Tag Archives: The Black Keys

UPDATED: Exclusive…Black Keys New Hip Hop Project: Blakroc

Posted on September 11, 2009 by Wes Flexner | 13 comments

UPDATE: Blakroc’s official website is now live.

Here in Ohio, the rumors of a Black Keys produced Hip Hop project intially started by a Jim Jones on Twitter awhile back are becoming a reality by Patrick Carney twittering ” Blakroc” a few hours ago. The current word swinging around Columbus graffiti and weirdo creep circles about the Blakroc project like chains and exhaust is this:

Blakroc is a hip hop album produced by the Black Keys that features Rza, Raekwon, Mos Def, Jim Jones, Pharoah Monch, Q-tip, Ludacris, ODB, Billy Danze of M.O.P., Noe and Nicole Wray.

The album has 11 songs and will be released 11 weeks from today on Black Friday (the Friday after Thanksgiving).

The album is being released on a label started by Dame Dash and The Black Keys management.

Given that Rae, and Mos Def both put out their best albums in a decade this past year, I have a pretty good feeling about this record and NYC golden era Hip Hop artists in general.

(And I live in a city where we throw parades for our lost local Hip Hop icons. So us Ohioans take our Hip Hop seriously)

13 Comments

Posted in Music, Wes Flexner

Tagged billzy danze, black keys, blacroc, blakroc, dame dash, Jim Ji, Jim Jones, ludacris, M.O.P., Mos Def, nicole wray, noe, now, odb, Pharoah Monch, q-tip, raekwon, Rza, The Black Keys

New MP3 from Drummer (Patrick Carney Side Project)

Posted on June 10, 2009 by Robert Duffy | 3 comments

drummer

MP3: Mature Fantasy by Drummer

The Black Keys‘ Patrick Carney has assembled Drummer, a new supergroup of drummers playing all sorts of instruments besides the kit. Here’s how the line-up is looking:

Singer/Guitarer – Jon Finley (beaten awake, the man i fell in love with)
Guitarer – Jamie Stillman (harriet the spy, party of helicopters, teeth of the hydra)
Bass guitarer – Patrick Carney (the black keys)
Synthesizer – Steve Clements (houseguest)
Drummer – Gregory Boyd (ghostman sandman)

Pat has been working on a lot of interesting projects lately, like scoring an animated video for Art Spiegelman. Can’t wait to see Drummer live.

You can hear more music on their MySpace page. They’ve got their first show in Columbus coming up next week. Flyer magic:

drummerflyer

3 Comments

Posted in Columbus, MP3

Tagged Deathly FIghter, Drummer, Patrick Carney, The Black Keys, The Unholy Two

Can you keep a secret?

Posted on June 10, 2009 by Wes Flexner | 1 comment

You ever had a really cool secret like Ohio’s favorite rock band(the Black Keys) is working with a rapper you dressed up for Halloween once as (Jim Jones) and also held an appreatiation night for said rappers group last month(dipset)?

All month people been walking up to you and asking why you are so happy….

And you friend swore you to secrecy. So alls you could say is, oh you know summer weather?

Even after you saw the rapper mention it on his twitter…..

I’m on my way to me the black keys a new rock n roll group then summer jam rehearsal lg3:36 PM Jun 3rd from TweetGenius

jimjonescapo

Jim Jones

Well, since it’s already on Pitchfork, I feel like its ok to mention it here.

Aight back to our reg schedule I did some dope music with black keys and mos def last night def a good rock n roll experience7:15 AM Jun 4th from TweetGenius

jimjonescapo

Jim Jones

Don’t quote me boy, I ain’t said shit.

Not Jim Jones, Mos Def or the Black Keys exactly. But read this if you would like more information on Ohio Rock N Roll.

1 Comment

Posted in Columbus, Wes Flexner

Tagged Dipset, Jim Jones, Mos Def, The Black Keys

The Black Keys Last Night

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Wes Flexner | 15 comments

(Pat Carney of Drummer & Chris Lutsko of the Unholy Two of pose for a picture after the Black Keys show at Skullys. I lied to them and said it was for a men of Ohio indie rock calender that the proceeds would benefit upcoming victims of the Swine Flu. Jared Phillips declined to be in the nonexistant calender.)

I had to work before the show so I didn’t get a chance to get to see the opening act. I work at Magnolia Thunderpussy next to Skullys. So what I did observe was a line that started at 4pm which wrapped well past the Milk Bar and all the way down 5th.
I think every single person that picked up free ticket showed up.
Outside of a club rap show, I don’t think I have seen this much excitement around one band.
Ohio loves TBK.
I got there around 945 right when the Black Keys went on. Seeing a band as large as the Keys in a small venue like this is always amazing. Doods busted out “10 Am Automatic”, “Strange Times” & “Psycotic Girl”.
I don’t recall every song cause I spent the bulk of my time trying to convince girls to buy both DJ Detox and I drinks.
I would tell them Detox was sad because it was his birthday and no one remembered it. Then the girls would ask him about it.
He would tell them he didn’t know what the fuck they were talking about, that was I was lieing to them and look bewildered.
For some reason the girls would still buy us drinks.
After getting the drinks, the next move was trying to ditch the girls which was difficult because the room was so packed and no one wants to move out of the way when they are watching their favorite band.
So you then would just have to act like the conversation never happened.
Jolly goodtime. Amusing oneself while The Black Keys play loudly in an esctatic, intimate setting is perhaps the best way to spend an evening.
Pat shot the shit with us for awhile but declined going to Hendocs with us because the engine of his car had just exploded so he needed to get to Akron.

15 Comments

Posted in Columbus, Review, Wes Flexner

Tagged black keys, Skullys, The Black Keys

The Black Keys/Other Girls in Columbus Tonight

Posted on April 27, 2009 by Wes Flexner | 8 comments

photo by Envelope

I heard the Black Keys are doing a free show at Skullys tonight.
What? Thats ignorant. Didn’t they sell out promowest last time?
Yeah
And Jack Daniel’s is giving out free brooze to boot.

Cleveland Audio Eagle Recording artist the Other Girls are opening.

8 Comments

Posted in Columbus, Wes Flexner

Tagged audo eagle, jack daniels, The Black Keys, the other girls

Patrick Carney (The Black Keys) Scores Art Spiegelman Short

Posted on February 26, 2009 by Robert Duffy | Comments Off

Art Spiegelman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Maus, creator of Wacky Packs and the Garbage Pail Kids, and father of the modern graphic novel (though hes still demanding a blood test), presents this warts-and-all reproduction of his private sketchbooks — and the results are as candid, sharp, and funny as the relentlessly innovative man behind them. BE A NOSE! is a rare glimpse into the secret scribblings of an American original.

More information at McSweeney’s

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Posted in Video

Tagged Patrick Carney, The Black Keys

Behind the Artwork: Michael Carney & The Heartless Bastard’s The Mountain

Posted on February 10, 2009 by Robert Duffy | 9 comments

Michael Carney has illustrated a lot of high profile album covers, most notably the entire discography for The Black Keys (you may note that he shares a last name with the drummer of the band, Pat Carney (his bro)). Most recently, he did the artwork for The Mountain, by The Heartless Bastards. The record is one of my favorites of the year so far, so I thought it would be a good subject to kick off this new series on the site. I sent Carney some questions about this release and his career in general.

How Did This Project Come About?

The Heartless Bastards are on Fat Possum Records and I have been doing random freelance stuff for them since 2003/late 2002 when I did the cover for Thickfreakness for The Black Keys. Matthew Johnson (Fat Possum mastermind) really liked that cover.. (He once told me I should shoot myself because there is no way I will ever do anything better than that cover.)

Anyway, I have worked with Matthew for a while and he tends to flow me whatever work he can. Usually the bands already have an art guy and want nothing to do with me… in this case Erika (the singer/guitar player songwriter) told Matthew she wanted me to do the cover for her record. That was during the summer of 2008. I did some other random stuff for them leading up to this cover, (t-shirts and a poster) and that gave us some time to get used to working together. Their manager, Ginna, who is great, also played a huge roll in making this happen.

Early sketches Continue reading →

9 Comments

Posted in Behind the Artwork, Columbus

Tagged Heartless Bastards, Michael Carney, The Black Keys

Jessica Lea Mayfield: You’ve Won Me Over

Posted on September 25, 2008 by Robert Duffy | 1 comment

MP3: You’ve Won Me Over

Here’s a song from the debut full length album from 18 year old Kent, OH singer/songwriter Jessica Lea Mayfield. It was produced by Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys.

I first heard her thanks to a post on I Rock Cleveland. The album is a great combination of lazy, strummy folk that sometimes goes a little twangy, and it sometimes goes in the direction of Mazzy Star.

Be sure to check out her MySpace page for a bunch of tour dates.

1 Comment

Posted in MP3

Tagged Jessica Lea Mayfield, The Black Keys

The Black Keys Cover Captain Beefheart

Posted on May 2, 2008 by Robert Duffy | Comments Off

The internet moves fast. Yesterday, The Black Keys recorded a cover of Captain Beefheart’s song “I’m Glad” and posted it on their Myspace page for a free download. You can also download it here, too:

MP3: I’m Glad by The Black Keys

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Posted in MP3

Tagged Captain Beefheart, The Black Keys

Rod Stewart <3’s The Black Keys

Posted on February 12, 2008 by Wes Flexner | 8 comments

I thought following thing I found on Rolling Stone’s Website about Rod “Do You Think I Am Sexy?” Stewart pertaining to the Black Keys was kinda funny:

When we heard that Rod Stewart was at Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy party, the Smoking Section had to say hey: for our money, he epitomizes what it means to be a rock star. “I want to make a blues record,” he told us. “You know, Muddy Waters, the old stuff, and I want it to be backed by the Black Keys.” What do you think about that idea, he asked us — and we responded that the collaboration had the potential to be amazing. “Do you think that they know who I am?” he asked.

Now, Rod Stewart is old as dirt. And most certainly somewhat of a cornball. He is prolly 30 to 40 years older than me. But I can’t really be mad at Rod the Bod because he most certainly dates models that are least a decade younger than me. And I assume that after he is done with his young ladies; he gets up, does some yoga,hits the tanning beds, showers and then jels his hair. Then he prolly has one of his servants bring the woman some gourmet breakfast while he lines up the next supermodel. The fuck am I doing that compares to that.

But as far as Rod’s interest in the Keys. Rod the Bod could be Ike Turner dick rider number one. This wouldnt be the first time Rod wanted to dip into Ike Turner’s talent pool. Back in the 80’s Rod was wooing Tina Turner because he liked her “Hot Legs”.

Rod Stewart & Tina Turner-It Takes Two

8 Comments

Posted in Music, Wes Flexner

Tagged Rod Stewart, The Black Keys