Leslie stitches together a crash course on the go-to band for raucous blues rock for the past decade (or more, if you're die-hard): The Black Keys. They bring an urgency and a freshness to the sound that keeps it relevant and energetic -- while carving out a respected niche in the modern popular music landscape.
She kicks it off with a track from their 2006 Junior Kimbrough covers EP, Chulahoma.
The Black Keys earned international acclaim in 2010 with their album Brothers, recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Much of this acclaim centered upon the Danger Mouse-produced lead single, "Tighten Up." Leslie deftly balances it with another, more soulful, cut from the album, "Never Gonna Give You Up."
Brothers was followed the next year by El Camino (see "Little Black Submarines" and "Mind Eraser") and then Turn Blue (see "Fever") in 2014, which would be their last album until "Let's Rock," which just came out earlier this year. "Lo/Hi" finds them right back in the pocket.
In addition to "Meet Me in the City," Leslies dips into the back-catalog once more with "Girl Is on My Mind," from 2004's "Rubber Factory."
Personally, I think you'd do yourself a favor if you haven't already checked out 2009's hip-hop collaboration project Blakroc. One of my favorite selections seems to have some licensing issues, as it doesn't appear on many versions of the album: "Coochie," featuring Ludacris and Old Dirty Bastard. Until they take it down, it's here on YouTube.
She kicks it off with a track from their 2006 Junior Kimbrough covers EP, Chulahoma.
The Black Keys earned international acclaim in 2010 with their album Brothers, recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. Much of this acclaim centered upon the Danger Mouse-produced lead single, "Tighten Up." Leslie deftly balances it with another, more soulful, cut from the album, "Never Gonna Give You Up."
Brothers was followed the next year by El Camino (see "Little Black Submarines" and "Mind Eraser") and then Turn Blue (see "Fever") in 2014, which would be their last album until "Let's Rock," which just came out earlier this year. "Lo/Hi" finds them right back in the pocket.
In addition to "Meet Me in the City," Leslies dips into the back-catalog once more with "Girl Is on My Mind," from 2004's "Rubber Factory."
Personally, I think you'd do yourself a favor if you haven't already checked out 2009's hip-hop collaboration project Blakroc. One of my favorite selections seems to have some licensing issues, as it doesn't appear on many versions of the album: "Coochie," featuring Ludacris and Old Dirty Bastard. Until they take it down, it's here on YouTube.
- Matt
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