth and keys stuff, it’s better than 90% of the shit that comes out these days.
February 29th, 2008 at 5:08 am
that yahoo player is the best thing to hit internet in a long time
March 6th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Damn, I actually kind of like Dangermouse, I don’t see why you guys hate him so much. Although, I’ve only heard the mashups he did with Jay-Z’s songs so I might feel differently if I heard the Beatle’s mashups.
Anyways, I love the Black Keys! Not really feeling the new single that much, though. I wish they would play a show near me.
Oh, and I don’t like the White Stripes either! ha.
March 6th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Actually, now that I’m listening to Strange Times again, it’s kind of growing on me. haha not as good as Thickfreakness, but still not too shabby! :)
March 6th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Yahoo Player = Fantastic!
March 27th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
[…] the new video for “Strange Times” by The Black Keys…. thumbs up or thumbs down kids? Laser tag? Not really sure I’m following them here. […]