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The Black Keys

Rubber Factory (2004)
Fat Possum Records

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Contributed by: Jesse
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on September 14th 2004

Being a two piece neo-bluesy rock n' roll act will instantly draw comparisons to a few well known no-talent ass clowns. That's a shame since The Black Keys are everything those bar-brawling shit-fuckers wish they were. Rubber Factory is the follow up to 2003's Thickfreakness, and is nothing but grittier, catchier, and more raw.

Rubber Factory comes as a Blues 101 course taught by Professor Punk Rock. The guitar is bluesy, edgy and fuzzed out of its mind. The drums are simplistic and 100% Keith Moon, 100% '73 Motown. Slap down some of the most soulful vocals I've heard in a long time on top of that, and you've got yourself one tasty sandwich.

"When the Lights Go Out" kicks off the CD with drums that emulate the sounds of an industrial factory, as a violin plays one note steadily in the background to sound like a warning alarm. The advertised single, "10 A.M. Automatic," follows with a catchy three chord hook, and straight forward drums. It's the perfect single. Not only is it catchy, but it gives a good sample of the band without giving away the best. "Just Couldn't Tie Me Down" and "Keep Me" draw influence from old blues greats like Muddy Waters or B.B. King. Easily my favorite track, "Grown So Ugly," channels the spirit of Hendrix with it's raucous riffs and pounding drums. "Act Nice and Gentle" is a refreshing honky-tonk country-blues with excellent slide guitar work accompaniment.

I can't stress enough how amazing and bluesy and soulful Dan Auerbach's vocals are. Raspy, yet rich, he pours true emotion out of his vocal chords, crooning the blues to America's youth. He's a true modern day blues-man, pulling out amazing solos that rely on guitar tone almost as much as the notes that he's playing. As if that wasn't enough to sell the band, Patrick Carney's drumming is simple, masterful, and ripe with subtle technique. He knocks his skins not to keep the rhythm, but to accentuate the guitar and vocals, proving that he's not auxiliary, but necessary and irreplaceable.

Overall, The Black Keys put out a solid and amazing piece of music. The only downside to this that I found was that listening to the entire album through got slightly repetitious, but maybe that's because I've listened to it 10 times through since I got it two days ago.

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drbino (February 29, 2008)

Couldn't agree with you more. Great album and (another) good review from Jesse. 3 thumbs up!!

ChrisML123 (September 20, 2004)

Excellent review, articulate, funny and correct. It gives you a great impression of what the album sounds like - its just as good as he says.

Yes it does seem a little repetitve, but now I think about it, that's probably cos I've listened to it at least 6 times since I got it two days ago as well lol.

Finally - "well known no-talent ass clowns" and "those bar-brawling shit-fuckers" - Thank you, I was praying the link would be to the white stripes. Well done man.

Anonymous (September 18, 2004)

"The Black Keys = Good.

This Review = Bad.

Die please."

I'll get right on that. I've got a few pounds of coke to snort, plus I'm sitting in my water-filled tub with the toaster ready to rock. Bring it on!

-Jesse

501 (September 18, 2004)

Name one good band Led Zeppelin has had an influence on.

Well for starters theirs a good person who has been impacted by Zeppelin, that being Dave Grohl. And you being BSD, will assurly assult that reponce with reasons why Grohl sucks and what not. There are more bands Zeppelin has impacted but whats the point in listing them when your going to just say ''they all suck'' because they arint punk?

FatCat (September 18, 2004)

"There's Big Ben, there' s Buckingham Palace, there's Jimmy Page, the greatest thief of American black music ever." - Homer Simpson

Anonymous (September 18, 2004)

The Black Keys = Good.

This Review = Bad.

Die please.

hungryjoe (September 17, 2004)

1) Rage Against the Machine ripped off "Kashmir" for "Wake Up"
2) The Rolling Stones adapted the riff from "Trampled Under Foot" for "Miss You"....which was later lifted by Franz Ferdinand, but that's another story.

Anonymous (September 16, 2004)

I'm a fan of the Black Keys, The white stripes and Led Zeppelin. I guess I'm fucked.

Jesse, I'm sure you'll just say you "don't care" but people probably think this review is shit simply because you open by bashing the stripes. Honestly The Black Keys deserve way more respect in a review than that. That's too bad you hate the stripes. Tell us why you like the keys..

Anonymous (September 16, 2004)

The Rye Coalition

Anonymous (September 16, 2004)

Name one good band Led Zep had a huge influence on.

-BSD

Haggard (September 16, 2004)

"You people are as dumb as it would be ten years from now if kids my age liked pop-metal ala POISON, SCORPIONS, and QUEENSRYCHE. I can see it now. "

But, Led Zeppelin actually had talent and impacted rock music on a large scale.

-Justin

Anonymous (September 16, 2004)

Also, even though I think some of your reviews contain quality, this is one of the many that start out pleading for street cred. Anyone who criticsizes a band for being too "simple" had better be able to write songs as well or better than them. A band's playing ability only matters when they're trying to be intricate. Blues is simple run-down scales.

So do you like Akimbo better than the Ramones? "WATCH THEM PLAY THEM SCALES!"... I'm waiting for you and other cynical critic types to write a "Rocket to Russia" or "Leave Home".

I'm contradictory? Is "minimalism" your fucking excuse for liking some of the easiest music ever? The Velvet Underground? The Stooges?

What difference does having 2 people instead of 4 make? Especially when Jack White is a much more capable guitar than Asheton. The Stooges were a blues band. Hell, almost all real rock bands are basically blues bands at heart. The only thing that separates it is skill and speed.

I couldn't be more wrong? I'm sorry, you like classic rock.

You people are as dumb as it would be ten years from now if kids my age liked pop-metal ala POISON, SCORPIONS, and QUEENSRYCHE. I can see it now.

"Dude, you're an idiot! 'Don't Believe In Love' is a CLASSIC of the rock genre, right up there with 'Welcome to the Jungle'."

-BSD

Anonymous (September 16, 2004)

"And you thought Keith Moon was the guitar player for The Who."

What? I think I might be able to sue you for that.

I was making fun of your idiotic review. But I'm sure you can play through "Quadrophenia" in a snap. Yeah, try keeping up with that. Keith Moon was actually very talented.

These guys are the hacks.

And the White Stripes aren't rock n roll. These guys are. White Stripes are better because they cover ragtime/"old-timey" songs.

I'm sorry, your review is just flawed to anyone who knows about the history of rock. I don't doubt that you've heard a lot, or that you're a good musician, but you gave it all up by calling Keith Moon's drumming tech easy. Let's see you play those beats.

-BSD

Haggard (September 16, 2004)

"Led Zep sucked, and anyone who disagrees just has pretty piss poor musical taste. "

HAHAHAHAHA.

This is probably the funniest thing I have read in the past week.

-Justin

Anonymous (September 16, 2004)

"No talent assclown" is strictly reserved for Pat Dubar

and for Benji from Good Charlotte

-----

BSD=wussemorock=troll

Anonymous (September 16, 2004)

Led Zep sucked? Bsd your a goon.

Barkley

Jesse (September 16, 2004)

"So? Any band with only one talented member is a gimmick band now? As if your favorite Stooges album isn't "Fun House", that "no-talent" "ass-clown" product of "gimmick" from 30 something years ago? Don't pretend that isn't a total contradiction. The guitarist on their first two albums like totally barely knew how to play."

When you're in a two person blues band, you better have two talented musicians.

"Velvet Underground's drummer was minimalist/barely skilled, too..."

Minimalist is different from being a piss poor musician. The Velvet Underground wasn't about drums, it was about experimentalism and basic rock n' roll.

"Rock is about speed, often precision, but very little math"

You couldn't be more wrong. Rock isn't about speed at all. That's probably the stupidest thing that could ever be said. If rock was about speed, then you wouldn't like The White Stripes. Almost all of their songs are mid-tempo.

It boils down to this: you're being arguementive and ignorant, not to mention contradictory. And you thought Keith Moon was the guitar player for The Who.

Jesse (September 16, 2004)

Keith Moon was the drummer. Pete Townsend was the guitar player.

Eat it.

Anonymous (September 16, 2004)

the kinks > led zep

Cos (September 15, 2004)

"robert plant is a slimy fuck/ john bonham man, he really sucked/ those greedy fuckers, those phoney shits/ they made their money off idiots/--I Hate Led Zeppelin--/ 12 dollar concerts were all the rage/ they bought cocaine for jimmy page/ "stairway to heaven" makes me see red/ bonzo's buried, only three more left/--I Hate Led Zeppelin--"

The Weez was so hardcore back in the day...