the black keys
Dan Auerbach Revives the Arcs for First Album Since 2015
Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach’s other band, the Arcs, have returned with their first new music since 2015 in the form of “Keep on Dreamin’.” The track precedes the Jan. 27 release of a full-length album, Electrophonic Chronic, featuring contributions from late band member Richard Swift before his 2018 death. “This new record is all about honoring Swift,” Auerbach says. “It’s a way for us to say goodbye to him, by revisiting him playing and laughing, singing. It was heavy at times, but I think it was really helpful to do it.” [embedded content][embedded content] Co-produced by Auerbach and group member Leon Michels, Electrophonic Chronic boasts contributions from fellow original Arcs members Nick Movshon and Homer Steinweiss. It was recorded between Auerbach’s Nashville studio Easy Eye S...
VetsAid to Feature Final James Gang Set, Dave Grohl, NIN, Black Keys
The Joe Walsh-led annual VetsAid benefit concert will be a hot ticket for rock’n’roll fans this fall, as it will feature what’s being billed as the final performance of Walsh’s pre-Eagles band James Gang, plus appearances by Dave Grohl, Nine Inch Nails, The Black Keys and The Breeders. The Drew Carey-hosted event will be held Nov. 13 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Tickets go on sale Friday (Aug. 5). Walsh, who considers Columbus to be his hometown and later became a star amid the late ’60s Cleveland rock scene, curated an Ohio-themed bill for VetsAid, all proceeds from which will be donated to veterans’ services charities in the Buckeye state. Grohl was born in Warren, about an hour southeast of Cleveland, while Black Keys founders Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney grew up in Akron. ...
Black Keys, Nathaniel Rateliff Salute Richard Swift at Red Rocks
The Black Keys paid tribute to their dear friend and collaborator, the late musician/producer Richard Swift, by covering his song “Broken Finger Blues” for the first time ever Thursday night (July 14) at Red Rocks Amphitheatre just outside of Denver. The track was largely sung by special guest Nathaniel Rateliff, whose 2015 self-titled album with The Night Sweats was produced by Swift. A beloved figure in indie rock circles, Swift died in July 2018 at the age of 41 after battling numerous health issues. He played bass in The Black Keys’ live touring band from 2014-15 and was also a member of Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach’s side band The Arcs, in addition to his work with The Shins, Damien Jurado, Foxygen, Pedro The Lion’s David Bazan and many others. “He was the funniest person we ever ...
Eddie Vedder Adds ‘Encore’ Ohana Weekend With Black Keys, Alanis Morissette
As it did last year for the first time, Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Festival will extend to two weekends this fall at Doheny Beach State Park in Dana Point, Calif. As previously reported, the first weekend takes place September 30-October 2, with performances from Vedder, Stevie Nicks, Jack White and more. Vedder will headline again on October 8, with The Black Keys closing the festivities the following evening. Alanis Morissette, The Roots, Julieta Venegas, The Front Bottoms, Amos Lee, Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard’s side band Painted Shield, Marcus King, Charlotte Lawrence, Trousdale, Seratones and Jonny Roundhouse round out the bill on October 8. Haim, Band Of Horses, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Afghan Whigs, Amyl and the Sniffers, Iceage, Hamilton Leithauser, Pearl Jam touring member Josh Kl...
Hear the Black Keys’ Soulful New Rocker ‘It Ain’t Over’
The Black Keys‘ latest studio album (and 11th overall) is out in less than a month. Ahead of it, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney shared the latest single from it. Titled “It Ain’t Over,” the song has a funky groove, a New Orleans-soul vibe, and of course, it just rocks. [embedded content][embedded content] Dropout Boogie sees the duo join forces with Reigning Sound’s Greg Cartwright, Billy F Gibbons (ZZ Top), and Angelo Petraglia (Kings of Leon). The album will be released on May 13, which is almost exactly 20 years (to the day) after they released their first, breakout album The Big Come Up on May 14, 2002. The album’s first single, “Wild Child,” went to No. 1 on AAA and Alternative radio charts. The Black Keys will be headlining a lengthy arena and amphitheater tour, with Band of Horses ...
Black Keys Announce 11th Studio Album Dropout Boogie, Share ‘Wild Child’
The Black Keys have a new album on the way. Titled Dropout Boogie, the collection is the band’s first album of originals since 2019’s Let’s Rock. Last year, the Keys released Delta Kream, an album of blues covers The Keys released their first single and its accompanying video for “Wild Child,” which is directed by longtime collaborator Bryan Schlam. The forthcoming album will feature collaborations with Billy F. Gibbons, Greg Cartwright, and Angelo Petraglia. [embedded content][embedded content] Dropout Boogie‘s release falls just one day before the 20th anniversary of The Big Come Up, the duo’s first studio album. The album strives to go back to the band’s roots of making stripped-down blues-rock music in basements in Ohio. “That’s always been the beauty of the thing Pat and I d...
The Black Keys Reveal 2022 Tour Dates With Band of Horses
The Black Keys announced their forthcoming 32-date Dropout Boogie Tour. Marking the band’s first string of shows since supporting their 2019 Let’s Rock, the North American stint takes off July 9 in Las Vegas. The Black Keys are holding an exclusive “Lonely Boys & Girls Club” fan club presale at 10 am local on Tuesday, Feb. 1. General tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. local on Friday, Feb. 4 on their website. Band of Horses are scheduled to open on all dates, but Ceramic Animal (July 9-30), Early James, (Aug. 24-Sept. 9) and the Velveteers (Oct. 2-18) are supporting select shows. They will close the tour in the fall on October 18 at the Dos Equis Pavilion in Dallas. In recent Black Keys news, the Super Deluxe 10th anniversary edition of their seventh studio record, El Camino, was released l...
41 Artists Reflect on Nirvana’s Nevermind Turning 30
The world changed 30 years ago today. Though it took a few months before the proverbial train left the station, the rumblings from the underground completely blew up when college rock and punk blended to form alternative rock, with Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl serving as the conductors. Nevermind’s legacy is firmly and safely entrenched in music history. It’s been discussed so many times before, but here’s the CliffsNotes version. All of these years later — even though Nirvana burned out instead of fading away — Nevermind continues to resonate. Cobain’s powerful lyrics are still influencing people of all generations (maybe not Boomers, but Gen X and beyond) and their musical tastes. It still serves as the gateway to rock for countless fans. When SPIN spoke with Nov...
56 Musicians Predict the 2021 NFL Season
Only a few things are certain in this world: death, taxes and the NFL dominating the fall (and winter). Last year’s weird season ended in the familiar fashion of Tom Brady winning the Super Bowl. Snore. This year, with fans returning to full capacity stadiums, it *should* feel like the NFL of recent memory for fans, players and coaches alike. Just like we have for the past two seasons, we’ve asked our expert panel of musicians how they think the season will unfold for their favorite teams. On top of the usual crew, we’ve added a bunch more who aren’t afraid to hit the mat in support of their favorite team. The one wrinkle that threw off a lot of those 8-8 predictions? The 17 game season. It will lead to more strange things and having an extra game to cheer or jeer will make the rest of the...
Watch The Black Keys Perform ‘Going Down South’ and ‘Crawling Kingsnake’ on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
To celebrate the release of their 10th studio album, Delta Kream, The Black Keys performed the album’s first two singles for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Friday night. The Late Show posted the band’s performance of “Going Down South” (a cover of a classic R.L. Burnside tune) on its YouTube page in anticipation of the show and debuted a new live version of the classic Delta blues “Crawling Kingsnake” on the show as well. If you’d like to remember why The Black Keys were one of your favorite bands of the early 2010s, check out the performances of “Going Down South” and “Crawling Kingsnake” below. [embedded content] [embedded content] Last month, the Keys performed for the first time in over a year at a boxing event in Atlanta. So far, Delta Kream has be...
The Black Keys Cover R.L. Burnside’s ‘Going Down South’
The Black Keys have shared their second offering off Delta Kream, and it’s one of Dan Auerbach’s favorite tracks on the album. The duo put their own spin on one of R.L. Burnside’s best-known songs, 1969’s “Going Down South.” “That was one of R.L. Burnside’s hits!” Auerbach said in a statement. “We strayed a little from the original on our version with the falsetto and percussion, but we liked how it sounded in that moment. It’s become one of my favorites on the album.” Like the video for the album’s lead single “Crawling Kingsnake,” “Going Down South” was filmed at Jimmy Duck Holmes’ Blue Front Café, which is the oldest active juke joint in America. It also highlights other northern Mississippi blues landmarks like Junior Kimbrough’s hometown of Blues Alley in Holly Springs and&n...
Hear The Black Keys’ Slick New Rendition of ‘Crawling Kingsnake’
The Black Keys are back with a new video for the single, “Crawling Kingsnake.” The song is a cover of the 1920s Delta blues song, “Crawling King Snake.” The blues song was famously covered by John Lee Hooker in 1949, who reimagined Big Joe Williams’ country-blues version from 1941. “I first heard [John Lee] Hooker’s version in high school,” guitarist-singer Dan Auerbach said in a statement. “My uncle Tim would have given me that record. But our version is definitely Junior Kimbrough’s take on it. It’s almost a disco riff!” “We fell into this drum intro; it’s kind of accidental,” said drummer Patrick Carney. “The ultimate goal was to highlight the interplay between the guitars. My role with Eric [Deaton] was to create a deeper groove.” The Grammy-winning blues-rock duo will release their te...
