The Black Keys Brothers released

Brothers The Black Keys

Released: May 18, 2010 Peak: 3 US, 29 UK, 4 CN, 8 AU Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, 0.1 UK, 2.34 world (includes US and UK) Genre: rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Everlasting Light [3:24] Next Girl [3:18] Tighten Up [3:31] (4/23/10, 87 US, 12 AA, 110 MR, 57 CN) Howlin’ for You [3:12] (1/8/11, 9 AA, 39 AR, 3 MR, 50 CN) She’s Long Gone [3:06] Black Mud [2:10] The Only One [5:00] Too Afraid to Love You [3:25] Ten Cent Pistol [4:29] Sinister Kid [3:45] The Go Getter [3:37] I’m Not the One [3:49] Unknown Brother [4:00] Never Give You Up (Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, Jerry Butler) [3:39] These Days [5:12] Songs by Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney unless noted otherwise. Total Running Time: 55:29 The Players: Dan Auerbach (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards) Patrick Carney (drums, percussion)

Rating: 4.020 out of 5.00 (average of 33 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: The Black Keys formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001. They built an underground following through the decade while releasing five albums. Then came 2010’s Brothers which launched the band’s widespread commercial success when it reached #3 on the U.S. Billboard chart, sold more than a million copies, and won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album. Before that point, the band had a handful of songs reach the lower reaches of the UK charts, but had never made any headway in their native U.S. The lead single, Tighten Up, changed the band’s fortunes, landing at #1 on the modern rock chart. The song was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Song and won for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Buzzbin magzine’s Mark C. Horn said, “the song intros with the distinct whistling ofrom Ennio Morricone’s The Good, The Bad and the Ugly composition, backed up by Carney’s monster thump drumming and Auerbach’s soulful voice.” WK The song was followed by Howlin’ for You, another success on the modern rock charts. The video, directed by Chris Marrs Pillero, parodied action movie trailers. It starred Corbin Bernsen, Todd Bridges, Shaun White, and others. It also received a nomination for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video. Auerbach and Carney were at a crossroads prior to the making of Brothers. Auerbach made a solo album without Carney’s knowledge and Carney feared it was the end of the band. Carney also went through a painful divorce. However, when Auerbach and Carney got together, they acknowledged how important the band was to both of them. They wanted to record in a historic old studio and Auerbach suggested Muscle Shoals in Alabama. The first song they recorded, Next Girl, shaped the direction of the rest of the sessions. Musically, they took a rhythm-first approach to songs throughout the session while lyrically that first song’s lyrics about moving on set a tone. They found their time at Muscle Shoals to be “productive and inspirational.” WK Notes: “Ohio” and an alternate version of “Howlin’ for You” were added as bonus tracks. A 10th anniversary deluxe edition added “Chop and Change,” “Keep My Name Outta Your Mouth,” and “Black Mud Part II.”

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for The Black Keys WK Wikipedia First posted 3/13/2022.