RIYL: The Black Keys

By Kegan Warner
· Apr. 3, 2014, 6:01 am
Welcome to our new feature "RIYL," which, if you're not acronymically inclined, stands for "Recommended If You Like." Each time around, we'll highlight a band that you might already love, and draw connections to five other great artists you should check out if you're a fan of that artist.
They might share a band member with the highlighted artist or collaborated with them at some point. They might be direct influences or a musical hero that got them to start making music in the first place. Or they might just share a similar sound. We'll include streamable tracks by each artist within the feature so you can check out all of these new artists with the simple click of a button. 
photo: The Black Keys photo(Photo: Courtesy of the artist)
If you're a Black Keys fan, below are five other artists you may dig as well. Stream a track by each artist, and check out a full playlist of the songs at the bottom.

Junior Kimbrough

If you are a fan of The Black Keys then you are most likely a fan of the blues, a genre that is not in short supply of incredible and seasoned musicians. But, for the sake of not overloading you with new music, let’s focus on one blues legend from which The Black Keys drew inspiration. A man that they liked so much that they actually recorded a full album of covers as tribute. The album “Chulahoma” is a collection of covers of songs by Fat Possum Records bluesman Junior Kimbrough, who died in 1998. Above is both Junior’s original version as well as the Keys' version of "Meet Me in the City."

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Considering one half of The Black Keys, Dan Auerbach, is now a four-time Grammy award-winning artist and considered a hot-shot producer, let’s check out a few bands that he has worked with recently to help him earn that award.

The Hacienda 

These dudes rock, and some of their sound is so similar to the Keys that it honestly sounds like Auerbach is in there playing guitar. Check out the first single "Savage" from their debut album "Shakedown."

Patrick Sweany

In the '90s, before the formation of the Keys, Dan Auerbach was one of a rotating cast of members in Sweany's project "The Patrick Sweany Band," helping him get a foot in the blues music scene. Since the rise of The Black Keys, their roles have switched. Auerback recorded and produced two of Sweany’s albums, and now Sweany in turn tours with the Keys as a support artist. 

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Next up are two bands that don’t necessarily have direct ties to the Keys, but have a similar sound. 

The Dead Weather

The Dead Weather is a side project of Jack White of White Stripes fame, Alison Mosshart from The Kills fame, Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age, and Jack Lawrence of The Raconteurs. A textbook supergroup, their sound pulls elements from each band mentioned above. However, they ultimately channel a blues vibe, bringing them into the ring with the Keys. Check out a new single they released just a few weeks ago.

Band of Skulls

Lastly, an English trio: Band of Skulls. They’ve got a big sound, and a-more-than-occasional blues hook throughout their two full-length releases. Their debut album is still a favorite of ours, and it has a fantastic name: “Baby Darling Doll Face Honey.” 

Listen to the full playlist below and check back next week for new recommendations:
 

 

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