The Black Keys
Feb 24, 2013

American rock band, The Black Keys, have been receiving plenty of praise these days with their hit song, "Lonely Boy" which won them Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song at the 2013 Grammy Awards. It is from the album, El Camino which was also nominated in five categories and were winners in three. Their 2011 follow-up El Camino received strong reviews and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, leading to the first arena concert tour of the band's career. "Lonely Boy" has certainly become one of the group's most successful singles. It topped several rock radio charts, including the Alternative Songs and Rock Songs charts in the US. On the singles charts, "Lonely Boy" was the group's highest-charting song in several countries, peaking at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 2 on the Australian Singles Chart, and number 33 on the Canadian Hot 100.
Formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001, The Black Keys consists of Dan Auerbach (guitar, vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums). The group began as an independent act founded after the duo dropped out of college, and they eventually emerged among a second wave of popular garage rock revival artists from the 2000s. After signing with indie label Alive, the group released its debut album, The Big Come Up (2002), which was recorded in Carney's basement. The record forged the group's raw blues rock sound and earned them a new deal with Fat Possum Records. Over the next decade, the Black Keys built an underground fanbase through near-constant touring of small clubs, frequent album releases and music festival appearances, and extensive licensing of their songs. Their third album, Rubber Factory (2004), received critical acclaim and boosted the band's profile, eventually leading to a record deal with major label Nonesuch Records in 2006. After self-producing and recording their first four records in makeshift studios, the duo completed Attack & Release (2008) in a professional studio and hired producer Danger Mouse, a frequent collaborator with the band. The group's commercial breakthrough came in 2010 with Brothers, which along with its popular single "Tighten Up", won three Grammy Awards.