The Black Keys - Brothers

[Hyfi]

After hearing the interview with these guys on NPR, I got a copy of their latest disk, Brothers. This band, of two, are up for several awards in the "Best" categories.

Best Alternative Music Album
Best Rock Song
Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group
Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 2011 GRAMMYs.

If this is the BEST that Rock and Alternative music has to offer, we are all musically in trouble.

I think it is great that 2 guys can put together songs by playing multiple instruments but the downfall is that they can just barely play them. I won't go over this disk song by song because my observations apply to the disk as a whole.

My first gripe is the distortion thingy they use for the vocals. OK, so it would have been cool on one song but not the whole disk.

Second gripe is the drumming. The dude has only 3 moves in his bag and uses the same ones on every track. Sometimes faster, sometimes slower but it's all the same. They may as well just used a lousy drum machine.

Third gripe is that as said earlier, they can just about play each instrument enough to cash in on people who will buy just about anything. Throughout the whole disk, there is barely a catchy guitar lead or solo of any sort which would show that he can do more than a simple 3 chord progression. The bass lines are just mundane and again show no real talent, just the ability to make an instrument make a few notes.

Maybe I am missing something with this band since this is the only disk of theirs I have listened to in entirety, and several times. If this is all they have to offer, and they are being labeled the Best at anything, then today's music is dead.

Anything Ozzie has put out in the last several years blows this crap away in it's sleep.

[Finch Platte]

After hearing the interview with these guys on NPR...Anything Ozzy has put out in the last several years blows this crap away in it's sleep.

So, in other words, it's something the folks over at Obner would really like?

Maybe you shoulda got the Michael Landau disc I recommended instead, them guys can play.

[Hyfi]

So, in other words, it's something the folks over at Obner would really like?

Hey Finch, long time but I know your always lurking. I've never been over to Obner but I guess I should take a look.

[atomicAdam]

The guys at NPR music sometimes get it right, and sometimes have their heads up their asses.

But to say this "If this is the BEST that Rock and Alternative music has to offer, we are all musically in trouble." really makes me want to tell you to stop being a drama queen and attention seeker. Or maybe you need to pull your own head out and take a listen before judging a category or the younger generation.

A recommendation for something more creative - Sufjan Steve's All Delighted People.

[nobody]

Just goes to show how much opinions vary. I really like that Black Keys album. At the same time, I would be more than happy to burn pretty much anything Ozzy has put out post Sabbath in a fire, outside maybe Blizzard of Oz.

[Hyfi]

really makes me want to tell you to stop being a drama queen and attention seeker. Or maybe you need to pull your own head out and take a listen before judging a category or the younger generation.

As I posted, I did listen to the whole disk multiple times. I did not listen to other entries in the same category but again, they must also not be so good, IMO, if they are grouped in with this disk.

So why am I accused of being an "attention getter" because I posted MY opinions on a disk?

As far as the "Younger Generation" goes, most have ADD with a 3 second attention span as a result of too many hours watching music videos. They probably can't follow a guitar solo by John McLaughlin or a bass solo by Victor Wooten. Maybe the younger generation is cool with hearing the same thing in every song, but I am not.

[atomicAdam]

As I posted, I did listen to the whole disk multiple times. I did not listen to other entries in the same category but again, they must also not be so good, IMO, if they are grouped in with this disk.

So why am I accused of being an "attention getter" because I posted MY opinions on a disk?

As far as the "Younger Generation" goes, most have ADD with a 3 second attention span as a result of too many hours watching music videos. They probably can't follow a guitar solo by John McLaughlin or a bass solo by Victor Wooten. Maybe the younger generation is cool with hearing the same thing in every song, but I am not.

See - I was coming in here to say - sorry I jumped down your throat - it wasn't cool - I'm just frustrated at other stuff - but then you say all that about the younger generation and it makes me shake my head because those assumptions are no ignorant.

[Hyfi]

See - I was coming in here to say - sorry I jumped down your throat - it wasn't cool - I'm just frustrated at other stuff - but then you say all that about the younger generation and it makes me shake my head because those assumptions are no ignorant.

Yeah, ask ten 20 year olds a question and see if you can get a complete sentence as an answer out of 5 of them.

I'm not as ignorant as you think. I work with younger people than myself. I have family and friends that have younger children. My opinions are from my personal experience so I apologize for not prefacing that before stating my opinion.

What was the last music video that actually showed a band playing music and not 3 second clips that change before you can even focus on the current image? Only concert DVDs I would have to guess.

[Stone]

As far as the "Younger Generation" goes, most have ADD with a 3 second attention span as a result of too many hours watching music videos. They probably can't follow a guitar solo by John McLaughlin or a bass solo by Victor Wooten. Maybe the younger generation is cool with hearing the same thing in every song, but I am not.

I'm glad you have an open mind and don't stereotype or paint an entire generation with a broad brush. Yikes.

[Hyfi]

I'm glad you have an open mind and don't stereotype or paint an entire generation with a broad brush. Yikes.

LOL, I know I'm a little over the top here but it was a reaction to Adam jumping on my back just because I posted a negative review of something he probably likes.

[Stone]

I guess I don't need great "chops" in a band to enjoy the music. I like Brothers too, but then again I'd rather listen to the Ramones than prog wankery any day of the week.

[dean_martin]

I like Attack & Release and still listen to it occasionally. But, I hear the repetition and sameness too. That's why I haven't picked up Brothers yet. Just like with movie awards, I think sometimes the recognition comes after your second good project even though the earlier one was better but was overlooked.

However, I saw these guys on Austin City Limits (one of those split shows with 2 bands getting a half hour each - Sonic Youth was the other act and man they still rock) and I love the guitar tone that guy gets, but I'm more into tone and groovy rythms than solos. I lost interest in solos a long time ago (w/few exceptions like Hendrix and Young). I prefer the anti-solo/noise/tone breakdown and timely, complimentary licks to masturbatory solos. On the ASL episode featuring songs from Brothers the Black Keys guitarist laid down groovy, bluesy, and rock-a-billy licks with energy. I kept trying to read the headstock to see what hollow body electric he was playing because the tone was appealing to my ears. But things did become repetitive both vocally and musically.

OTOH, Sonic Youth's brief set was awesome - had me glued. I can't think of another band that can slip in and out of a noisefest like those guys. I've got to get their last release Eternal and research their new one coming out later this month.

Bottom line is I see your point but not to the same degree.

[Hyfi]

Bottom line is I see your point but not to the same degree.

Fair enough and thanks for sharing your experience. I have always appreciated bands much more after seeing them live or on a show like ACL.

[dean_martin]

Fair enough and thanks for sharing your experience. I have always appreciated bands much more after seeing them live or on a show like ACL.

No prob. I think I took you too literally about the guitar solo thing. I didn't mean to come across as snobbish - just a personal rant about guitar solos in rock/pop music. I like a good guitar, sax, trombone, stand-up bass, trumpet, vibes or piano solo in jazz (sometimes even a drum solo). Ironically (maybe), I like a good banjo solo too. And then there's classical/orchestral/symphonic/chamber music which often features a solo instrument.

Some of my musical taste has been dictated by my own guitar playing. I'm self-taught, I cheat on bar chords, couldn't tell you what chord I'm playing, couldn't play a lead solo if my life depended on it, but I can get great tones, make some killer noise and scratch out some rythms.

[nobody]

Nothing wrong with listening to complex music, but really if you want to use complexity as the measuring stick for judging music, I'd say for one, rock probably isn't your genre as it's pretty much known for being the least complex music out there as opposed to say jazz, classical or avant garde music. Secondly, I think if you just used complexity and level of difficulty to play as your measuring stick for music, the likelihood of the best music ending up sounding like a bunch of atonal crap is pretty high.

I guess what I am saying, is complexity in of itself is fine and everyone likes what they like. But, pretending more complex is automatically better and that you should out of hand dismiss music because of a lack of complexity seems a bit of a red herring.

[Hyfi]

Nothing wrong with listening to complex music, but really if you want to use complexity as the measuring stick for judging music, I'd say for one, rock probably isn't your genre as it's pretty much known for being the least complex music out there as opposed to say jazz, classical or avant garde music. Secondly, I think if you just used complexity and level of difficulty to play as your measuring stick for music, the likelihood of the best music ending up sounding like a bunch of atonal crap is pretty high.

I guess what I am saying, is complexity in of itself is fine and everyone likes what they like. But, pretending more complex is automatically better and that you should out of hand dismiss music because of a lack of complexity seems a bit of a red herring.

I get all that and I don't just measure music by it's complexity. You would be surprised at some of what I listen to. On the other hand, music that is very simple and non complicated pretty much all sounds the same to me because it all uses the same 3 chords, simple non-exciting drum beat, and a 3 note base line. A drummer can use some simple gadget moves to make the simple ingch bach timing so much better. Also when I mentioned solos, I was not talking about 8 minute meandering Frank Zappa solos but maybe 10 seconds to let you know that a couple chords is not all a band can hammer out.

[Mr MidFi]

I like it when a Black Keys song snakes its way to the top of the random shuffle queue. But I can't really listen to them for an entire album's worth.

I caught a few songs from their set last summer... but it quickly became apparent that the thump-thump-thump regularity of their show was going to bore me before the hour was over. So I buggered off and got front-row position at the stage where Jimmy Cliff and his band were setting up. Glad I did, too.

[dean_martin]

I like it when a Black Keys song snakes its way to the top of the random shuffle queue. But I can't really listen to them for an entire album's worth.

I caught a few songs from their set last summer... but it quickly became apparent that the thump-thump-thump regularity of their show was going to bore me before the hour was over. So I buggered off and got front-row position at the stage where Jimmy Cliff and his band were setting up. Glad I did, too.

What festival? My son went to Bonnaroo last year. I tried to talk him into seeing Jimmy Cliff.

[Mr MidFi]

What festival? My son went to Bonnaroo last year. I tried to talk him into seeing Jimmy Cliff.

Lollapalooza. I'm too old to camp out at those things anymore.

[dean_martin]

Lollapalooza. I'm too old to camp out at those things anymore.

Yep! Give me a climate-controlled venue or amphitheater in the spring or early fall. I went through my son's Bonnaroo pics (facebook will be the ruin of many a young folk). He and his group went from nice, clean-cut young college students on day one to scary looking dirty hippies on day 3.

[3LB]

DAMN! I fergit my phone one day and I miss a ****storm.

Black Keys are ok for MP3 shuffle, but yeah, they suffer the same bout of saminess that a lot of so-called indie rock suffers from.

As for today's generation, yeah, certainly you can't condemn the entire lot. But their sure is a larger gap twix the smart and the stupid. Those who are capable of utilizing the vast wealth of knowledge at their fingertips are smarter and more capable than I was at that age (20s). But that type of youngin is gettin mighty scarce IMO. A lot of todays youth are poster children for abortion. Sure, every generation has had its share of thugs, losers and dumbasses, but they were the exception...now its running about 50/50. I agree with George Carlin - blame Mr Yuk stickers and child safety caps on cleansers. What were we thinking? If a child wants to chase fistfulls of lead paint chips with a swig of Mr Clean, maybe he should. Why did we want that kid to breed?