Tag Archives for the Black Keys

The Rundown: March/April, Pt. 2

No I am NOT behind in posting these, why would you even suggest that?

As stated in my previous post, I decided to consolidate my 2024 album blasts because I did not have a lot of time in March to actually spin new music. And then, I had too much time in April. So I consolidated the two months into two posts. Make sense? No? My bad. Here’s thirteen more quick album reviews and a couple of local recs!

January | February | March

Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us

Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut will always be one of my favorite albums, but the aura of “rich (mostly) white boys repurpose African music” aged like milk almost immediately. In the years since, the band has taken different approaches to incorporate maturity. Their fourth album, Father Of The Bride, is easily their worst, a set of adult-alternative yawners only one step above CVS radio. For their fifth album, they overcorrected, releasing what is actually their most manic and experimental set to date. Every song on this album has crafted, unpredictable elements, and many of them are absurdly high-energy. It feels like their record that builds upon their debut the most – even going so far as to sample “Mansard Roof.” The lyrics remain a mix of serious and tongue-in-cheek. Even though I really dug the singles I heard in advance, I didn’t expect something this remarkably engaged from them. One of the highlights of the year so far.

Grade: 8.5/10   Initial release date: 4/5/24

Pouty – Forgot About Me

I’m starting to slack on these reviews pretty badly, so credit to the album title because I did forget about Pouty. But I really dug this, it’s grungy guitar-pop with a youthful attitude. It’s like a less-immaculately produced version of Blondshell, which is a compliment. Catchy, emotional and equal parts noisy and smooth. Who doesn’t like their pop with some rough around the edges?

Grade: 7/10   Initial release date: 2/9/24

METZ – Up On Gravity Hill

When I heard the first METZ album, I thought two things. 1) This is insane and the exact kind of music I want to make, 2) The band has nowhere to go from here. Ever since their debut, the band has sought ways to grow their metrical, diabolically heavy post-hardcore sound so it doesn’t get repetitive, while still keeping the formula there. This album, their fifth, separates those two ideas into distinct ones. There’s brain-poundingly heavy songs, and there’s ones that aren’t so abrasive but have a midtempo denseness to them. While the band excels at both, the album definitely feels disjointed because of this dichotomy. I don’t know if there’s a way for METZ to truly escape repetition, especially at this stage. But, the album still has a bunch of quality tracks, and it’ll still knock you straight to the floor of the bar.

Grade: 7.5/10 Initial release date: 4/12/24

Static-X – Project Regeneration, Vol. 2

To put it first: I don’t think this album should exist. Neither Wayne Static nor his wife are still with us to preserve his original unreleased recordings. No one is really around to properly give the thumbs-up for his old bandmates to use his name and legacy as a continuation. That said, it is also nice to see the original band decide to truck on for his legacy, especially in the face of the nu-metal revival. Also, even though half of the songs here actually feature a new singer, they’re just good. Not fantastic, this is ultimately pretty normal industrial-metal, but for a band that was always disjointed and only had one hit 25 years ago, these tracks are very well-developed. It’s a fun and heavy metal album, a welcome addition to their underrated catalog. But I also hope it’s the last one – the band seems to have depleted Wayne’s vault material anyways. 

Grade: 7.5/10   Initial release date: 1/26/24

GUHTS – Regeneration

Ok I feel bad here, because one of the purposes of doing these blast reviews is pitting lesser-known acts against bigger ones; I keep sleeping on writing the ones for the lesser-known acts though! I listened to this album weeks ago and it simply is not fresh in my memory, which does not speak on the quality at all. A decade removed from Deafheaven’s tectonic plate-shifting black metal album Sunbather, another band is going the pink cover route. While the book cover-judging comparison can be made, this album packs a different punch. Sludgy, unpredictable post-metal dominates this release, hitting all points between smooth and sinister. It’s abrasive, but not to the point of, say, Full Of Hell or anything. It’s one of the most well-rounded metal albums of the year so far – and one of the best of the genre in any capacity. Don’t sleep on this one, if it’s your tune. 

Grade: 8/10   Initial release date: 1/26/24

Jennifer Lopez – This Is Me … Now

This is conversely an album that demands a renewed spotlight on a former pop music queen, and an album with practically nothing to say. However, the latter fact is fine because it’s really an ode to love. As the title says, it’s just about how happy Lopez is with Ben. This is by no means a great album, but it’s never boring. The songs are all collectively interesting enough, and her voice is easily great enough, so each tune holds value. This won’t be an album that’s in the public eye very long – despite best efforts from the artist – but it’s a nice and easy listen for a somber day. And, we get a whole album about how great Ben Affleck is. He’s doing our city proud. Crushing blow to Alex Rodriguez. 

Grade: 6/10   Initial release date: 2/16/24

Prize Horse – Under Sound

I listened to this one a while back and it didn’t really leave much of an impression on me, so this is quick – this is pleasant if not template midtempo indie. I’ve mentioned in a few other reviews that midtempo indie hasn’t been grabbing me lately, and this record doesn’t completely fall victim to it, but it still didn’t resonate much with me unfortunately. The tunes are pleasant, and some of them have some cool shoegaze influence. This album will find a good home, and these tracks probably sound great live. It just didn’t do enough to retain my love, unfortunately.

Grade: 6/10 Initial release date: 2/16/24

St. Vincent – All Born Screaming

St. Vincent’s now ten-year-old self-titled will always be my favorite release of hers; it’s a top 10 favorite of mine in general. For me, she’ll never top it – but this comes damn close. I was really not into her last album, Daddy’s Home, a set of mostly tepid ballads centered around a tone-deaf concept, and her trajectory into duller rock was a familiar one across the indie landscape. So shocking, then, when she dropped a record of heavy, industrial-inspired tunes instead. While the album fluctuates between crushing songs like “Flea” and softer ones like “Reckless,” the influence of heavier, offbeat alternative is clear throughout. Cate Le Bon steps in for a crucial assistance on the lengthy, flowing final track, and it’s a fitting welcome. I could write and probably will write something about how Jack Antonoff is ruining pop music – this record proves that artists can shake the stink of him off and still be alright. 

Grade: 8.5/10   Initial release date: 4/26/24

ScHoolboy Q – Blue Lips

2024 has been a year for form-returning albums. St. Vincent and Vampire Weekend improved on their respective weakest releases, and the same goes for ScHoolboy. His previous album, 2019’s Crash Talk, was a change of pace, as the rapper opted for much shorter tracks. Rather than his normal 5+ minute journeys, the album was full of 2-minute bursts. It was also a change of pace in quality, as everything felt incomplete or off-hand. Blue Lips is a welcome return, technically “more of the same” for a rapper who always wears his heart on his sleeve, but the formula still pays dividends. Emotional, funny, raw and absolute banging: this is what you want from a ScHoolboy album. And there aren’t even any 5+ minute songs – there’s just a lot more energy and effort put in here. 

Grade: 8/10   Initial release date: 3/1/24

GRRL – Side By Side

Dance and electronic music is not really my thing just in the sense that I never really seek it out – when something like GRRL falls into my lap, I usually enjoy it. I saw GRRL open for dance-adjacent indie group Sylvan Esso last year, spinning a 30-minute opening jam. This new release is just plain old, hyped-up dance music, and I’m really into it. While I’m usually in the mood for offbeat indie or dismal metal, something like this strikes my fancy sometimes. I don’t know how to write about dance music, so I’ll just say – if you like it, you’ll like this.

Grade: 7.5/10 Initial release date: 2/16/24

Ducks Ltd. – Harm’s Way

I’ve been hearing lead single “Train Full Of Gasoline” on the radio pretty regularly, a rollicking, fun guitar tune. But with all guitar indie, I approached the album with a little apprehension, as singles are often livelier than the album. Not so! I know next to nothing of this duo, but this is a collection of fast-paced, clean indie-punk. At only 27 minutes, it doesn’t overstay the welcome, honestly could use a little more. While “Train” is one of the more rambunctious tunes, the whole release is just unfiltered fun. Think the song “Money” by The Drums – born of the surf-punk movement of the 2010s, but distinctly indie. Wide appeal on this one I think. 

Grade: 8/10   Initial release date: 2/9/24

Judas Priest – Invincible Shield

Okay first off it’s so funny that Judas Priest have adopted full power metal aesthetics – even taking Sabaton on tour with them – without actually being power metal. And thank god because I do not like power metal. Anyways, these guys are old enough to be put in a home and do not need to be making albums this great. This won’t go down as one of the metal albums of the year or anything, but it’s genuinely very good. I’ve talked about not giving brownie points to legacy bands on this blog – they earn the grade here. The band rips through a couple heaters before taking on a number of midtempo but very heavy cuts. Rob Halford sounds as good as he always has. And, most importantly, there’s something interesting going on in every song. These aren’t cut-and-paste Judas Priest songs, even if they do follow familiar structures. This album isn’t a reminder of existence or a contract fulfillment – it’s a statement from a band that’s still got a lot to say. Rock on, kings. 

Grade: 7/10   Initial release date: 3/8/24

The Black Keys – Ohio Players

This album isn’t bad, but it is just kind of sad. When the Black Keys broke through all those years ago, they were already beginning their creative decline. Brothers was a great album, but it was arguably the last great BK album. Since then they’ve mostly spiraled down into the land of diminishing returns. On this release, they’ve retooled, opting for a poppier, broader style of songwriting than their normal alt-blues-rock. Optimistically, it shows a band in their later years not afraid to try new things. Pessimistically, and more realistically, it’s a former-arena band desperately trying to secure more radio hits. There’s some good songs here, but the ones really being pushed by the band are all big swings and misses. Two songs feature guest verses by rappers – Lil Noid and Juicy J (!) respectively – and neither song knows how to work. Both guest verses are tacked on to the end of the song, at different tempos from what came before it. They’re Frankenstein pop songs, designed for crossover appeal but destined to be forgotten. The album’s highlight – “Beautiful People (Stay High)” – is a miserable example of sanitized Kohls-core rock geared towards the radio, any radio. 

And yet, the album really isn’t bad, overall. The album tracks bolster it. “Don’t Let Me Go” is fun. So is “Read Em And Weep.” The album’s best song is the penultimate track, “Fever Tree,” an unassuming tune that’s just the old style of blues-rock circa 2008 Black Keys. It’s odd, and almost fun, that it takes an album of misses to appreciate what a throwback can bring. I appreciate what the band went for here, cynicism included, but it’s a very mixed bag.

Grade: 6.5/10   Initial release date: 4/5/24

LOCAL NOOK: If you’ve just stumbled on this and have for some self-flagellating reason decided to read the whole post, then you should know that I am born and bred Boston and am heavily involved in the New England music scene. It feels a little weird to me to include local bands in these posts, because I often know them or know people who do. But it would be contradictory to not include them in posts highlighting international underground artists, too! So here’s a couple local records I’ve loved lately.

Wooll – Unwind. I was lucky enough to get to cover this wonderful debut over at my primary home, Allston Pudding. This is an indie record that takes hearty inspiration from shoegaze, resulting in something that sounds like Beach House by way of The Beths. I really, really dug this one and I think you will too.

bark, dog – i’ll eat you, i love you. I know nothing of this artist, it was a random stumble on Bandcamp. Again, it’s a pleasant and fuzz-inspired indie record, authentic from start to finish. This artist has a wide catalog already, something I’ll be digging into soon. Very fun and original stuff here.

Edward Glen – Loss, Angeles. This is a quick indie 4-track and, given that the band has released a few singles since, I might be jumping the gun on a review. But! these songs are great and each pulls inspiration from something vastly different. It gets a thumbs-up from me.

And with that, this giant block is done. I am already growing tired of this project, I can’t guarantee I’ll keep it up all year. My list of new albums that I *have not* listened to yet sits at 155 entries, and still includes names like Waxahatchee, Kacey Musgraves, and (sigh) Justin Timberlake. I can already tell you that the next month’s post will include Knocked Loose, Middle Kids, Dua Lipa, Salt Cathedral and Jlin. What else will it cover? Who knows! I pick my listens on a whim. See you next month!

Cage the Elephant – “Tell Me I’m Pretty”

Grade: B+

Key Tracks: “Cry Baby,” “Trouble”

On their debut album, Cage the Elephant gave us a funky, bluesy version of themselves. On “Thank You Happy Birthday,” we got the grunge version of the band, and on “Melophobia” we were given a garage-soul version of them. On the band’s fourth album, we get a new version of Cage the Elephant – themselves.

With a few big albums and a slough of hit singles under their belt, Cage the Elephant is finally exploring themselves instead of making odes to music past. That may have also come from the production of Black Key Dan Auerbach, who is on his quest to make every artist from Dr. John to Lana Del Rey sound a little more like the Black Keys. Auerbach is a no-brainer for Cage the Elephant, a riotous Midwestern alternative band. Take away a few members and you have the Black Keys.

“Tell Me I’m Pretty” is the band’s most coherent album; ironically, the coherence comes from a wider diversity in emotion. This is easily the band’s most personal and introspective album yet, filled with emotional ballads and tales of loss and separation. In fact, the middle portion of the album is all ballads, until late-album kicker “That’s Right.” Lines like “I been facing trouble almost all my life” (“Trouble”) are expected, but “I think we should just let go” (“Sweetie Little Jean”) is a new, softer side for them. It’s telling that they’ve stripped away other instruments, along with the mania. Here, they’re a band – vocals, drums, guitars, bass.

I’m usually turned off when fun alternative bands start writing slower music (*cough* TV on the Radio), but I’ve always had faith in Cage the Elephant. The band has said that by working on their own identity as a group, they’ve focused on making every song individually different from every other song, and it shows. That’s where the cohesiveness comes in – their first three albums focused on the album as a piece of art, this one focuses on songs. There’s a broader range in emotion and influence. “Mess Around” was an obvious lead single, but each song is so crafted that really any of them would be prepped for rock radio.

The songs on “Tell Me I’m Pretty” might not immediately grab a listener the way some of the songs on, say, “Thank You Happy Birthday” do, they require a little more patience. But each one eventually grabs, even without any hooks or bursts of manic energy (though some do with that, too). The songs here feel more like we’re being let in, like we’ve been invited to finally see the real Cage the Elephant. This might not be their best album, and it won’t have the replay value of their crazier work. But it proves that Cage the Elephant have done their homework and can create music that’s their very own, not an ode to a different era. In this reviewer’s opinion, Cage the Elephant are four-for-four.

If you like this, try: Cold War Kids’ “Dear Miss Lonelyhearts,” another indie band that’s used various influences to create their own, wholly original sound.

Lana Del Ray – “Ultraviolence”

ultraviolenceGrade: A-

Key Tracks: “Cruel World” “West Coast”

“Ultraviolence” is a slow album. It’s easy to overlook the album as a long, long wick attached to a room full of fireworks, burning slowly and ending before the big bang. But to look at “Ultraviolence” like that is to ignore the music’s subtleties, and the complexity of the album’s subject matter. “Ultraviolence” is a dark record, one that examines a woman who tries to ride her way to the top, but never excels past being “The Other Woman” (as evidenced by the final track). Given Del Ray’s recent, questionable comments on feminism, the album isn’t a critique on women in society today as much as it is a semi-personal narrative. It helps to strengthen the cinematic quality of the album. And it doesn’t hurt that Del Ray’s vocals are stronger this time around, rationing out a few strong performances across the album.

The album’s opener, “Cruel World,” is also the longest, at 6:39. It’s a building and intricate song, one that sets the tone by really taking it’s time to get to an engaging climax. It’s a slightly captivating song, and an unexpected one to open an album, even for Del Ray. What follows is a number of polarizing songs – sometimes engaging, other times putting up a strong barrier. Nearly all of them are a medium tempo, which should be a distraction or even a boredom, but when almost every song has it’s own identity, it doesn’t even matter. The only real exception is the excellent “West Coast,” full of tempo changes and a low-key funk that isn’t present anywhere else on the record.

Del Ray’s lyrics focus on struggling to find your identity and struggling to find success, accepting defeat in both. They’re typically dark – with titles like “Old Money,” “Pretty When You Cry,” and, of course, “Fucked My Way to the Top.” They call back memories to the pratfalls of luxury in the 20′s-50′s, even with modern references and a decidedly more provocative and profane tone. And her vocals are stronger; she’s allowed herself to open up and expand her range. “Shades of Cool” finds her in a high pitch, alternating between beautiful and off-setting. “Money Power Glory” is another track where her voice flourishes in big, grand ways. She’s often cooled down, but the rare times when she wants to take control – she does. These rare moments highlight the album’s otherwise restrained times, both benefits.

The album is bolstered by fine production, as well, courtesy mainly of Dan Auerbach (singer for the Black Keys and producer of everyone). The production is borderline cavernous, adding a faint echo and an ungraspable dark feeling throughout. It’s slickly produced – but not to the point where it’s actually pop.

“Anti-pop” isn’t a phrase, outside of a long forgotten Primus album, but it’s almost something that could describe Del Ray. With meandering tempos, cinematic music, dated lyrics and often 5+ minute lengths, her songs aren’t designed for radio. Yet they’re distinctly pop, a type of dream-pop. It’s melodic, and catchy, but in a low-key way. It isn’t possible to dance to this (as we now know, thanks to SNL). Like Nico long before her, and Lorde shortly after, Del Ray’s pop music is one of depth and density, not one of rapidity and popularity. You probably have a strong opinion of Del Ray, good or bad, and “Ultraviolence” isn’t going to change that. But it’s a strong pop release, ripe for analysis, and an improvement over her still notable debut. Like her or not, Del Ray’s strongest quality has been her ability to establish a persona in no time. And “Ultraviolence” really runs with it.

-By Andrew McNally

The Black Keys – “Turn Blue”

(Photo Credit: chimes.biola.edu)

Grade: B+

Key Tracks: “Weight of Love” “Bullet in the Brain”

The Black Keys either like to take corners, or listen to criticism. Their last two albums – “Brothers” and “El Camino” – were distinctly different from what they’d done previously, and both suffered from it. “Brothers” had some quality songs, but it was too long and stuffed with slower tracks. After they found it difficult to play them live, they wrote more upbeat songs for “El Camino,” but they were so focused on the quality that it didn’t seem like they enjoying themselves. “Turn Blue,” however, sees the duo having fun again, and balancing loose and polished.

The first track on “Turn Blue,” called “Weight of Love,” is just ten seconds shy of hitting the seven minute mark. This is pretty different for band who is known for a quick and heavy blues sound. (Look through the Keys prior albums, it’s rare to find a song over five minutes). But it sets the tone of the album. The song is sleepy and a little psychedelic, a drastic departure from the old Keys. It isn’t fast, it’s much more of an extended way to open an album. But Dan Auerbach sure sounds like he’s having fun. The song, as do a few others later, has a distinct classic rock feel to it. Though always resembling garage bands of the 60′s, the Keys have usually stayed away from a classic rock sound. But it gets embraced on “Turn Blue,” and it’s a surprisingly welcome shift. Even the album’s hypnotic cover shows an embrace of a more suspended sound.

The album also benefits from having Danger Mouse on board, producing. He worked on “El Camino,” too, but the relationship between him and the band is more equal. Though still a duo, the band has added distinct bass parts that make a much groovier sound. It’s most evident on the title track and the hit “Fever,” but it adds a fun element throughout.

The album’s only real fault is a handful of songs that still sound a little too prepared. “Year in Review” sounds a little too strained, a little too rehearsed. “It’s Up to You Now,” meanwhile, feels so loose it almost sounds improvised. It’s also possibly the album’s heaviest track, with a booming drum intro. It’s very enjoyable, reminiscent of early Black Keys. They recapture a little of their earlier sound in some of the other heavier songs, like “Bullet in the Brain.” While “Tighten Up” and “Lonely Boy” were heavy in their own right, they felt more directed towards songwriting. The guitar fuzz and the loud, crushing drumming are more ambitious here, less constrained to an album format.

“Turn Blue” has many things working for it. It’s more energetic than “Brothers,” it’s more open than “El Camino,” and it’s just as wide and heavy as “Attack & Release.” A welcome groove makes the album more fun than what we’re used to, without sacrificing any of the volume. And on songs like “Weight of Love” and closer “Gotta Get Away,” it’s easy to tell the band is having fun with the record. “Turn Blue” doesn’t quite stand up to “Attack & Release” and “Thickfreakness,” but it is definitely one of the band’s better records.

If you like this, try: Given that most of the bands that resemble the Black Keys are equally famous, I’ll recommend another fuzzy, bluesy duo – The Creeping Ivies.

-By Andrew McNally

The Creeping Ivies – “Ghost World”

(Photo Credit: bandcamp)

Grade: A

Key Tracks: “Ghost World” “The Creeps”

An immediate comparison between the Creeping Ivies and the Black Keys or the White Stripes might be unwarranted, but tough to ignore – the Creeping Ivies are a guitar and drums duo, making loud and fuzzy garage-blues-punk that calls back to their idols. But that’s only a jumping-off point, because the Creeping Ivies harken back to an entirely different era of music. “Ghost World,” their second full-length, sounds more like an album that would fit right in at a dark NY punk club in 1979.

The Scottish band – consisting of Becca Bomb and Duncan Destruction (real names, I’ll continue to pretend) – use bluesy-garage rock to channel some of the more inventive 80’s punk. Becca’s wide vocals dominate the album, often booming over the guitar and drums. It’s almost impossible not to be reminded of Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex and Exene Cervenka of X, two 80’s punk bands that often incorporated blues and jazz into their music. And like Styrene and Cervenka, Becca’s vocals determine the song, especially on trippier songs like the excellent “Ramona Wolf.” Alternately cool, standard and hollering, Becca’s vocals are disarmingly decisive, and go against the rather lackluster vocals of most other garage bands today.

While other blues-punk bands often use blues as the center of their music, the Creeping Ivies tend to gravitate more towards punk and, in the aftermath, volume. The garage and blues elements help to pump the songs up and differentiate them, but are background parts. Songs like “The Creeps” sound ripped out of a Cramps album, not from a garage somewhere in Tennessee. And it helps give the songs energy. Even if the album is bluesy, it isn’t moody or too into itself, like the Black Keys can sometimes get. Instead, it’s loud and fun, never taking itself too seriously.

So whether the Creeping Ivies would qualify more as “blues” or “punk” I think would go to the latter. Penultimate track “What Would Johnny Ramone Do?” brings forth angst about MTV and the radio while channeling, again, an idol. “Ghost World” packs a bigger punch than first expected, and sounds very original in the midst of some bands that are starting to sound too similar. It’s loud, fun, distorted, and over not too long after it begins. It’s an album for a couple different eras, as long as it’s turned up.

The album is available for streaming and purchase here. (Bandcamp has a money conversion)

If you like this, try: As mentioned, I was reminded of the Cramps, so the Cramps’ classic 1980 debut, “Songs the Lord Taught Us.”

-By Andrew McNally