The Black Keys - Brothers

Kari recommends (week of June 20):

The Black Keys - Brothers. Get it here.















Why this is the best album of the year (so far)
Wow, guys, this album blew me away. It will make you want to pick up guitar, form a blues band, and hit the road, boozin' and breakin' hearts along the way. Every song on Brothers is tightly crafted, with big, soul-shaking beats, psychedelic guitars, swampy bass lines, killer beats, and sweet extras like two-part harmonies and warm organs swirling in the background.

I have been listening to this album at least once a day since I first got it last month, and I truly think it's the best album I've heard this year. It grabs you early on and just keeps on giving with every listen.

Bonus: It makes a surprisingly great soundtrack for running/working out.

Favorite tracks
This is an album that play seamlessly as a whole, so it's hard to pick favorites, but if I have to...

#2 Next Girl - Best "you said it, bro" breakup jam in a long time (maybe ever?? Okay, my love knows no limits)

#7 The Only One - A brilliant, deep intro gives way to a booming love song blanketed in sweet, soulful falsetto. It's beautiful, but the beat keeps it purely in the rock n roll realm.

You must also hear: keys on the intro to #8 Too Afraid to Love You; the sing-along genius of #3 Tighten Up (produced by Danger Mouse!).

About the artist
From lastfm.com:
The Black Keys are a two-man blues-rock group from Akron, Ohio, which formed in 2001, consisting of singer and guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney. The band name was inspired by a schizophrenic artist and friend in Akron, who used the term “black keys” to describe things he disliked or people he did not trust. The Black Keys have roots in traditional blues and psychedelic rock stylings.

One of their trademarks is their preference for simple, lo-fi recording techniques. They refuse to use big-name studios, and do most recording, producing, and mixing themselves. Most of Thickfreakness was recorded in about 14 hours in Carney’s basement, using only an early 80’s Tascam 388 8-track recorder. Often, their recordings still have background noises (such as an owl hooting).

More about me
I recently bought a bicycle and am absolutely obsessed! Biking in NYC can be scary, but traveling by bike has opened my eyes to whole new neighborhoods and a new way of seeing the city. I find myself dreading getting on the subway on nice, sunny days, thinking "Wouldn't it be so much better to be on my bike right now?" (However, I still take the subway a lot. No way am I ready to fight midtown rush hour traffic..)

I'm planning to do some big group rides this summer - up the west side of Manhattan and over to Jersey to the Palisades; down to Coney Island; maybe out to a beach in Long Island. I bought my bike on Craigslist from some guy named Peter who drove a van full of bikes (culled from his family's warehouse in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn) up to my neighborhood and let me test them out. It's a 70s road bike - Saint Tropez is the brand. Needless to say, it's a pretty basic bike, but it's got a lot of character.