Modern Music Duos: Hopped Up On Primal Blues

The Black Keys are arguably music's most famous duo. You may not know much about them, but you certainly know their tunes. The Black Keys rose to fame by licensing their music for commercials and product sales. Their singles are everywhere: "Tighten Up," "Howlin' For You," "Lonely Boy," "Gold On the Ceiling," and "Little Black Submarine."

The Black Keys are composed of guitarist and singer Dan Auerbach and his childhood friend Patrick Carney, who is the pair's drummer. They met when they were eight in Akron, Ohio. Interview Magazine describes them as "basement punks... hopped up on the primal blues." But they are much more than that, having become a pop-rock sensation that is unlike any duo in music today. They are also one of the most interesting. Their first album, The Big Come Up, was made on lo-fi 8-track in Carney's basement in 2002. Ten years later, they released El Camino. The cover of this album, however, had a Plymouth Van on it, which was their first tour vehicle. El camino literally means "the road" or "the path." They also made an album with a variety of rap artists, called Blakroc, making themselves part of a collaborative hip hop record. Their name comes from a schizophrenia friend that would leave them long voicemails. In the voicemails, when he was mad he called their fathers "black keys."

Through their ten years, they've won three Grammy awards, released seven studio albums, and garnered a fan base big enough to sell out Madison Square Garden within fifteen minutes. Pretty impressive for just two people, right?