They started out indie and ended up famous, but the duo from Ohio have never forgotten their roots.
Proof in point: This fantastic album of blues covers and the songs and musicians who had the biggest impact on the music of The Black Keys.
Reviews from the interwebs:
American Songwriter: “The rugged Delta Kream captures the essence of what made this North Mississippi music so distinctive. While even this stellar lineup can’t truly replicate the dangerous backwoods stomp that injected a shot of adrenaline into the bloodstream of Carney and Auerbach all those years ago, it comes awfully close.”
The Guardian: “The now hugely successful pair can’t perhaps sing Burnside’s Poor Boy a Long Way from Home with any great factual accuracy nowadays, but they sound thoroughly in their comfort zone and utterly in their element.”
Glide Magazine: “This casual record isn’t meant to change the world, it is just a deep dive into the tunes the duo love; less a major release than a passion project but by adding Deaton and Brown to these sessions The Black Keys blues workouts on Delta Kream go down smooth.”
Indie/alt-rock band The Black Keys has dropped a new single from the duo’s upcoming new covers album, Delta Kream, set for release on May 14.
The band, via their website, said the cover album “honors [the] music of Mississippi Hill Country Blues, R.L. Burnside & Junior Kimbrough, among others who have influenced The Black Keys.”
Returning to their gritty, basement-blues roots, the duo pays tribute to the artists that have had the biggest impact on their music. We can’t wait to hear this album.
The revealed track, and album opener, “Crawling Kingsnake,” is a cover of blues legend John Lee Hooker‘s 1948 track of the same name. To listen to the Keys’ cover, you’ll need to sign up to become a member of the Black Keys’ famous fan club, The Lonely Boys & Girls Club.
The 11-track album features songs from the Mississippi hill country blues artists who inspired guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney when they were just starting out as an indie blues-rock duo in Akron, Ohio.
Here is the John Lee Hooker original (1941) to check out before, or after, signing up to hear the new single.
The Black Keys will be performing on April 19th as part of the Triller Fight Club boxing league pay-per-view live stream. Tickets are on sale now.
DELTA KREAM TRACKLISTING
1. Crawling Kingsnake (John Lee Hooker / Bernard Besman) 2. Louise (Fred McDowell) 3. Poor Boy A Long Way From Home (Robert Lee Burnside) 4. Stay All Night (David Kimbrough, Jr.) 5. Going Down South (Robert Lee Burnside) 6. Coal Black Mattie (Ranie Burnette) 7. Do the Romp (David Kimbrough, Jr.) 8. Sad Days, Lonely Nights (David Kimbrough, Jr.) 9. Walk with Me (David Kimbrough, Jr.) 10. Mellow Peaches (Joseph Lee Williams) 11. Come on and Go with Me (David Kimbrough, Jr.)
This is volume two of the lead singles from this past week’s Best New Music Releases. The first volume of fresh MP3 singles features a double-shot from Jeff The Brotherhood’s new album, produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, plus The Very Best, Shout Out Out Out Out (yes, annoying), Frank Ocean (not really indie, but good stuff), The Drowning Men, among others.
Conveyor's first, self-titled album is one of the summer's best debut albums
Band To Watch Conveyor Release Debut; Offer Up Two Singles
Brooklyn indie rock/psychedelic pop quartet Conveyor deliver a mixture of avant-pop and Afro-pop to electronica and acoustic folk, creating textured melodies and rhythm shifts with synthesizers and guitar strings on their self-titled debut release. The first single, “Mukraker,” is a dreamy, lazy summer afternoon ‘chillwave’ song that features moments of levity with soaring harmonies, smooth melodies, calming synths, hand claps and even a horn section to boot. One thing is clear about Conveyor – they have a flare, and a talent, for incorporating all kinds of musical styles that that make their songs enjoyable, playful and memorable. The self-titled debut is full of such songs, and there is a good potential that Conveyor will be among IRC’s Best Debuts of the year, which will be dtermnd
As Deli Magazine put it: “Animal Collective comparisons aren’t a stretch, but their Fleet Foxes-like harmonies arch into what a mad scientist’s symphony would sound like his in his own head.” Not only is the new record one of the best debuts of 2012, but the band are easily on our Bands to Watch list. If you don’t already follow IRC on Twitter and Facebook, where we regularly post music, news, playlists – some of which are not posted on the site – you should. Right now there is a very easy-to-enter contest running to win a free high quality, studio master MP3 zip of Conveyor’s debut album.
Cosmo Jarvis and Matisyahu Release Different Singles with Same Title
Perhaps the anti-thesis of a typical summer song, Cosmo Jarvis’ new single, “Sunshine.” In his song “Sunshine,” Jarvis proclaims something that is rarely heard: “I’m so sick of the sunshine, maybe because it burns my skin.” As a resident of Tampa, perhaps that make some sense, but the area has had its share of clouds and storms this summer.
There is also another song this week titled “Sunshine” from the long-running, international collective, Matisyahu. The song is the lead single from the band’s new LP, Spark Seeker. Of the two same-named singles out this week, this one is a perfectly appropriate song to play hanging out on the beach having a party, or barbecuing in the backyard. “Sunshine” marvelously integrates hip-hop, reggae and world music into one groove. It’s a good thing there are bands like Matisyahu – they keep music fresh and interesting.
“Sunshine” – Cosmo Jarvis from Think Bigger on 25th Frame/ The End Records
“Sunshine” – Matisyahu from Spark Seeker on Fallen Sparks Records via ThisBonusTrack.com
Finally, review lead singles from new albums by Detroit band The History of Panic; Omaha trio Icky Blossoms; singer/songwriter John Maus; Virginia fiddlers Old Crow Medicine Show, plus Jen Schande and The Stowaways.
“The Chase” – The History of Panic from Fight! Fight! Fight! on Le Grand Magistery
“Perfect Vision” – Icky Blossoms from Perfect Vision on Saddle Creek
“Bennington” – John Maus from A Collection of Rarities and Previously Unreleased Material on Ribbon Music
“Mississippi Saturday Night” – Old Crow Medicine Show from Carry Me Back on ATO Records
“I Really Like Sonic Youth and I Really Want to Have Sex with You” – Jen Schande from 19: Songs for and Inspired by Valencia Chapter 19 (self-released)
“Changing Times” – The Stowaways from Changing Times (self-released)
In Volume One of the Best New Music Releases, Week of July 17, Jeff The Brotherhood’s new album was our pick for Album of the Week, and two singles were posted. For good measure, here is a third via SoundCloud. The track is called “Leave Me Out.” JEFF the Brotherhood – Leave Me Out by JEFF The Brotherhood
On their awesome 2004 album, 'Rubber Factory,' The Black Keys covered The Kinks' "Act Nice & Gentle"
We absolutely love cover songs. It’s probably because, most of the time, they are like something that is familiar but new, which is an interesting dichotomy in and of itself. Plus, recording cover songs can be a risky venture for almost any artist; the more well-known and beloved the original song, the more scrutinized any cover song will be. On the most part, at least in our experience, most cover songs just do not work, and others are absolutely dreadful. But there are others that stick out.
We have two different types of cover songs playlist mixtapes that we’ve been posting for years. We’ve put together playlists of classic cover songs, but mostly new, and lesser known, cover songs. This installment includes cover songs (except for music fanatics, of course) by The Black Keys, The Golden Bloom, The Laureates, My Jerusalem, The Afghan Whigs, Sun Kil Moon, Nada Surf, Guards and others.
Note: Many covers were not officially released, and therefore, we don’t have an album link to offer, but where they’re available, we have, including the album links for the originals as well. Enjoy.
The rather little known band, The Motion Sick, are covered by indie musician, The Golden Bloom
The original: “30 Lives” – Motion Sick from The Truth Will Catch You, Just Wait… (2008)
“Baby’s On Fire” (Brian Eno) – Shearwater from unreleased single (circa 2008)
“You Got Lucky” (Tom Petty) – Setting Sun from single release (2009)
“Call Me (Blondie)” – Franz Ferdinand from War Child – Heroes Vol.1 [+Digital Booklet] (2010)
The original: “Call Me” – Blondie from Best of Blondie (1983)
“Kaleidoscope World” (The Chills) – People Press Play from Not Given Lightly – A Tribute To the Giant Golden Book Of New Zealand`s Alternative Music Scene (2009)
“66” (The Afghan Whigs) – My Jerusalem
The original: “66” – The Afghan Whigs from 1965 (1998)
About twice a month, maybe more, we’re going to publish the What’s Hot Right Now playlist mix. The way we calculate what’s hot is by analyzing our web statistics of which songs people are listening to and downloading the most, and then comparing those to additional resources like The Hype Machine, Elbo.ws, and other aggregators and popular music blogs to come up with a list that depicts the hottest songs on the web (not what’s hot on Billboard or radio).
Orcas are just one of many threatened species in the world’s oceans (photo: NWF.org)
Dedicated to Al Gore
The planet faces a number of dire environmental threats, not only the problem of global warming. The oceans of our good earth are threatened, from the Atlantic and Pacific to the Arctic and Indian oceans. The ridiculous theory that floated around for decades was that the oceans were too big and deep to be affected by man’s polluting ways and from the pillage and plunder that has been wagged against them for the past century.
On Monday, June 8, hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of people worldwide, will honor, in various ways, World Ocean Day. Started in 1992, and given an official declaration this year by the United Nations, World Ocean Day is a symbolic gesture to raise awareness and encourage conservation and preservation of the oceans by governments and people everywhere. (See World Ocean Days by country)
In celebration of World Ocean Day, here’s a little mix with the hopes of raising even just a little awareness about how we all can turn the tide back in the oceans’ (and thus our own) favor.
“Oceans & Streams” – The Black Keys from Attack & Release (2008)
“Oceans” – The Format from Dog Problems (2006)
“Delicious Ocean” – Love and Rockets from Lift (1998)
“Diamond Sea” – Sonic Youth from Washing Machine (1995)
“Sailing Man” – Neil Halstead from Seasons (2002)
“Ocean” – Velvet Underground, unreleased (1969)
“Out At Sea” – Pete Kilpatrick from Yesterday Love (2005)
“Ocean Breathes Salty” – Sun Kil Moon from Tiny Cities (2005)
“Oil Sea” – Vampire Hands from Virgin Dust American Lips (2009)
“Pacific Ocean Blues” – Dennis Wilson from Pacific Ocean Blue (2008)
