how can the white stripes make blues-rock so fresh when the black keys make it so bloated and dull?

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listening to the new black keys album, i realised that people can harp on all they like about the stripes not doing anything new (well uncut and mojo readers can), but compared to the keys, they sound almost futuristic.

― splooge (thesplooge), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 18:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Seriously, I think the Black Keys' success can be completely attributed to the combination of shaggy indie beard and indie glasses. However, Auerbach shaved his beard off and thusly their power has been cut in half.

I liked their first album okay, but I was so bored with their live show a couple years back that I left early and haven't listened to them since.

― Gear! (Gear!), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 18:32 (twenty-one years ago)

BLUESHAMMER, BOTH.

― dean? (deangulberry), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 18:52 (twenty-one years ago)

black LIPS eat both alive

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 18:54 (twenty-one years ago)

black people

― dean? (deangulberry), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 18:54 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0329/chute.php

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 18:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Funniest thing ever written about his voice: Matt Davies's observation that "The Caucasian singer ends up sounding like Anthony Michael Hall during his whitey-black blues impression in The Breakfast Club."

THAT WAS IN WEIRD SCIENCE, NOT BREAKFAST CLUB, FUCK FACE.

― David Allen (David Allen), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 19:09 (twenty-one years ago)

i think i once wrote a stylus review (of the black keys' "thickfreakness" album) saying something similar to splooge's post. i'm not particularly into the stripes either but they have some mystery and playfulness that makes their music more colourful. the black keys are dour - i have no objection to bands being retro, but they bring absolutely no personality or vibrancy to make it more fun.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 19:18 (twenty-one years ago)

they sound like a turgid, banal, over-stuffed, lifeless, DOA, stodgy, blues-rock band that were rejected from the soundtrack to easy rider or something. i *almost* hate this album of theirs. thank god i didnt buy it.

it has great artwork though.

― splooge (thesplooge), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 19:41 (twenty-one years ago)

the black keys prove that jack and meg white at least have their own sound/musical character and arent just trying to slot into 1969. i mean, if they were around back then, they probably could have had a nice career, but they dont sound like theyre *from* that era. they sound fresh, new, vibrant, etc.

― splooge (thesplooge), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 19:43 (twenty-one years ago)

He don't even have his license, Lisa.

― sexyDancer, Tuesday, 7 September 2004 19:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmm, I think the Black Keys sound much closer to the Delta blues of someone like Junior Kimbrough than the White Stripes do to, well, nearly any strain of blues.

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 19:45 (twenty-one years ago)

in this instance, i think rock musicians should aim to stray as far from sounding 'close' to old blues artists as aurally possible!

― splooge (thesplooge), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 19:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I like Black Lips, Black Keys, AND White Stripes. (Though the new Black Lips CD isn't as great, I've decided, as I at first thought.)

Anyway, here's George Smith on the BKs:

http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0321/smith.php

― chuck, Tuesday, 7 September 2004 19:54 (twenty-one years ago)

indie beard/glasses power!

http://images.villagevoice.com/issues/0321/smith.jpg

personally I'm gonna stick to Mr. Airplane Man

― Gear! (Gear!), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Basically, if you have no love of '70s hard rock boogie blooze, you will not like them, no matter what. But that, sadly, is your loss.

Chuck Klosterman's take on them:

http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0242/klosterman.php

― chuck, Tuesday, 7 September 2004 20:24 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah the new black lips is a bit of a let-down, first one was great though

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 20:43 (twenty-one years ago)

like many ''70s hard rock boogie blooze' bands, if they got themselves a better singer, i think i would like them more.

― splooge (thesplooge), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 20:48 (twenty-one years ago)

There's very little worth comparing the Black Keys to the White Stripes over, aside from the asininally obvious. The Stripes have always had that refined, almost RayDavies pop sensibility to everything they do, while the Black Keys are more ZZ Toppy or Cream or whatever. I don't think either of them have much Boogie, and I don't think either of them are pretending to be wizened blaues men plying thier trade at the crossraods. You're thinking of Ralph Macchio.

― Huck, Wednesday, 8 September 2004 06:05 (twenty-one years ago)

ok, huck is OTM.

― splooge (thesplooge), Wednesday, 8 September 2004 07:10 (twenty-one years ago)

THAT WAS IN WEIRD SCIENCE, NOT BREAKFAST CLUB, FUCK FACE.

No, no, he also did a brief black-guy impression while stoned in The Breakfast Club.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Wednesday, 8 September 2004 07:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Ralph "Mississippi" Macchio vs. Howlin' Anthony Michael Hall FITE!

― briania (briania), Wednesday, 8 September 2004 12:08 (twenty-one years ago)

White Stripes = shite.

Black Keys...ten times better in my opinion.

― Velveteen Bingo (Chris V), Wednesday, 8 September 2004 12:10 (twenty-one years ago)

VB, what do you think of the new album. I haven't really gotten past the second track yet (just out of laziness and other new releases and work-related imperative listening).

― Huk-L, Wednesday, 8 September 2004 13:32 (twenty-one years ago)

New album may or may not be their best record. It definitely has their best ARTWORK, though. And they do a better version of "Summertime Blues" than John Kerry's old band did. (Though then again so do Rush.)

― chuck, Wednesday, 8 September 2004 14:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I really like on the second track when the guitar quite suddenly gets really loud. It scared the crap out of me the first time I listened to it, and for that I'll always be grateful.
I still think their first album kicks ass over the others for it's untempered ferocity. The guitars are nowhere near as jagged and lively on the new one, but so far I think I like it better than thickfreakness.

― Huk-L, Wednesday, 8 September 2004 14:38 (twenty-one years ago)

The chief don't know how to hold the smoke.

― sexyDancer, Wednesday, 8 September 2004 14:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Basically, if you have no love of '70s hard rock boogie blooze, you will not like them, no matter what. But that, sadly, is your loss.

Ah, wait a minute. So I like things like Lynyrd and Sir Lord Baltimore and much more besides, and I think the Black Keys are pretty much a dull-ass shrug...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 8 September 2004 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Seriously though, what's the deal with the rabid hatred for the Black Keys? Their detractors are never like "oh, this is dull and not for me"; they're like "we must dig up the bones of their ancestors and piss on them!"

― Huk-L, Wednesday, 8 September 2004 15:05 (twenty-one years ago)

But Ned, I didn't say that if you DO like '70s blooze-rock you WILL like Black Keys; I said if you DON'T like '70s blooze-rock you WON'T like Black Keys. There's a difference!!

― chuck, Wednesday, 8 September 2004 15:41 (twenty-one years ago)

In other words, I can definitely imagine a ZZ Top or Bad Company or Mountain fan not caring about Black Keys, but it's hard for me to imagine a Black Keys fan not caring about ZZ Top or Bad Company or Mountain!

― chuck, Wednesday, 8 September 2004 15:43 (twenty-one years ago)

I love the new album, I like it better than Thickfreakness. And i thought the Keys live kicked some ass.

And Chuck, I love those bands with the exception of Bad Company.

― Velveteen Bingo (Chris V), Wednesday, 8 September 2004 15:44 (twenty-one years ago)

"I really like on the second track when the guitar quite suddenly gets really loud. It scared the crap out of me the first time I listened to it, and
for that I'll always be grateful"

This is true! Or even OTM! I love that part! But it didn't really get any better than that for me after that song. But I was impressed by the very same thing when I heard it.

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 8 September 2004 15:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I think all the tracks after the ballad are fantastic. and yes the guitar explosion gets my dog barking everytime.

― Velveteen Bingo (Chris V), Wednesday, 8 September 2004 15:48 (twenty-one years ago)

But Ned, I didn't say that if you DO like '70s blooze-rock you WILL like Black Keys; I said if you DON'T like '70s blooze-rock you WON'T like Black Keys. There's a difference!!

Ah, my mistake!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 8 September 2004 15:51 (twenty-one years ago)

still, what brilliant artwork.

― splooge (thesplooge), Wednesday, 8 September 2004 15:56 (twenty-one years ago)

THis?
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0002O06N0.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Velveteen Bingo (Chris V), Wednesday, 8 September 2004 16:00 (twenty-one years ago)

yep, i like the back and inside collages a whole lot too. i like how if i look at it from a distance and squint, the types look like coiled pythons.

― splooge (thesplooge), Wednesday, 8 September 2004 16:07 (twenty-one years ago)

When I saw The Black Keys, they came off as extremely anti-climactic, given that they followed directly after THE COACHWHIPS whose performance from the dark back corner of the club was so fucking furious and enjoyably trashy that a fucking TRUCKASAURUS could've walked through the doors and it woulda seemed tame in comparison.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 8 September 2004 16:13 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the Coachwhips, too! (I am such a pushover these days!)

― chuck, Wednesday, 8 September 2004 16:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah I saw the coachwhips live a few months ago, they were SKULLTASTIC and BRUCIAL.....awesome....like nuggets on meth....

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 8 September 2004 16:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Only I don't know if Coachwhips actually have any memorable SONGS. Except for their cover of "Muscle of Love," I mostly just remember their *sound* (Same with Black Keys, actually. And usually the same with Black Lips, though they do have a handful. Maybe the reason lots of people prefer White Stripes to these bands is that White Stripes very *clearly* have songs?? Just a thought; do with it what you will.)

― chuck, Wednesday, 8 September 2004 16:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Maybe the reason lots of people
prefer White Stripes to these bands is that White Stripes very *clearly* have songs??

that's what I meant with my Ray Davies comparison. Jack White is working at being a songwriter, and the others are--and this is in no way a value judgment--playing music.

― Huk-L, Wednesday, 8 September 2004 16:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Who are The Gris Gris? I'm listening to them right now. They sound like The Seeds sometimes.

I may be lying but i seem to remember a time when 120 Minutes on MTV played nothing but flat duo jets, horton heat, cramps, and some other band that sounded like the flat duo jets. or it seemed like it anyway. i always wondered if they were trying to start a rootsabilly revolution back then. they were better at trying to establish a new Mission U.K. revolution and a new Soup Dragons revolution. Until grunge of course. which changed the world as we know it. white stripes still sound like pixies+gun club to me, which makes me wonder why i don't listen to them more.

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 8 September 2004 17:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Everyone should buy the two Black Lipstick CDs mentioned in the Voice review up there. And get the two Kiss-Offs CDs (which are similar to BL, sharing most of the band, but less Velvet Undergroundy) too.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Wednesday, 8 September 2004 18:51 (twenty-one years ago)

the Black Keys Vs. Black Lipstick??!

that's black on black crime, yo.

naw, i have to say, when i saw the Keys, i was overcome by how much i dug em, but then, upon getting the album, was totally underwhelmed. it didn't sound a thing like the band i saw. well, ok, very loosely. but it lacked all the stomp and shout they have. just sounded paper thin, except for a track or 2. still haven't heard 'thickfreakness'. it's a shame to me, but i'll go see em again.

btw- Black Lipstick kick much ass around the room.

― eedd, Wednesday, 8 September 2004 23:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Does anyone on earth recall House of Freaks, who did the blues-pop-two-piece-clangor thing a decade and a half prior to the Stripey people and, well, better?

― ian g, Thursday, 9 September 2004 04:44 (twenty-one years ago)

House of Freaks were definitely more in the jangly Athens, GA school of rock than anything remotely blues related.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 9 September 2004 06:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Jon Spencers Blues Explosion own a quarter share in this thread.

― David Allen (David Allen), Thursday, 9 September 2004 07:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Haven't you heard? It's just "the Blues Explosion" now. I guess they wanted to cash in on the THE bands.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 9 September 2004 13:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 20 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

I like their recordings, or at least Rubber Factory, which was one of my favorite albums of last year. I've yet to see them live, but based on the testimonials on this thread, I'll certainly make an effort the next time they come through town.

xpost-
They don't sound much like ZZ Top to me, though my knowledge of ZZ Top doesn't extend much beyond "Legs" (shameful, I know).

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 22 April 2005 15:10 (twenty years ago)

Well, come to think of it, the singer's voice does remind me a bit of the ZZ Top singer, but music-wise, I don't see much similarity.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 22 April 2005 15:12 (twenty years ago)

ok, theyre like dull, bloated, boring, lifeless, bar room blooooze-rock, the type of thing you see in an 80s movie where someone goes to a redneck bar and the music is awful. theyre purists of that sort of thing.

― ppp, Friday, 22 April 2005 15:15 (twenty years ago)

So basically you're saying they're purists of suckiness?

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 22 April 2005 15:20 (twenty years ago)

I wrote up a little blurb about Rubber Factory on my blog, if anyone's interested (scroll down to the Feb. 27 entry):

http://o_nate.pitas.com/

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 22 April 2005 15:21 (twenty years ago)

thats exactly what im saying o.nate.

― ppp, Friday, 22 April 2005 15:24 (twenty years ago)

I don't really see them as purists of anything. Though I'm not sure exactly what that criticism is supposed to mean. I mean what would a purist rock band sound like? I don't think rock can be pure - it's the bastard offspring of way too many influences.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 22 April 2005 15:28 (twenty years ago)

maybe theyre just too faithful to one particular sound/era and havent added much of their own to it. or maybe theyre just naturally leaden, im not sure.

― ppp, Friday, 22 April 2005 15:30 (twenty years ago)

I think it's an easy mistake to make to think that they are faithfully aping a particular sound or era - just because they're sound seems instantly recognizable and natural - like you've always heard it. However, when you try to think of exactly who are they aping, it's actually surprisingly difficult to pin down to one particular band or album. I mean, yes, you can draw parallels to lots of blues/rock type of bands, but that's a vast universe of bands, with quite varied approaches and sounds. I think the Black Keys sound most like themselves.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 22 April 2005 15:31 (twenty years ago)

"they're sound" should have said "their sound", sorry

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 22 April 2005 15:32 (twenty years ago)

And on Rubber Factory, they really broadened their range. Thickfreakness was a little too samey for me.
Their "Act Nice & Gentle" (kinks cover) is sweet.

― Huk-L, Friday, 22 April 2005 15:42 (twenty years ago)

youre right. i think my problem is that i just dont like the type of sub genre they do, to begin with.

― ppp, Friday, 22 April 2005 15:46 (twenty years ago)

I think the sound they get from that guitar on record is really something. I like them.

― 57 7th (calstars), Friday, 22 April 2005 15:51 (twenty years ago)

I think they've got more legs than the White Stripes. They can keep gradually evolving, while the White Stripes are probably gonna have to make a sweeping change soon, if they haven't already.

― Huk-L, Friday, 22 April 2005 15:55 (twenty years ago)

some photos of the Keys (and one of Al Kooper) here under...well, photos.

shameless, i 'spose. i count myself a big fan - some of the stuff is samey, sure, but damn fun to move to in a room full of others inclined to do the same.

― dapes, Friday, 22 April 2005 16:00 (twenty years ago)

The White Stripes, live and on record, are consistently more interesting and fun and loud and dark and ballsy than the freaking Black Keys, who can go back to the bar they crawled out of in Akron and die a slow, boring, insipid, monotonous fucking "blues-rock" death.

― PB, Friday, 22 April 2005 16:03 (twenty years ago)

St Andrews Hall is the best place to see a concert. It gets SO loud in there.

― Viewer beware, you're in for a scare!, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:13 (twenty years ago)

its all about mr airplane man

― kephm, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:19 (twenty years ago)

>theyre like ZZ top purists!<
>They don't sound much like ZZ Top to me, though my knowledge of ZZ Top doesn't extend much beyond "Legs" (shameful, I know).<

You do understand that many ZZ Top purists HATED "Legs," right?

― xhuxk, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:25 (twenty years ago)

I'm with George Smith, though: More Savoy Brown than ZZ.

― xhuxk, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:27 (twenty years ago)

they sound like they're 50 year old beer-gutted men playing wanky "blues" guitar solos in a bad bar.

― AaronK (AaronK), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:30 (twenty years ago)

I was going to say, Mr Airplane Man>>>>>>>>>>>>>the Black Keys

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:32 (twenty years ago)

yeah, that's what i said - savoy brown. it rocks, though!

xp (answer to post about 50 year old bad bar beer guts etc)

― xhuxk, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:33 (twenty years ago)

not sure, though, why their most recent album (which sounded more or less exactly the same as the previous two) was considered some kind of artistic leap (hence placing # 38 in pazz & jop for instance). better distibution? accumulation of crit-audience over time? hmmmm...

― xhuxk, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:35 (twenty years ago)

Maybe it was a different band I saw last night? But it said "Black Keys" on the drum kit, and the guy said they were The Black Keys. But it couldn't have been cuz apparently they suck.

― peepee (peepee), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:35 (twenty years ago)

Modey Lemon >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mr. Airplane Man (who I like approximately as much as I liked Black Keys, probably.)

― xhuxk, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:36 (twenty years ago)

Xhuxx says the darnedest things.

― Art Linkletter-L, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:37 (twenty years ago)

dammit cuck!

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:40 (twenty years ago)

chuck

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:40 (twenty years ago)

The Keys remind me a bit of Credence Clearwater Revival - in that both have a raw, studiously unpretentious, back-to-basics traditionalism grafted to a canny pop sensibility.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:44 (twenty years ago)

not sure, though, why their most recent album (which sounded more or less exactly the same as the previous two) was considered some kind of artistic leap

The songs that I heard from "Thickfreakness" seemed to lack the tunefulness and catchy melodies of the best tracks on "Rubber Factory", but maybe I just didn't hear the right songs.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:47 (twenty years ago)

I don't think Xhuxx listened Rubber Factory.

― Huk-L, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:49 (twenty years ago)

>on Rubber Factory, they really broadened their range. <

Not sure what "darned" thing I said, but I'm curious about this; how do people think their range has broadened? Am I missing something? Or does this just mean that their range has expanded to include both heavy boogie sludge covers of "Summertime Blues" and heavy boogie sludge non-covers of "Summertime Blues"? (Which is not a BAD range; don't get me wrong. Just not an especially rangey one, seems to me.)

― xhuxk, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:53 (twenty years ago)

First two records seemed catchy enough to me; I had no problem with them, really. But the first one (when I had no idea what a Black Key was) was by far the most surprising; the second and third ones (which are fine) were more or less what anybody would've expected them to be.

― xhuxk, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:56 (twenty years ago)

The Keys remind me a bit of Credence Clearwater Revival - in that both have a raw, studiously unpretentious, back-to-basics traditionalism grafted to a canny pop sensibility.

Keys=Creedence, minus about 25 of the best rock n' roll songs ever.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:57 (twenty years ago)

(Ditto interim EPs; they've had a couple of those, right?) (And yeah, Black Keys really need some *songs* before deserving to be mentioned in the same breath as Creedence -- or with ZZ Top, for that matter.)

― xhuxk, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:58 (twenty years ago)

Hey, I never said they were as good as Creedence! - just a similar approach. But they do show more range on "Rubber Factory" than I think they're getting credit for. "Act Nice & Gentle" (one of my favorites) is a lazy country ramble - neither "heavy" nor "boogie" nor "sludge".

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:05 (twenty years ago)

Dude, there's a ballad on Rubber Factory! "The Weights"

The first one had some really great volume and tone fuckarounds, the second one seemed perilously close to the monotonous sludge whatever a lot of people want them to be, the third one broadens in that they're not "just" cribbing from Cream and ZZTop...better hooks, not just whoomp-ass throbbing, but a little bit of croonery and lightness too.

I think the production is best on the first one (there were moments the first time I heard where it nearly scared me, it sounded so hungry and ferocious), but the songs are better on the third one.
The middle one, I don't listen to that much (I actually haven't listened to any of them for a while).

― Huk-L, Friday, 22 April 2005 18:06 (twenty years ago)

And, btw, "Ask Nice and Gentle" (along with "Grown So Ugly", another of my favorite tracks) shows a very smart option for a band with a great sound but perhaps not quite there yet in the songwriting department: do covers. I'd gladly pay for an album of all covers by these guys.

xpost

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:08 (twenty years ago)

But, yeah, as Huk says, they seem to be improving by leaps and bounds in songwriting as it is. My main gripe on the originals is the genericness of the lyrics.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:09 (twenty years ago)

I don't understand how people are equating Black Keys with middle-aged, beer gut blues rock. ZZ Top? Possibly pre-Fandango.

The Black Keys completely sidestep the excess of most modern blues and 70s blues rock. Their music is informed by Fat Possum artists like R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. They have some distinct southern soul, 60s R&B influences with the odd bit of Stones swagger.

Why are people so rockist against blues? There's an awful lot of vitriol in this thread that leads me to believe:

- some of you are suffering from that indie/punk anti-guitar lead purism bullshit
- some of you really don't know what you're talking about.

Blues and blues rock are just like any other genre. 97% of it is bad, and 3% of it is good. Granted, it's hard to find a modern blues act that is worth paying much attention to (but you're bound to strike gold if you follow Fat Possum Records or CaseQuarter.), there are loads of incredibly visceral, important artists in the past who made phenomenal records.

No, Black Keys aren't revolutionizing anything. They don't have the songwriting prowess or the pop influences that Jack White exhibits. But they are at least circumventing the post-SRV, glossy commercial blues crap and trying to do something without the smarmy-garaged up irony that so much blues-influenced indie stuff falls prey to.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:11 (twenty years ago)

Yous listen to this stuff for the lyrics????

― peepee (peepee), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:15 (twenty years ago)

er,...xpost

― peepee (peepee), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:15 (twenty years ago)

I might like them, actually, if I liked the guy's voice.

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:16 (twenty years ago)

Yous listen to this stuff for the lyrics????

No, I don't. Otherwise I wouldn't listen to it. But it would be nice if the lyrics were good too, is all I'm saying.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:17 (twenty years ago)

My main problem with the live White Stripes is that they seem to be "acting" more than the Black Keys. And, am I wrong about the holes in their live sound? The White Stripes (live) sound like they have a weak drum and a guitar, whereas I thought that the Black Keys sound was much fuller and more energenic.
I don't know their recordings, though.

― peepee (peepee), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:21 (twenty years ago)

I left the Black Keys show I was at early. I found the White Stripes live to be a lot of fun. I think the BKs had a fuller sound but they were deadly dull.

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:22 (twenty years ago)

"10 A.M. Automatic" is ridiculously catchy, I don't know what the fuck any of you are talking about. :D

― Jessie the Monster (scarymonsterrr), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:46 (twenty years ago)

I like to pretend that song's about dating a werewolf.

― Huk-L, Friday, 22 April 2005 18:50 (twenty years ago)

they sound like they're 50 year old beer-gutted men playing wanky "blues" guitar solos in a bad bar.

Nah, Black Keys don't sound anything like hacks covering SRV or other dead bluesmen. Good college try, though.

I prefer their first album to "Thickfreakness," didn't proceed to "Rubber Factory" because I have a great deal of this stuff in my house. The Youlden-era Savoy Brown records being one example. Bakerloo another. Stuff with Chris Farlowe singing and Clem Clempson on guitar. "Rock On" by Humble Pie.

― George Smith, Friday, 22 April 2005 20:50 (twenty years ago)

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