The Black Keys

The Black Keys formed in 2001 and were active in the underground scene of Akron, Ohio. Their name comes from an artist that Auerbach's father--an art dealer--supported, who called people "black keys" as an insult.

The band released their debut album, The Big Come Up, in early 2002. The album was very successful for a new independent rock band. Along with their second album, it was recorded entirely in drummer Patrick Carney's basement on an 8-track tape recorder from the early 1980s. The album spawned two singles released as an extended play, "Leavin' Trunk" and "She Said, She Said". Both are cover songs; "Leavin' Trunk" is a traditional blues standard and "She Said, She Said" is originally by The Beatles. "I'll Be Your Man" would later be used as the theme for the HBO series Hung. "Breaks" was featured in the 2008 film RocknRolla.

The band released Thickfreakness in April, 2003 which along with The Big Come Up was recorded on a Tascam 388 in Carney's basement in 14 hours. The album was favored by critics and spawned three singles: "Set You Free", "Hard Row" and a cover of "Have Love, Will Travel". "Set You Free" was featured on the soundtrack for School of Rock, as well as the 2009 comedy I Love You, Man.
The band released a split-EP with The Six Parts Seven on September 16, 2003, titled The Six Parts Seven/The Black Keys EP and featured one song by The Six Parts Seven and three songs by The Black Keys.

Rubber Factory, the band's third album was released in 2004. During Thickfreakness and Rubber Factory, the band gained recognition and popularity, boosting their career. Rubber Factory was recorded in an abandoned factory in early 2004. The factory was located in Akron, but according to Carney, was finally torn down in early 2010. The album featured singles 10 A.M. Automatic, 'Til I Get My Way, and Girl Is On My Mind, released as an EP. "When the Lights Go Out" was used in trailers for the film Black Snake Moan and was featured in the erotic opening sequence with co-stars Christina Ricci and Justin Timberlake. Additionally, "10 A.M. Automatic" was used in Live Free or Die, The Go Getter, the soundtrack to MLB 06: The Show and an American Express commercial. The Go Getter also featured "Keep Me". "Grown So Ugly" was featured on Cloverfield and "Girl Is On My Mind" on Sony Ericsson and Victoria's Secret commercials. Around this time, they also opened for bands such as Pearl Jam, Beck, Radiohead and Sleater-Kinney.
In 2005, the band also released their first live video album, Live, recorded at The Metro Theatre in Sydney, Australia on March 18, 2005.
The Moan was an extended play which was released on January 19, 2004, featuring Have Love Will Travel, an alternate version of "Heavy Soul," and two covers.
The Black Keys released Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough, an EP with covers of songs by Junior Kimbrough. Kimbrough was a bluesman and the founder of Fat Possum Records, whom the band had previously covered on The Big Come Up. The EP was released on May 2, 2006. Four days later, The Black Keys released their second live album, Live in Austin, TX--also known as Thickfreakness in Austin--which was recorded October 24, 2003.

Soon after, their fourth album dropped; Magic Potion was their first release on Nonesuch Records. The album featured three singles; "You're the One", "Your Touch", and "Just Got To Be". The latter was featured on the soundtrack to the video game, NHL 08. "Your Touch" was featured on the 2009 film Zombieland as well as the HBO series Eastbound & Down. The Black Keys recorded a cover of "The Wicked Messenger" for the soundtrack of I'm Not There and have recorded "If You Ever Slip", a song written by Jesse Harris for The Hottest State soundtrack.

Attack & Release, the band's fifth album, was produced by Danger Mouse and released on April 1, 2008, having leaked onto the internet by March 4. Attack & Release debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200. The singles from the album were "Strange Times", "I Got Mine", and "Same Old Thing". "Strange Times" was featured in the video games Grand Theft Auto IV and NASCAR 09. "I Got Mine" was named the 23rd best song by Rolling Stone in its list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008. "I Got Mine" is used as the theme song for Canadian Police Drama TV Series The Bridge. "Lies" was used in episodes of Big Love and Lie to Me, and was covered by Kelly Clarkson live on her All I Ever Wanted Tour. "So He Won't Break" was featured on an episode of One Tree Hill. According to an interview in Pitchfork Media, the band was collaborating on an album with Ike Turner, to be produced by Danger Mouse and released in 2007, but the idea was rendered impossible with Turner's death in December 2007. "Some of the stuff we ended up recording sounds like Screamin' Jay Hawkins," said Carney.
Live at the Crystal Ballroom is a live video album released on November 18, 2008. It was filmed April 4, 2008 in Portland, Oregon at the Crystal Ballroom.

Brothers was released on May 18, 2010, featuring a 15 track listing. The song "Tighten Up" was released before the album as a single, along with "Howlin' for You" on the B-side. Brothers sold over 73,000 copies in its first week, giving it a #3 ranking on the Billboard Albums chart, their highest yet. The Brothers CD has a thin thermal film on the surface, which changes colors depending on the temperature of the surroundings and ranges from completely black to a creamy surface with writing on when placed in the CD player. There are two cut tracks from this album that have been released as well. "Ohio" pays homage to the home of The Black Keys, and "Chop and Change" was put on the soundtrack of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.