theblackmusic.com

Artists who grow up in industrialized cities tend to have a muscular, no-nonsense sound, and the Black Keys, a product of rubber capital Akron, Ohio, are no exception. The strength of their minimalist blues-rock has made the duo of guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney popular not only among casual fans, but musicians as well. Gritty, elemental and full of Hendrix influences, it’s simple, yet expansive; hardcore, but not a metallic assault. If anything, the track “Tighten Up,” from their new album, Brothers, is sinuous, sexy and funky (yet spare), with tasty guitar licks and supple bass lines, some ‘60s psychedelic flavor and quite a bit of soul. Maybe that’s courtesy of the mojo they found in the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Ala., where the Rolling Stones did “Wild Horses” and soul greats from Wilson Pickett to Aretha Franklin cut tracks. They recorded 16 songs in 10 days, achieving what Mark Neill (who produced the album with The Keys) called their “first true soul album.”

Raised in the same ’hood, Auerbach and Carney started jamming together in high school. Unafraid of experimentation, they let Danger Mouse produce their last album, Attack & Release (originally intended to feature Ike Turner, who died before its completion). They also did a collaborative album, 2009’s Blakroc, with producer Damon Dash and a slew of famed rhymers. Auerbach also released Keep It Hid, and Carney formed a band with several drummer friends (appropriately named Drummer, though he plays bass), which released Feel Good Together. Black Keys songs have been heard in tons of TV shows and films; “I’ll Be Your Man” is the theme for the HBO series, “Hung.”